Eylau: Myth and Propaganda: Murat’s Charge at the Battle Of Eylau, Febuary 8, 1807. (Battlefield Anomalies)

Of all the great battles fought during the Napoleonic Wars, Eylau is the most perplexing. Nothing remarkably new regarding the battle has been published over the last one hundred years, yet there remain many unanswered questions regarding almost every stage of the conflict. Continual advance guard and rear-guard engagements took place after the renewal of hostilities at Bergfried on 3 February 1807. Thereafter at Hoff on the 6 February a battle took place costing several thousand lives, while on the 7 February from around 2:00pm in the afternoon, a severe rear-guard action took place which spilled over into the town of Eylau itself. With severe street fighting involving house to house and hand combat until late into the night, fires raged unchecked. This alone ranks as a major engagement with casualties amounting to thousands for both sides. Freezing conditions are mentioned in all sources but none of these give any real details as to where and what the average soldier did to try to alleviate his suffering or where he took shelter from the appalling weather condition. The main battle on 8 February, although described in the sources as taking place amid blizzards and freezing temperatures is, beside this, treated as if the battles were being described under normal conditions. No mention is made of how or where the ammunition and food were distributed before the main battle, or for that matter how the supply wagons managed to deliver these items in the first place.This book only scratches the surface of the above, but will, I hope, prove a guiding light into further research into this enigmatic battle. Read more