How the Royal Navy kept order, Through Caning, Flogging, and Hanging
By the end of the 18th century, the wooden walls of England, as her Navy was so often called, was comprised of one of the…
The Battle of Wavre – Ten Miles From Waterloo, Another Battle May Have Sealed Napoleon’s Fate
The long struggle of the Napoleonic wars famously culminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Undoubtedly Napoleon Bonaparte’s greatest defeat, this engagement would signal the end…
Cannons, Full Uniforms, Hundreds of Men – The Russians Know How To Do Battle Reenactments (Watch)
In 1812 Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, dominated Europe. The only power that stood in the way of total domination was Russia, ruled by…
The 100 Days – Napoleon Returns From Exile, Rallying an Army With His Words Alone
The ranks opened suddenly, and a figure stepped into view. He was taller than many of his enemies described him. Taller and leaner, the angles of…
The Military Innovations Of One Of The Most Terrifying European Conquerors, Napoleon Bonaparte
The success of Napoleon Bonaparte stands as a testament to his extraordinary talent as a general. For twenty years, his armies dominated the battlefields of…
The Four Kinds of Men Who Made Up Napoleon Bonaparte’s Great Conquering Army
The awesome power of the Napoleonic Empire was built on the blood and courage of millions of soldiers. Though Napoleon is remembered as an icon…
Disease, Starvation, and the Brutal Russian Winter – Why Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia Failed
In 1812, Napoleon’s Grande Armée (Great Army) invaded Russia. Though made up of about 680,000 soldiers, they lost. Historians have given many reasons as to…
The Great Military Men Who Inspired The Young Napoleon Bonaparte
From an early age, Napoleon Bonaparte showed the ambition and intelligence that would eventually make him the emperor of half of Europe. As a child,…
The Battle Of Marignano: The Reason For (Almost) 500 Years Of Swiss Neutrality
In November of 2016, Switzerland will have had a strict policy of neutrality for five centuries. Even during the World Wars, Switzerland was able to…
Saved From Death By A French Surgeon – The Russian General Who Defeated Napoleon in 1812
At a time when soldiers were dying because of minor infections on the battlefields, a Russian general survived two shots to the head and went…
These Photos of Napoleon’s Veterans Are Some of the Oldest Military Portraits
Among the oldest photographs of veterans in the world is a set of 15 sepia portraits of former soldiers from Napoleon’s French Army. The images…
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.…