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The Diary of a napoleonic foot soldier is a autobiography / biography piece of literature of a soldier who went to war during Napoleons rule. Jakob Walter is was the author of this book, and Walter explains to us what he did during several war campaigns. Even though Walter was only nineteen, he was enlisted to the army by conscription and assigned to the regiment of Rom, later to be called theFranquemont Regiment. His first major mission was to escort several convoys of captured Prussians, from Glogau to Dresden during the month of March, 1806. His voyage to Dresden was simple but the way back to Glogau, they were surrounded by Prussians at the city of Bunzlau. So they stayed in Bunzlau and caught any spies that somehow got in.
One spy that was caught was whipped one hundred and fifty times on his back, until he was half dead, and then shot, because he was about to send letters to the Prussians about the citys manpower. After the siege there was over Walter headed back to Glogau. Other missions assigned to him were the safe escort of the money wagons from Glogau to the Vistula River, the attack on the fortress Stettin, and the siege at Glass. Walter had a brother in the was with him who was stationed in theLilienburg Regiment. Whenever they fought and whenever they were in these city, they would look for each other because they had a strong brotherly love.
In 1809, Walter was called back to war when war with Austria broke out. He writes about the march from village to village, and would stay at other peoples houses where there was plenty of wine to drink. In October he came to a village where he was quartered at a place housing a nun. Upon seeing Walter read a lot, the Nun started asking questions and Walter lied telling her he was among. He left that place leaving the hosts liking him and then two years go by (maybe a part of the diary was missing! ) The next part of the diary was long, so I will only point out some of the majoring interesting events of 1812 and 1813.
In January, 1812, Walter was recalled today. His regiment marched for months traveling through Poland and into Russia. Food was scarce and hunger took over all the soldiers, so they pillaged villages. As time went by, more villages were already pillaged or even burnt down before the soldiers got there. They marched through several cities and at last came to St. Petersburg, where other troops were waiting so they could all attack the city August 17, 1812.
After they took over the city, they burnt down and pillaged the city. Walter and his regiment went onto other cities but found all burnt down. He did find useful and life-saving things such as fur and grain with a hand grinder. The battles in Russia and Poland were bloody, and deadly.
To all the cities and grounds they fought for or on, hundreds of thousands died. People fought amongst each other for food and horses, such as Walter, whose horse was stolen at least two times. Everyone believed that their time was up and it was their last hour. Winter didnt help either, it made staying warm difficult and freezing to death pretty simple. An interesting event that came upon Walter washed he and some soldiers were attacked by Cossacks, and Walter pretends that dead after someone lances him to the ground. He then waits until they all leave, (he knew he was outnumbered) and then gets up and walks away.
He is separated from the group and travels to meet up again with them. As he gets to someone from the army, he is robbed and he catches a fever, both of which he survives through. On February, 24, 1813, he finally makes it home to see his family, including his brother, all well. Walter, though falls sick and so is taken toa hospital. He is feeling better weeks later when he isnt sick anymore and he hasten discharged from the army. At first the introduction was not as appealing as it could of been, but the diary Jakob Walter wrote was amazing.
The details were vivid, pictur able and interesting. Enough so that I read the diary in one reading. Walter explains how life as a napoleonic soldier was, and the hardships they had. Walter shows how hungry he was and how any food is good food. I could never eat hogs face raw or coagulated horse blood, but thats just me, and walking for thousands of miles in extreme hot and severe cold temperatures. This book is superb and Ill probably buy this book and add it to the shelf
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