Idolising the Enemy: 7 Englishmen Who Inspired Napoleon
For one of England’s greatest ever enemies, Napoleon Bonaparte was surprisingly fond of the English. Many of the great men who inspired him were English…
The Army Itch And Other Scary Civil War Maladies Which Make Us Thankful For Modern Medicine
Disease accounted for the deaths of 65% of Union soldiers and 62% of Confederates during the Civil War. Those high numbers beat out all other…
Napoleon Inflicts The Greatest Defeat in Prussian Military History
The twin battles of Jena-Auerstadt proved a major turning point for not only the Napoleonic wars, but also for 19th century Europe as a whole.…
Statues, Uniforms, And The Legion Of Honor – How Napoleon Celebrated Battlefield Courage
Napoleon Bonaparte was an inspiring figure. His greatest opponent, the Duke of Wellington, said that the French Emperor inspired such confidence that his presence at…
Steel, Gunpowder, And Careful Planning – The Conquistadors’ Defeat Of The Incas
Francisco Pizarro’s conquest of the Incan empire is one of the most extraordinary achievements in military history. In the space of a single day in…
Napoleon As Augustus: How He Modelled Himself On The Roman Empire
“I am a true Roman Emperor; I am of the best race of the Caesars – those who are founders.” – Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812. Throughout…
In These Battles, Fighting Spirit Overcame The Odds To Gain Victory
Battles can be lost for a hundred different reasons. Poor numbers, unwise strategy, inferior weapons, the list goes on. But just occasionally, a fighting force…
How Napoleon’s Empire Empowered European Jewish Communities
The beating of war drums has seldom been a good sign for Europe’s Jewish communities. Dispersed by the endless conquests of their homeland, they were…
Napoleon Bonaparte, Famous European Conqueror, Was Inspired All His Life By Great Women
Despite sharing the gender biases common to his time, Napoleon Bonaparte’s admiration for great men extended to a few women. Though he once said that…
The English Should Have Lost at Agincourt, But Against All The Odds, They Won
The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced…
3 Wars That Paved the Way for World War I
The First World War was devastating in its scope and utterly unlike what national leaders expected. As such, it was seen by many as an…
4 Soldiers of Humble Background Who Helped Make Napoleon Great
Napoleon Bonaparte was no ordinary Joe. His family were minor nobles from Corsica, and he was always destined to a more privileged life than 99%…