War of the Fifth Coalition

The War of the Fifth Coalition was the fifth of the seven coalition wars that defined the Napoleonic Era. It was fought between April and October of 1809.

Napoleon at Wagram (1809). Source: Napoleon In Wagram July 1809 by Joseph Louis Hippolyte Bellange

Napoleon’s France (allied with the Confederation of the Rhine, Holland plus several smaller states) faced off against an Austrian dominated coalition that included Hungary, Tyrol, Britain, Sicily and Sardinia.

The coalition has earlier been given a boost by a Spanish victory at the Battle of Bailen in 1808 (part of the Peninsular War). The defeat caused much consternation among Napoleon’s Allies. This was further compounded by the backroom political deals instigated by France’s foreign minister Talleyrand and Russia’s Tsar Alexander I at the Congress of Erfut (October 1808).

The ever scheming Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, prince de Bénévent- French diplomat and political chameleon. He survived both the turbulence of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era. Source Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, prince de Bénévent | French statesman and diplomat

The Austrians seized the moment and struck first in the War winning the Battle of Aspen-Essling. However the French regrouped and defeated the Austrians at Wagram. A final French victory occurred at the Battle of Znaim. In October 1809 the Treaty of Schönbrunn was signed ending the war. Austria gave up land to Bavaria (Tyrol and Salzburg). The Russians received the Duchy of Warsaw and France took control over much of Austria’s Adriatic coastal possessions (Ilyrian provinces) leaving her landlocked, 3.5 million less in population and having to pay a war debt of 75 million francs to France.

Map of the Battle of Wagram - Map of the battle of Wagram

Worth noting is that although the French won the critical battle of the war - Wagram - it came at a heavy price. French losses were placed at 27,500 compared to the Austrian death toll of 23,750.Battle of Wagram, 5-6 July 1809

On a grander scheme. The war halted hostilities in non-Iberian Europe until 1812 when the France invaded Russia.

Further reading

1. Franco-Austrian War of 1809 (War of the Fifth Coalition)
2. Fifth Coalition

In Praise of Alan Dershowitz

Over here we have Alan Dershowitz. Former Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University and a one time clerk at the US Supreme Court.

Source: Alan M. Dershowitz

Source: The Frontline Interview: Alan Dershowitz.

Dershowitz is a constitutional and criminal lawyer and a lifelong civil libertarian. He made his name in the success appeal of Claus von Bülow’s 1982 conviction, was part of the Dream Team that defended O. J. Simpson. and has represented a host of well known clients that have included Patty Hearst, Mike Tyson, Leona Helmsley and Jim Bakker.

He has written over thirty books covering the constitution, abuses of justice, election tampering, middle east politics with headings such as Sexual McCarthyism: Clinton, Starr, and the Emerging Constitutional Crisis (1998), Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age (2002) and Is There a Right to Remain Silent?: Coercive Interrogation and the Fifth Amendment After 9/11 (2008) and The Case for Peace (2005).

Dershowitz is a also a lifelong Democrat. He endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2008 calling her "a progressive on social issues, a realist on foreign policy, a pragmatist on the economy. He Voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 going so far as to say - "President Obama has earned my vote on the basis of his excellent judicial appointments, his consensus-building foreign policy, and the improvements he has brought about in the disastrous economy he inherited’. In 2016 Dershowitz voted for Hillary Clinton.

His credentials with Team Blue are extremely solid.

However Alan Dershowitz, based on his actions, transcends party politics for he is a true Civil Libertarian. He fully recognizes this as a vital ingredient in Liberalism and will fight against injustice regardless of the political divide that it cuts across.

From day one Dershowitz could see Trump- Russian collusion for the sham that is. Even writing a book The Case Against Impeaching Trump (2018).

He has been a consistent commentator on the Mueller Investigation and has an excellent record of reaching conclusions that were verified by the roll out of the investigation. Contrast this to CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin, who never yet met an analysis that he couldn’t fly off at a tangent to or Michael Avenatti, a one-time go for the media, who now inspires headings such as “I Flew Too Close to the Sun”: Inside the Epic Fall of Michael Avenatti

However Dersh has paid a price for his transgressions. Partisan attack teams have called him every name under the sun and several networks have swept him to the side for favoring the facts over the narrative.

It isn’t easy and I suspect it would probably be even worse for those who have less credentials to buttress the attack defense. However if it is principles that one values then it is imperative that one rush to defense of those who are being wrongly silenced or unfairly maligned even if their individual politics run contrary to one’s beliefs.

This should be a maxim for both liberals and conservatives.

Quote Sources

Dershowitz on Hillary Clinton - "The case for President Obama's reelection".

Dershowitz on Barack Obama - Alan M. Dershowitz (October 30, 2012). "The case for President Obama's reelection".

Is the Walking Dead still worth watching?

Call me a sucker for punishment but I am still a fan of the show. Having said that I am painfully aware of the rot that was seasons 7 and 8 and like the other answer here (Eden Dixon) I am heartened by the upswing by the Whispers Story Arc of Season 9. Like any series the WD’s fortune are a function of the writing. Season 3 and 4 are still the stand out benchmarks for the series with high notes reached in 5 and dare I say it, 2 as well.

So why has the show improved in 9? What mobilized it and 3 and 4 and why did 7 and 8 take a downturn?

The answer in two words is Darryl Dixon. He is the pivotal character in the show (in the comics it was Rick Grimes). Give him a greater role and the show blossoms. Push him to the side and it whithers. It really is that simple. Look at his footprint in the two lost years. It all but disappeared

It took the writers nine seasons to reach that conclusion. Whether they have actually learnt their lesson remains to be seen.

Why do human beings suffer?

These are a list of the common answers I have seen with respect to this powerful question. Some posit the existence of God others don’t.

I will use ‘he/He’ here for the sake of simplicity. I don’t personally believe that God has a gender.

a. Change occurs and humans suffer as a consequence. Mother nature is a bitch at times.
 b. God wants to teach us a lesson that will help us grow as a people
 c. God is angry with us for our evil.
 d. The answer will be revealed in time. God knows why. Those who suffer will be rewarded later if they are good.
 e. God knows the full picture. We don’t. What we see is suffering may not actually be suffering
 f. God wants to help but God is not all-powerful. There are forces beyond his control.
 g. The Aliens are toying with us.
 h. We are paying the price for errors in past lives.
 i. We suffer now but will be rewarded in the future
 j. I have no clue. Lets move on and deal with it.
 k. God is evil. He indeed may be a demon.
 l. Suffering makes us understand God more.
 m. We really don’t mean that much to all honesty he doesn’t care one way or the other.
 n. God designed the universe but sits back now and certainly doesn’t micromanage.
 o. The group of angels that God entrusted the micromanagement to are on strike.
 p. Different Gods are battling with each other. This is the consequence of the fight.
 q. Its all part of a giant conspiracy controlled by the Illuminati and their shape shifting extra-terrestrial bosses.
 r. Random fluctuations of a butterflies wings….Chaos man.
 s. God is being held hostage by Satan.
 t. God is testing our faith

I consider myself to be a philosophical theist - Philosophical theism - Wikipedia.

Which one makes the most sense to me. For me it is e. I have no problem in accepting the notion that I probably don’t have close to the full picture. Willing to live with that.

Greatest underachievers in Tennis

There are two groups of underachievers in tennis. Those who were their own worst enemy and those whose success was overshadowed by brilliant players who dominated the era they played in.

In GROUP ONE I would place Marat Safin, Goran Ivanisevic, Henri Leconte, Grigor Dimitrov and perhaps Nick Kyrgios (still a work in progress). One could even make the case that Boris Becker and John McEnroe could have perhaps achieved more (despite their amazing accomplishments) if they weren’t so self defeating.

In the SECOND GROUP I would add Andy Roddick, Lletyon Hewitt, David Ferrer and Andy Murray. They all had this misfortune of playing during the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic period. Kai Nishikori and Dominic Thiem may be the latest victims here. Other players such as Michael Stich, Richard Kraijcek, Pat Rafter, Michael Chang and Mark Philippoussis could probably have won more if their careers didn’t coincide with the Sampras-Agassi ‘winfest’.

Vitas Gerulatis, whose career overlaps with Connors, Borg and McEnroe could probably be classified in both categories.