The Age of Napoleon Podcast

Episode 119: Setting the World Aflame Nov 01, 2024

French and British forces continue fighting in Spain. In Paris, Napoleon's frustrations with Talleyrand finally boil over as he prepares to face off against a renewed and reformed Habsburg army.

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Episode 118: The Hornets' Nest Oct 01, 2024

After taking Madrid, Napoleon chased a British army into northwestern Spain. Meanwhile, behind the lines, Spanish guerrillas waged a brutal war against the occupiers.

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Episode 117: Impossible Sep 01, 2024

The Spanish Patriots prepared to hold off Bonaparte in a rocky mountain pass, but they didn't count on the heroism of the Polish cavalry of Napoleon's Imperial Guard.

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Paris Games Special Aug 09, 2024

I sat down with two fellow French history podcasters for a Paris Games-themed discussion of some of our favorite characters of 18th and 19th century French history. You can find Will's show, Grey History, at: https://greyhistory.com, and David's show, The Siècle, here: http://thesiecle.com/.

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Episode 116: Strike Hard Aug 01, 2024

In early November 1808, French troops crossed the Ebro River in their second invasion of Spain, led by the Emperor himself.

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Episode 115: War to the Knife Jun 30, 2024

The summer of 1808 saw desperate fighting across Iberia as Spanish and Portuguese patriots rose up against Napoleon. France's most powerful enemy, Great Britain, sought to take advantage.

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Episode 114: The Limits of Power Jun 01, 2024

The Spanish uprising was a disaster for France. Napoleon tried to shore up his diplomatic situation but found himself undermined by a surprising new enemy. Cameo appearances by José de San Martín and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Episode 113: Victory or Death May 01, 2024

In the spring of 1808, Napoleon said he considered Spain conquered. That summer, Spanish forces dealt France its first major battlefield defeat in nearly a decade. How did Spain manage this stunning reversal?

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Grey History Collaboration Apr 16, 2024

I recently recorded a collaboration with Will Clark of Grey History: the French Revolution.

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Episode 112: The Way of the Bandit Apr 01, 2024

In the Spring of 1808, Napoleon installed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. However, the people of Madrid had had enough of the French, and took matters into their own hands.

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Episode 111: Bad Omens Mar 01, 2024

With Portugal conquered, Napoleon turned his attention to Spain. As French troops began occupying the country, it soon became clear they were sitting on a political powder keg.

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Episode 110: Barbarians Feb 01, 2024

1807 saw Napoleon and the British jockeying for influence among the remaining neutral states of Europe. Average people paid the price for this competition.

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Episode 109: The Rise of the Sausage-Maker Jan 01, 2024

In 1808, France would find itself in a new war on the Iberian Peninsula. How did Napoleon find himself engaged in a new war less than a year after the Treaty of Tilsit?

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Episode 108: Europe Under the Eagle Dec 01, 2023

By 1808, the Napoleonic empire stretched from Poland to the Pyrenees, and from the North Sea to the southern tip of Italy. How was Europe adjusting to Napoleon's new order?

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Episode 107: The Will of the Emperor Nov 01, 2023

By 1809, Napoleon had ruled France for a decade. How did the Napoleonic regime actually function? How could one person effectively exercise his will over half a continent?

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Episode 106: The Art of Power Sep 30, 2023

In Europe at the dawn of the nineteenth century, art and politics were deeply intertwined, sometimes in surprising ways. No one understood this better than Napoleon Bonaparte.

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Episode 105: The Imperial City Sep 01, 2023

During his 15 years in power, Napoleon put an indelible mark on his adopted city: Paris. The First Empire was a formative period in the history of the city, but what did it mean for average people?

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Episode 104: Man of the Century Aug 01, 2023

Napoleon's new treaty with Russia had totally transformed European geopolitics. What did it mean for the future of the continent? For France? For Napoleon himself?

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Episode 103: The Two Eagles Jul 01, 2023

In the summer of 1807, the emperors of France and Russia, and the King and Queen of Prussia met at the Baltic town of Tilsit for a remarkable diplomatic summit aimed at forging a new geopolitical status quo for Europe.

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Episode 102: Bennigsen's Gamble Jun 01, 2023

In the summer of 1807, Napoleon was on the verge of seizing a prize that had eluded him for 6 months: Königsberg. The end of the war was in sight, but before he could take the city, he would have to deal with a bold surprise attack on his rear.

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Episode 101: Beyond Bravery May 01, 2023

As Napoleon struggled to rebuild his army after Eylau, French forces lay siege to the port city of Danzig. In late Spring, the Grande Armée went back out on campaign, to square off against General Bennigsen once again.

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Episode 100: What a Massacre Apr 01, 2023

The Battle of Eylau was the greatest challenge of Napoleon's career so far. For two days, the French and Russian armies fought with unbelievable tenacity in the worst conditions imaginable.

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The Soul of a Free Man Mar 01, 2023

A recording of a recent talk I gave on the life of Toussaint Louverture

You can find out more about the Symposium at: https://www.historysymposium.com/

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Episode 99: Dangers of Every Kind Feb 01, 2023

In January of 1807, Napoleon ordered his men to make winter quarters and turned his attention to an exciting, but dangerous new mistress with a hidden agenda. But before the month was over, fate would draw the Grande Armée back out on campaign.

Also, I am writing Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze's name here in the notes, in case some of you are wondering how to spell it.

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Episode 98: Eagles East Jan 01, 2023

France and the Grande Armée were growing tired of war, but in the winter of 1806, Napoleon led his forces east, into a harsh, new environment that would test the limits of his soldiers' endurance.

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Episode 97: The Rights of War Dec 01, 2022

As Napoleon and the Grande Armée enjoyed a pleasant interlude in occupied Berlin, the war was escalating in unprecedented ways. Sailors, smugglers, and corsairs all over the world were engaged in a new style of total economic warfare.

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Episode 96: Our Favorite Enemy Nov 01, 2022

After their defeats at Jena and Auerstedt, the vaunted Prussian army collapsed in the face of Napoleon's onslaught. As the French pushed into the heart of Central Europe, their presence began to awaken complicated nationalist feelings on both sides.

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Episode 95: The Iron Marshal's Stand Oct 01, 2022

Germany, 1806: while Napoleon was winning another triumph at the Battle of Jena, the Third Corps of his army was forced to fight alone in a desperate battle against a superior force.

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Episode 94: History on Horseback Sep 06, 2022

In early October, 1806, Napoleon led the Grande Armée to war once again, this time against the Prussians. The events of the next week would change the course of history, and have a surprisingly profound impact on western philosophy.

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Episode 93: A Ridiculous War Aug 01, 2022

In 1806, France and Prussia went to war. The Grande Armée was at the height of its powers, but the French did not want this fight. The Prussian army had huge problems, but was eager to prove itself against Napoleon.

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Dispatch #1 Jul 09, 2022

Introducing a new feature to the show.

Visit: www.patreon.com/ageofnapoleon and sign up if you'd like to join us.

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Episode 92: Fear and Expectation Jul 01, 2022

1806 saw Europe reeling from the aftermath of Austerlitz. Napoleon organized his new empire and continued to remake the map of the continent, but he would soon be faced with a powerful backlash.

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Episode 91: The Cavalry Jun 01, 2022

An overview of the most colorful and romanticized branch of a Napoleonic military: the cavalry. Depending on your perspective, they were either the bravest, most vital part of any army, or preening, arrogant prima donnas. Napoleonic cavalry regiments saw some of the most desperate and exciting combat of the era, and their unique subculture continues to fascinate.

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Episode 90: The New Order Apr 30, 2022

After his stunning victories of late 1805, Napoleon sought to impose a new international order on central Europe. This would mean an all-out diplomatic assault on one of the world's oldest and most venerable institutions: the Holy Roman Empire.

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Episode 89: Immortal Nelson Mar 31, 2022

Horatio Nelson's last battle was a stunning British victory, but his fleet's troubles were just beginning. We examine the stunning aftermath of Trafalgar and the legacy of the greatest admiral of the age.

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Episode 88: Eastward with Jesse Alexander Mar 14, 2022

I interviewed Real Time History's Jesse Alexander about his latest project: tracing Napoleon's downfall from the invasion of Russia in 1812. You can find them on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/realtimehistory

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Episode 87: Thank God I Have Done My Duty Mar 01, 2022

In October 1805, a Franco-Spanish fleet sailed out of Cadiz to seek a confrontation with a British fleet under Horatio Nelson. What ensued was one of the greatest naval battles of all time.

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Episode 86: Six Hours Feb 01, 2022

Napoleon famously said that if he could control the English Channel for 6 hours, he would control the world. In 1805, the French navy launched an audacious plan to buy the Emperor his 6 hours. But to do so, they would have to best one of the greatest military institutions of all time: the 19th century Royal Navy.

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Episode 85: In the Hands of a Giant Dec 31, 2021

The Battle of Austerlitz changed Europe forever. As news of his triumph reverberated across Europe, Napoleon began to redraw the map of the continent.

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Episode 84: The Battle of the Three Emperors Dec 01, 2021

On the first anniversary of his coronation, Napoleon faced off against a powerful Coalition army. With France's strategic situation deteriorating by the hour, he formed an audacious plan to win the war in a single stroke.

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Episode 83: The Chase Oct 31, 2021

Napoleon pursues a Coalition army through Austria. Masséna fights in Italy. Prussian neutrality finally ends.

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Episode 82: The Fortunes of War Sep 30, 2021

A new coalition forms against France. Napoleon leads his new army into Germany in a stunning, lightning campaign.

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Episode 81: The Eagles of Boulogne Aug 31, 2021

Napoleon brings his army to the Channel Coast and builds it into one of the most formidable war machines in military history. Meanwhile, talk of another anti-French Coalition begins to swirl in the old regime capitals of Europe.

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Episode 80: The Crown of Charlemagne Jul 25, 2021

On December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor.

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Episode 79: The Eagle's Landing Jun 10, 2021

We examine Napoleon's colonial policies, the tragic end of Toussaint Louverture, and the final act of the Haitian War of Independence.

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Episode 78: Free Haiti Apr 23, 2021

After his victory over Britain, Toussaint Louverture began a new struggle: to build a new country out of the ruins of war and rebellion. Louverture had a bright vision for the future, but old divisions still lurked under the surface...

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Episode 77: The Symposium Apr 01, 2021

A recording of a panel on Napoleonic podcasting from the 2021 Massena Society symposium on Napoleonic History.

The Massena Society's YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvrcTkLRWH_5wOdr4lhKHw

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Episode 76: The Black Napoleon Mar 03, 2021

As the war in Haiti rages on, Toussaint Louverture makes a fateful decision to leave his allies behind. We follow his development as a general as he forges his guerilla forces into a powerful, modern army, and challenges the invaders head-on.

Registration for the conference: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/napoleon-and-his-legacy-warfare-politics-and-society-march-18-21-2021-tickets-142425537617

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Episode 75: The Opening Jan 31, 2021

As Haiti sinks deeper into chaos and tragedy, Toussaint begins his rise to leadership within the rebel movement.

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Episode 74: The Age of Toussaint Dec 23, 2020

Haiti was France's richest colony, but Europe's lust for sugar had created a barbaric and unstable social system in the colonies. We meet the man who would one day rise above this barbarism and become father of a new country.

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Episode 73: The Blood of a King Oct 11, 2020

In 1803, Britain sent a team of assassins against Napoleon. They failed, but the plot led to one of the most controversial episodes of Napoleon's career.

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Episode 72: The Experiment Aug 23, 2020

With the war over, France was finally becoming prosperous again. Napoleon contemplated what this would mean for his regime as he worked to reform the country. In many ways, the Consulate was a golden age, but war with Britain was already looming on the horizon once again.

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Episode 71: The Spoiled Child of Victory Jul 29, 2020

France welcomes the Catholic Church back to the country in grand style, but the Concordat complicated Napoleon's relationship with staunch republicans in the army leadership.

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Episode 70: Concord Jul 08, 2020

Napoleon finally had his deal with the Vatican, but how would the Concordat of 1801 change France? What would it mean for the future of the revolution, and millions of alienated French Catholics?

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Episode 69: God Save the Republic Jun 15, 2020

Napoleon continues in his attempt to reconcile with conservatives. He finally manages to bring the Vatican to the negotiating table for an historic agreement.

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Episode 68: The Eagle and the Owls May 26, 2020

Napoleon wanted to bring social harmony to France, but to do that, he needed to resolve the bitter conflict between the Catholic Church and the revolution.

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Episode 67: Resistance is Pointless May 06, 2020

A conclusion to our discussion of the Napoleonic Code, plus the fate of France's crown jewels, the legal opposition to Bonaparte's regime, and women's rights.

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Episode 66: Master of France Apr 13, 2020

Bonaparte finally takes the last legal step towards dictatorship, and we begin a discussion of his most important legacy: the Napoleonic Code.

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Episode 65: The Blank Slate Mar 21, 2020

The Treaty of Amiens is greeted with celebrations around the world. With peace, Napoleon prepares to embark on an ambitious program of reform.

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Episode 64: The Last Treaty Feb 27, 2020

After 8 years of war, Britain and France were finally on the road to peace, but reaching an agreement between such bitter rivals would be a long, arduous process. Fortunately, for both countries, an unlikely friendship between Joseph Bonaparte and Lord Charles Cornwallis paved the way.

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Episode 63: Definitive Peace Feb 05, 2020

After their defeat at Hohenlinden, the Austrians return to the negotiating table, resulting in a treaty that threw the entire future of the Holy Roman Empire into doubt. We examine Prussian diplomacy, and their ineffective young King's strange relationship with Napoleon.

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Episode 62; The World Stage Jan 17, 2020

The War of the 2nd Coalition is winding down, but in the cut-throat world of Napoleonic diplomacy, peace could often prove elusive.

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Episode 61: Triumph and Temptation Dec 04, 2019

Horatio Nelson continues to build his reputation as one of the most brilliant sailors of the age, but as his fame grows, the dark side of Nelson's character threatens to undermine his achievements.

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Episode 60: Do Much or Be Ruined Nov 08, 2019

With the outbreak of war, Nelson vows to either make his career or destroy himself in the effort.

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Episode 59: That Great Little Man Oct 19, 2019

We examine the early career of Horatio Nelson, one of Napoleon's ablest and most implacable opponents. Nelson had good connections and showed great promise, but his temperament endangered his career almost as soon as it began.

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Episode 58: Stalemate Sep 28, 2019

Austria drops out of the war, leaving Britain to continue the struggle against France alone. Emperor Paul of Russia faces fierce opposition. The British navy gets itself into trouble in the Baltic.

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Episode 57: The Infernal Machine Sep 10, 2019

After Marengo, Napoleon's secret police did battle with violent radicals in the political underground, culminating in a brush with death on Christmas Eve, 1800.

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Episode 56: The Fruits of Victory Aug 26, 2019

Does the Battle of Marengo deserve its reputation as one of Napoleon's greatest victories? We analyze the battle and examine its chaotic aftermath.

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Episode 55: The Promise Aug 08, 2019

Napoleon marches against the Austrians yet again, with the future of his new regime hanging in the balance. What followed was one of the most dramatic and consequential campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars, culminating in the first great battle of the 19th century: Marengo.

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Episode 54: The New Covenant Jul 23, 2019

Napoleon outmaneuvers his rivals and forms a new government, then secures his position as dictator of France with an undemocratic referendum.

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Episode 53: Marx and the Coup with Matt Christman Jul 07, 2019

Writer and political commentator Matt Christman returns for a conversation about the significance of the Coup of 18 Brumaire.

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Episode 52: The Morning After Jun 23, 2019

We examine the aftermath and significance of the Coup of 18 Brumaire.

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Episode 51: The Sword of Brumaire Jun 07, 2019

Napoleon makes a triumphant return to France, but finds the country no longer has any dire need of a military savior. Nonetheless, a plot was already underway in Paris that would soon culminate in Napoleon's seizure of power.

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Episode 50: Egypt Epilogue with Derek Davison May 21, 2019

Derek Davison returns to discuss Middle Eastern history in the wake of the French Expedition. Topics include: the remarkable reign of Muhammad Ali, army reform, orientalism, and a possible 20th-century equivalent of Napoleon

You can hear more from Derek at: https://fx.substack.com/

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Episode 49: Meanwhile, in Europe May 10, 2019

While Napoleon is away in Egypt, the revolution faces new struggles in Europe. Another coalition goes to war with France. One of history's greatest commanders faces off against the republic in Italy. Back in Paris, the government struggles to contain the resurgent left, and a jaded former idealist makes a surprising political comeback.

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Episode 48: Leaving Egypt Apr 23, 2019

Murat's cavalry secure another crushing victory over the Mamelukes, but news from France leads Napoleon to abandon the expedition (and his mistress), leaving General Kléber to pick up the pieces. We follow the expedition to its ignoble end, and examine what conclusions we can draw from this strange chapter.

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Episode 47: A Spectacle of Death Apr 05, 2019

With the dream of an eastern empire collapsing, Bonaparte launches an invasion of Syria against enormous odds, leading to some of the darkest episodes of his early career. We meet Pauline Fourès, a young French woman who came to be nicknamed "Cleopatra."

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Episode 46: The End of Illusion Mar 21, 2019

The expedition's bad luck continues. The people of Egypt finally reach their breaking point. Cairo gets a taste of Napoleon's tyrannical side. Bonaparte receives a disturbing revelation about his personal life.

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Episode 45: In Debt with Zachary Stoltzfus Mar 06, 2019

A conversation about debt and property in revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and what's it's like to research late 18th and early 19th century French history

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Episode 44: Ali Bonaparte Feb 16, 2019

Relations between France and other great powers deteriorate. The Army of the Orient occupies Cairo, and the French immediately run into difficulties governing. Napoleon makes a major decision that could have huge ramifications for the expedition, and for his own destiny.

Minor correction: during the fourth minute, "dawn of the 18th century" should be "dawn of the 19th century."

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Episode 43: Brave Despair Jan 29, 2019

The British Mediterranean Fleet under Horatio Nelson spends months chasing the naval component of the Egypt Expedition. They finally catch the French at Aboukir Bay and fight the decisive Battle of the Nile, which would have major consequences for Napoleon and his army, and reverberate in geopolitics and culture for decades.

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Episode 42: The Scorched Plains Jan 26, 2019

The Army of the Orient pushes deeper into Egypt and learns painful lessons about life and death in the desert. Napoleon clamps down on discontent and rallies the army to win a skirmish at Shubra Khit and a major engagement at the so-called "Battle of the Pyramids," clearing the way to Cairo.

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Episode 41: To the Land of the Gods Jan 09, 2019

The Army of the Orient sets sail. They make a brief stop in Malta, where Napoleon clashes with an ancient organization of religious pirates. The French landing in Egypt turns into a debacle. Bonaparte seizes Alexandria in a messy, but one-sided battle and introduces himself to the people of Egypt. We meet the Mameluke warlords who rule the country, and examine Napoleon's approach to usurping their authority.

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Episode 40: Davison Pasha Dec 21, 2018

An interview with the writer and historian Derek Davison, who helps us look past the myths and orientalist fantasies to see the Middle East as it actually was on the eve of Napoleon's arrival. Topics include: the unique and dysfunctional regime of the Mamelukes, religion, Ottoman decline, and the 18th-century Middle Eastern way of war.

You can find Derek's foreign policy writing for LobeLog at: https://lobelog.com/author/derek-davison/

His commentaries on Ibn Battuta are here: https://therihlah.com/

And his international affairs/history site is here: https://attwiw.com/

He is also on Twitter as @dwdavison9318

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Episode 39: East and West Dec 07, 2018

Napoleon cajoles the Austrians into signing a peace treaty... a treaty which practically guarantees another war in the future. He begins planning the expedition to Egypt, and we examine the rationales behind the campaign. A promising young republican general meets a tragic fate.

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Episode 38: The Kansas Campaign Nov 20, 2018

A special interview with military historians Dr. Mark Gerges, Dr. Jonathan Abel, and Dr. John Kuehn, experts on the Napoleonic era from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

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Episode 37: Breaking the Pendulum Nov 07, 2018

While Napoleon fought in Italy, French politics oscillated dangerously between left and right. Finally, a fraught election and divisions within the Directory tore the system apart.

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Episode 36: Questions and Answers Oct 19, 2018

We take a break from the narrative to answer listener questions on topics ranging from the organization of the revolutionary armies to pop culture to alternate history hypotheticals.

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Episode 35: King of Italy Sep 27, 2018

Bonaparte returns to Italy after Leoben, and is already coming into his own as a political figure. He is reunited with Josephine, and enjoys an opulent court life at Mombello. We trace Napoleon's development as a statesman as he defies the Directory and brings Venice and Genoa under French influence.

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Episode 34: The Road to Leoben Sep 12, 2018

The First Italian Campaign reaches its less-than-dramatic conclusion with Napoleon's invasion of Austria. We take a look back on this remarkable period, and assess Napoleon as a strategist.

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Episode 33: The Final Effort Aug 24, 2018

With the Mantua garrison on the brink of starvation, the Austrians under Alvinczy launch one last relief attempt. General Sérurier returns, and General Joubert is given command of a division. Napoleon fights another innovative battle at Rivoli, where the French cavalry devastates the enemy.

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Episode 32: The Fate of Italy Aug 11, 2018

Napoleon faces a new opponent, who gives the Army of Italy their toughest fight of the campaign so far. He suffers his first defeats as commander-in-chief. We examine an iconic moment of Napoleon's career: the assault on the bridge at Arcole.

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Episode 31: The Walls of Mantua Jul 30, 2018

The Army of Italy pushes north to support a French offensive in Germany, but finds Wurmser already back on the march, leading to a major battle at Bassano and a frantic race down from the Alps. Conditions within Mantua worsen. We meet a young, capable Austrian commander: Archduke Charles.

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Episode 30: Risk and Reward Jul 15, 2018

The Army of Italy faces off against Field Marshal Wurmser, and finds itself in its toughest fight of the campaign so far. Bonaparte takes some calculated risks to even the odds. One of Napoleon's inner circle suffers a tragic, life-altering wound. Mantua stands as strong, but warfare is changing, and fortresses like Mantua are less relevant than ever.

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Episode 29: To the Victor Go the Spoils Jul 03, 2018

The Army of Italy beats Beaulieu one last time, then takes a lucrative detour south and confronts the Pope. Napoleon and Josephine are finally reunited. We also meet Napoleon's next opponent, discuss corruption within the army, and take an in-depth look at the campaign to strip Italy of its cultural and intellectual wealth.

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Episode 28: The Liberation of Lombardy Jun 19, 2018

Napoleon finally enters Milan. The French conquest has divided Lombardy-- radicals are eager to follow the example of the revolution, but many others greet their conquerors with hostility and suspicion. Napoleon continues his requisitions and demands for tribute, angering an old friend as well as the locals. The officers of the still-ragged Army of Italy invest in jewel-encrusted watches.

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Episode 27: The Legend of Lodi Jun 04, 2018

The First Italian Campaign continues. Napoleon outfoxes the Austrians and takes Milan. The Army of Italy fights a famous battle at Lodi, which probably does not deserve its legendary reputation. We also take a look at Napoleon's propaganda machine.

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Episode 26: The Promised Land May 17, 2018

We meet some of the leaders of the Army of Italy. The First Italian Campaign begins in dramatic fashion, with two weeks of lightning battles at Montenotte, Millesimo, Dego, Ceva, and Mondovì. Napoleon negotiates with Piedmont, and worries about looting, and about his wife.

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Episode 25: Naked and Underfed Apr 27, 2018

We meet the Army of Italy, which Napoleon finds in a "state of destitution." Paris provides little support, but Bonaparte attempts to get his command into shape for the offensive. We discuss more of the military reforms of the revolution. Napoleon gives the first famous speech of his career. The First Italian Campaign gets off to an inauspicious start.

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Episode 24: To Destiny Apr 12, 2018

For better and for worse, a new government takes over in Paris: the Directory. Napoleon and Josephine are married, and we examine her unhappy early life. Napoleon leaves Paris to meet his destiny.

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Epiode 23: Momentum Mar 25, 2018

An update from the armies at the front: French success continues in the Netherlands, and the long-suffering Dutch radicals finally have their day. In the South, the republicans push into Catalonia, knocking Spain out of the war, but at the cost of a general's life. Prussia finally wakes up and leaves the Coalition.

In Paris, Napoleon's meteoric rise has officially begun. He shares the fruits of his success and continues his inept search for a wife.

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Episode 22: The Man of Bronze Mar 08, 2018

With the defeat of the French left, the right begins a violent resurgence, culminating in a rebellion that nearly conquers Paris. Napoleon saves the Convention (and his career with it). We meet two memorable characters: Paul Barras and Joachim Murat

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Episode 21: Down and Out in Paris Feb 23, 2018

With so many of his political patrons dead, Napoleon's career stalls. He spends some aimless months in the capital trying to improve his situation. He finds high society transformed along with politics. Also discussed: Napoleon's love life, republican victories in the Vendée, and the surprising importance of the Army Topographical Bureau. Contains some (very tame) sexual content

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Episode 20: Thermidor Feb 01, 2018

An eclectic episode. Napoleon gets out of jail, fights another battle in northern Italy, and comes tantalizingly close to a triumphant return to Corsica. Other topics include: the fall of Robespierre, the Kościuszko Uprising, Thermidorian politics, the progress of the war, and the Jacobin Air Force

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Episode Nineteen: The Principles of Mountain Warfare Jan 19, 2018

Napoleon reports for duty with the Army of Italy, which is fighting a tough campaign in the rugged Alps. André Masséna is introduced. Napoleon's plan and Masséna's daring win a victory at Saorgio. Napoleon undertakes an ill-timed mission to Genoa.

Map of the Saorgio campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saorgio#/media/File:Saorgio_1794_Campaign_Map.jpg

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Episode Eighteen: Vindication Jan 05, 2018

Napoleon takes charge as head of artillery for the Army of the Alps, clashes with his incompetent commanders, and finally wins recognition on the battlefield during the Siege of Toulon.

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Episode Seventeen: A Nation in Arms Dec 16, 2017

Napoleon finally reports to the regular army, just as France sinks deeper into chaos. The Jacobins come to power and launch The Reign of Terror. The army continues to transform. Napoleon finally achieves some success writing, and wins some powerful friends in the process.

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Episode Sixteen: Into the Storm Dec 01, 2017

SURVEY: https://survey.libsyn.com/ageofnapoleon

Napoleon returns to Corsica. The former king is executed; royalists rise up to avenge him. Napoleon fights in his first (real) battle. Paoli breaks with the Bonapartes and with France. Napoleon and his family flee Corsica.

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Episode Fifteen: the Mob Nov 23, 2017

Napoleon bungles his first test as a National Guard officer and bears witness to the revolution's darkest days

survey: survey.libsyn.com/ageofnapoleon

Patreon: patreon.com/ageofnapoleon

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A Guide to the Infantry of the Napoleonic Era Nov 10, 2017

A short episode delving into the organization, equipment, and uniforms of Napoleonic foot-soldiers.

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Episode Fourteen: The People's Army Oct 28, 2017

Back on the mainland, 1792 saw the revolution face an existential crisis, which gave birth to a new new kind of army. Topics include Count Guibert and his theory of the citizen-soldier, the Battle of Valmy, and the foundation of the First Republic.

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Episode Thirteen: The Coriscan Gracchi Oct 22, 2017

The Bonaparte brothers launch their political careers with very mixed success, Paoli returns from exile a changed man, and we take a close look at the crooked, violent world of eighteenth century Corsican electoral campaigning. Also: Joseph Bonaparte birtherism

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Episode Twelve: Long Live the Fatherland Oct 12, 2017

Napoleon is bored in a peacetime army and fills his time with writing and the study of military theory. He returns to Corsica for the first time since childhood. The revolution turns his political beliefs upside down. Also discussed: rich Uncle Luciano and artisanal, small-batch artillery

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Episode Eleven: Cadet Paille-au-nez Sep 27, 2017

Napoleon grows up: surviving military school, coping with the death of his father, and becoming an officer in record time. Also discussed: Bourrienne's problematic 'Memoirs,' Napoleon's love of books, talking to girls, and how the Bonapartes were like the Bluths

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Episode Ten: As the Fatherland Was Dying Sep 17, 2017

the life and death of Carlo Bonaparte, Napoleon's childhood, Napoleon leaves home

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Episode Nine: The Iron Soil of Corsica Aug 30, 2017

Napoleon's roots. Topics include: vendettas, the Corsican War of Independence, Napoleon's hero- Pasquale Paoli, and James Boswell's Corsica cosplay

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Bonus Episode: Robespierre Aug 17, 2017

Topics include: the life and career of Maximilien Robespierre and The Terror

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Bonus Episode Aug 02, 2017

Bonus Episode by The Age of Napoleon Podcast

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Bonus Episode: The 28th Messidor of Matt Christman Jul 17, 2017

A discussion on Karl Marx's '18 Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte' with podcaster, writer, and Marx enthusiast Matt Christman. Topics include Napoleon III's rise to power and why you are a potato in a sack

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Episode Eight: Fracture Jul 04, 2017

French society begins to fracture as the Revolution goes off the rails. Topics include the first Bastille Day, the Catholic counter-revolution, the émigrés, the rise of radicalism, and revolutionary violence

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Episode Seven: The Undesired Jun 13, 2017

The road to the French Revolution. The Bastille, the Tennis Court Oath, the Women's March on Versailles, the Great Fear, and Lafayette (yes, that Lafayette)

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Episode Six: The King's Army May 30, 2017

Topics include: military life in the 18th century, officer culture, battles, desertion, and the life story and real adventures of the poor man of Toggenburg

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Episode 5.5: The Doomed Regime May 25, 2017

Rounding out the discussion of 18th century France from episode 5. Topics include politics, the economy, diplomacy, and workin' for the King of Prussia

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Episode Five: The Setting Sun May 21, 2017

topics include Louis XIV and his disastrous successors, the people and society of 18th century France, and a dog who became a saint (kind of)

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Episode Four: Nemesis May 06, 2017

Great Britain in the Eighteenth century. Politics, society, and the industrialization (or lack thereof) of the British economy special cameo by Hank the cat

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