The Napoleonic Wars in 100 Facts

Jem Duducu

• Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781445646640
• Edition: 0
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

Sparked by the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars became one of the largest European conflicts in history as Napoleon fought to expand his French Empire. The wars were instrumental in the formation of Europe as we know it today, and confirmed Britain's dominance as a seafaring nation. It was a period famous for strategic warfare and cunning battle tactics. From this background emerged Nelson as national hero and politician. The Napoleonic Wars in 100 Facts covers the twenty-five years of war from the 1790s to the final victory in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. Jem Duducu guides us through some of the key figures and their stories, for example Wellington, Napoleon and Nelson, as well some of the major battles and tactics in this era of epic conflict that took British troops to Egypt, Argentina, America and of course a little town in Belgium called Waterloo.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Introduction
• 1. The Trigger for War Was the French Revolution
• 2. The First Coalition Was Meant to Be the Only One
• 3. King George III Wasn’t as Mad as You Might Think
• 4. The Young Napoleon Showed No Promise
• 5. Valmy Was the First of Many Battles
• 6. There Were Many Types of Cavalry
• 7. Charles Dumouriez Had Many Ups and Downs
• 8. The Grand Old Duke of York Was Not so Grand
• 9. War Had Many Colours
• 10. A Private Became a Marshal of France
• 11. 1795 Saw the Start of a Legend
• 12. The French Revolution Had an Impact on Ireland
• 13. There Were Many Little-Remembered Battles in Germany
• 14. Napoleon Conquered Italy and Shocked Europe
• 15. Brown Bess Built an Empire
• 16. Frederick William III Performed a Tricky Balancing Act
• 17. A Hero Was Born at the Battle of Cape St Vincent
• 18. Cannon Had Multiple Uses
• 19. India Forged a Military Celebrity
• 20. Chivalry Ended in Malta
• 21. The Pyramids Witnessed Napoleon’s Arrival in the Middle East
• 22. The Battle of the Nile Wasn’t Fought on the Nile
• 23. Napoleon Toured the Middle East
• 24. The Second Coalition Was Meant to Be the Last One
• 25. A Stone Revealed the Secrets of Ancient Egypt
• 26. A Meal Was Named after a Battle
• 27. The Royal Navy Attacked a City
• 28. Talleyrand Was the Ultimate Diplomat
• 29. Nelson Had an Unusual Private Life
• 30. The ‘Sea Wolf’ Was Not Admiral Nelson
• 31. Napoleon Took Charge ... of France
• 32. William Pitt Was a Very Young Prime Minister
• 33. There Was a Revolution Against Revolutionary France
• 34. The ‘Definitive Treaty of Peace’ Was Not Definitive
• 35. Another Coalition Was Created: Round Three
• 36. A General Became an Emperor
• 37. Napoleon Had a Big Weakness
• 38. The White Cliffs of Dover Taunted Napoleon
• 39. Napoleon Had an Austrian Nemesis
• 40. The Old Guard Was the Best Guard
• 41. The Great Bear Woke Up – and Dithered
• 42. The French Navy Led a Great Game of Cat and Mouse
• 43. Napoleon Wondered What to Do with a Spare Army
• 44. An Admiral Died and a Legend Was Born
• 45. Nelson Took Wolsey’s Place
• 46. Austerlitz Was Napoleon’s Greatest Victory
• 47. Napoleon Understood the Propaganda War
• 48. The British Fought the French on Land … Finally
• 49. The Best Way to Win Was to Invade Argentina
• 50. The Fourth Coalition Intended to Stop Napoleon
• 51. The Battle of Jena Was Really Two Battles
• 52. Napoleon Was a Great General but a Terrible Economist
• 53. There Were Many Secrets in the Napoleonic Era
• 54. The Treaty of Tilsit Was Signed on a Raft in the Middle of a River
• 55. France Betrayed an Ally
• 56. Nobody Expected the Spanish Inquisition ... to End
• 57. The New Coalition Hoped It Was Fifth Time Lucky
• 58. John Moore Replaced Wellington
• 59. Disaster for Both Sides Resulted in Victory for One
• 60. Portland Was the Unlucky Prime Minister
• 61. Thomas Cochrane Finished Nelson’s Job
• 62. Napoleon Had a Second Wife
• 63. A French Private Created a Royal Dynasty
• 64. Spain and Britain Formed an Alliance that Almost Worked
• 65. L’Arc de Triomphe Is Not Only for Napoleon
• 66. Napoleon Was the Ultimate Nepotist
• 67. Wellington Made a Pact with the Devil
• 68. The War of 1812 Has Been Forgotten
• 69. Robert Jenkinson Is the Greatest Unknown Prime Minister
• 70. Forlorn Hope Won a Bloody Siege
• 71. Napoleon’s Russian Invasion Started Well
• 72. The Battle of Salamanca Opened the Road to Madrid
• 73. The French Finally Met the Russians at Borodino
• 74. The Russians Destroyed Their Own Capital
• 75. The Russians Had an Ally in the Weather
• 76. A Battle Was Fought after the Peace Treaty Had Been Signed
• 77. A Sixth Coalition Couldn’t Hurt
• 78. Spain Collapsed at Vitoria
• 79. The Napoleonic Code Is an Enduring Legacy
• 80. The Battle of the Nations Was Big and Bloody
• 81. Capitulation Was Not in Napoleon’s Repertoire
• 82. Mrs Arbuthnot Knew It All
• 83. No One Wanted Louis XVIII
• 84. Napoleon Was Finished and Exiled
• 85. Napoleon Panicked the Whole of Europe
• 86. Michael Ney Gave Everything for His Country
• 87. The Seventh Coalition Was the Last … Honest!
• 88. The Battles of 16 June Were the Prelude to Waterloo
• 89. Gebhard von Blücher Was Known as ‘Marshal Forwards’
• 90. The Showdown Was Delayed Due to Rain
• 91. Waterloo Was an Allied Triumph
• 92. Waterloo Was a Close-Run Battle
• 93. The Battle of Wavre Was Fought as Waterloo Raged
• 94. Waterloo Was Not the Final Battle Against France
• 95. After More than a Quarter of a Century, Peace at Last!
• 96. Napoleon Was Exiled ... Again
• 97. Napoleon’s Family Rose and Fell with Him
• 98. Napoleon Was Buried Three Times
• 99. Napoleon’s Greatest Legacy Was Napoleon III
• 100. Wellington Was a Hero, a Prime Minister and a Statesman
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