In Four Armies A German Officer's War Against Napoleon, 1806-1815

9781905043118

1905043112

Napoleon had many enemies. Among the most persistent was Heinrich Dehnel. This brave and dedicated officer spent nine years fighting the French. His military career consisted of a series of ruthless campaigns in which the young Prussian suffered defeat after defeat, only for him to emerge in some other corner of Europe to continue the fight. His story is one of a survivor, and a gambler, and his dramatic adventures are recounted here in his fascinating memoirs.Heinrich Dehnel's memoirs cover the years from 1806 to the final, and very personal, triumph over Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Dehnel joined the Prussian Army in time to witness its complete destruction at the hands of Napoleon in 1806. He was captured by the French during the humiliating pursuit but, bold and spirited, survived hospital and captivity and contrived to escape and continue the fight in 1807.Unable to suppress his spirit for adventure he signed up to join the Duke of Brunswick in1809, becoming one of the famous 'Black Brunswickers'. He participated in the legendary dash across Germany and, before the year was out, found himself a penniless exile in Britain. Now a member of the King's German Legion, he wouldn't see the Continent again until 1813, fighting in northern Germany, and from then, to the final triumph at Waterloo, it was hard fighting all the way.Dehnel's memoirs form a frank insight into the brutal and often short life of a Napoleonic soldier. His is a lively tale of courage, perseverance and revenge set at the dawn of German nationalism.Never before published in English, Dehnel's autobiography has been expertly translated by Digby Smith, the leading authority on Napoleonic warfare.