“Every contractor is a thief.”: Logistics, Insurgents, and the Art of War in Early Napoleonic Spain, 1808–9
Unexpected setbacks to Napoleon’s plan to control Spain at the onset of the Peninsular War (1808–1814) required the emperor to launch a 270,000-man counteroffensive into the heart of the country in late 1808 – culminating with the British defeat at the Battle of Corunna, January 16, 1809.
Read More
The Peninsular War (1808-1814) vs. Spanish War of Independence: A Historiographical Battleground
The main dispute within the historiography of the Peninsular War has always been (and remains) a competing narrative between British and Spanish historians.
Read More
Albert-Jean Michel de Rocca and the Most Dangerous Road in Napoleonic Spain
Most memoirs by French officers who took part in the Napoleonic occupation of Spain lauded their victories and achievements on the battlefield with the exception of Albert-Jean Michel de Rocca (1788-1818), a lieutenant who served in the French Army until 1810 when he was injured and forced to hobble back to France on the most dangerous stretch of road in the war.
Read More
From ‘General Bonaparte’ to ‘Napoleon’ to ‘Hannibal’: The Evolution of a Military Legend, 1800-1838
From 1800 on, the First Consul became less and less ‘General Bonaparte’ and more ‘Napoleon.’ The Constitution of the Year X (1802) granted him the title of First Consul for Life.
Read More
An American Look at Napoleon’s “Dark Age” Press, 1810-1811
Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s key to perpetuating the war despite setbacks was ensuring the compliance of the people at home. Thus total control over French newspapers fueled the constant call for more soldiers.
Read More