Early Modern | War History

General Burnside – The Swashbuckling Union General Who Pioneered Sideburns

What do a rifle, various railroads, the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the National Rifle Association, and sideburns have in common? Here is the…

Ultimately, Napoleon Did Not Achieve His Ambitions – Here Are Eight Reasons Why He Failed

Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest commanders in military history. Under his command, French forces crossed the length of Europe, leveling empires and bringing…

Top Four Famous Battleships Of The Napoleonic Wars

Navies were crucial to the Napoleonic Wars. In the days before rail, ocean transport was vital to the trading economies of the European powers. Naval…

Napoleon: The Great General Also Used Propaganda to Boost His Popularity

Napoleon Bonaparte was a man of great talent. A skilled general, a cunning politician, and a charismatic leader of men. Another reason why his image…

Charles the Bold, Burgundy’s Flawed Reforming Warlord, Died In Battle On January 5, 1477

Charles the Bold was a man who could have changed the face of Europe. Inheriting the Valois duchy of Burgundy in 1467, he was one…

Nine Ways In Which Napoleon Changed His World, And Ours

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most influential figures in European history. Two hundred years after his short-lived Empire collapsed, the world continues to be…

The Meat Grinder Of War – Why The Napoleonic Wars Cost So Many Lives

The Napoleonic Wars involved staggering numbers of men injured and killed. From 6% casualties at Fleurus in 1792 to 15% at Austerlitz in 1806. There…

Napoleon’s Imperial Guard – Elite Soldiers Who Served The Emperor

The Imperial Guard were the most famous soldiers in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army. An elite core of fighting men, they held a special place in the…

What Happened To Prisoners Of War In Medieval England

Every medieval English monarch had to decide how to deal with prisoners of war. Ruling over territory that sometimes ran from the highlands of Scotland…

6 Reasons Why Napoleon Invaded Russia

Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 is remembered as one of the great disasters of his reign. Despite tactical successes on the battlefield, he was…

How Napoleon Came To Be Buried At His Final Resting Place, Hôtel des Invalides, Paris

To tourists visiting Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides in Paris, it seems the most natural thing in the world that he should be buried there.…

10 Facts – Napoleon’s Invasion of Spain

Invading an Ally Before France invaded Spain in October 1807, the two countries were allies. However, Spain was not the reliable ally Napoleon wished for.…