The Napoleonic Wars Podcast

What happened at Waterloo? The story of the battle is well known, so in this episode we are focusing on the when and the how. How did these events overlap? On the 210th anniversary of the Waterloo campaign, we are retelling the story with the vital timestamps front and centre - we look at how these events interlink, and allow you to follow along, so that you can reflect on these events, knows exactly what happened, when 210 years ago.June 15th – Napoleon strikes first. His army crosses into Belgium, catching the Allied forces off guard. His goal? Drive a wedge between the two main Coalition armies: Wellington’s Anglo-allied force and Blücher’s Prussians. The campaign begins with rapid marches and surprise engagements as French forces push north.🗓️ June 16th – Two crucial battles unfold. At Ligny, Napoleon personally leads an attack against the Prussians and secures a tactical victory, forcing Blücher’s forces to retreat—but crucially, they’re not broken. Meanwhile, Marshal Ney clashes with Wellington’s troops at Quatre Bras. Though the French gain ground, Ney fails to prevent Wellington from later falling back to a stronger defensive position.🗓️ June 17th – The Allies regroup. Wellington pulls his army back to the ridge near the village of Waterloo, where he prepares for a stand. Heavy rain lashes the fields. Napoleon, delayed by mud and logistics, follows—but hesitates to attack in poor conditions.🗓️ June 18th – The Battle of Waterloo begins. Napoleon throws wave after wave at Wellington’s lines—infantry columns, cavalry charges, and artillery bombardments. The fighting is fierce: key positions like Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte become scenes of desperate defense. By late afternoon, just as Wellington's lines are wavering, the Prussians arrive on the battlefield. Their assault on Napoleon’s flank breaks the French resolve. Wellington orders a general advance. Napoleon’s army collapses.By the end of the day, the dream of a restored Napoleonic Empire is crushed. These four days sealed Napoleon’s fate—and the future of Europe.Support out work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Military historian John H. Gill leads us through the titanic Battle of Wagram in July of 1809. In the wake of Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat at Aspern-Essling, Napoleon and Austria’s Archduke Charles race to rebuild and prepare. Gill vividly describes Napoleon’s massive fortification of Lobau Island and daring Danube crossing that thrust the Grande Armée onto Austrian soil.The episode delves into Charles’s ambitious offensive action and Napoleon’s fierce counterattacks. Gill also unpacks the famous “Macdonald’s Square” counterattack, an 11,000-man column. We examine how Napoleon’s Italian and German allies performed under fire and discuss the strategic fallout: Napoleon’s hard-won victory forced Austria into armistice and reshaped the 1809.This deep dive into Napoleonic military strategy and battlefield tactics is accessible to casual history buffs and packed with rich detail for serious enthusiasts. Don’t miss this energetic recounting of Wagram’s thunderous drama tune in and subscribe to The Napoleonic Wars Podcast now!John's work can be found here Pen and Sword Books: Titles by John H GillExclusive Nap Wars Pod merchandise can be found here Discover Our Exclusive Range at Napoleonic Wars Podcast

In this episode we welcome Natalee Garrett to talk about the longest-serving Queen consort in British history: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. A powerful personality behind the scenes, Charlotte overcame the hurdles of cutthroat public opinion, inhospitable in-laws and the madness of her husband to become one of the most important people in the Georgian royal family, and one of the most influential figures in the history of the British monarchy.Find Natalee's book at https://www.routledge.com/Queen-Charlotte-Family-Duty-Scandal/Garrett/p/book/9781032280417?srsltid=AfmBOoqh1yscn09Wh7i2mLh7T-K-IsGqO8ZAd0YDBFWD2DowxjnBF7cmSupport the show at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspodCheck out our links at https://linktr.ee/napwarspod 

Professor Kevin Linch joins us again for what is Act 1 covering all things rank and file recruitment, join us as we uncover the truth behind 'Sharpe's Regiment'.Professor Linch is a Professor of Modern History at the University of Leeds. He specialises in the history of Britain in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, focusing on the history of Britain's armed forces and their relationship to wider political, social, and cultural trends. He is the author of the recently published, Templar Prize winning ⁠Pen and Sword Books: The British Army, 1783–1815 - Hardback⁠ and ⁠Britain and Wellington's Army: Recruitment, Society and Tradition, 1807-15 | SpringerLink⁠.Working with Dr Simon Quinn, he has also recently launched an online database of British Army Officers, available at ⁠georgianarmyofficers.org⁠.We discuss the men behind the thin red line and how they came to be one of the greatest fighting forces that Britain has ever deployed. We'll be covering recruiting parties, local identities, basic training and so much more.

The long awaited semi finals of the Battle of the Marshals are here, as Berthier, Massena, Soult, Lannes, Bernadotte and Oudinot all face off in an epic balloon debate.Fan favourites will fall and laughter abounds in a lively debate as we strive to find Napoleon Bonaparte's greatest marshal.One of the most enduring questions in military history, now plays out on the Napoleonic Wars Podcast.Support our work at and get exclusive bonuses at: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Today we're joined by historian Terry Crowdy to discuss all things French Light Infantry.In 1792 France unleashed a new form of warfare in Europe. Faced with the well-drilled Austrian and Prussian armies, the French introduced the tactic of mass skirmishing. Soldiers were thrown forwards and told to fight in open order. Moving quickly and making use of cover, they fired on the enemy line, annoying it, goading it, and all the time distracting it from the infantry columns coming up behind, bristling with bayonets, ready for the charge and a shock action. Of these tirailleurs, the best were the professional chasseur light infantry battalions, raised and trained in the army of Louis XVI; but they were too few in number. A patriotic appeal for light infantry volunteers was made, and within two years the original twelve battalions became ninety strong. By the time of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, there were 185 battalions of light infantry in service, with hundreds of voltigeur light companies attached to the regular line infantry battalions. Although all infantrymen could fight as tirailleurs, specialist light infantry did it best, and were clearly an important part of Napoleon’s armies. Why was this?In his book Terry explores the origins of the light infantry in the century before Napoleon came to power. From bands of irregular partisans, to sharpshooters and scouts, the book follows France’s early experiments with this arm.Find out more about Terry and his assorted works at the links below.French Light Infantry 1784-1815 | From Reason to Revolution 1721-1815 | Helion & CompanyTerry Crowdy: Osprey Publishing (UK)

As the world reeled from the blistering success of Napoleon's winter offensive in the Iberian Peninsular in 1808-1809, how would the Spanish, Portuguese and British respond to the catastrophic collapse of the front in the face of Napoleon's onslaught.Josh Provan joins me to talk about how pockets of Spanish resistance proved that the war was not going to be over that quickly. We also discuss how the Spanish also managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at the Battle of Medellin, and how French command challenges were already creating problems.

How did the Corps of Colonial Marines act as a force multiplier in the War of 1812? Did freed slaves help burn down the White House? And what happened to these folks once the war was over?Matt Taylor returns with the final chapter of the Black Redcoats.Buy Matt's book at: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Black-Redcoats-Hardback/p/49346Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspodhttps://linktr.ee/napwarspod 

Who was Louis-Alexandre Berther, one of the most famous, most popular, and most indispensable marshals? Is it fair to describe him as Napoleon's right hand man? What would the Napoleonic Wars have looked like without him?Rachael Stark returns to talk about the life and impact of this master of the logistical and staff elements of warfare, looking at his legacy, and his impact for military history as well as his relationships with Napoleon, the other marshals, and that contentious question of why his life ended so suddenly with a 'defenestration'.Support the show at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/napwarspod⁠ 

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's best friend, Marshal Jean Lannes takes centre stage for the second instalment of a run down of his life.Rachael Stark reopens the discussion talking about his exploits in Egypt, we also discuss the Battle of Friedland, and the tragic end to the life of a man who was so close to the Emperor that Napoleon wept when this Marshal of France was mortally wounded.Support the show at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/napwarspod⁠