In 1804 Napoleon created 18 'Marshals of the Empire', to serve as the senior officers of the Grande Armée. He created a further 8 before his abdication in 1814. A few were aristocrats, but others were the sons of shopkeepers or tailors. The most favoured became princes and kings. Among their ranks...
Napoleon brings his war against Russia and Prussia to an end with victory at Friedland, leading to the famous Tilsit conference, after which Napoleon stood at the peak of his power.
In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte hoped to follow up his brilliant victories over Austria and Prussia with another decisive victory over the Russians in Poland. But amid freezing winter conditions, his attempted encirclement of General Bennigsen's Russian army near the East Prussian town of Eylau led,...
Six weeks after his bloody repulse at the Battle of Aspern-Essling, Napoleon led his reinforced army back across the Danube. The resulting clash with Archduke Charles's Austrian army was the biggest and bloodiest battle yet seen in European history, and despite heavy French losses, resulted in a...
This is Epic History's guide to HMS Victory, one of the most famous warships in history, and flagship of Vice Admiral Nelson at his decisive victory over the Franco-Spanish Combined Fleet at Trafalgar in 1805. In this episode we look at the composition of naval crews, and how they sailed, fought...
In October 1813 Napoleon faced the combined might of the Sixth Coalition (Russia, Austria, Prussia, Sweden) near Leipzig, in what would prove to be the decisive battle of his career. Outnumbered, virtually encircled, Napoleon opted for a high-risk strategy of striking against Schwarzenberg's Army...
In 1800, France's new First Consul - Napoleon Bonaparte - faces a precarious military situation, with huge Austrian armies poised to strike against the French Republic. But Napoleon will not wither in the face of such a crisis. Instead, he embarks on one of the most famous and daring strategic...
In 1805, Napoleon is planning his move against the Third Coalition of Britain, Russia and Austria. He is determined to finally defeat Britain, and if he can manage to get the French army across the English Channel, his huge and experienced land forces would surely capture the island. Only the...
NASA's Apollo Program began with Kennedy's goal to land a man on the Moon by the 1960s, driven by the space race against the USSR. Despite the Apollo 1 tragedy, NASA achieved milestones like Apollo 8’s lunar orbit and Apollo 11’s historic Moon landing in 1969, led by Armstrong, Aldrin, and...
At the height of the French Revolutionary War, a new alliance between France and Spain threatened to overturn British naval supremacy, upon which Britain's empire, economy and security depended. The key to British survival would be to prevent the French and Spanish navies joining forces - so when...
A quick guide to infantry tactics and formations of the Napoleonic period, which first appeared in our video on the Battle of Aspern. In this video we try to explain why lining up shoulder-to-shoulder was not as stupid as it first seems, and how different formations were used to maximise firepower,...
Napoleonic Wars: The Invasion of Russia (All Parts)
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In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia with the largest army Europe had ever seen, composed of troops from France as well Poland, Germany, Italy and several other allied states. The campaign that followed saw the Russians use scorched earth tactics to deny the enemy supplies, while Napoleon advanced...
In 1809, with Napoleon and his best troops bogged down in Spain, Austria decided to try to get revenge for her humiliation at Austerlitz three years before. Archduke Charles led an invasion of France's ally Bavaria, but Napoleon raised fresh troops and transformed the strategic situation in four...
In 1813, following his disastrous invasion of Russia, Napoleon faced a desperate battle to save his empire. His enemies were gaining in strength, as Prussia and Sweden joined the Sixth Coalition against him, while Russian armies advanced across Poland and into Germany. The French Emperor worked...
November 1918. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia is engulfed in a gigantic civil war. Lenin and the Reds hope to forge a new Soviet empire. His enemies, the Whites, look to their new leader Admiral Alexander Kolchak to avenge the murdered Tsar and save Russia from chaos. Kolchak is famed...
The Last Great Roman General? Belisarius and the Wars of Justinian
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In the 6th century AD, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, the Roman Empire experienced an extraordinary resurgence, reconquering lands - including Italy, North Africa and Rome itself - that had been lost to the 'barbarians' a century before. Leading these campaigns, a brilliant Roman general...
Napoleon's Greatest Comeback: The Battle of Marengo
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On a hot summer's day, near the town of Marengo, an advancing detachment of French soldiers find themselves facing 30,000 Austrians. Outmanned and outgunned, the French are soon fighting for their lives, and Napoleon faces an overwhelming defeat. But when last minute reinforcements arrive, victory...
Following his defeat in the giant Battle of Leipzig (Oct 1813), Napoleon's final defeat seemed only a matter of time. But when Coalition armies crossed the Rhine and invaded France, Napoleon outnumbered 4 to 1 - began one of the most daring and brilliant campaigns in military history. However...
