The Napoleonic Wars Podcast

In 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte created a top team of France's greatest military minds to push his empire to ever greater feats of conflict. However the marshals were anything but a unified top team. From astronomical egos to catastrophic rivalries, betrayal and conceit, as well a villainy and bravery we common traits across Napoleon's marshals.
Andrew Roberts's new book looks at the story of the Napoleonic Wars viewed through the prism of Napoleon's relationship with his marshals, exploring their actions, their friendships, and their rivalries. He sat down with us to discuss some of the most exalted commanders in all of Napoleonic history, and why Napoleon wasn't able to defuse the tension between these military leaders.
Buy Andrew's Book: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780241711354?gC=5a105e8b&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23601462866&gbraid=0AAAAADsTpAQWypvm4UpeMSnVlXJBANcIw&gclid=CjwKCAjwl4HXBhAjEiwAHlpWhA6vPyutOuR7LThsfkEFmfvIhuQynKxTX5Ad6XU4B7n7vmTydWNpixoCnSEQAvD_BwE

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

The Battle of New Orleans is a battle that the British love to forget. It is also the battle that forged a future president in the form of Andrew Jackson. Dr Joseph Stoltz joins us to talk about the battle, its commanders, why Pakenham decided the attack where he did, the myths that have sprung up around the battle, and whether this expedition was doomed from the start.
Buy Joseph's book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DFP454Q?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Battle of New Orleans
01:02 Historical context and British strategic goals
02:53 Dr. Joseph Stultz's expertise and background
04:38 Geography and terrain of New Orleans
11:13 British plans and logistical challenges
23:24 Commanders and leadership of Jackson and Pakenham
36:35 American and British troop composition and morale
42:54 Pre-battle preparations and reconnaissance
45:18 Night attack and initial engagements
48:38 Artillery duel and battlefield tactics
53:27 The main battle and its aftermath
01:00:55 Leadership, morale, and the legacy of the battle

On the 21st October 1805, British Admiral Horatio Nelson famously defeated a combined French and Spanish navy under the command of Admiral Villeneuve. The French admiral's reputation has withered under the long shadow of his defeat at Trafalgar, but what was the bigger picture of his life, service, success and failure in the French navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Paul Chamberlain joins us to shed light on Admiral Villeneuve, his character, life and his death, offering insights on misconceptions and myths about one of the significant figures in the French Navy.
Buy Paul's book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hell-upon-water/paul-chamberlain/9781862274662
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Dr Graeme Callister joins us to discuss how Napoleon conscripted the soldiers who would be so integral to his success on the battlefields of Europe, exploring how people were conscripted, how they evaded conscription, the political dangers of conscription, and the impact on both France and the men themselves.
Buy Graeme's books: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/napoleons-conscripts-conscription-and-the-french-army-1798-1815.php
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction to French Conscription and Napoleon's Army
04:32 Origins of Conscription: From Levy to Formal System
12:40 Transition from Levy to Conscription System
16:24 Selling Conscription: Propaganda and Public Sentiment
20:55 Administrative Framework of Conscription
26:26 Evasion, Corruption, and Enforcement Challenges
35:46 Community Involvement and Resistance Tactics
43:12 The Conscription Process for Young Men
50:57 Resistance, Riots, and Policing of Drafts
56:26 Corruption and Abuse in the System
01:00:53 Summary and Future Episodes

On the 27th September 1810, British and Portuguese forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington defeated a French army under Marshal Massena. Dr Graeme Callister joins us for this latest instalment of our Peninsular War saga to talk through how Wellington's men fended off French attacks, discuss whether this was a battle that Wellington couldn't lose, and what this meant for the wider context of the Peninsular War.
Buy Graeme's books:
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546
https://www.helion.co.uk/people/graeme-callister.php
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod