The Command And Control Of The Grand Armée: Napoleon As Organizational Designer

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate Napoleon Bonaparte’s command and control of the Grand Armée through the lens of organizational design. Napoleon’s methodology behind the design of the Grand Armée is analyzed using modern principles of organizational design. The structure that Napoleon created within his organizational design was a vast information network that served as the framework for a highly effective command and control system. This command and control network allowed Napoleon to dominate a war with his enemies within the information domain.

The Grand Armée transited the European countryside with lightning speed as Napoleon out maneuvered his enemies. Napoleon’s dominance was a direct result of his organizational masterpiece that was the Grand Armée. From an organizational design perspective, Napoleon’s methodology applied the ideas of others and exploited existing technology to affect his design.

The reorganization of the military corps became one of the most important transformations made by Napoleon. The army corps was considered a key component in Napoleon’s strategic deployments. The command and control system he engineered for his corps was essential in the Napoleonic philosophy to march divided and fight united.