Napoleon’s Armies of the Confederation of the Rhine

In this episode, expert John H. Gill unpacks the story of Napoleon’s Confederation of the Rhine armies. Created in 1806 as a new pact of German client states, the Confederation fielded some 90,000 soldiers by 1813. Gill asks if these men were patriotic allies or grumbling conscripts? He reveals how heavy recruitment and French domination stoked national resentment and even tiny principalities like Liechtenstein managed to send dozens of troops.

Buckle up for frontline tales: from Württembergers charging at Bautzen to Westphalian infantry collapsing in routs. We also break down the fateful 1813 turn: many German battalions fought on for Napoleon up to Leipzig, while others (notably the Saxon corps) infamously switched sides. How are these underdog battalions remembered, or indeed forgotten today? Tune in to find out.

John H. Gill's work Pen and Sword Books: Titles by John H Gill