The 4 Types of Men Who Fought for Napoleon
The awesome power of the Napoleonic Empire was built on the blood and courage of millions of soldiers. Though Napoleon is remembered as an icon…
“My Heart Refused Such Sinister Grandeurs” – The Fall Of The Last Napoleon
It was a turbulent time in Europe. The year was 1870, and the Kingdom of Prussia held the reins of power. Prussia’s king, Wilhelm, was…
The 100 Days – Napoleon Returns From Exile, Rallying an Army With His Words Alone
The ranks opened suddenly, and a figure stepped into view. He was taller than many of his enemies described him. Taller and leaner, the angles of…
Napoleon’s Great Military Innovations Might Not Have Been As Original They Seemed
The success of Napoleon Bonaparte stands as a testament to his extraordinary talent as a general. For twenty years, his armies dominated the battlefields of…
A New Breed of Soldier: How the French Revolution Made Napoleon’s Career Possible
Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power marked the death knell of the French Revolution. His autocratic government ended the attempts at increased democracy that had shaken…
The Battle Of Marignano: The Reason For Almost 500 Years Of Swiss Neutrality
In November of 2016, Switzerland will have had a strict policy of neutrality for five centuries. Even during the World Wars, Switzerland was able to…
Disease, Starvation, and the Brutal Russian Winter – Why Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia Failed
In 1812, Napoleon’s Grande Armée (Great Army) invaded Russia. Though made up of about 680,000 soldiers, they lost. Historians have given many reasons as to…
Napoleon – The Great Conqueror Should Have Lost in Italy
From 1792 to 1797, France fought a multi-fronted war against the First Coalition, the first of many attempts to bring the revolutionary nation to heel.…
The Battle of Waterloo and the Final Downfall of Napoleon
Fought on June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was one of the most decisive encounters in European history. The final defeat of Napoleon ended…
The Battle of Salamanca: Wellington at his Opportunistic Best
Fought on July 22, 1812, the Battle of Salamanca was a great success for the then Earl and later Duke of Wellington. Leading the British…
Fighting for Both Sides: the Spanish Army in the Napoleonic Wars
In 1807, Napoleon’s French armies crossed Spain to invade Portugal. It began a seven-year campaign known as the Peninsular War. For the Spanish, it was…
Napoleon’s Armies in the Iberian Peninsula
The Peninsula War was the most drawn-out campaign of the Napoleonic wars. French troops entered the Iberian Peninsula in 1807 and along with Spanish forces…