The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service AgentsBarton, George
History
The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service Agents
Barton, George
Secret service; Spies
He reached Vienna in safety and immediately reported to Napoleon,
giving the Little Corporal not only the copies of the letters and
papers, but also a great amount of verbal information. Napoleon already
had his plans made for the campaign which was to end by placing his
brother Jerome on the throne of Westphalia. The data given him by
Monsieur de Meinau enabled him to dispose his forces still more
advantageously. Also it placed the enemy at a tremendous disadvantage.
At this time there had been formed a new combination against France,
consisting of England, Russia, Sweden, Saxony and Prussia. The contest
began in 1806 with two thrilling battles, Jena and Auerstadt. They were
fought on the same day. It was a crushing defeat for the Prussians,
and Napoleon, already having possession of Vienna, now marched in
triumph into Berlin. Well might he gloat over his triumph, for he had
accomplished in a few hours what Austria, France and Russia had been
unable to do in the Seven Years’ War of the preceding century. And
within a stone’s throw of the Emperor and sharing with him the glories
of this historic occasion was his faithful spy.
But the opposition, while dismayed, was not yet entirely vanquished.
The Prussians gathered their scattered forces together and joining with
the Russians made a final stand at Eylau. The battle there was fierce,
but not decisive. A short time after this the French won the battle of
Friedland, and then a treaty of peace was signed.
Napoleon gained precisely what he wanted. By the peace treaty Prussia
gave up a large part of her territory. From a portion of it, lying west
of the Elbe, he created the Kingdom of Westphalia. This was bestowed
upon his brother Jerome, thus adding another kingdom to the group of
states which he was accumulating and which—he thought in his colossal
vanity—was to make him King of Kings. Monsieur de Meinau was present
when Jerome was crowned, as was befitting for one who had risked his
life in the cause of the king-maker.
In 1809 Monsieur de Meinau was given command of the Military Police of
the French Army. From that date, although his field of Operations was
increased, his personal exploits became less numerous. He did undertake
one or two private missions for Napoleon, but for the most part his
hours were fully occupied in directing the activities of others. That
he was a busy man may be appreciated from the ceaseless labors of
Napoleon. That remarkable man never rested and, needless to say, did
not permit any one about him to rest. There came the seizure of the
thrones of Portugal and Spain, the Peninsular War, the quarrel with the
Pope, the battle of Wagram and then the divorce from Josephine and the
marriage to the Princess Marie Louise. In all of these stirring events
the former Alsatian smuggler played his part.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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