Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars fought between the French Empire and its allies, under Emperor Napoleon I, and a series of alliances, or coalitions, among other nations of Europe, primarily Great Britain and Prussia. The Napoleonic Wars were spawned by continuing issues in the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s desire to dominate continental Europe. The Napoleonic Wars ended with the French defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Napoleon was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821.

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Prelude to the Battle of Waterloo

By Michael Haskew

Political unrest in France and public disenchantment with King Louis XVIII prompted exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to return to his country from the island of Elba in the spring of 1815. Read more

French cuirassiers charge against a British square in a painting by 19th-century artist Felix Philippoteaux that exaggerates the steepness of the hills. Field Marshal Wellington’s artillery pounded the advancing French cavalry, greatly weakening its strength.

Napoleonic Wars

The Duke of Wellington’s Preparations for the Battle of Waterloo

By William E. Welsh

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was in Vienna when the news arrived in early March 1815 that Napoleon had escaped from exile on Elba and returned to France. Read more

The long retreat during the Russian winter of 1812 doomed Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grand Armee, and brought defeat at the hands of the Sixth Coalition.

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte & The Russian Winter of 1812

by Michael Haskew

Although the French Empire and Imperial Russia were nominal allies following their agreement of mutual support concluded at Tilsit in 1807, divergent interests drove a wedge between them in subsequent years. Read more

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Jena-Auerstadt

by Michael Haskew

During much of his political and military career, Napoleon Bonaparte, perhaps the foremost figure in both arenas in the history of France, was at war with neighboring countries. Read more

With the stunning victory at the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon Bonaparte executed a tactical masterpiece that some believe was his highest achievement during the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars: The 1805 Battle of Austerlitz

by Michael Haskew

During the War of the Third Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte, a year after proclaiming himself Emperor Napoleon I of France, won perhaps the greatest victory of his military career near the Bohemian village of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors because Napoleon confronted Austrian and Russian armies led by Francis II and Alexander I respectively. Read more

Defeat in the Battle of Leipzig, 1813—also known as the 'Battle of Nations'—spelled the beginning of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleonic Wars

The Battle of Leipzig, 1813: Napoleon Bonaparte’s ‘Battle of Nations’

by Michael Haskew

Following the disastrous retreat of his Grand Armée from Russia in the winter of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, still a renowned military commander and the Emperor of France, recruited a new army and prepared to defend France against the coalition forces of Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Austria. Read more

Napoleonic Wars

The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

By Michael Haskew

Born on the island of Corsica to parents of minor nobility on August 15, 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Emperor of France and one of the leading military strategists and tacticians in history, graduated from the French military academy, the prestigious École Militaire, in September 1785, ranking 42nd in a class of 58. Read more