Hanging with History

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionThis covers the 1807 Campaign in Poland and the eventual Treaty of Tilsit.  This is the true apex of Napoleon's glory and possibly the happiest time of his life.Also covers Junot's 1807 Campaign in Portugal.  This is notable for many reasons including the fact that Portugal did not resist, such was the power of Napoleon's reputation in 1807.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionAfter Austerlitz Napoleon keeps the Grand Armee together in Central Germany.This allows him to rip up the map of Germany and redraw it to suit himself.  But this attitude towards Germany leads to a number of steps including dangling Hanover in front of Charles Fox and the Johan Palm incident, which drive the Prussians to declare war, despite totally inadequate preparation.Meanwhile the Guerilla war in Calabria breaks out, but it is different from 1799, the British intervene briefly, leading to the battle of Maida, a small battle, but it shows the pattern of future French vs British land battles.Jena and Auerstadt lead to the total destruction of the Prussian army in the following 33 days.  Napoleon dominates Europe up to the Vistula.  All must serve him.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or question1805, Ulm and Austerlitz and the events that lead up to the War of the 3rd Coalition.  These are events that reveal genius in action.This means the Pichegru and Moreau plot.  The subsequent murder, or sorry, completely legal execution of the young prince of the house of Bourbon-Conde.  "It is worse than a crime, it is a blunder."  This all hastens the inevitable - the crowning of Napoleon as Emperor.It is as Emperor that Napoleon goes out to smash the armies of the Two emperors (Czarand Kaiser) at Austerlitz.  Though Napoleon has quite the assist from Franz Weyrother.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionWellington, Jarlsberg, battle of the Wooden Shoes, Norge.  Such excitement.The Danish Navy is simply too large in the world of 1807 to simply sit there, stored up in ordinary in København's harbor.And the Danish merchant fleet, providing a carry trade to the world, cannot be left outside of Napoleon's economic warfare with Britain.  Therefore, since the current situation is untenable, either France or Britain will have its way with Denmark.  The process is unpleasant, to say the least, but the Danish fleet and its naval stores end up in British hands.  But what about Norway? 

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionThe 2nd of the 3 episodes on Copenhagen.  This covers Nelson's attack on Copenhagen and the Danish defense.  The controversies about the battle are all explored in depth, the death of Tsar Paul, who was involved and who knew what when.  The signaling fiasco between Admiral Parker and Nelson, and Nelson's decision to reach a cease fire rather than continue with his annihilation victory.  There is a good deal of perspective from the Danish side as well.  

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionFirst episode of a 3-episode arc on the British attacks on Copenhagen.This covers Danish history and Copenhagen history through the long 18th century.  Conflict with Sweden, intervention and peace making by Britain.  the long neutrality, Denmark as a Russian client state.  "The League of Armed Neutrality will save us!"The Palmy Days and how Denmark octupled its trade, rose to the 2nd largest merchant fleet in the world, and then sailed too close to the wind.  The Danes benefit greatly from this situation the Royal Navy has established, driving the French, Dutch and Spanish off the high seas, but they refuse to play by the Royal Navy's rules.  The whole episode is a colossal misjudgment by Czar Paul and Denmark.  Czar Paul at least has the excuse of being insane.This makes heavy use of Gareth Glover's The Two battles of Copenhagen.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionThe defense of England is reviewed in terms of manpower, construction and engineering and advanced technology.We start off with the empirical philosophy of Smith and Hume, look at the WWI level of mobilization Britain was able to achieve, a level of mobilization 3-4 times that of France.  This was the real Levee En Masse.  We get some scale for Britain's financial intervention and subsidization of her allies.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionOne of the most important things that ever happened was this thing that never happened.  And that of course was Napoleon's invasion of Britain.French preparations for the invasion ad numerous consequences, one of which was the training and creation of the Grand Armee.  The weapon Napoleon used to dominate Europe from 1805-1807 was forged in the Camp of Boulogne.This is that story.It is also the story of Napoleon's invasion plans, the 1805 plan and the 1812 plan.  And what did Napoleon really know about what was needed to invade England and were there not times when Napoleon had doubts, such as when he witnessed the Boulogne Fiasco?

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionBritain begins the war and many of the French banks teeter on the edge of destruction as a consequence.  This episode covers the opening moves of the war, now the Napoleonic Wars, including the very controversial ones, the imprisonment of all Britons in France, even the tourists and the British seizure of the Spanish Treasure Fleet without declaring war.Most of the episode takes a look at the situation from the perspective of Austria, Prussia, Russia and Spain as well as France and Britain.

You can send me a text if you have a comment or questionWe take a look at how the Napoleonic Wars broke out.  Napoleon had a different understanding of the world situation than the Addington government and the British public.  We also examine the failure of Russia to mediate between the two powers.We go into both the understanding of the British for why restating the war was a good idea, and Napoleon's of keeping the peace.  In the end Napoleon would have had to concede a commercial treaty, but he was convinced he needed to protect French industry from British competition.And so, 12 years of war ensue.