Napoleonic Wars 1805 to 1815

Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power following the French Revolution is a fascinating part of European history. While the French had deposed their previous monarchy in 1793, the tumult that followed it saw Napoleon crowning himself as Emperor in 1804 through his brilliance on the battlefield. However, my current interest is in the battles that he waged through Europe after he became Emperor of France. Napoleon’s rise to power shook the kingdoms of Europe and traditional monarchies feared that the contagion from the rise of the French citizenry would seep into their countries too and threaten their hold on power. It took 7 coalitions of European kingdoms and over 20 years for Napoleon to be defeated and finally exiled.

I found the Epic History TV series on Youtube an informative guide through the period.

Here are 3 videos that document the period from 1805 to the final battle at Waterloo in 1815.

I hope you enjoy viewing it and learning how irrepressible Napoleon was.

Vincent Kok