The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast

In this wide-ranging conversation, Cameron reconnects with historian and longtime friend J. David Markham on the eve of his 80th birthday. They reflect on two decades of working together on the Napoleon podcast, swap family updates, and dive into Markham’s latest projects—including his forthcoming book Simply Caesar and several Napoleonic works in progress. The discussion […] The post Napoleon #62 – 20 Years of Napoleon and Friendship appeared first on Napoleon.

Join J. David Markham and Cameron Reilly as they re-unite after nearly a decade to dissect the travesty that is Ridley Scott's 2023 film, "Napoleon". The post Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #61 – Ridley’s Travesty appeared first on Napoleon.

After a break of 3.5 years, WE’RE BACK, BABY! Sir J. David Markham – yes, he’s an actual KNIGHT now (see photo below) –  and Cameron Reilly are back with a brand new episode. And what brought the show out of retirement, we hear you ask? The wonderful new 800-page biography by Andrew Roberts “Napoleon The […] The post Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #60 – Andrew Roberts, Napoleon The Great appeared first on Napoleon.

Here’s a plug for the Life Of Caesar podcast, hosted by Cameron and Ray Harris. It’s been going since Dec ’13, has about 80,000 listeners and ranks in the Top 100 podcasts in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN, so check it out! The post Check Out The Caesar Show appeared first on Napoleon.

Hey folks! It’s been nearly 18 months since the last podcast! Can you believe it!? This is a special episode to celebrate and promote a special Napoleonic event that is currently happening in Melbourne – Napoleon: Revolution to Empire. I had the chance today to chat with Sophie Matthiesson, one of the curators at the […] The post Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #59 – Napoleon @ The NGV appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome back! I know, I know, it’s been 8 months since our last podcast. Sorry folks. On this episode, our special guest is again Nicholas Stark, a 20-year-old wunderkind who David and I first met in Paris back in 2008, and who is studying at West Chester University in Philadelphia and a Fellow of the […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #58 – Wolfe Tone & The Irish Rebellions 1796-98 appeared first on Napoleon.

And once again we are fortunate to have Nicholas Stark back on the show to finish our series on Napoleon and Haiti. Today we focus on the claims that Napoleon directly ordered atrocities to be committed in Haiti. Did Napoleon, as Claude Ribbe claims, invent the gas chamber? (We find no evidence for that.) Did […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #57 – Haiti Pt 3 appeared first on Napoleon.

We’re back with Nicholas Stark to discuss St. Domingo / Haiti and Napoleon’s reinstitution of slavery in 1802. Was Toussaint L’Overture really a “saint” (his name translates as “all saints” or “all souls opening”)? Was Napoleon really a racist? Nick does another amazing job of delving into the primary sources from this period to paint […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #56 – Nick Stark on Haiti (Part Two) appeared first on Napoleon.

WELCOME BACK! I know – it’s been a long, long…. long time! But we are glad to be back! On this episode, our special guest is Nicholas Stark, a 19-year-old wunderkind who David and I first met in Paris back in 2008. Nicholas is an undergraduate at West Chester University and a Fellow of the […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #55 – Nicholas Stark on Napoleon and Haiti (part one) appeared first on Napoleon.

Our own J. David Markham was recently interviewed on Australian radio regarding a lock of Napoleon’s hair recently found in Sydney’s town hall. Listen to David’s interview here! The post David Markham on Australia’s ABC Radio appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome back! It’s been a long time between shows, I’m so sorry! But you’ll LOVE this episode, trust me, it was worth waiting for! Our guest today is Dr Philip Dwyer, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education and Arts, School of Humanities and Social Science, History Dept, University of Newscastle, Australia. Philip has a long list […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #54 – Dr Philip Dwyer appeared first on Napoleon.

We’re very lucky to have Alexander Mikaberidze back to discuss a few more important Russian generals and the crossing of the Berezina.       The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #53 – Alex Mikaberidze part 4 appeared first on Napoleon.

Alexander Mikaberidze joins us again on this episode to share deep biographical details about the major Russian Generals around the war of 1812 – Kutusov, Bagration, Barclay de Tolly, Tolstoy – the men who defeated Napoleon with a highly unusual strategy.     The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #52 – Alex Mikaberidze on The Russian Generals appeared first on Napoleon.

Our guest today is again the wonderful Alexander Mikaberidze. We continue the discussion from where we left off in Episode 50, talking about Napoleon’s entry into Moscow, the burning of Moscow, and the “strategic withdrawal”. Was the burning of Moscow deliberate strategy on behalf of the Russians? If they hadn’t burned it, would the outcome […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast 51 – Alex Mikaberidze on The Burning of Moscow appeared first on Napoleon.

We made it to 50! w00t! Thanks to everyone for supporting our little show over the last few years. It’s been an honour to create these shows for you. Can I ask a favour? Would you mind going to our iTunes page and rating the podcast? The more ratings we get, the more people find […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast 50 – Guest Alex Mikaberidze on Napoleon and Alexander appeared first on Napoleon.

Breaking away from talking to historians about Napoleon, today we have as our guest Australian businessman and political powerbroker, Michael Kroger. Michael joins us to discuss his fascination with Napoleon, which extends to having 5 floors of his Melbourne mansion decorated in the Empire Style and owning (among other things) one of only seven original […] The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #49 – Michael Kroger appeared first on Napoleon.

Continuing our series of chats with eminent Napoleonic scholars, today our guest is Rafe Blaufarb, Ben Weider Eminent Scholar and Director of the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at Florida State University. Dr. Blaufarb is a specialist in Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. He is the author of several books on the social and political history of the French military during this period: The French Army, 1750-1820: Careers, Talent, Merit (Manchester, 2002) and Bonapartists in the Borderlands: French Exiles and Refugees on the Gulf Coast, 1815-1835 (Tuscaloosa, 2006). He has published articles in the American Historical Review, Annales, H.S.S., Comparative Studies in Society and History, French Historical Studies, and Annales Historiques de la Révolution Française on the French army, the French nobility, noble fiscal privilege, and the geopolitics of Latin American independence. His current research focuses on the politics of property during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic era. Rafe joins us to talk about the history and focus of the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at FSU, how he got interested in Napoleonic studies, Napoleon’s views on economics and how he might have dealt with America’s current financial crisis, and Napoleon’s legacy in the Western Hemisphere. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #48 – Rafe Blaufarb appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome back! On episode #47, David and I have our first special guest! Jerry Gallaher is Past President of the Napoleonic Alliqance and author of the 1976 classic account of one of Napoleon’s greatest Marshals, Louis Davout – “Iron Marshal – A Biography of Louis N. Davout.” He’s also a true gentleman, scholar and totally charming. Meeting him was one of the highlights of the INS congress in Corsica last July. So I’m sure it will be of no surprise to you to learn that our subject tonight is The Iron Marshal himself, Louis-Nicolas d’Avout (May 10, 1770 – June 1, 1823), better known as Davout, 1st Duc d’Auerstaedt, 1st Prince d’Eckmühl, and Marshal of France. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #47 – Louis Davout, The Iron Marshal appeared first on Napoleon.

Hi folks. As you’ll have seen in my last post, Ben Weider, President and Founder of the International Napoleonic Society, passed away on October 17, 2008. As Ben was a major influence in Napoleonic circles, a tireless promoter of the Emperor’s achievements, and, not least, a very close friend and colleague of David’s, we wanted to share with you some thoughts on Ben. I was at David’s house in Olympia this last weekend, shooting video of his AMAZING Napoleonic collection for our upcoming DVD pack, and we sat down to pay homage to Ben. This interview also features a chat with our friend Sean Richarz, composer of the musical Les Cent Jours De Napoleon (The 100 Days of Napoleon) that I mentioned when we were in Ajaccio last July and an opportunity for you to win one of five free signed CD’s of the music from the musical! Listen to the show to find out how to enter the competition. Can I ask one more time for you to go into iTunes and vote for the show and leave a comment about how much you enjoy it? CLICK HERE to open up our page in the iTunes store. On behalf of David and myself, I want to sincerely THANK YOU ALL for going on this journey with us over the last couple of years. It’s been a highlight of my podcasting career to be able to produce this for you. Of course I need to thank the one and only J. David Markham for giving us all so much of his time and knowledge freely and willingly over these last couple of years. I really do believe he has not only taken us all on a wonderful journey, but has also left a benchmark in podcasting and education. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #46 – In Memory of Ben Weider appeared first on Napoleon.

Well…. here we are folks. The end of the chronological part of our story. It’s been two-and-a-half years in the making. Sometimes I never thought we’d get here. In many ways, I wish we hadn’t. But it had to happen – and so – on today’s episode, the Emperor – dies. We discuss his last two years on St Helena, without a decent doctor to attend to his increasing illness – which, of course, we believe to be symptoms of arsenic poisoning – his death and then his subsequent return to Paris, many years later. With the end of our chronological story, we might take a rest. Fear not, however – the show isn’t over yet. We’ll be back to do some epiloguecasts, fulfilling some of the requests you’ve made over the last couple of years for us to drill down into some of the other characters in this most amazing story. Can I ask one more time for you to go into iTunes and vote for the show and leave a comment about how much you enjoy it? CLICK HERE to open up our page in the iTunes store. On behalf of David and myself, I want to sincerely THANK YOU ALL for going on this journey with us over the last couple of years. It’s been a highlight of my podcasting career to be able to produce this for you. Of course I need to thank the one and only J. David Markham for giving us all so much of his time and knowledge freely and willingly over these last couple of years. I really do believe he has not only taken us all on a wonderful journey, but has also left a benchmark in podcasting and education. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #45 – La Mort de Napoleon appeared first on Napoleon.

On today’s episode, David and I talk about Napoleon’s struggles with Hudson Lowe, the theory that he was slowly being murdered while on St Helena, poisoned by someone in his own retinue, his sexual escapades with Albine de Montholon, and whether or not he had a “foxhole” religious conversion. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #44 – The Murder Of Napoleon appeared first on Napoleon.

The story of Napoleon’s years on St Helena is dominated by one man, whose name is infamous in Napoleonic history – Sir Hudson Lowe, Napoleon’s “jailer”. The Duke of Wellington later said that he was “a very bad choice; he was a man wanting in education and judgement. He was a stupid man, he knew nothing at all of the world, and like all men who knew nothing of the world, he was suspicious and jealous”. On today’s show we discuss the arrival of Lowe to St Helena and Napoleon’s forced move to new premises, Longwood. Longwood today. Photo by G.Wilson (see the Travelling Historian site for more great photos of Longwood.) We also talk a bit about Corsica and Paris! Keep an eye out for the DVD pack which I’ll hopefully have ready in a few weeks. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #43 – Sir Hudson Lowe appeared first on Napoleon.

Would you like to spend some time with David and I in Paris? Keep an eye on this blog over the next couple of weeks for details but it will be in the evening of July 13th, probably at the Cafe de la Paix around 5pm. On today’s episode, we discuss Napoleon’s journey on the Northumberland to St Helena and his arrival on the island, one of the most remote locations on earth and the last place he would ever visit. We also discuss the people who chose to go with Napoleon into exile and their possible motivations, the impression Napoleon made on various people aboard the Northumberland, and the decision to imprison Napoleon in Longwood. This version of La Marseillaise is sung by the Stade de France crowd, recorded on the occasion of the 2007 Rugby World Cup semi-final between France and England (source). The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #42 – The Prisoner of Longwood appeared first on Napoleon.

Hey folks – do you think we can make David’s new book, THE ROAD TO ST HELENA, the #1 History book on Amazon? Buy five copies today, give them to your friends, and make Napoleon NUMBER ONE! In this episode of The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast we examine how the British government came to the conclusion that it would be a cold day in hell before “Old Boney” would ever set foot on British soil or given the opportunity of justice before a fair trial. Breaking laws, making up new laws, defying their own people – the British government decided to banish Napoleon forever to a tiny island in the middle of nowhere – St Helena. David explains that Napoleon *could* have ended up here … but didn’t. This version of La Marseillaise is sung by the Stade de France crowd, recorded on the occasion of the 2007 Rugby World Cup semi-final between France and England (source). This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #41 – The Lion Roars appeared first on Napoleon.

Hey folks – do you think we can make David’s new book, THE ROAD TO ST HELENA, the #1 History book on Amazon? Buy five copies today, give them to your friends, and make Napoleon NUMBER ONE! On today’s show, David examines the political machinations the British went through to make sure Napoleon never set foot on British soil. According to the British law of ‘habeas corpus’, Napoleon should have been given a fair trial, but of course several people in England didn’t want that to happen. Did all of the British feel the same way? What were the reasons for denying Napoleon the right to justice? Listen to today’s show to find out! This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #40 – The Road to St Helena appeared first on Napoleon.

I know it’s been a while between drinks, my friends, but there are good reasons. Listen to today’s show to learn more! Today we finally… FINALLY… get Napoleon on “the boat”! David walks us through Napoleon’s last days in France and his reasons for choosing to surrender himself to the British instead of making a run for the United States. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #39 – Au Revoir France! appeared first on Napoleon.

Let me start off by apologizing for my audio – it seems I had the wrong microphone on. Luckily I’m just the button pusher so the impact is small. 🙂 In today’s episode, David explains the range of options Napoleon considered after his abdication of 22 June, 1815. Should he go to England, Russia, Austria or the United States? This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #38 – Napoleon’s Options appeared first on Napoleon.

Somehow we managed to get another entire episode just out of Joseph Fouche, Minister of Police, Duke of Otranto, and his machinations after Napoleon’s abdication to try to ensure his own position of power in post-Napoleonic France. We also talk about what’s happening during this period of instability with Marshals Ney, Davout and Murat. Napoleon, although the topic of much discussion, is, in this episode, almost a minor character. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #37 – Fouche’s Machiavellian Machinations appeared first on Napoleon.

In this episode David explains the Machiavellian machinations of Joseph Fouche in the days after Waterloo; how Napoleon was trying to manage the destiny of the Empire from his bath; and the events leading up to Napoleon’s final abdication from the throne and then declaring a regency in the name of his son, Napoleon II. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #36 – The End Of The Empire appeared first on Napoleon.

First of all, let me wish you all a happy 2008 from David and myself. Second, please allow me to apologize – both for the delay in this episode of our little show as well as the audio problems with it. As I explain in the introduction to the show, there was a major technical snafu with the recording (apparently a result of a Skype upgrade not playing nice with my recording software) which left David’s voice sounding like Darth Vader after a couple of Ambien. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to clean it up as best as I can. It’s still not perfect but hopefully won’t hurt your ears too much. I think for future shows I’ll record on the Macbook – we might even do a VIDEO episode (if, of course, any of you would be interested in watching our handsome mugs while we talk). Now… on with the show notes. After the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon had to make a series of strategic decisions. Can he save Paris? Can he still raise an army? Is all, finally, lost? In this episode, David takes us through some of Napoleon’s thinking and actions in the days immediately following his last appearance on the battlefields of Europe. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #35 – After Waterloo appeared first on Napoleon.

The Battle of Waterloo, along with the Battle of Wavre, was fought on 18 June 1815, and was Napoleon Bonaparte’s last battle. His defeat put a final end to his rule as Emperor of the French. It is probably one of the most famous battles in history. It has been the subject of much debate for nearly 200 years and we’ll probably still be debating it 200 years hence. We could have spaced this episode out over several more episodes but this show is about providing an introduction to Napoleon, we’re not trying to deliver the definitive commentary on his life, so we’ve covered the battle, as best we can, in a little over 90 minutes. What were the reasons for Napoleon’s defeat? Was it superior strategy on behalf of the Allies? Inferior strategy on behalf of Napoleon? Treachery? Incompetence? Illness? Bad luck? A combination of all of these? This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #34 – The Battle of Waterloo Part 2 appeared first on Napoleon.

On this episode we discuss the first two major battles of the 1815 Waterloo campaign – Quatre Bras (16 June) and Ligny (16 June). The Battle of Quatre Bras was fought near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras, Belgium, on 16 June 1815 between Wellington’s Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armee du Nord under Marshal Michel Ney. The Battle of Ligny was fought on 16 June 1815 when French troops of the Armee du Nord (Army of the North) under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal Blucher. Ligny was Napoleon’s last victory. Blucher’s defeated army survived to play a pivotal part two days later at the Battle of Waterloo. Battle map of the Waterloo campaign: This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. The post The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #33 – The Battle of Waterloo Part 1 appeared first on Napoleon.

Re-established on the throne of Paris in April 1815, Napoleon introduces a new Constitution and begs the Monarchs of Europe and Great Britian for peace. His envoys are rebuffed and his letters returned unopened. The Allies, still ensconced at the Congress of Vienna where they have been since November 1814, declare Napoleon an international outlaw and prepare to attack with one million troops. Napoleon has inherited only 200,000 troops from Louis XVIII. He puts together his new team and prepares for the inevitable battle. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. Click on the image below to purchase a copy!       The post #32 – The Hundred Days Part Two appeared first on Napoleon.

Napoleon, separated from his wife and son (who had come under Austrian control), cut off from the allowance guaranteed to him by the Treaty of Fontainebleau, and aware of rumours that he was about to be banished to a remote island in the Atlantic, escaped from Elba on 26 February 1815 and returned to the French mainland on 1 March 1815. Thus began “The Hundred Days”.   This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. Click on the image below to purchase a copy!       The post #31 – The Hundred Days appeared first on Napoleon.

Today we look at the period immediately after Napoleon’s first abdication in 1814 – his suicide attempt, the Allies’ discussions about where to send him (the Treaty of Fontainebleau), and his incredible work ethic once he arrived in Elba. Then we examine his reasons for deciding to leave Elba after a mere ten months and return… to France. I also mention during the show that I was recently extremely honoured to be informed that I am to be made a “Fellow” of the International Napoleonic Society (at the suggestion of their Vice-President J. David Markham) and David plugs the INS conference which we will both be attending in Ajaccio, Corsica, July 7 – 11 2008. We would both love to see all of you there! Download the registration form here (link). Some images to go with today’s episode: Napoleon On Elba The Abdication Desk Detail from The Abdication Desk   This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. Click on the image below to purchase a copy!   WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PODCAST Buy something from our selection of official Napoleon 101 podcast shirts and coffee mugs! Go into iTunes and vote for the show and leave a comment about how much you enjoy it. CLICK HERE to open up our page in the iTunes store. We have partnered with a London-based company called Pods in Print to provide written transcriptions of the Napoleon 101 podcast starting at this stage from episode #21. Access to the transcripts requires a subscription. It’s US$12.95 for one month or $120 a year. Check them out here. You can join our Facebook discussion group by clicking this link –> Napoleon 101 Facebook Group. Thanks to everyone for your continued support and for all of the terrific comments we get every week! If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing to our feed: Subscribe to TPN :: Napoleon 1O1 by Email If you use iTunes, click here. If you use another aggregator, grab our RSS feed here. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read this description in Wikipedia. If you stumbled upon this episode of the show and you would like to start from the very beginning, go to our overview page for a full list of episodes. The theme music is La Marseillaise. Yes, we know it isn’t necessarily relevant to Napoleon but it’s hard to beat when it comes to French themes! The post #30 – The Journey To Elba appeared first on Napoleon.

As 1814 begins, Napoleon is surrounded by problems following the Battle of Leipzig, but he still has some fight left in him. In this nearly two hour long episode, David takes us through the failed peace talks, The Six Day War, the betrayal of Murat, Ney and the surrender of Paris, Napoleon being a mere four hours too late to save his city from being turned over to the enemy by his brother Joseph. This image is from the personal collection of J. David Markham: This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. Click on the image below to purchase a copy!       The post #29 – The First Abdication appeared first on Napoleon.

As Napoleon’s ‘friends’ continued to betray him, by late 1813 the total Allied armies east of the Rhine probably exceeded a million men. By contrast Napoleon’s forces had dwindled to just a few hundred thousand. Short on horses, soldiers, food and ammunition, Napoleon soldiered on, fighting off his enemies in battles at Dresden and Leipzig while gradually being forced back to France’s natural borders. The Battle Of Nations, also known as The Battle of Leipzig, is considered the largest battle in Europe before World War I, with over 500,000 troops involved. Britain, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Bavaria and Saxony were now all united against Napoleon’s France. This show is based on David’s book “Napoleon For Dummies”. Click on the image below to purchase a copy!   David at Leipzig 2007 Giving His Professional Opinion on the Outcome of the Battle Napoleon Cracks His Teeth On The Hard Nut of Leipzig from the collection of J. David Markham   The post #28 – The Battle Of Nations appeared first on Napoleon.

In our mighty 27th episode, almost another full 90 minutes, David and I look at the events leading to the War of the Sixth Coalition. After the terrible losses Napoleon suffered on his “strategic withdrawal” from Russia, his political position in Europe was significantly weakened. In 1813, Prussia, who had been an ally of France since Prussia’s humiliating defeat in 1806, joined the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain and Portugal in The Sixth Coalition against Napoleonic France. This lead to the Battle of Dresden on 26–27 August 1813 where Napoleon had a terrific return to form, soundly defeating the combined forces of his enemies. I must show you this marvelous photograph of David modeling the wonderful range of Napoleon 101 clothing available only at The Napoleon 101 Store   The post #27 – War of the Sixth Coalition appeared first on Napoleon.

Recorded on Napoleon’s 238th birthday, we celebrate by making this our LONGEST show yet! 93 minutes of Napoleonic fun! Well, actually, as the subject is the Russian campaign, perhaps not so much fun for Napoleon and his troops, but fun for us to discuss nonetheless. In this episode we find Napoleon marching into Moscow, the Russians (yes, the Russians!) setting fire to their ancient city, Napoleon waiting for Alexander to make peace, finally realizing that isn’t going to happen, and then marching (what remains of) the Grand Armee back to France. Of course, this “retreat” (or “strategic withdrawal”, as David insists on calling it) is perhaps one of the most tragic stories in military history. Some objects from David’s personal collections: For further reading, I recommend: Napoleon’s Expedition to Russia: The Memoirs of General de Segur   The post #26 – The Invasion Of Russia (Part III) appeared first on Napoleon.

In this episode, David talks us through The Battle of Borodino, which took place on September 7, 1812, and was the largest and bloodiest single-day battle of the Napoleonic Wars, involving more than a quarter of a million soldiers and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties. Next stop – MOSCOW. For further reading, I recommend: The Battle Of Borodino website   The post #25 – The Invasion Of Russia (Part II) appeared first on Napoleon.

On June 24, 1812, the Grande Armée of approximately 600,000 men, the largest army assembled up to that point in European history, crossed the river Neman and headed towards Moscow. In this episode, we focus on the first few months, and follow Napoleon as he captures Vilna, Vitebsk and Smolensk. We examine why Napoleon was so confident that the campaign would be a short one and why he was so very, very wrong. We also discuss what was happening in the Russian camp and look at the political implications of their retreat.   The post #24 – The Invasion Of Russia (Part I) appeared first on Napoleon.

In this episode we explore the political events that resulted in Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, the tragedy that formed the central events of Tolstoy’s War and Peace and which saw Napoleon raise the largest army in history up until that time, 500,000 – 700,000 men (historians vary on exactly how many there were). Napoleon is often accused of being the instigator of this war (something Tolstoy, a Russian, was happy to suggest) but David and I examine the facts behind this perspective. While this is a tragic and deeply moving period of Napoleonic history, it is also one of the most fascinating, both from a military and a humanist perspective. Perhaps the best graphical representation of this unfortunate episode (or, in fact, one of the greatest use of informational graphics ever) is this image by French engineer Charles Minard. Edward Tufte called it “the best statistical graphic ever drawn” and uses it as a prime example in The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. (source)   The post #23 – The Road To Moscow appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome back! It’s been a long time between episodes. To celebrate our return, we have a very special guest co-host – Prof. Bob Packett from “History According To Bob”! Bob is the Godfather of History podcasting. It was his show that gave me the idea to start our little Napoleon podcast and we’re very excited about having him join us. If you have never listened to his show, we highly recommend it. In this episode we cover some of the events that happened in Napoleon’s private life during the peace that lasted from Wagram in 1809 until The Sixth Coalition in 1812, including: Napoleon’s divorce from Josephine His attempts to wed Tsar Alexander’s sister Anna His eventual marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria The birth of his first legitimate son known as the King of Rome aka Napoleon II At the end of the show we have provided a suggested bibliography for this period, thanks to a suggestion from listener Jackm over on the forums.   The post #22 – Au Revoir Josphine, Bonjour Marie-Louise and the King of Rome! appeared first on Napoleon.

In 1809, Austria decided to break the peace treaty they had signed after Austerlitz in 1807 and this lead to The War Of The Fifth Coalition. In this episode we discuss the events leading up to Austria’s attack and Napoleon’s response. The war ended with the Battle of Wagram, Napoleonic France’s last decisive military victory. The War Of The Fifth Coalition (with lots of campaign maps)   I have a favour to ask – it would really help the continued success of the show if each of you would go into iTunes and vote for the show and leave a comment about how much you enjoy it. CLICK HERE to open up our page in the iTunes store. Thanks to everyone for your continued support and for all of the terrific comments we get every week! The theme music is La Marseillaise. Yes, we know it isn’t necessarily relevant to Napoleon but it’s hard to beat when it comes to French themes! The post #21 – The War Of The Fifth Coalition appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome to the dramatic conclusion to the Peninsular War! It’s a long episode, possibly our longest, but we were determined to conclude this affair today! In episode #19 we gave you some background on how Napoleon ended up in the Iberian peninsula. Today we pick it up from about the time Joseph was made the King of Spain. Of course, in discussing Spain we also introduce someone whose story is forever associated with Napoleon’s – Sir Arthur Wellesley, aka the Duke of Wellington. It was during the Peninsula War that their fates first became entwined. Additional Resources: The Peninsula War Map of the Iberian Peninsula The Continental System Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington I have a favour to ask – it would really help the continued success of the show if each of you would go into iTunes and vote for the show and leave a comment about how much you enjoy it. CLICK HERE to open up our page in the iTunes store. Thanks to everyone for your continued support and for all of the terrific comments we get every week! The theme music is La Marseillaise. Yes, we know it isn’t necessarily relevant to Napoleon but it’s hard to beat when it comes to French themes! The post #20 – The Peninsula War (Part Two) appeared first on Napoleon.

After the Battle Of Trafalgar (1805), the relationship between Spain (which had previously declared war on France in 1793 and then an alliance in 1795) and France soured. In 1807, Spain was in turmoil, due to infighting between their disinterested Bourbon king Charles IV, his son Ferdinand and the Spanish Prime Minister (also the not-so-secret lover of Queen Marie Louisa), Manuel de Godoy. They turned to Napoleon for assistance to sort out their affairs. Already having occupied Portugal (because they refused to join the Continental System) Napoleon moved his forces into Madrid. He didn’t count on one thing – the Spanish peasants. The resulting war is where the term “guerrilla” warfare was invented (guerra in Spanish means war and -illa means small – i.e. guerrilla warfare is fought with small, insurgent troops instead of large traditional armies). The Second of May, 1808: The Charge of the Mamelukes, by Francisco de Goya (1814). The Peninsular War saw an alliance of Spain, Portugal, and Britain battle the French Empire for control of the Iberian Peninsula. It lasted from 1808 until Napoleon’s first abdication in 1814. In this episode we provide an introduction and some background to the war. Additional Resources: The Peninsula War Map of the Iberian Peninsula The Continental System The theme music is La Marseillaise. Yes, we know it isn’t necessarily relevant to Napoleon but it’s hard to beat when it comes to French themes! The post #19 – The Peninsula War (Part One) appeared first on Napoleon.

Welcome to the tragic Episode 18 of the Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast here on The Podcast Network. Once again, David and I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful feedback and comments we have received since the last episode. We both really appreciate it and it’s added motivation to keep producing the show although, as you know, we have so much fun being Napoleon geeks together that the entire British navy couldn’t keep us away! Speaking of the British navy…. this episode is about the Battle Of Trafalgar. On 21 October 1805, the French navy under the command of Villeneuve met disaster against the British navy under the command of Horatio Nelson at Cape Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain, in what is known as The Battle Of Trafalgar To get a good idea of what naval battles in the early 19th century must have been like, we both recommend watching the 2003 film by Australian director Peter Weir, Master And Commander. The theme music is La Marseillaise. Yes, we know it isn’t necessarily relevant to Napoleon but it’s hard to beat when it comes to French themes! The post #18 – The Battle Of Trafalgar appeared first on Napoleon.

On this marvelous 17th episode, recorded almost 200 years after the actual events occurred, we examine the final months of the “Fourth Coalition” leading up to the “Treaty of Tilsit”. Russian forces, lead by Count von Bennigsen, were crushed by Napoleon’s army at Friedland on June 14, 1807. Three days later Russia asked for a truce. By the Treaties of Tilsit in July 1807, France made peace with Russia and forced Prussia to give up half of its territory to France, Jerome Bonaparte‘s Kingdom of Westphalia, and the new Duchy of Warsaw. Napoleon was virtually in control of western and central Europe. Some historians consider Tilsit to represent the pinnacle of Napoleon’s career. He had conquered all of mainland Europe and secured peace for France. Unfortunately, it was to prove short-lived. We also talk briefly about Talleyrand‘s resignation from his position of Minster of Foreign Affairs after Tilsit and hint at his role as a traitor to France (or was it just to Napoleon?) in the years to come. Next episode – The Battle of Trafalgar! The theme music is La Marseillaise. The post #17 – The Battle of Friedland and the Treaty of Tilsit appeared first on Napoleon.

After Napoleon completely crushed the Prussians at Jena-Auerstedt, Europe was in shock. Back home in Paris, some were concerned that Napoleon’s continued success might blind him to opportunities for peace. Meanwhile, Russia’s Czar Alexander had his armies advance on Warsaw, forcing Napoleon to march to meet them. Early in 1807, he fought an extremely bloody but inconclusive battle at Eylau. He also spent time in Warsaw with the other great love of his life – the very young Maria Walewska. By the way, I screwed up the audio on this show yet again. I think my mic was up too high, picking up too much background noise and making it difficult to raise David’s audio without the background buzz coming up as well. I’ll try hard to get improve it before the next episode!   The post #16 – Eylau, Poland and Maria Walewska appeared first on Napoleon.

The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name: Auerstädt) were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today’s Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia. The decisive defeat suffered by the Prussian army resulted in Prussia’s elimination from the anti-French coalition up until the liberation war of 1813. Some links to topics discussed on this episode: Battle of Jena-Auerstedt The Confederation of the Rhine and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire Queen Louise of Prussia Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte David has provided the following photos of objects from his collection which provide a pictorial dimension to this episode: The post #15 – The Battle of Jena-Auerstedt appeared first on Napoleon.