200th anniversery of Napoleon's triumph

It was a cold, foggy morning in the great forests of Northern Germany and the army of the King of Prussia was feeling falsely confident. The inheritors of Frederick the Great's unbeaten military machine had no doubt that they would crush the rabble of revolutionary soldiers that was the French Grand Army. So what if just one year earlier, on December 2nd 1805, Napoleon had scored his greatest ever victory, destroying the combined armies of Russia and Austria in the frozen fields of eastern Europe at Austerlitz, even though outnumbered 2 to 1. The Prussians were known throughout Europe as the most disciplined army in the world. They could maneuver on the battlefield as if they were on the parade ground. They had never been beaten. They were spectacular. They were awesome. And they were totally destroyed by the lightning attack of Napoleon. In one day, 200 years ago, on October 14th 1806 Napoleon caught the Prussians unaware in twin battles at Jena and Auerstadt. Napoleon at the head of the Grand Army believed, in the fog, that he was facing the full Prussian Army at Jena, and he smashed it out of existence. In fact, that was just the advance guard. The main Prussian Army was 20 miles away at Auerstadt. Marshal Davoust, Napoleon's most competent Marshal, stumbled across the Prussians with his III Corps. Outnumbered 3 to 1 he gave battle and after 6 gruelling hours turned it to flight. In one day the stiff, slow, outdated, overconfident Prussian Army was wiped out by the modern, cheeky, risk-taking, swift and driven French.
200 years on, the French have chosen to ignore this anniversary. God knows they have few enough victories to celebrate. It is ironic that last year the French sent more troops, politicians and diplomats to join the 200th anniversary of their defeat at the battle of Trafalgar than they have committed to celebrating any of their Napoleonic victories.
This is the best known picture of this battle. The soldier is saying to Napoleon "send us forward now sire" and Napoleon is saying "when, like me, you have fought 20 battles then you can presume to give me advice" Carlos and I have had the painting reproduced, but with him and me on the horses next to Napoleon - how camp is that?