Napoleon has many interesting things, such as his height. The British said that Napoleon was only 1.58 meters tall, but on the legal scale, Napoleon was 5 feet 2 inches tall, which is 1.68 meters. For a long time, Napoleon was afraid of being called short.
Once, Napoleon wanted to take a book from the shelf, but he couldn't reach it. A general happened to pass by and said? Your Majesty, let me help you with it. I am taller than you? Napoleon said: Are you saying that you are longer than me? ? Besides his height, Napoleon owed money. About this debt, we have to start with the marengo War.
1799 The French army suffered many defeats in Italy and the Rhine. In order to rule France, Napoleon led 37,000 people to cross the Alps and enter northern Italy to support the French army besieged by the Austrian army in Genoa. 1800 May 13, Napoleon came to a small village called marengo, about 5 kilometers southeast of Alexandria.
Before the war, the French and Austrian armies did not know the specific strength of both sides, and the Austrian army had a slight advantage. Napoleon's vanguard troops on standby consisted of five infantry divisions and 1 cavalry brigade, with about 26,000 troops and about 30,000 Austrian troops.
In order to find out the strength of the Austrian army, Napoleon sent Garda to explore the bridge on the Mingmeida River, but Garda brought back a false message. He said that the bridge was completely destroyed by the Austrian army. Napoleon thought that the Austrian army intended to break through eastward, rather than confront them head-on.
The terrain of marengo Village is complex, with farmhouses and vineyards dotted around. This terrain also played a role in the Battle of Marengo. Because Napoleon took a light vanguard, there were some problems in supply. In order not to affect the battle, Napoleon collected food from marengo village.
In order to get farmers' support, Napoleon wrote them an iou. After Napoleon unified France, they could take this iou to the creditors to pay their debts. This mutually consuming supply war lasted for a month, and on the morning of June 14, the Austrian army rushed out.
Due to intelligence errors, Napoleon's army was defeated again and again, but Napoleon remained calm and immediately transferred back to General Desai's Baode Division, and the situation changed completely. The Battle of Marengo not only saved the French revolutionary regime, but also was the proudest battle in Napoleon's life.
As for the IOUs, they were kept until 1982, and a farmer gave them to the government. This IOU is not only a debt owed by Napoleon, but also a witness to the Battle of Marengo. France cashed this iou, gave him 450,000 francs, and presented a statue of Napoleon riding and flogging.