[PW] etapes

[burchell at telusplanet.net]

Hi!
Thank-You, for the reply. This as I have indicated, is the bare bones 
definition ala crossword puzzles, etc. I am more interested in the historical 
importance of the sites as their military significance during military 
campaigns during Napoleans era. Just as during modern military operations,
men and equipment require ammunition, fuel, clothing, explosives, etc, so 
toodid Napoleans army require similar require supplies for horses, wagons,
foot soldiers, cavalry and the enormous numbers of women who accompanied their
men as camp attendents, cooks, laundresses, etc. His logististic problems were
no less difficult then those of a modern general, and in many ways, because of
poorer communication, they were even more difficult.  The idea of the etape
though, is for its time, quite a well thought out one, in my opinion, if I am
correct in my opinion as to the full definition of the concept.
Cheers.
Jim 
Quoting Simon Cauchi <simon.cauchi at xtra.co.nz>:

> 
> On 22/12/2007, at 9:23 AM, burchell at telusplanet.net wrote:
> 
> > The term etapes, which, as I understand it, having first encountered 
> > it in
> > crossword puzzles, is the definition for a days march, and later, in a 
> > short
> > story entitled "Dawn at Etapes" depicting a duel fought over a chess 
> > match
> > as an etape. An etape is also, I believe, a series of graneries, and 
> > supply
> > depots, established by Napolean, that were  built and maintained to 
> > coincide
> > at each etape so that men and horses could re-arm, and re-supply. One 
> > of
> > R.F. Delderfeld's novels (sorry, I don't recall the title, tells the 
> > story
> > of three Gascon friends who fought for Napoleon
> 
> The word "étape" is defined in my _Concise Oxford French-English 
> Dictionary_ (first published 1934, reprinted 1963) as follows:
> 
> "1. Stage; halting-place, station; day's march; _brûler les étapes_ to 
> ride or travel without relays; (fig.) to go post-haste; 2. (archaic) 
> depot, mart."
> 
> My _Oxford Paperback French Dictionary_ (third edition, 2002) simply 
> has "stage; (lieu d'arrêt) stopover; (fig.) stage".
> 
> Simon Cauchi
> <simon.cauchi at xtra.co.nz>
> 
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