Generals and Napoleon

The Sieges of the Duke of Wellington | Peninsular War & Siege Warfare Explained The Duke of Wellington is best remembered for his battlefield victories, but his mastery of siege warfare was just as decisive in defeating Napoleon’s empire. In this video, special guest Zack White explores the major sieges conducted by Arthur Wellesley , from the brutal assaults of the Peninsular War to the strat...

The Wives of Napoleon’s Marshals | Power, Scandal & Survival in the Napoleonic Era Behind Napoleon’s legendary Marshals stood extraordinary women—wives who navigated ambition, war, politics, and scandal at the height of the Napoleonic Empire. From humble beginnings to imperial salons, these women helped shape the lives and fortunes of France’s greatest generals. In this video, special guest Ra...

General Savary: Napoleon’s Most Feared Loyalist | The Iron Hand of the Empire General Anne Jean Marie René Savary was one of Napoleon’s most loyal—and most feared—commanders. Rising from artillery officer, Savary became the Emperor’s trusted enforcer, intelligence chief, and political strongman during the height of the Napoleonic Wars. Known as “the Iron Hand,” Savary played key roles at Austerlit...

Jena & Auerstedt (1806) | Napoleon Destroys Prussia The Battles of Jena and Auerstedt , fought on 14 October 1806 , shattered the Prussian Army and transformed the Napoleonic Wars in a single, astonishing day. In this episode, special guest Charles Mackay will break down how Napoleon and his marshals crushed one of Europe’s oldest military powers—and why these twin battles marked the collapse...

🎖️ General Matvei Platov – The Cossack Who Hunted Napoleon’s Grande Armée General Platov was the legendary Ataman of the Don Cossacks and one of Napoleon’s most dangerous enemies during the 1812 invasion of Russia . While Napoleon relied on discipline and formations, Platov unleashed speed, deception, and relentless harassment that helped break the Grande Armée long before winter arrived. In this...

In this episode, we step away from the battlefield commanders and shine a light on a different kind of hero: Dr. George James Guthrie, the pioneering British surgeon who braved the horrors of Napoleonic warfare not with a sword, but with a scalpel. As a military surgeon during the Peninsular War and Waterloo, Guthrie revolutionized battlefield medicine, introducing techniques and practices that wo...

In this episode of Generals and Napoleon , we explore the life and legacy of Jérôme Bonaparte—the youngest brother of Napoleon and one of the most controversial figures of the Napoleonic Wars. Thrust into power as King of Westphalia, Jérôme lived a life of opulence, scandal, and command. But was he merely a royal puppet, or a capable general in his own right? Special guest and author Graeme Callis...

King Louis XVI of France was the last absolute monarch of the Bourbon dynasty—and one of the most tragic figures in European history. In this episode, we explore the life, reign, and downfall of Louis XVI , the king whose indecision, financial crisis, and political missteps helped ignite the French Revolution and ultimately led to his execution in 1793. From his early reign and attempts at reform...

Murat’s final days ⚔️ Marshal Joachim Murat , Napoleon’s flamboyant cavalry commander and King of Naples, met one of the most dramatic and tragic ends of any Napoleonic marshal. In this episode, special guest & author Jonathan North traces the chain of events that led to Murat’s execution in 1815 , from shifting alliances and political desperation to a fatal gamble that cost him his throne—and...

Lucien Bonaparte was Napoleon’s most independent brother. Brilliant, principled, and stubbornly defiant, Lucien played a decisive role in Napoleon’s rise to power during the French Revolution yet spent much of his life at odds with the emperor he helped create . In this episode, special Graeme Callister explores Lucien’s pivotal actions during the Coup of 18 Brumaire , where his courage as Preside...

Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia was the largest military operation of the Napoleonic Wars—and the beginning of the end for the French Empire. In this episode, special guest & author Adam Zamoyski discusses how Napoleon led the Grande Armée of over 600,000 men into Russia, why the campaign unraveled, and how strategy, logistics, weather, and Russian resistance combined to produce one of hist...

Field Marshal Prince Karl Philipp von Schwarzenberg was one of the most important—and often overlooked—commanders of the Napoleonic Wars. As the Austrian general who led the Allied Grand Army in 1813 , Schwarzenberg played a central role in defeating Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition and bringing about the Emperor’s first abdication. In this episode, special guest David Hollins explor...

Joseph Fouché was the most dangerous man in Napoleonic France. Revolutionary extremist, master spy, and Napoleon’s feared Minister of Police , Fouché built a vast intelligence network that allowed him to outlast kings, revolutionaries, and even the Emperor himself. In this episode, special guest Michael Broers recounts Fouché’s astonishing rise from Jacobin radical and architect of the brutal repr...

Napoleon’s library reveals a side of the Emperor rarely shown on the battlefield. In this episode, we explore the books Napoleon read, collected, annotated, and carried with him on campaign—uncovering how literature, history, philosophy, and science shaped the mind behind Europe’s greatest military empire. Special guest & author Louis Sarkozy discusses Napoleon maintained multiple personal lib...

Napoleon III , nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, was a ruler whose life was full of ambition, exile, and dramatic returns. From revolutionary conspirator to Emperor of the French , his story is a mix of vision, vanity, and failure that reshaped 19th-century France. In this episode, special guest Melissa Rossi explores Napoleon III’s rise to power, starting with his time in exile , his daring attempts...

Marshal Michel Ney , famously nicknamed “Le Rougeaud” and “the bravest of the brave” , was one of Napoleon’s most loyal and legendary commanders. From the rise of the French Revolution to the fall of the Empire, Ney’s career was marked by courage, skill, and tragic loyalty. In this episode, special guest Brian Williams will explore Ney’s remarkable journey: his early service in the Revolutionary a...

Louis Bonaparte , Napoleon’s younger brother, is often remembered as the King of Holland who dared to put his people above his brother’s ambitions. Unlike many of Napoleon’s family members, Louis prioritized justice and the welfare of his subjects —a stance that earned him respect at home but friction with the Emperor. In this episode, special guest & author Graeme Callister explores Louis’s l...

General William Carr Beresford was one of the most capable and trusted commanders in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars , earning a reputation as a brilliant organizer, strategist, and battlefield leader. Often overshadowed by the Duke of Wellington, Beresford’s contributions were vital in defeating Napoleon’s forces in the Peninsular War . In this episode, special guest Joshua Provan and...

General Thomas Picton was a fearless and fiery officer of the British Army, renowned for his bravery and ruthlessness on and off the battlefield. Serving under the Duke of Wellington, Picton played a pivotal role in the Peninsular War and became one of the heroes of the Battle of Waterloo , where his leadership and tenacity left a lasting mark on history. In this episode, special guest Graeme Call...

⚓️🔥 Admiral Horatio Nelson is celebrated as Britain’s greatest naval hero, whose daring tactics and bold leadership changed the course of European history. From the Mediterranean campaigns to his legendary victory at Trafalgar , Nelson became the symbol of naval brilliance and patriotic sacrifice. In this episode, special guest Evan Wilson explores Nelson’s extraordinary career, starting with hi...

Did you know Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, one of Napoleon’s key consuls, was the legal mind behind much of the French Empire—but rarely made headlines? Special guest Charles Mackay joins the show to tell us about this important figure in Napoleon's government. Cambacérès was a master of law and administration, helping draft the Napoleonic Code , which reshaped civil law across Europe. Whi...

The Battle of Fuentes de Onoro (May 1811) was a key engagement in the Peninsular War , pitting Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese army against the French forces under Marshal Masséna . This battle highlights the strategic brilliance of Wellington and the resilience of his troops as they defended Portugal from Napoleon’s attempts to reclaim the territory. In this episode, special guest Marcus Cribb will...

General Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d’Erlon was one of Napoleon’s most capable yet controversial corps commanders, remembered for being at the center of some of the most critical moments of the Napoleonic Wars . From early Revolutionary success to his fateful role at Waterloo , d’Erlon’s career shows how timing and command decisions could shape the fate of empires. In this episode, special guest G...

General Levin August von Bennigsen was one of Napoleon’s most persistent—and frustrating—adversaries, a Russian commander who repeatedly stood in the Emperor’s path during the War of the Fourth Coalition . Best known for commanding Russian forces at Eylau and Friedland , Bennigsen’s career highlights both the strengths and limits of coalition warfare against Napoleon. In this episode, special gues...

King Louis XVIII of France was the Bourbon who outlasted the Revolution, Napoleon, and exile to reclaim the French throne—twice. Often overshadowed by his brother Louis XVI and his enemy Napoleon , Louis XVIII was a shrewd political survivor who helped shape post-Napoleonic Europe. In this episode, we explore Louis XVIII’s early life, his years in exile during the French Revolution, and his carefu...