The Napoleonic Wars

What was the Napoleonic War?

Napoleonic Wars - French Grenadiers

The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions. The Napoleonic wars were a continuation of the French Revolutionary wars, in which France, under Napoleon's military and political rule, stood virtually alone against the rest of Europe. In 1803 Great Britain of the United Kingdom again declared war against France, and in 1805 the Third coalition against France was formed by Britain, Russia, Austria, Sweden and finally Prussia.

French power rose quickly, conquering most of Europe, but collapsed rapidly after France's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon's empire ultimately suffered complete military defeat resulting in the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France. the wars resulted in the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. meanwhile the Spanish Empire began to unravel as French occupation of Spain weakened Spain's hold over its colonies, providing an opening for nationalist revolutions in Latin America. as a direct result of the Napoleonic wars the British Empire became the foremost world power for the next century.

Who was Napoleon?

The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries (1812), Jacques-Louis David

Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who seized control of the French government, and rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution.

Napoleon is without doubt one of the greatest leaders in military history, his skill as a general both tactically and strategically is without question, his rise to power astounding. Few men in history have had such an impact on world history and he easily ranks along side such leaders as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan.

Napoleon, was of unusual intelligence and charisma, and he had seized control of what today would be called a superpower. The presence of this charismatic military genius as the head of France vastly complicated Europe's political landscape and broadened the atmosphere of confrontation which was destined to continue until one of the two sides was defeated.

How was he defeated?

Battle of Waterloo

In 1813 during a campaign in lower Germany, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, which involved armies from almost all the European states. Forced to retreat back into France Napoleon was forced to abdicate in 1814 after the occupation of Paris by the allies. Napoleon was expelled to Elba, against Britains wishes, as she felt this was not far enough away.

In 1815, in a desperate attempt to regain power Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France to rebuild an army. A shadow of his former self, he started on a 100 days campaign in Northern France and Belgium, which was concluded with his defeat at Waterloo (June 18, 1815) and his exile under British supervision to St. Helen.