Series in Napoleonic Wars
Books in Napoleonic Wars
Armies and Enemies of Napoleon, 1789-1815: Proceedings of the 2021 Helion and Company ’From Reason to Revolution’ Conference
Containing chapters from some of the leading specialists in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, this volume covers a diverse range of topics that examine in detail aspects of the armies that fought for and against France from 1792-1815. Containing chapters from some of the leading specialists in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, this volume covers a diverse range of topics. Philip Ball looks at the unfortunate General Mack, Terry Crowdy covers military intelligence in Napoleon’s Italian Campaign and Alex Mikaberidze examines Kutuzov’s role in the Austerlitz Campaign. There is a chapter by Alistair Nichols on the French émigré units in British pay and one by Mark Edward Hay on the rebuilding of the Dutch army before Waterloo. The Peninsular War is also covered with a chapter by Kenton White on French strategy and tactics and Robert Griffith covers the long-overlooked role of the battalions of light companies in Wellington’s Army.
For God and King: A History of the Damas Legion : A Case Study of the Military Emigration during the French Revolution
The émigrés who left, or were driven from, Revolutionary France included a large part of the officer corps of the former royal army. Joined by others who wished to fight for the restitution of the monarchy in their homeland, these officers soon served this cause in the pay of countries facing the common enemy. With its origins at the 1793 Siege of Maastricht, one unit of such men, and one woman, was raised by Etienne de Damas-Crux for the service of the United Provinces and was to comprise of both infantry and cavalry. After the United Provinces were defeated and invaded in 1795, the unit transferred to the service of Britain. Its infantry companies were destroyed in the ill-fated Quiberon expedition while the cavalry, which grew to a regiment, joined in early 1796 the last émigré army, that of the Prince de Condé, and served alongside the Austrians in Southern Germany. Finally, the Damas Hussars disappeared when the Armée de Condé was reorganised in Russian service. This is a comprehensive and detailed history of the Légion de Damas which provides a case study of the French military emigration and thus an alternative viewpoint of the Revolution that caused it and the wars that followed. By drawing in particular on memoirs of members of the unit and contemporary material in archives across Europe, from Britain to Russia, the story is told of those who remained steadfast to God and their King.
Glory Is Fleeting: New Scholarship on the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleon is supposed to have said, "glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever," but this collection of essays both revisits some of the most glorious episodes of the Napoleonic Wars and rescues from obscurity some fascinating but overlooked episodes. For over 20 years the Napoleon Series website and forum have functioned as a major hub for the international community of Napoleonic scholars. This book was commissioned with the support of Napoleon Series editor, and distinguished Napoleonic scholar, Robert Burnham and the writing team are all contributors to the website. The chapters cover topics ranging across the European conflict from 1805 to 1814. There is material here on the armies of France, Russia, Prussia, and Austria as well as some of the smaller German states and the single British unit to play a part in the Battle of Leipzig. It is anticipated that this will be the first of several collaborative volumes, with potential future titles highlighting new scholarship on the Peninsular War, the Hundred Days, and the French Revolutionary War.
Murat's Army: The Army of the Kingdom of Naples 1806-1815
Although its crown was initially given to Joseph Bonaparte, the brief history of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Naples will be forever best associated with the reign of King Joachim Murat, Napoleon`s famous and flamboyant cavalry commander, from 1808 to 1815. Known more for the splendor of its uniforms than the achievements of its troops, Naples under Murat nevertheless became a major, if short-lived, player on the Italian Peninsula. This book is based around a series of 99 plates from the work of the military illustrator Henri Boisselier covering the army and navy of the Kingdom of Naples, reproduced with the kind permission of the Anne S.K. Brown Collection. Each plate is accompanied by a commentary on the figure, comparing Boisselier’s depiction with the actual state of the army at the date of their portrayal. The accompanying text details the strength of each corps of the army (royal guard, infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers, command and staff officers, and civilian para-military organizations) including uniform details, badges of rank, inter-company distinctions, flags and standards. The battle history of the units is also recounted, along with a brief history of the kingdom.
Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's Revenge
From renowned author and naval historian Angus Konstam, this is a gripping account of one of the Royal Navy's bloodiest and most dramatic mutinies. Mutiny on the Spanish Main tells the dramatic story of HMS Hermione , a British frigate which, in 1797, was the site of the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw the death of her captain and many of her officers. Though her crew handed her over to the Spanish, Hermione was subsequently recaptured in a daring raid on a Caribbean port two years later. Drawing on letters, reports, ship's logs, and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account of the mutiny and its consequences. Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.
Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's Revenge
From renowned author and naval historian Angus Konstam, this is a gripping account of one of the Royal Navy's bloodiest and most dramatic mutinies. Mutiny on the Spanish Main tells the dramatic story of HMS Hermione , a British frigate which, in 1797, was the site of the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw the death of her captain and many of her officers. Though her crew handed her over to the Spanish, Hermione was subsequently recaptured in a daring raid on a Caribbean port two years later. Drawing on letters, reports, ship's logs, and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account of the mutiny and its consequences. Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.
Mutiny on the Spanish Main: HMS Hermione and the Royal Navy's Revenge
From renowned author and naval historian Angus Konstam, this is a gripping account of one of the Royal Navy's bloodiest and most dramatic mutinies. Mutiny on the Spanish Main tells the dramatic story of HMS Hermione , a British frigate which, in 1797, was the site of the bloodiest mutiny in British naval history, which saw the death of her captain and many of her officers. Though her crew handed her over to the Spanish, Hermione was subsequently recaptured in a daring raid on a Caribbean port two years later. Drawing on letters, reports, ship's logs, and memoirs of the period, as well as previously unpublished Spanish sources, Angus Konstam intertwines extensive research with a fast-paced but balanced account of the mutiny and its consequences. Illustrated with maps and diagrams tracing the events as they unfolded, and supported by informative inserts on the technical and tactical nuances of seamanship and naval warfare in the period, this book is both a fascinating narrative retelling and an informative guide to one of the most notorious events in the history of the Royal Navy.
Napoleon’s Stolen Army: How the Royal Navy Rescued a Spanish Army in the Baltic
This is the story of a Spanish army, commanded by the Marqués de La Romana, which was sent to Denmark by Napoleon in 1807, while France and Spain were allies bound by the Treaty of San Ildefonso, signed in 1796. When relations between the two countries broke down in May 1808 they were soon at war with each other, and La Romana´s host became, in effect, a captive army in the hands of the French. When Spain looked to forge an alliance with Britain against her erstwhile ally, they found the British government only too eager to help. The Royal Navy’s dominant presence in the Baltic provided a ready opportunity to seal the new alliance and, once the political groundwork had been laid, plans for a daring rescue of the entrapped Spaniards by Vice Admiral Keats’ squadron were drawn up. However, while efforts were being made by the British to accumulate and prepare a sufficient amount of shipping to carry out the operation, difficulties soon arose in making contact with La Romana in order to convey to him the intentions of the Spanish and British high commands. This almost led to disaster, and the whole operation was saved only by some remarkable strokes of fortune, and the magnificent leadership provided by Keats and La Romana. Until now this remarkable and little-known story has had little coverage in the various histories written about the Peninsular War, and what has been said about it in the Anglosphere has been confined to a description of events taken almost solely from a British perspective. Now, with access to a comprehensive collection of documents in the Spanish archives, it is possible to tell the story of the Spanish contribution to the successful operation in the Baltic, when the greater part of La Romana’s army was evacuated from Danish Baltic territory during the summer of 1808. Due to circumstance and bad fortune, a significant part of the Spanish army was left behind during the Royal Navy’s action, and there is an interesting story told about what became of these men, related via the personal accounts left by two of the soldiers who did not return to Spain with La Romana.
Next to Wellington: General Sir George Murray
It was inevitable that a young George Murray, born into a long established Perthshire family with both Jacobite and Hanoverian loyalties, would soon see action in the campaigns against Revolutionary France and Napoleon Bonaparte after obtaining his commission into 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards (the Scots Guards) in 1790. Murray served with distinction in the Low Countries, which were seen as essential to safeguarding Britain’s trade links and in Ireland, where the constant threat of insurrection and invasion required a huge garrison. He accompanied General Abercromby to remove the French from Egypt, where Murray was in the first wave of the landing force at Aboukir, one of the great British military successes. Becoming one of the new ‘Scientific’ officers, Murray was the brains behind the plans to take a number of West Indian islands from the French, before settling into his career in the Quartermaster General’s department. He made a name for himself in the controversial bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807, which resulted in the capture of the entire Danish fleet, the first operation in which Murray and Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) fought together. Sent to Sweden on a delicate diplomatic mission to negotiate with the unstable Swedish King, in support of General Sir John Moore, by now he had earned the confidence of the British Government, as well as his military superiors. On return from Sweden, Murray found himself sailing to Portugal and into the midst of a debacle, culminating in his drafting the highly contentious Convention of Cintra. He was becoming acutely aware of the personal weaknesses of the men who carried Britain’s expectations on their shoulders, including Wellington, and recognised his potential role alongside them. Remaining in Portugal, and now serving again with Moore, he planned the advance into Spain, and the dispiriting, and brutal, retreat to Corunna, losing his good friends Moore and Anstruther in the last days of the campaign. A few weeks after his return to England in 1809 he was appointed Wellesley’s QMG, again in the Peninsula, and would, from that moment, work closely (if not always in agreement) with Wellesley in the successful actions that followed, including Oporto, Talavera and Busaco. He was one of only an handful who knew of the building of the massive Lines of Torres Vedras. Frustrated by the attitude of Spanish and Portuguese allies, and the slowness of his promotion prospects, he returned home on leave in early 1812, perhaps with marriage in mind, and shortly thereafter resigned his position with Wellington’s army, moving again to Ireland. Begged by Wellington to return, he played a major role in moving the army across Spain in 1813 and orchestrating the major battles that saw the French driven back over the Pyrenees. Under his leadership, the role of the QMG department expanded enormously, and Murray became Wellington’s most trusted staff officer. Sent to Canada to take command there in the dying days of the War of 1812, and becoming, temporarily, Governor General, he again answered the Government’s and Wellington’s calls to return to face Napoleon after his escape from Elba, but arrived too late for Waterloo. For three years he was Chief of Staff to the multinational force occupying France. There he had an affair with Lady Louisa Erskine (sister of Henry Paget, Wellington’s cavalry commander who lost a leg at Waterloo), which was to lead to her divorce, an illegitimate daughter, marriage, and long lasting social difficulties for them both. Murray served as Governor of RMC Sandhurst and Commander in Chief in Ireland. Following his election as MP for Perthshire, Wellington appointed him Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in his Government, resulting in the Murray River and Perth, Western Australia being named in his honour. An unhappy period in his life, Murray persevered with his political career until appointed Master General of the Ordnance in Peel’s administration, a post he held until his death in 1846. Based on primary sources, in particular Murray’s own papers and letters, the book delves beneath the surface of many of the major military and political events of the time, and examines the very close military, political, and personal relationship that bound Murray and Wellington together, as, with demonstrable mutual loyalty and respect, they confronted enemies and opponents over a period of 40 years during an extraordinary period of British history.
The Sword and the Spirit: Proceedings of the first ‘War & Peace in the Age of Napoleon’
More than two hundred years on, the Napoleonic Wars still fascinates, with fresh perspectives and new information continuing to develop our understanding of the era. Drawing on cutting-edge research presented at the British Commission for Military History’s inaugural ‘War and Peace in the Age of Napoleon’ Conference, this volume presents a rich array of papers from both established and emerging experts of the period. Featuring the work of Edward Coss, Andrew Bamford, Jacqueline Reiter, Alistair Nichols, Vanya Bellinger, Gavin Daly, Silvia Gregorio-Sainz, and Hailey Stewart, The Sword and the Spirit examines some of the people, personalities, and policies that shaped the conflict. From assessments of Napoleon’s mental state, to the actions of individuals such as Sir Home Popham and Carl von Clausewitz; from the siege of San Sebastian to the fields of Waterloo, this book considers the impacts that patronage, diplomacy, psychology, personal experiences, and the disobedience of established practices all had on the waging of war. In the process, it demonstrates the truth of Napoleon’s remark that the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.
They Fought with Extraordinary Bravery: The III GermanArmy Corps in the Southern Netherlands, 1814
In October 1813, the soldiers of one of Napoleon’s staunchest Allies, Saxony, defected en masse in the midst of battle at Leipzig. Almost immediately III German Army Corps was formed with these same soldiers as its nucleus and augmented with returning former prisoners of war, volunteers and militia. Commanded by the Duke of Saxe-Weimar the Corps was sent to the Southern Netherlands to take part in the final defeat of Napoleon amidst of a constant changing command of control structure, in which the Swedish Crown Prince Bernadotte played a major and dubious role. Although for the greater part inexperienced and badly armed, fighting against the much superior French I Corps which even contained Imperial Guard units, III Corps struggled to prove that it could be trusted, paying a major role to protect the Netherlands against the French as these regions tried to regain their own identity after decades of French rule.
To Conquer and to Keep: Suchet and the War for Eastern Spain, 1809-1814
Fully details the Battle of Sagunto and Siege of Tarragona, as well as in-depth information on Suchet's campaigns, the only single work to do so in full, vivid detail. Napoleon once famously remarked ‘If I had had two Marshals like Suchet I should not only have conquered Spain, but have kept it’. Louis-Gabriel Suchet was one of the few French commanders to leave the Peninsular War with his reputation enhanced, and the only one to win his marshal’s baton in that war. When Suchet was first appointed to take command of French forces in Aragon in 1809 as a général de division, the French were on the verge of losing control over that province. Through a string of brilliant battlefield victories and sieges against Spanish regular forces as well as an initially successful counter-guerrilla campaign, Suchet managed to not only secure French control of Aragon, but moved on to conquer Lower Catalonia and Valencia as well. Like all French commanders in the Peninsular War, Suchet was faced with the challenges of Spanish popular resistance, but stood out above his colleagues for his notable success in pacifying Aragon. Yet despite initial triumphs in 1809-1811 against the ‘traditional guerrilla’, Suchet’s counter-guerrilla policies were less successful than is often popularly perceived. As the war went on, French resources became thinly stretched, while conversely, the guerrilla war was increasingly spearheaded by Spanish regular forces to great efficiency, which contributed to the eventual collapse of French control in Eastern Spain. Despite being universally accepted as among the best of Napoleon’s marshals, the pivotal role Suchet played in the Peninsular War has largely been overlooked thus far. Through analyzing a variety of sources from both French and Allied perspectives, ranging from modern viewpoints to those who saw the war themselves, Yuhan Kim examines both Suchet’s successes and failures in his sieges, battles, counter-guerrilla operations, and administration. Each of Suchet’s major actions, as well as those fought independently by his subordinates, is explained in extensive detail with maps and orders of battle. This first volume addresses the opening battles between Suchet and the Spanish commander Joaquin Blake, showing how Suchet recovered from an initial defeat to decisively crush his opponent, before considering the string of successful sieges that ended with the fall of Tarragona and a Marshal’s baton.