Napoleon's Hundred Days (Archive Episode)

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Aug 7, 2025

Guest

Michael Rowe, a Reader in European History, Katherine Astbury, a Professor of French Studies, and Zack White, an early-career research fellow, delve into Napoleon's audacious return from exile in 1815. They discuss his rapid rise in power, strategic maneuvers to gain support, and the challenges he faced from divided loyalties. The focus shifts to the pivotal Battle of Waterloo and how coalition dynamics played a crucial role in his downfall. They also explore the lasting impact of his final days, highlighting his complex legacy and martyrdom in history.

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INSIGHT

Napoleon's Charismatic Return

Napoleon escaped Elba with fewer than 1000 men and marched to Paris gathering an army of about 200,000.
His charisma and revolutionary appeal inspired soldiers and citizens to join him and reclaim power.

INSIGHT

Allied Reaction and Napoleon's Peace Facade

The Allies immediately united upon Napoleon's return, each pledging 150,000 men to defeat him.
Napoleon positioned himself as a man of peace but knew war was inevitable and that he was outnumbered.

INSIGHT

Allied Strategic Approach

The Allies used a formula to defeat Napoleon: don't fight him directly or fight with overwhelming numbers.
They planned to unite forces and attack as a coalition to negate Napoleon's genius.

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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Napoleon Bonaparte's temporary return to power in France in 1815, following his escape from exile on Elba . He arrived with fewer than a thousand men, yet three weeks later he had displaced Louis XVIII and taken charge of an army as large as any that the Allied Powers could muster individually. He saw that his best chance was to pick the Allies off one by one, starting with the Prussian and then the British/Allied armies in what is now Belgium. He appeared to be on the point of victory at Waterloo yet somehow it eluded him, and his plans were soon in tatters. His escape to America thwarted, he surrendered on 15th July and was exiled again but this time to Saint Helena. There he wrote his memoirs to help shape his legacy, while back in Europe there were still fears of his return. With Michael Rowe Reader in European History at Kings College London Katherine Astbury Professor of French Studies at the University of Warwick And Zack White Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Portsmouth Producer: Simon Tillotson In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production. Reading list: Katherine Astbury and Mark Philp (ed.), Napoleon's Hundred Days and the Politics of Legitimacy (Palgrave, 2018) Jeremy Black, The Battle of Waterloo: A New History (Icon Books, 2010) Michael Broers, Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire: 1811-1821 (Pegasus Books, 2022) Philip Dwyer, Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in power 1799-1815 (Bloomsbury, 2014) Charles J. Esdaile, Napoleon, France and Waterloo: The Eagle Rejected (Pen & Sword Military, 2016) Gareth Glover, Waterloo: Myth and Reality (Pen & Sword Military, 2014) Sudhir Hazareesingh, The Legend of Napoleon (Granta, 2014) John Hussey, Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815, Volume 1, From Elba to Ligny and Quatre Bras (Greenhill Books, 2017) Andrew Roberts, Napoleon the Great (Penguin Books, 2015) Brian Vick, The Congress of Vienna: Power and Politics after Napoleon (Harvard University Press, 2014) Zack White (ed.), The Sword and the Spirit: Proceedings of the first ‘War & Peace in the Age of Napoleon’ Conference (Helion and Company, 2021) Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.