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The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to the application of modern mass conscription. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. French power rose quickly, conquering most of Europe, but collapsed rapidly after France's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon's empire ultimately suffered complete military defeat, resulting in the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France. Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814 the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne Meanwhile the Spanish Empire began to unravel as French occupation of Spain weakened the Spanish hold over its colonies, providing an opening for nationalist revolutions in Latin America. The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries
No consensus exists as to when the French Revolutionary Wars ended and the Napoleonic Wars began. The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states Possible dates include November 9, 1799, when Bonaparte seized power in France; May 18, 1803, when Britain and France ended the only period of peace in Europe between 1792 and 1814, and December 2, 1804, when Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a 18 Brumaire, the coup of 18 Brumaire or sometimes simply Brumaire refers to the Coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
The Napoleonic Wars ended following Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo (18 June 1815) and the Second Treaty of Paris. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Treaty of Paris of 1815 was signed on November 20, 1815, following the defeat and second abdication of Napoleon. Some sources (in the United Kingdom) occasionally refer to the nearly continuous period of warfare from 1792 to 1815 as the Great French War, or as the final phase of the Anglo-French Second Hundred Years' War,[1][2][3] spanning the period 1689 to 1815. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Great French War is a term sometimes used to describe the period of almost continuous conflict April 20, 1792 to November 20, 1815, The Second Hundred Years' War is a phrase used by some Historians ref>Buffinton Arthur H
Background 1789–1802
The French Revolution of 1789 had a significant impact throughout Europe, which only increased with the arrest of King Louis XVI of France in 1792 and his subsequent execution in January 1793. The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states The First Coalition ( 1792 – 1797) was the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. The " Second Coalition " ( 1799 &ndash 1802) was the second attempt by other European powers to contain or eliminate Revolutionary The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre The first attempt to crush the French Republic came in 1793 when Austria, the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of Naples, Prussia, Spain, and the Kingdom of Great Britain formed the First Coalition. The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The First Coalition ( 1792 – 1797) was the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. French measures, including general conscription (levée en masse), military reform, and total war, contributed to the defeat of the First Coalition. Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. Total war is a conflict of unlimited scope in which a Belligerent engages in a total mobilization of all available resources at his disposal The war ended when Bonaparte forced the Austrians to accept his terms in the Treaty of Campo Formio. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire Year VI of the French Republic by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig Great Britain remained the only anti-French power still in the field by 1797.
The Second Coalition, formed in 1798, consisted of the following nations or states: Austria, Great Britain, the Kingdom of Naples, the Ottoman Empire, Papal States, Portugal, and Russia. The " Second Coalition " ( 1799 &ndash 1802) was the second attempt by other European powers to contain or eliminate Revolutionary The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending During the War of the Second Coalition, the French Republic suffered from corruption and division under the Directory. The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following France also lacked funds to prosecute the war and no longer had the services of Lazare Carnot, the war-minister who had guided her to successive victories following extensive reforms during the early 1790s. Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Comte Carnot ( May 13, 1753 &mdash August 2, 1823) the Organizer of Victory in the French Napoleon Bonaparte, the main architect of victory in the last years of the First Coalition, had gone to campaign in Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Stripped of two of its most important military figures from the previous conflict, the Republic suffered successive defeats against revitalized enemies which British financial support brought back into the war.
Bonaparte returned from Egypt to France on August 23, 1799, and seized control of the French government on 9 November 1799 in the coup of 18 Brumaire, replacing the Directory with the Consulate. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a 18 Brumaire, the coup of 18 Brumaire or sometimes simply Brumaire refers to the Coup d'état by which General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the He reorganized the French military and created a reserve army positioned to support campaigns either on the Rhine or in Italy. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest On all fronts, French advances caught the Austrians off-guard. In Italy, Bonaparte won a victory against the Austrians at Marengo (1800). In the Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria However, the decisive battle came on the Rhine at Hohenlinden in 1800. The Battle of Hohenlinden was fought on December 3 1800 during the French Revolutionary Wars, near Munich, modern Germany. The defeated Austrians left the conflict after the Treaty of Lunéville (9 February 1801). The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on February 9 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Empire by Joseph Bonaparte and Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday Thus the Second Coalition ended in another French triumph. However, the United Kingdom remained an important influence on the continental powers in encouraging their resistance to France. London had brought the Second Coalition together through subsidies, and Bonaparte realised that without either defeating the British or signing a treaty with the UK he could not achieve a complete peace.
War between Britain and France, 1803–1814
Unlike its many coalition partners, Britain remained at war throughout the entire period of the hostilities of the Napoleonic Wars. Protected by naval supremacy (in the words of Admiral Jervis to the House of Lords "I do not say, my Lords, that the French will not come. Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB PC RN ( 9 January 1735 &ndash 14 March 1823 I say only they will not come by sea"), the United Kingdom could maintain low-intensity land warfare on a global scale for over a decade. The British Army gave long-term support to the Spanish rebellion in the Peninsular War of 1808-1814. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Protected by topography, assisted by massive Spanish guerrilla activity, and sometimes falling back to massive earthworks, Anglo-Portuguese forces succeeded in harassing French troops for several years. The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. By 1815, the British Army would play the central role in the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.
The Treaty of Amiens (25 March 1802) resulted in peace between the UK and France, but it satisfied neither side. The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended the hostilities between France and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Both parties dishonoured parts of it: the French intervened in the Swiss civil strife (Stecklikrieg) and occupied several coastal cities in Italy, while the United Kingdom occupied Malta. In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic ( 1798 &ndash 1803) represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, The Stecklikrieg ( gsw Stäcklichrieg) of 1802 resulted in the collapse of the Helvetic Republic, the renewed French occupation of Switzerland Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands Bonaparte attempted to exploit the brief peace at sea to restore the colonial rule in the rebellious Antilles. The Revolution (1791–1804 was the most successful of African Slave rebellions in the Western Hemisphere The expedition, though initially successful, would soon turn to a disaster, with the French commander and Bonaparte’s brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, dying of yellow fever and almost his entire force destroyed by the disease combined with the fierce attacks by the rebels. Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc ( Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France, March 17, 1772 - Saint Domingue, November 2, Yellow fever (also called yellow jack, black vomit or sometimes American Plague) is an acute viral disease
Hostilities between Great Britain and France recommenced on May 18, 1803. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Coalition war-aims changed over the course of the conflict: a general desire to restore the French monarchy became closely linked to the struggle to stop Bonaparte.
Bonaparte declared France an Empire on May 18, 1804 and crowned himself Emperor at Notre-Dame on December 2. Jacques-Louis David (August 30 1748 &ndash December 29 1825 was a highly influential French painter in the Neoclassical style considered to be Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire
Having lost most of its colonial empire in the preceding decades, French efforts were focussed mainly in Europe. Haiti had won its independence, the Louisiana Territory had been sold to the United States of America, and British naval superiority threatened any potential for France to establish colonies outside of Europe. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Louisiana Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States from July 4, 1805 until December 11, 1812. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Beyond some minor naval actions against British imperial interests, the Napoleonic Wars were much less global in scope than preceding conflicts such as Seven Years' War which historians would term a "world war". The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations
In 1806, Napoleon issued the series of Berlin Decrees, which brought into effect the Continental System. The Berlin Decree was issued by Napoleon on November 21, 1806, following the French success against Prussia at the battle of Jena. The Continental System was the Foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the This policy aimed to eliminate the threat of the United Kingdom by closing French-controlled territory to its trade. The United Kingdom's army remained a minimal threat to France; the UK maintained a standing army of just 220,000 at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, whereas France's strength peaked at over 1,500,000 — in addition to the armies of numerous allies and several hundred thousand national guardsmen that Napoleon could draft into the military if necessary. The National Guard ( la Garde nationale) was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the Militias formed in each city in imitation of The Royal Navy, however, effectively disrupted France's extra-continental trade — both by seizing and threatening French shipping and by seizing French colonial possessions — but could do nothing about France's trade with the major continental economies and posed little threat to French territory in Europe. In addition France's population and agricultural capacity far outstripped that of the United Kingdom. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture However, the United Kingdom possessed the greatest industrial capacity in Europe, and its mastery of the seas allowed it to build up considerable economic strength through trade. That sufficed to ensure that France could never consolidate its control over Europe in peace. However, many in the French government believed that cutting the United Kingdom off from the Continent would end its economic influence over Europe and isolate it. Though the French designed the Continental System to achieve this, it never succeeded in its objective.
Third Coalition 1805
Napoleon planned an invasion of England[4][5][6], and massed 180,000 effectives at Boulogne. The War of the Third Coalition in 1805 saw the defeat of an alliance of Austria, Portugal, Russia, and others by France and its client states England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Bonen in Dutch is a City in Northern France. However, in order to mount his invasion, he needed to achieve naval superiority — or at least to pull the British fleet away from the English Channel. A complex plan to distract the British by threatening their possessions in the West Indies failed when a Franco-Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve turned back after an indecisive action off Cape Finisterre on July 22, 1805. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve ( 31 December 1763 &ndash 22 April 1806) was a French naval officer during the In the Battle of Cape Finisterre ( 22 July 1805) off Galicia (Spain, the British fleet under Admiral Calder prevented the Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Royal Navy blockaded Villeneuve in Cádiz until he left for Naples on October 19; the British squadron subsequently caught and defeated his fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21 (the British commander, Lord Nelson, died in the battle). Cádiz ( Spanish:) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the province of the same name, a province which is one of eight Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British Napoleon would never again have the opportunity to challenge the British at sea. By this time, however, Napoleon had already all but abandoned plans to invade England, and had turned his attention to enemies on the Continent once again. The French army left Boulogne and moved towards Austria.
In April 1805 the United Kingdom and Russia signed a treaty with the aim of removing the French from Holland and Switzerland. Austria joined the alliance after the annexation of Genoa and the proclamation of Napoleon as King of Italy on 17 March 1805. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or
The Austrians began the war by invading Bavaria with an army of about 70,000 under Karl Mack von Leiberich, and the French army marched out from Boulogne in late July, 1805 to confront them. The Kingdom of Bavaria (Königreich Bayern was a German state that existed from 1806&ndash1918 Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich ( August 25, 1752 - December 22, 1828) Austrian soldier was born at Nenslingen in Bavaria At Ulm (September 25 – October 20) Napoleon surrounded Mack's army, forcing its surrender without significant losses. The Battle of Ulm ( October 16 - 19, 1805) was a series of minor skirmishes at the end of Napoleon Bonaparte's Ulm Campaign, culminating Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony With the main Austrian army north of the Alps defeated (another army under Archduke Charles manoeuvred inconclusively against André Masséna's French army in Italy), Napoleon occupied Vienna. Archduke Charles of Austria Duke of Teschen ( de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Far from his supply lines, he faced a larger Austro-Russian army under the command of Mikhail Kutuzov, with the Emperor Alexander of Russia personally present. Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов ( &mdash) was the Russian Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of On December 2 Napoleon crushed the joint Austro-Russian army in Moravia at Austerlitz (usually considered his greatest victory). Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the He inflicted a total of 25,000 casualties on a numerically superior enemy army while sustaining fewer than 7,000 in his own force.
Austria signed the Treaty of Pressburg (26 December 1805) and left the Coalition. The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg (today Bratislava, Slovakia) Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The Treaty required the Austrians to give up Venetia to the French-dominated Kingdom of Italy and the Tyrol to Bavaria. The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East
With the withdrawal of Austria from the war, stalemate ensued. Napoleon's army had a record of continuous unbroken victories on land, but the full force of the Russian army had not yet come into play.
Fourth Coalition 1806–1807
The Fourth Coalition (1806–07) of Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom against France formed within months of the collapse of the previous coalition. The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806&ndash1807 In July 1806 Napoleon formed the Confederation of the Rhine out of the many tiny German states which constituted the Rhineland and most other western parts of Germany. The Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation (Rheinbund États confédérés du Rhin officially and Confédération du Rhin in practice) lasted The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. He amalgamated many of the smaller states into larger electorates, duchies and kingdoms to make the governance of non-Prussian Germany smoother. Napoleon elevated the rulers of the two largest Confederation states, Saxony and Bavaria, to the status of kings. The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12
In August 1806 the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm III made the decision to go to war independently of any other great power, save the distant Russia. Early life The son of King Frederick William II of Prussia, Frederick William was born in Potsdam and became Crown Prince in 1786 when his father ascended (A more sensible course of action might have involved declaring war the previous year and joining Austria and Russia. This might have contained Napoleon and prevented the Coalition disaster at Austerlitz. ) In any event, the Russian army, an ally of Prussia, still remained far away when Prussia declared war. In September Napoleon unleashed all the French forces east of the Rhine. Napoleon himself defeated a Prussian army at Jena (October 14, 1806), and Davout defeated another at Auerstädt on the same day. The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Louis-Nicolas d'Avout ( May 10, 1770 &ndash June 1, 1823) better known as Davout, 1st Duc d' Auerstaedt The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale Some 160,000 French soldiers (increasing in number as the campaign went on) attacked Prussia, moving with such speed that Napoleon succeeded in destroying as an effective military force the entire quarter-of-a-million strong Prussian army — which sustained 25,000 casualties, lost a further 150,000 prisoners and 4,000 artillery pieces, and over 100,000 muskets stockpiled in Berlin. At Jena Napoleon fought only a detachment of the Prussian force. Auerstädt involved a single French corps defeating the bulk of the Prussian army. Napoleon entered Berlin on 27 October 1806. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He visited the tomb of Frederick the Great and instructed his marshals to remove their hats there, saying, "If he were alive we wouldn't be here today". Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the In total Napoleon had taken only 19 days from beginning his attack on Prussia until knocking it out of the war with the capture of Berlin and the destruction of its principal armies at Jena and Auerstädt. By contrast, Prussia had fought for three years in the War of the First Coalition with little achievement.
The next stage of the war involved the French driving Russian forces out of Poland and instituting a new state, the Duchy of Warsaw. The Duchy of Warsaw (Księstwo Warszawskie Duché de Varsovie Herzogtum Warschau Варшавское герцогство was a Polish state established by Napoleon Napoleon then turned north to confront the remainder of the Russian army and to attempt to capture the temporary Prussian capital at Königsberg. Königsberg (Karaliaučius Low German: Königsbarg; Królewiec see also other names) was until 1946 the name of Kaliningrad. A tactical draw at Eylau (February 7 – February 8, 1807) forced the Russians to withdraw further north. The Battle of Eylau or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (February 7–8 1807 was a bloody and inconclusive battle between Napoléon's Grande Armée and Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Napoleon then routed the Russian army at Friedland (June 14, 1807). The Battle of Friedland ( June 14, 1807) saw Napoleon's French army decisively defeat Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven Miles Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Following this defeat, Alexander had to make peace with Napoleon at Tilsit (July 7, 1807). The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common By September, Marshal Brune completed the occupation of Swedish Pomerania, allowing the Swedish army, however, to withdraw with all its munitions of war. Guillaume Marie Anne Brune 1st Comte Brune ( March 13, 1763 &mdash August 2, 1815) was a French soldier and political figure who rose Swedish Pomerania (Svenska Pommern Schwedisch-Pommern was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from the 17th to the 19th century situated on what is now the
During 1807 the British attacked Denmark with the aim of capturing the Danish fleet. The Danes had a large fleet which could have greatly aided the French if it had fallen into their hands: Danish vessels could have replaced many of the ships the French had lost at Trafalgar in 1805. The British attacked Copenhagen and captured the Danish fleet. This helped bring Denmark into the war on the side of the French.
At the Congress of Erfurt (September – October 1808) Napoleon and Alexander agreed that Russia should force Sweden to join the Continental System, which led to the Finnish War of 1808–09 and to the division of Sweden into two parts separated by the Gulf of Bothnia. The Congress of Erfurt was the meeting between Emperor Napoleon I of France and Tsar Alexander I of Russia from 27 "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809 The Gulf of Bothnia (Pohjanlahti Bottniska viken ie Bottenviken + Bottenhavet is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. The eastern part became the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland. The Grand Duchy of Finland (Magnus Ducatus Finlandiæ Великое княжество Финляндское ' Velikoe knjažestvo finljandskoe) was the Predecessor
Fifth Coalition 1809
The Fifth Coalition (1809) of the United Kingdom and Austria against France formed as the United Kingdom engaged in the Peninsular War against France. The War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon 's French Empire and The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France
Once again, the United Kingdom stood alone, and the sea became the major theatre of war between the United Kingdom and Napoleon's allies. In Warfare a theater or theatre is defined as a specific geographical area of conduct of armed conflict bordered by areas where no combat is taking place During the time of the Fifth Coalition, the Royal Navy won a succession of victories in the French colonies and another major naval victory against the neutral Denmark at the Battle of Copenhagen (September 2, 1807). The Second Battle of Copenhagen, ( 16 August - 5 September 1807) was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
On land, the Fifth Coalition attempted few extensive military endeavours. One, the Walcheren Expedition of 1809, involved a dual effort by the British Army and the Royal Navy to relieve Austrian forces under intense French pressure. The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire It ended in disaster after the Army commander — John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham — failed to capture the objective, the naval base of French-controlled Antwerp. John Pitt 2nd Earl of Chatham, KG, PC ( 9 October 1756 - 24 September 1835) was the eldest son of William Pitt the ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the For the most part of the years of the Fifth Coalition, British military operations on land — apart from in the Iberian Peninsula — remained restricted to hit-and-run operations executed by the Royal Navy, which dominated the sea after having beaten down almost all substantial naval opposition from France and its allies and blockading what remained of the latter's naval forces in heavily fortified French-controlled ports. These rapid-attack operations functioned rather like exo-territorial guerrilla strikes: they aimed mostly at destroying blockaded French naval and mercantile shipping, and disrupting French supplies, communications, and military units stationed near the coasts. Often, when British allies attempted military actions within several dozen miles or so of the sea, the Royal Navy would arrive and would land troops and supplies and aid the Coalition's land forces in a concerted operation. Royal Navy ships even provided artillery support against French units when fighting strayed near enough to the coastline. However, the ability and quality of the land forces governed these operations. For example, when operating with inexperienced guerrilla forces in Spain, the Royal Navy sometimes failed to achieve its objectives simply because of the lack of manpower that the Navy's guerrilla allies had promised to supply.
The struggle also continued in the sphere of economic warfare — the French Continental System against the British naval blockade of French-controlled territory. Due to military shortages and lack of organisation in French territory, numerous breaches of the Continental System occurred as French-dominated states engaged in illicit (though often tolerated) trade with British smugglers. Both sides entered additional conflicts in attempts to enforce their blockade; the British fought the United States in the War of 1812 (1812-15), and the French engaged in the Peninsular War (1808-14). The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France The Iberian conflict began when Portugal continued trade with the United Kingdom despite French restrictions. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. When Spain failed to maintain the system the Spanish alliance with France came to an end and French troops gradually encroached on Spanish territory until they occupied Madrid. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. British intervention soon followed.
Austria, previously an ally of the French, took the opportunity to attempt to restore its imperial territories in Germany as held prior to Austerlitz. Austria achieved a number of initial victories against the thinly-spread army of Marshal Davout. Louis-Nicolas d'Avout ( May 10, 1770 &ndash June 1, 1823) better known as Davout, 1st Duc d' Auerstaedt Napoleon had left Davout with only 170,000 troops to defend France's entire eastern frontier (In the 1790s, 800,000 troops had carried out the same task, but holding a much shorter front).
Napoleon had enjoyed easy success in Spain, retaking Madrid, defeating the Spanish and consequently forcing a withdrawal of the heavily out-numbered British army from the Iberian Peninsula (Battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809). The Battle of Corunna (or La Corunna, A Coruña, La Coruña, or Elviña) on January 16 1809, was an attack by 16000 Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Austria's attack prevented Napoleon from successfully wrapping up operations against British forces by necessitating his departure for Austria, and he never returned to the Peninsula theatre. In his absence and in the absence of his best marshals (Davout remained in the east throughout the war) the French situation in Spain deteriorated, especially when the prodigious British general, Sir Arthur Wellesley, arrived to command the British forces. Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c
The Austrians drove into the Duchy of Warsaw, but suffered defeat at the Battle of Raszyn April 19, 1809. The Duchy of Warsaw (Księstwo Warszawskie Duché de Varsovie Herzogtum Warschau Варшавское герцогство was a Polish state established by Napoleon The first Battle of Raszyn was fought on April 19, 1809 between armies of the Austrian Empire and the Duchy of Warsaw as a part of the War Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Polish army captured West Galicia following its earlier success. New Galicia or Western Galicia (Nowa Galicja or Galicja Zachodnia, Neu-Galizien or West-Galizien) was an administrative region of the Habsburg
Napoleon assumed personal command in the east and bolstered the army there for his counter-attack on Austria. After a well-run campaign that, after a few small battles, forced the Austrians to withdraw from Bavaria, Napoleon advanced into Austria. His hurried attempt to cross the Danube resulted in the massive Battle of Aspern-Essling (22 May 1809) — Napoleon's first significant tactical defeat. In the Battle of Aspern-Essling ( 21 May – 22 May, 1809) Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Failure by the Austrian commander, Archduke Karl, to follow up on his indecisive victory meant that Napoleon could prepare for a renewed attempt to seize Vienna, and in early July he did so. Archduke Charles of Austria Duke of Teschen ( de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen He defeated the Austrians at Wagram, on July 5 – July 6 (During this battle Napoleon stripped Marshal Bernadotte of his title and ridiculed him in front of other senior officers. In the Battle of Wagram ( 5 – 6 July 1809) Napoleon Bonaparte 's French forces defeated Archduke Charles' Austrian Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Charles XIV John ( Karl XIV Johan) born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, later renamed Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (26 January 1763 &ndash 8 March 1844 Shortly thereafter, Bernadotte took up the offer from Sweden to fill the vacant position of Crown Prince there. Later he would actively participate in wars against his former Emperor).
The War of the Fifth Coalition ended with the Treaty of Schönbrunn (October 14, 1809). The Treaty of Schönbrunn (Traité de Schönbrunn Friede von Schönbrunn sometimes known as the Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In the east only the Tyrolese rebels led by Andreas Hofer continued to fight the French-Bavarian army until finally defeated in November 1809, while in the west the Peninsular War continued. Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East Andreas Hofer ( November 22, 1767 – February 20 1810) was a Tyrolean innkeeper and patriot.
In 1810 the French Empire reached its greatest extent. On the continent, the British and Portuguese remained restricted to the area around Lisbon (behind their impregnable lines of Torres Vedras) and to besieged Cadiz. Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. The siege of Cádiz was a siege of the large Spanish naval base by the French army from 5 February 1810 to 24 August 1812 Napoleon married Marie-Louise, an Austrian Archduchess, with the aims of ensuring a more stable alliance with Austria and of providing the Emperor with an heir (something his first wife, Josephine, had failed to do). Marie Louise of Austria (Maria Luisa von Österreich French: Marie Louise d'Autriche; Italian: Maria Luisa d'Austria; b As well as the French Empire, Napoleon controlled the Swiss Confederation, the Confederation of the Rhine, the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Italy. Territories allied with the French included:
- the Kingdom of Spain (under Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's elder brother)
- the Kingdom of Westphalia (Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger brother)
- the Kingdom of Naples (under Joachim Murat, husband of Napoleon's sister Caroline)
- the Principality of Lucca and Piombino (under Elisa Bonaparte (Napoleon's sister) and her husband Felice Bacciocchi);
and Napoleon's former enemies, Prussia and Austria. Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain (during a time) and the Indies (never de facto and never de iure The Kingdom of Westphalia was a historical state that existed from 1807 - 1813 in parts of present-day Germany. Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte French Prince King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort ( November 15, 1784 &ndash June 24, 1860 Joachim-Napoléon Murat (born Joachim Murat) ( Gioacchino Napoleone Murat) ( March 25 1767 &ndash October 13 1815) Maria Annunziata Carolina (Marie Annonciade Caroline Murat ( Née Bonaparte; 25 March 1782 &ndash 18 May 1839) better A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince Maria Anna (Marie Anne Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi Princesse Française Duchess of Lucca and Princess of Piombino, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Comtesse de Felice Pasquale Bacciocchi ( May 8, 1762 &ndash April 27, 1841, Rome was an officer in the French army from a noble but poor Corsican
The Russian campaign of 1812
The Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 resulted in the Anglo-Russian War (1807–12). The French invasion of Russia in 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by Napoleon I of France in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland in the town of Tilsit Tsar Alexander I declared war on the United Kingdom after the British attack on Denmark in September 1807. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe British men-of-war supported the Swedish fleet during the Finnish War and had victories over the Russians in the Gulf of Finland in July 1808 and August 1809. A man-of-war (also man of war, man-o'-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809 The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken However, the success of Russian army on the land forced Sweden to sign peace-treaties with Russia in 1809 and with France in 1810 and to join the Continental Blockade against Britain. The Continental System was the Foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the Franco-Russian relations became progressively worse after 1810, and the Russian war with the UK effectively came to an end. In April 1812 Britain, Russia and Sweden signed secret agreements directed against Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.
In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia. He aimed to compel Emperor Alexander I to remain in the Continental System and to remove the imminent threat of a Russian invasion of Poland. Alexander I of Russia ( Russian: Александр I Павлович / Aleksandr I Pavlovich (23 December 1777 – November 19 1825 served as Emperor of The French-led Grande Armée, consisting of 650,000 men (270,000 Frenchmen and many soldiers of allies or subject areas), crossed the Niemen River on June 23, 1812. "Nieman" and "Niemen" redirects here For other uses see Neman and Nieman (disambiguation. Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Russia proclaimed a Patriotic War, while Napoleon proclaimed a Second Polish war, but against the expectations of the Poles (who supplied almost 100,000 troops for the invasion-force) he avoided any concessions to Poland, having in mind further negotiations with Russia. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Russia maintained a scorched-earth policy of retreat, broken only by the Borodino on September 7, 1812. The Battle of Borodino (Бородинская битва Borodinskaja bitva, Bataille de la Moskowa) fought on September 7, 1812, was Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year This policy and the refusal of the Grande Armee to adjust its methods of operation to meet the requirements of this theater of operations requirements[7] led to the majority of the losses of the main column of the Grande Armee in one case amounting to 95,000 troops in the space of a single week. [8] This bloody confrontation ended in a tactical defeat, clearing the way for Napoleon, thus opening the road to Moscow. [9] By September 14, 1812 the Grande Armée had captured Moscow; although by this point the Russians had largely abandoned the city, even releasing prisoners from Moscow's prisons to inconvenience the French. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Alexander I refused to capitulate, and with no sign of clear victory in sight Napoleon had to withdraw from Moscow after the governor, Count Fyodor Vasilievich Rostopchin, ordered the city burnt to the ground. Count Fyodor Vasilievich Rostopchin (Фёдор Васильевич Ростопчин (3 [10] So the disastrous Great Retreat from Moscow began and by November, when the remnants of the Grande Armée crossed the Berezina River, only 27,000 fit soldiers remained. Napoleon then left his army and returned to Paris to prepare to defend Poland against the advancing Russians. Some 380,000 men dead and 100,000 captured. [11] His situation seemed less dire than at first — the Russians had lost around 210,000 men, leaving their army depleted. However, they had the advantage of shorter supply-lines and could replenish their armies with greater speed than the French.
Sixth Coalition 1812–1814
Seeing an opportunity in Napoleon's historic defeat, Prussia, Sweden, Austria, and a number of German states re-entered the war. In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1812–1814 a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and a number Napoleon vowed that he would create a new army as large as the one he had sent into Russia, and quickly built up his forces in the east from 30,000 to 130,000 and eventually to 400,000. Napoleon inflicted 40,000 casualties on the Allies at Lützen (May 2, 1813) and Bautzen (May 20 – May 21, 1813). In the Battle of Lützen ( May 2, 1813) Napoleon lured a combined Prussian and Russian force into a trap halting the advances Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This is about the battle in 1813 For the World War II battle see Battle of Bautzen (1945 In the Battle of Bautzen ( 20 - 21 May Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Both battles involved total forces of over 250,000 — making them some of the largest conflicts of the wars so far.
Meanwhile, in the Peninsular War, Arthur Wellesley renewed the Anglo-Portuguese advance into Spain just after New Year in 1812, besieging and capturing the fortified towns of Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, and in the Battle of Salamanca (which was a damaging defeat to the French). The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France As the French regrouped, the Anglo–Portuguese entered Madrid and advanced towards Burgos, before retreating all the way back to Portugal when renewed French concentrations threatened to trap them. As a consequence of the Salamanca campaign the French were forced to end their long siege of Cadiz and to permanently evacuate the provinces of Andalusia and Asturias. In a strategic move, Wellington planned to move his supply base from Lisbon to Santander. The Anglo–Portuguese forces swept northwards in late May and seized Burgos and later at Vitoria (June 21, 1813), victory of the combined Anglo Portuguese and Spanish armies over Joseph Bonaparte finally broke the French power in Spain. In the Battle of Vitoria ( June 21 1813) General Arthur Wellesley Marquess of Wellington, and his Portuguese and Spanish allies finally Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain (during a time) and the Indies (never de facto and never de iure The French had to retreat out of the Iberian peninsula, over the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés
The belligerents declared an armistice from June 4, 1813 (continuing until August 13) during which time both sides attempted to recover from the loss of approximately a quarter of a million total troops in the preceding two months. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. During this time Coalition negotiations finally brought Austria out in open opposition to France. Two principal Austrian armies took the field, adding an additional 300,000 troops to the Coalition armies in Germany. In total the Allies now had around 800,000 front-line troops in the German theatre, with a strategic reserve of 350,000 formed to support the frontline operations.
Napoleon succeeded in bringing the total imperial forces in the region up to around 650,000 — although only 250,000 came under his direct command, with another 120,000 under Nicolas Charles Oudinot and 30,000 under Davout. Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Comte Oudinot, 1st Duc de Reggio ( 25 April, 1767 &ndash 13 September, 1847) was The Confederation of the Rhine furnished Napoleon with the bulk of the remainder of his forces, with Saxony and Bavaria as the principal contributors. In addition, to the south, Murat's Kingdom of Naples and Eugène de Beauharnais's Kingdom of Italy had a combined total of 100,000 men under arms. Eugène Rose de Beauharnais Prince Français Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg In Spain an additional 150,000 to 200,000 French troops steadily retreated before Anglo–Portuguese forces numbering around 100,000. Thus in total around 900,000 French troops in all theatres faced somewhere around a million Coalition troops (not including the strategic reserve under formation in Germany). The gross figures may however mislead slightly, as most of the German troops fighting on the side of the French fought at best unreliably and stood on the verge of defecting to the Allies. One can reasonably say that Napoleon could count on no more than 450,000 troops in Germany — which left him outnumbered about two to one.
Following the end of the armistice, Napoleon seemed to have regained the initiative at Dresden (August 1813), where he defeated a numerically-superior Coalition army and inflicted enormous casualties, while the French army sustained relatively few. The Battle of Dresden was fought on 26 - 27 August, 1813 around Dresden, Germany resulting in a French victory under Napoleon However, the failures of his marshals and a slow resumption of the offensive on his part cost him any advantage that this victory might have secured him. At the Battle of Leipzig in Saxony (October 16 – October 19, 1813), also called the "Battle of the Nations", 191,000 French fought more than 300,000 Allies, and the defeated French had to retreat into France. The Battle of the Nations (or Battle of Leipzig or Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig) on 16–19 October 1813 was one of the most decisive defeats suffered by Napoleon The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Napoleon then fought a series of battles, including the Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube, in France itself, but the overwhelming numbers of the Allies steadily forced him back. The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube ( March 20 - 21, 1814) was Napoleon’s penultimate battle before his abdication and exile to Elba (the last was
The Allies entered Paris on March 30, 1814. The Battle of Paris was fought during the Napoleonic Wars in 1814. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common During this time Napoleon fought his Six Days Campaign, in which he won multiple battles against the enemy forces advancing towards Paris. The Six Days Campaign ( 10 - 14 February 1814) was a final series of Napoleon Bonaparte 's victories as the War of the Sixth Coalition However, during this entire campaign he never managed to field more than 70,000 troops against more than half a million Coalition troops. At the Treaty of Chaumont (March 9, 1814) the Allies agreed to preserve the Coalition until Napoleon's total defeat. The Treaty of Chaumont was a rejected cease-fire offered by the Allies of the Sixth Coalition to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814 Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
Napoleon determined to fight on, even now, incapable of fathoming his massive fall from power. During the campaign he had issued a decree for 900,000 fresh conscripts, but only a fraction of these ever materialized, and Napoleon's increasingly unrealistic schemes for victory eventually gave way to the reality of the hopeless situation. Napoleon abdicated on April 6. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus However, occasional military actions continued in Italy, Spain, and Holland throughout the spring of 1814.
The victors exiled Napoleon to the island of Elba, and restored the French Bourbon monarchy in the person of Louis XVIII. Elba (Ilva is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre. They signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau (April 11, 1814) and initiated the Congress of Vienna to redraw the map of Europe. The Treaty of Fontainebleau was an agreement established in Paris ( Fontainebleau) on April 11, 1814 between Napoleon Bonaparte and Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich
Gunboat War 1807–1814
Denmark-Norway originally declared itself neutral in the Napoleonic Wars, established a navy, and engaged in trade with both sides. The Gunboat War ( 1807 – 1814) was the naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union See also Neutral country Armed neutrality, in International politics, is the posture of a State or group of states which makes no alliance The British attacked, captured, and or destroyed large portions of the Dano-Norwegian fleet in the First Battle of Copenhagen (2 April 1801), and again in the Second Battle of Copenhagen (August – September 1807). Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday The Second Battle of Copenhagen, ( 16 August - 5 September 1807) was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting This ended the Danish neutrality, and the Danish engaged in a naval guerilla war in which small gunboats would attack larger British ships in Danish and Norwegian waters. The Gunboat War effectively ended with a British victory at the Battle of Lyngør in 1812, involving the destruction of the last large Danish ship — the frigate Najaden. The Battle of Lyngør was a naval battle fought between Denmark-Norway and Britain in 1812 on the southern coast of Norway effectively concluding the Gunboat War in Britain's favour For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship Najaden was a Frigate in the Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy. Commissioned in 1811, and originally carrying 36 guns later upgraded to 42
Seventh Coalition 1815
- See also Hundred Days and the Neapolitan War between the Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration The Neapolitan War between the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire, started on 15 March 1815 when Joachim Murat The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries.
The Seventh Coalition (1815) pitted the United Kingdom, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and a number of German states against France. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration The period known as the Hundred Days began after Napoleon left Elba and landed at Cannes (March 1, 1815). The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration Cannes (kan in Occitan Canas) is a city in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Travelling to Paris, picking up support as he went, he eventually overthrew the restored Louis XVIII. Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre. The Allies rapidly gathered their armies to meet him again. Napoleon raised 280,000 men, whom he distributed amongst several armies. To add to the 90,000 troops in the standing army he recalled well over a quarter of a million veterans from past campaigns and issued a decree for the eventual draft of around 2. 5 million new men into the French army. This faced an initial Coalition force of about 700,000 — although Coalition campaign-plans provided for one million front-line troops supported by around 200,000 garrison, logistics and other auxiliary personnel. The Coalition intended this force to have overwhelming numbers against the numerically inferior imperial French army — which in fact never came close to reaching Napoleon's goal of more than 2. 5 million under arms.
Napoleon took about 124,000 men of the Army of the North on a pre-emptive strike against the Allies in Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those He intended to attack the Coalition armies before they combined, in the hope of driving the British into the sea and the Prussians out of the war. His march to the frontier achieved the surprise he had planned. He forced Prussia to fight at Ligny on June 16, 1815, and the defeated Prussians retreated in some disorder. The Battle of Ligny ( 16 June 1815) was the last victory of the military career of Napoleon Bonaparte. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year On the same day the left wing of the Army of the North, under the command of Marshal Michel Ney, succeeded in stopping any of Wellington's forces going to the aid of Blücher's Prussians by fighting a blocking action at Quatre Bras. Michel Ney, 1st Duc d' Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa ( January 10 1769 &ndash December 7 1815 The Battle of Quatre Bras, between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armée du Nord under Marshal Michel Ney, was fought But Ney failed to clear the cross-roads and Wellington reinforced the position. With the Prussian retreat, Wellington had to retreat as well, however. He fell back to a previously reconnoitred position on an escarpment at Mont St Jean, a few miles south of the village of Waterloo. In Geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp steep Elevation differential characterized Waterloo (watəʀˈloː is a Walloon Municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Napoleon took the reserve of the Army of the North, and reunited his forces with those of Ney to pursue Wellington's army, but not before he ordered Marshal Grouchy to take the right wing of the Army of the North and stop the Prussians re-grouping. Grouchy redirects here For the musical theorist Jean de Grouchy (ca Grouchy failed, and although he engaged and defeated the Prussian rearguard under the command of Lt-Gen von Thielmann in the Battle of Wavre (18–19 June), the rest of the Prussian army "marched towards the sound of the guns" in the direction of Waterloo. Johann Adolf Freiherr von Thielmann ( April 27, 1765 &ndash October 10, 1824) was a Saxon and Prussian Cavalry In the Battle of Wavre was the final major military action of the of the Hundred Days campaign and the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon delayed the start of fighting at the Battle of Waterloo on the morning of June 18 for several hours while he waited for the ground to dry after the previous night's rain. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries By late afternoon the French army had not succeeded in driving Wellington's forces from the escarpment on which they stood. When the Prussians arrived and attacked the French right flank in ever-increasing numbers, Napoleon's strategy of keeping the Coalition armies divided had failed and a combined Coalition general advance drove his army from the field in confusion.
Grouchy partially redeemed himself by organizing a successful and well-ordered retreat towards Paris, where Marshal Davout had 117,000 men at the ready to turn back the 116,000 men of Blücher and Wellington. Militarily it appeared quite possible (indeed probable) that the French could defeat Wellington and Blücher, but politics proved the source of the Emperor's downfall. Furthermore, even had Davout succeeded in defeating the two northern Coalition armies, around 400,000 Russian and Austrian troops continued to advance from the east.
On arriving at Paris three days after Waterloo, Napoleon still clung to the hope of a concerted national resistance; but the temper of the chambers, and of the public generally, did not favour his view. Many Parliaments or other Legislatures consist of two chambers (or houses) an elected Lower house, and an Upper house The politicians forced Napoleon to abdicate again on June 22, 1815. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Despite the Emperor’s abdication, irregular warfare continued along the eastern borders and on the outskirts of Paris until the signing of a cease-fire on July 4. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples On 15 July Napoleon surrendered himself to the British squadron at Rochefort. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Rochefort is a commune in western France, a Seaport on the Atlantic Ocean. The Allies exiled him to the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, where he died on 5 May 1821. Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year
Meanwhile in Italy, Joachim Murat, whom the Allies had allowed to remain King of Naples after the Napoleon's initial defeat, once again allied himself with his brother-in-law, triggering the Neapolitan War (March to May, 1815). Joachim-Napoléon Murat (born Joachim Murat) ( Gioacchino Napoleone Murat) ( March 25 1767 &ndash October 13 1815) The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian The Neapolitan War between the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire, started on 15 March 1815 when Joachim Murat Hoping to find support amongst Italian nationalists fearful of the increasing influence of the Habsburgs in Italy, Murat issued the Rimini Proclamation inciting them to war. The proclamation failed and the Austrians soon crushed Murat at the Battle of Tolentino (2 May to 3 May 1815), forcing him to flee. The Battle of Tolentino was the decisive battle in the Neapolitan War, fought by the King of Naples Joachim Murat to keep the throne after the Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Bourbons returned to the throne of Naples on 20 May 1815. The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year A firing squad eventually executed Murat on 13 October 1815 after a failed attempt to regain his throne. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year
Political effects
The Napoleonic Wars brought great changes both to Europe and the Americas. Andrea Appiani ( May 31, 1754 - November 8 1817) was an Italian neoclassical painter. Though Napoleon brought most of Western Europe under his rule (a feat not seen since the days of the Roman Empire, although Charlemagne reduced a large area of central Europe into a single empire), a state of constant warfare between France and the combined other major powers of Europe for over two decades finally took its toll. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars, France no longer held the role of the dominant power in Europe, as it had since the times of Louis XIV. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent
The United Kingdom emerged as the most powerful country in the world, coined by some as a hyperpower. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 A hyperpower or omnipower is a state that is militarily economically and technologically dominant on the world stage Britain's Royal Navy held unquestioned naval superiority throughout the world and her industrial economy made it the most powerful commercial country as well. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)
In most European countries, the importation of the ideals of the French Revolution (democracy, due process in courts, abolition of privileges, etc. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Due process (more fully due process of law) is the principle that a person has a right to receive notice and be heard in an orderly proceeding in order to protect his or her ) left a mark. The increasing prosperity and clout of the middle classes became incorporated into custom and law, and the vast new wealth built on bourgeois activities, such as commerce and industry, meant that European monarchs found it difficult to restore pre-revolutionary absolutism, and had perforce to keep some of the reforms brought about during Napoleon's rule. Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything Institutional legacies have remained to this day: many European countries have a civil-law legal system, with clearly redacted codes compiling their basic laws — an enduring legacy of the Napoleonic Code. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. A civil code is a systematic compilation of laws designed to comprehensively deal with the core areas of Private law. The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under
A relatively new and increasingly powerful movement became significant. Nationalism would shape the course of much of future European history; its growth spelled the beginning of some nations and states and the end of others. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The map of Europe changed dramatically in the hundred years following the Napoleonic Era, based not on fiefs and aristocracy, but on the perceived basis of human culture, national origins, and national ideology. Timeline of the Napoleonic eraThe Napoleonic Era is a period in the History of France and Europe Bonaparte's reign over Europe sowed the seeds for the founding of the nation-states of Germany and Italy by starting the process of consolidating city-states, kingdoms and principalities.
The Napoleonic wars also played a key role in the independence of the American Colonies from their motherland Spain, because the conflict significantly weaken both the authority as the military power of the Spanish Empire, especially after the Battle of Trafalgar which seriously hampers the viceroyalties contact with Americans. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the Evidence of this are the many uprisings in Hispanic Americas after the end of the war, wich eventually lead to the Hispanic American wars of independence . Because Spain was virtually cut off from its colonies during the Peninsular War of 1808–1814 Latin America was in these years ruled by independent juntas
Another concept emerged — that of Europe. Napoleon mentioned on several occasions his intention to create a single European state, and although his defeat set the thought of a unified Europe back over one-and-a-half centuries, the idea re-emerged after the end of the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
Military legacy
The Napoleonic Wars also had a profound military impact. In the Battle of Marengo was fought on 14 June 1800 between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces near the city of Alessandria Until the time of Napoleon, European states had employed relatively small armies with a large proportion of mercenaries — who sometimes fought against their own native countries. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national or a party to the conflict and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by However, military innovators in the middle of the 18th century began to recognize the potential of an entire nation at war: a "nation in arms".
France, with the fourth-largest population in the world by the end of the 18th century (27 million, as compared to the United Kingdom's 12 million and Russia's 35 to 40 million), seemed well poised to take advantage of the levée en masse. Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. Because the French Revolution and Napoleon's reign witnessed the first application of the lessons of the 18th century's wars on trade and dynastic disputes, commentators often falsely assume that such ideas arose from the revolution rather than found their implementation in it. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an
Not all the credit for the innovations of this period should go to Napoleon, however. Lazare Carnot played a large part in the reorganization of the French army from 1793 to 1794 — a time which saw previous French misfortunes reversed, with Republican armies advancing on all fronts. Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Comte Carnot ( May 13, 1753 &mdash August 2, 1823) the Organizer of Victory in the French
The sizes of the armies involved give an obvious indication of the changes in warfare. During Europe's major pre-revolutionary war, the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, few armies ever numbered more than 200,000. The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths By contrast, the French army peaked in size in the 1790s with 1. 5 million Frenchmen enlisted. In total, about 2. 8 million Frenchmen fought on land and about 150,000 at sea, bringing the total for France to almost 3 million combatants.
The United Kingdom had 747,670 men under arms between 1792 and 1815. In addition, about a quarter of a million personnel served in the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) In September 1812, Russia had about 904,000 enlisted men in its land forces, and between 1799 and 1815 a total of 2. 1 million men served in the Russian army, with perhaps 400,000 serving from 1792 to 1799. A further 200,000 or so served in the Russian Navy from 1792 to 1815. One cannot readily find consistent equivalent statistics for other major combatants. Austria's forces peaked at about 576,000 and had little or no naval component. Apart from the United Kingdom, Austria proved the most persistent enemy of France, and one can reasonably assume that more than a million Austrians served in total. Prussia never had more than 320,000 men under arms at any given time, only just ahead of the United Kingdom. Spain's armies also peaked in size at around 300,000, but to this one needs to add a considerable force of guerrillas. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Otherwise only the United States (286,730 total combatants), the Maratha Confederation, the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Naples and the Duchy of Warsaw ever had more than 100,000 men under arms. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Maratha Empire ( Marathi: मराठा साम्राज्य Marāṭhā Sāmrājya; also transliterated Mahratta The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia, but also Regno Italico; 17 March 1805 – 11 April The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian The Duchy of Warsaw (Księstwo Warszawskie Duché de Varsovie Herzogtum Warschau Варшавское герцогство was a Polish state established by Napoleon Even small nations now had armies rivalling the Great Powers' forces of past wars in size. A great power is a Nation or State that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale However, one should bear in mind that the above numbers of soldiers come from military records and in practice the actual numbers of fighting men would fall below this level due to desertion, fraud by officers claiming non-existent soldiers' pay, death and, in some countries, deliberate exaggeration to ensure that forces met enlistment-targets. In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual Despite this, the size of armed forces expanded at this time.
The initial stages of the Industrial Revolution had much to do with larger military forces — it became easy to mass-produce weapons and thus to equip significantly larger forces. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The United Kingdom served as the largest single manufacturer of armaments in this period, supplying most of the weapons used by the Coalition powers throughout the conflicts (although using relatively few itself). France produced the second-largest total of armaments, equipping its own huge forces as well as those of the Confederation of the Rhine and other allies. The Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation (Rheinbund États confédérés du Rhin officially and Confédération du Rhin in practice) lasted
Napoleon himself showed innovative tendencies in his use of mobility to offset numerical disadvantages, as brilliantly demonstrated in the rout of the Austro-Russian forces in 1805 in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Battle of Austerlitz (Bitva u Slavkova also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories effectively destroying the The French Army reorganized the role of artillery, forming independent, mobile units as opposed to the previous tradition of attaching artillery pieces in support of troops. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Napoleon standardized cannonball sizes to ensure easier resupply and compatibility among his army's artillery pieces. Round shot is an obsolete solid Projectile without explosive charge fired from Small arms or Cannons As the name implies round shot is spherical
Another advance affected warfare: the semaphore system had allowed the French War-Minister, Carnot, to communicate with French forces on the frontiers throughout the 1790s. A semaphore telegraph, optical telegraph, shutter telegraph chain, Chappe telegraph, or Napoleonic semaphore is a system The French continued to use this system throughout the Napoleonic wars. Additionally, aerial surveillance came into use for the first time when the French used a hot-air balloon to survey Coalition positions before the Battle of Fleurus, on June 26, 1794. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information In the Battle of Fleurus ( June 26, 1794) French forces under Jourdan defeated an Austrian army under Saxe-Cobourg in one Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Advances in ordnance and rocketry also occurred in the course of the conflict. A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons A rocket or rocket vehicle is a Missile, Aircraft or other Vehicle which obtains Thrust by the reaction of the
Last veterans
- Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788-1899) was the last surviving veteran. Geert Adriaans Boomgaard ( September 21, 1788 &ndash February 3, 1899) is accepted by most demographic scholars as the first validated Supercentenarian He fought for France in the 33ème Régiment Léger [12]
- Loius Victor Baillot (1793-1898) also from France, was the last Battle of Waterloo veteran. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium He also saw action at the siege of Hamburg. The city of Hamburg was one of the most powerful Fortresses east of the Rhine.
- Pedro Martinez (1789-1898) was the last Battle of Trafalgar veteran. The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the He served in the Spanish navy on San Juan Nepomuceno. Sources & references John D Harbron Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy (1988 ISBN 0-87021-695-3 [13]
- Josephine Mazurkewicz (1784-1896) was the last female veteran. She was an assistant surgeon in Napoleon's army and later participated in the Crimean War. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought
- Pvt Morris Shea (1795-1892) of the 73rd Foot was the last British veteran. The 73rd Regiment of Foot also known as MacLeod's Highlanders after its founder Lord MacLeod, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. [14]
- Sir Provo Wallis (1791-1892) was the last Royal Navy officer. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Perry Wallis, GCB ( May 12, 1791 &ndash February 13, 1892) was a naval war hero and Admiral He saw action on HMS Shannon during the War of 1812. Career Construction and commissioning Shannon was built by Brindley at Frindsbury in Kent, and was launched on 5 May The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies
In fiction
- Leo Tolstoy's epic novel, War and Peace recounts Napoleon's wars between 1805 and 1812(especially the disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia and subsequent retreat) but from a Russian perspective. Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy ( –) (Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й, was a Russian Writer widely regarded War and Peace (Война и мир Voyna i mir) is a Novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russkii Vestnik
- Stendhal's novel "The Charterhouse of Parma" opens with a ground-level recounting of the Battle of Waterloo and the subsequent chaotic retreat of French forces. Henri-Marie Beyle ( January 23, 1783 &ndash March 23, 1842) better known by his Pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century The Charterhouse of Parma ( French: La Chartreuse de Parme) is a novel published in 1839 by Stendhal. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium
- The bulk of the Horatio Hornblower series takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. Admiral of the Fleet Horatio Hornblower 1st Baron Hornblower, GCB, is a fictional protagonist of a series of Novels by C
- Patrick O' Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. The Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of Historical novels — 20 completed and one unfinished — by Patrick O'Brian, set during the Napoleonic
- The majority of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. Bernard Cornwell OBE (born February 23, 1944) is a prolific and popular English Historical novelist He is best known for his Richard Sharpe is the central character in Bernard Cornwell 's Sharpe series of Historical fiction stories
- Les Misérables by Victor Hugo takes place against the backdrop of the Napoleonic War and subsequent decades, and in its unabridged form contains an epic telling of the Battle of Waterloo. Les Misérables (pronounced /le miːzeʁabl(ə translated variously from French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium
- William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair takes place during the Napoleonic Wars — one of its protagonists dying at the Battle of Waterloo. William Makepeace Thackeray (ˈθækərɪ 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863 was an English Novelist of the 19th century Vanity Fair A Novel without a Hero is a Novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1847-48 that satirizes society in early In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium
- The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik takes place in alternate-universe Napoleonic Wars where dragons exist and serve in combat. Temeraire is a series of Novels by Naomi Novik Naomi Novik ( April 30, 1973 — is an American novelist She was born in New York in 1973 a second-generation American Parallel universe or alternative reality is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own
- The Lord Ramage series by Dudley Pope takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. Nicholas Lord Ramage was the Fictional character at the centre of a series of Sea novels written by Dudley Pope. Dudley Bernard Egerton Pope ( 29 December 1925 - 25 April 1997) was a British Writer of both Nautical fiction
- Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley (1849), set during the Napoleonic Wars, explores some of the economic effects of war on rural Yorkshire. Charlotte Brontë (ˈbrɒnti (21 April 1816 &ndash 31 March 1855 was a British Novelist, the eldest of the three famous Brontë sisters whose Novels Shirley is an 1849 Social novel by the English novelist Charlotte Brontë.
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas starts during the tail-end of the Napoleonic Wars. The Count of Monte Cristo ( Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an Adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas père. The main character, Edmond Dantès, suffers imprisonment following false accusations of Bonapartist leanings. Edmond Dantès is the Protagonist and Title character of Alexandre Dumas père 's novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
- Jane Austen set Pride and Prejudice (1813) in her contemporary world during the time-period of the Napoleonic Wars. Jane Austen (16 Pride and Prejudice, first published on 28 January 1813, is the most famous of Jane Austen 's novels and one of the first " romantic Some key events in the novel relate to soldiers passing through town on their way to fight.
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard serves as a French soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930 was an Anglo-Scottish Author most noted for his stories about the Brigadier Gerard is the hero of a series of comic short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
- Jeanette Winterson's 1987 novel The Passion
- Fyodor Dostoevsky's book "The Idiot" had a character, General Ivolgin, who witnessed and recounted his relationship with Napoleon during the Campaign of Russia. Jeanette Winterson OBE (born August 27, 1959) is a British novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Фёдор Миха́йлович Достое́вский, sometimes transliterated Dostoyevsky, Dostoievsky,
See also
- Hundred Years' War
- Second Hundred Years' War
- World War I & World War II
- European Restoration (1815 - 1848)
- List of Napoleonic Battles
- French Restoration (1814 - 1830)
- Marshal of France, for a list of Napoleon's Marshals
- Napoleonic Wars casualties
- Napoleonic Era
- Coalition forces of the Napoleonic Wars
- War of 1812
- British military history
- British invasions of the Río de la Plata
- French military history
- Eastbourne Redoubt
- Martello Towers
- Moscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March
Notes
- ^ Buffinton, Arthur H. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior The Second Hundred Years' War is a phrase used by some Historians ref>Buffinton Arthur H World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Marked by revolt revolution, and the rise of the Middle class, the period of European restoration (1814-1848 refers to the Monarchical struggle for legitimacy against This list includes all those battles which were fought during the Napoleonic Era, April 1796 - June 18, 1815. Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814 the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne The Marshal of France (Maréchal de France and pl Maréchaux de France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a Military rank. The Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815 direct and indirect casualties breakdown as follows NOTE Deaths listed include being killed in action and/or of other causes such as dying Timeline of the Napoleonic eraThe Napoleonic Era is a period in the History of France and Europe The Coalition Forces of the Napoleonic Wars were composed of Napoleon Bonaparte 's enemies the Austrian Empire, Kingdom of Prussia, Kingdom The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies The British invasions of the Río de la Plata (Invasiones Inglesas del Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2000 years across areas including modern France, greater Eastbourne Redoubt is a fort on what is now Royal Parade Eastbourne, East Sussex, England. Martello towers (or simply Martellos) are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century from the time Moscow 1812 Napoleon's Fatal March is a non-fiction book analysing the events and circumstances during the French Invasion of Russia and the events during the The Second Hundred Years' War, 1689-1815. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1929.
- ^ Crouzet, Francois. "The Second Hundred Years War: Some Reflections". French History 10 (1996), pp. 432-450.
- ^ Scott, H. M. Review: "The Second 'Hundred Years War' 1689-1815". The Historical Journal 35 (1992), pp. 443-469.
- ^ The Geopolitics of Anglo-Irish Relations in the Twentieth Century P103
- ^ National Maritime Museum
- ^ Letter at the time
- ^ Riehn, Richard K. p. 138-140
- ^ Reihn, Richard K, p. 185
- ^ Riehn, pp. 253-254.
- ^ With Napoleon in Russia, The Memoirs of General Coulaincourt, Chapter VI 'The Fire'pp109-107 Pub. William Morrow and Co 1945
- ^ The Wordsworth Pocket Encyclopedia, page 17, Hertfordshire 1993
- ^ http://derniersveterans.free.fr/napoleon1.html
- ^ http://derniersveterans.free.fr/napoleon1.html
- ^ http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=520002112
References
- Asprey, Robert (2000). The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-04879-X.
- Blanning, T. C. W. (2002). The Culture of Power and the Power of Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-822745-0.
- Cronin, Vincent (1994). Napoleon. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-637521-9.
- Pope, Stephen (1999). The Cassel Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. Cassel. ISBN 0-304-35229-2.
- Schom, Alan (1998). Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life. Perennial. ISBN 0-06-092958-8.
- Tombs, Robert and Isabelle (2006). That Sweet Enemy. William Heinemann. ISBN 978-1-4000-4024-7.
- Zamoyski, Adam (2004). 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-718489-1.
External links
- The Napoleonic Wars Collection Website
- Napoleon, His Army and Enemies
- Napoleonic Guide
- Napoleonic Wars from the United States Military Academy
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library Military history and graphics
"USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy ( –) (Лев Никола́евич Толсто́й, was a Russian Writer widely regarded
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