The Age of Napoleon Podcast

Description

The Age of Napoleon is a history podcast about the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte as well as the general context of Europe between the early eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It is about big trends and the grand sweep of history, as well as the smaller, individual stories that bring them to life.

Episodes

2026 / 7 / 4

July 4th Special Episode

A little bonus material in honor of the 250th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence: a conversation with Will Clark of Grey History and David Montgomery of The Siècle. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2026 / 7 / 1

Episode 139: The Jacobin Prince

After a humiliating military defeat by the Russians, Sweden found itself strategically isolated, politically unstable, and without an heir to the throne. Desperate to change course, the Swedes turned to an...

Download
2026 / 5 / 31

Episode 138: Le Brutal

A guide to the artillery of the Napoleonic era... the artillery was a marvel of organization and logistics, and stood at the forefront of technical and doctrinal innovation. Its internal culture made a major...

Download
2026 / 5 / 1

Episode 137: Spain on the Precipice

Late 1809 saw disaster after disaster for the Spanish Patriots. The French were ascendant in Iberia, but the Empire was struggling with the expense of constant warfare, and Wellington was preparing to fight...

Download
2026 / 4 / 1

Episode 136: The Stumbling Colossus

1809 was another trying year for the Spanish Patriots. The will to resist remained strong, but the Spanish leadership seemed unable to come up with a winning strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2026 / 3 / 1

Episode 135: A Bed of Roses

The spring and summer of 1810 saw Napoleon enjoying life as a newlywed. Bonaparte was happy, but there were ominous signs of trouble ahead. He himself would later admit the Empire was headed towards "the edge...

Download
2026 / 2 / 1

Episode 134: By Gentler Means

Napoleon's search for a new wife eventually led to Vienna, where the new Austrian Foreign Minister, Klemens von Metternich, was preparing to take Austria in a new direction on the world stage. Learn more...

Download
2026 / 1 / 16

Prix Napoléon Special Episode

We interview David Serero of the Festival Napoléon and get a special message from Will Clark of Grey History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2026 / 1 / 1

Episode 133: Long Live America

News of the Abdications of Bayonne shook Spanish colonial societies to their foundations. Within a few years, the nations of South and Central America would be on the road to independence. Learn more...

Download
2025 / 12 / 1

Episode 132: The Old Master

We examine Spanish America on the eve of the Wars of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2025 / 11 / 1

Episode 131: The Sacrifice

Josephine was the great love of Napoleon's life, but in late 1809, he had their marriage annulled -- how had it come to this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2025 / 10 / 1

Episode 130: The Heart of the Empire

We examine Napoleon's private life, with a special focus on the most important person in it: the charming and controversial Empress of the French, Josephine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2025 / 9 / 1

Episode 129: I Am Charlemagne

In the summer of 1809, General Sir Arthur Wellesley led a small British army into Spain. While the war raged on, Napoleon was also picking a political fight with a powerful enemy: the Roman Catholic...

Download
2025 / 8 / 1

Episode 128: To Conquer a Throne

Iberia, 1809: the Aragonese capital of Zaragoza was under siege once again. To the west, the French prepared another invasion of Portugal. Meanwhile, in London, the British leadership debated a renewed...

Download
2025 / 7 / 1

Episode 127: The Liberators

Throughout 1809, small groups of brave (or foolish) German patriots tried to stir up nationalist uprisings against France. Meanwhile, in Iberia, a very ugly war dragged on with no end in sight. Learn more...

Download
2025 / 6 / 1

Episode 126: Martyrs and Scapegoats

Late 1809: Napoleon negotiated a punitive peace treaty with Austria and survived a strange assassination attempt. Meanwhile, the British launched a surprise invasion of the continent and dealt with political...

Download
2025 / 5 / 1

Episode 125: An Age Forlorn

After his victory at Wagram, Napoleon pursued the Austrians. Peace was in the air, but the war would end on an almost unbelievably dramatic note in the middle of a Bohemian thunderstorm. Learn more about...

Download
2025 / 4 / 1

Episode 124: My Blood for the Emperor

In the summer of 1809, Napoleon crossed the Danube again to confront Archduke Charles and the Habsburg field army and avenge his defeat at Aspern-Essling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2025 / 3 / 1

Episode 123: Heroes and Rebels

As the War of the Fifth Coalition raged on, anti-French rebels rose up in the Alps and a remarkable Royal Navy captain fought one of the era's strangest battles on the Atlantic. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2025 / 2 / 1

Episode 122: The Emperor Alone

Austria, 1809: Napoleon was stunned after the first defeat of his career at Aspern-Essling and the death of his best friend and closest confidant, Marshal Lannes. But all across the continent, the war raged...

Download
2025 / 1 / 1

Episode 121: The Red Danube

On May 21st, 1809, the Austrians attacked the Grande Armée at the towns of Aspern and Essling. The ensuing two days were the hardest test of Napoleon's career to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2024 / 12 / 1

Episode 120: More Terrible than Ever

In April, 1809, the Austrians finally launched their long-awaited invasion of the Napoleonic Empire. The French were taken by surprise, but Napoleon had a plan to turn the tables. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2024 / 11 / 1

Episode 119: Setting the World Aflame

French and British forces continue fighting in Spain. In Paris, Napoleon's frustrations with Talleyrand finally boil over as he prepares to face off against a renewed and reformed Habsburg army. Learn more...

Download
2024 / 10 / 1

Episode 118: The Hornets' Nest

After taking Madrid, Napoleon chased a British army into northwestern Spain. Meanwhile, behind the lines, Spanish guerrillas waged a brutal war against the occupiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2024 / 9 / 1

Episode 117: Impossible

The Spanish Patriots prepared to hold off Bonaparte in a rocky mountain pass, but they didn't count on the heroism of the Polish cavalry of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2024 / 8 / 9

Paris Games Special

I sat down with two fellow French history podcasters for a Paris Games-themed discussion of some of our favorite characters of 18th and 19th century French history. You can find Will's show, Grey History, at:...

Download
2024 / 8 / 1

Episode 116: Strike Hard

In early November 1808, French troops crossed the Ebro River in their second invasion of Spain, led by the Emperor himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2024 / 6 / 30

Episode 115: War to the Knife

The summer of 1808 saw desperate fighting across Iberia as Spanish and Portuguese patriots rose up against Napoleon. France's most powerful enemy, Great Britain, sought to take advantage. Learn more about...

Download
2024 / 6 / 1

Episode 114: The Limits of Power

The Spanish uprising was a disaster for France. Napoleon tried to shore up his diplomatic situation but found himself undermined by a surprising new enemy. Cameo appearances by José de San Martín and Johann...

Download
2024 / 5 / 1

Episode 113: Victory or Death

In the spring of 1808, Napoleon said he considered Spain conquered. That summer, Spanish forces dealt France its first major battlefield defeat in nearly a decade. How did Spain manage this stunning...

Download
2024 / 4 / 16

Grey Histories Collaboration

I recently recorded a collaboration with Will Clark of Grey Histories: the French Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2024 / 4 / 16

Grey History Collaboration

I recently recorded a collaboration with Will Clark of Grey History: the French Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Download
2024 / 4 / 1

Episode 112: The Way of the Bandit

In the Spring of 1808, Napoleon installed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. However, the people of Madrid had had enough of the French, and took matters into their own hands. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2024 / 3 / 1

Episode 111: Bad Omens

With Portugal conquered, Napoleon turned his attention to Spain. As French troops began occupying the country, it soon became clear they were sitting on a political powder keg. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2024 / 2 / 1

Episode 110: Barbarians

1807 saw Napoleon and the British jockeying for influence among the remaining neutral states of Europe. Average people paid the price for this competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2024 / 1 / 1

Episode 109: The Rise of the Sausage-Maker

In 1808, France would find itself in a new war on the Iberian Peninsula. How did Napoleon find himself engaged in a new war less than a year after the Treaty of Tilsit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2023 / 12 / 1

Episode 108: Europe Under the Eagle

By 1808, the Napoleonic empire stretched from Poland to the Pyrenees, and from the North Sea to the southern tip of Italy. How was Europe adjusting to Napoleon's new order? Learn more about your ad...

Download
2023 / 11 / 1

Episode 107: The Will of the Emperor

By 1809, Napoleon had ruled France for a decade. How did the Napoleonic regime actually function? How could one person effectively exercise his will over half a continent? Learn more about your ad choices....

Download
2023 / 9 / 30

Episode 106: The Art of Power

In Europe at the dawn of the nineteenth century, art and politics were deeply intertwined, sometimes in surprising ways. No one understood this better than Napoleon Bonaparte. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2023 / 9 / 1

Episode 105: The Imperial City

During his 15 years in power, Napoleon put an indelible mark on his adopted city: Paris. The First Empire was a formative period in the history of the city, but what did it mean for average people? Learn more...

Download
2023 / 8 / 1

Episode 104: Man of the Century

Napoleon's new treaty with Russia had totally transformed European geopolitics. What did it mean for the future of the continent? For France? For Napoleon himself? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2023 / 7 / 1

Episode 103: The Two Eagles

In the summer of 1807, the emperors of France and Russia, and the King and Queen of Prussia met at the Baltic town of Tilsit for a remarkable diplomatic summit aimed at forging a new geopolitical status quo...

Download
2023 / 6 / 1

Episode 102: Bennigsen's Gamble

In the summer of 1807, Napoleon was on the verge of seizing a prize that had eluded him for 6 months: Königsberg. The end of the war was in sight, but before he could take the city, he would have to deal with...

Download
2023 / 5 / 1

Episode 101: Beyond Bravery

As Napoleon struggled to rebuild his army after Eylau, French forces lay siege to the port city of Danzig. In late Spring, the Grande Armée went back out on campaign, to square off against General Bennigsen...

Download
2023 / 4 / 1

Episode 100: What a Massacre

The Battle of Eylau was the greatest challenge of Napoleon's career so far. For two days, the French and Russian armies fought with unbelievable tenacity in the worst conditions imaginable. Learn more about...

Download
2023 / 3 / 1

The Soul of a Free Man

A recording of a recent talk I gave on the life of Toussaint Louverture You can find out more about the Symposium at: https://www.historysymposium.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2023 / 2 / 1

Episode 99: Dangers of Every Kind

In January of 1807, Napoleon ordered his men to make winter quarters and turned his attention to an exciting, but dangerous new mistress with a hidden agenda. But before the month was over, fate would draw...

Download
2023 / 1 / 1

Episode 98: Eagles East

France and the Grande Armée were growing tired of war, but in the winter of 1806, Napoleon led his forces east, into a harsh, new environment that would test the limits of his soldiers' endurance. Learn...

Download
2022 / 12 / 1

Episode 97: The Rights of War

As Napoleon and the Grande Armée enjoyed a pleasant interlude in occupied Berlin, the war was escalating in unprecedented ways. Sailors, smugglers, and corsairs all over the world were engaged in a new style...

Download
2022 / 11 / 1

Episode 96: Our Favorite Enemy

After their defeats at Jena and Auerstedt, the vaunted Prussian army collapsed in the face of Napoleon's onslaught. As the French pushed into the heart of Central Europe, their presence began to awaken...

Download
2022 / 10 / 1

Episode 95: The Iron Marshal's Stand

Germany, 1806: while Napoleon was winning another triumph at the Battle of Jena, the Third Corps of his army was forced to fight alone in a desperate battle against a superior force. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2022 / 9 / 6

Episode 94: History on Horseback

In early October, 1806, Napoleon led the Grande Armée to war once again, this time against the Prussians. The events of the next week would change the course of history, and have a surprisingly profound...

Download
2022 / 8 / 1

Episode 93: A Ridiculous War

In 1806, France and Prussia went to war. The Grande Armée was at the height of its powers, but the French did not want this fight. The Prussian army had huge problems, but was eager to prove itself against...

Download
2022 / 7 / 9

Dispatch #1

Introducing a new feature to the show. Visit: www.patreon.com/ageofnapoleon and sign up if you'd like to join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2022 / 7 / 1

Episode 92: Fear and Expectation

1806 saw Europe reeling from the aftermath of Austerlitz. Napoleon organized his new empire and continued to remake the map of the continent, but he would soon be faced with a powerful backlash. Learn...

Download
2022 / 6 / 1

Episode 91: The Cavalry

An overview of the most colorful and romanticized branch of a Napoleonic military: the cavalry. Depending on your perspective, they were either the bravest, most vital part of any army, or preening, arrogant...

Download
2022 / 4 / 30

Episode 90: The New Order

After his stunning victories of late 1805, Napoleon sought to impose a new international order on central Europe. This would mean an all-out diplomatic assault on one of the world's oldest and most venerable...

Download
2022 / 3 / 31

Episode 89: Immortal Nelson

Horatio Nelson's last battle was a stunning British victory, but his fleet's troubles were just beginning. We examine the stunning aftermath of Trafalgar and the legacy of the greatest admiral of the...

Download
2022 / 3 / 14

Episode 88: Eastward with Jesse Alexander

I interviewed Real Time History's Jesse Alexander about his latest project: tracing Napoleon's downfall from the invasion of Russia in 1812. You can find them on YouTube here:...

Download
2022 / 3 / 1

Episode 87: Thank God I Have Done My Duty

In October 1805, a Franco-Spanish fleet sailed out of Cadiz to seek a confrontation with a British fleet under Horatio Nelson. What ensued was one of the greatest naval battles of all time. Learn more about...

Download
2022 / 2 / 1

Episode 86: Six Hours

Napoleon famously said that if he could control the English Channel for 6 hours, he would control the world. In 1805, the French navy launched an audacious plan to buy the Emperor his 6 hours. But to do so,...

Download
2021 / 12 / 31

Episode 85: In the Hands of a Giant

The Battle of Austerlitz changed Europe forever. As news of his triumph reverberated across Europe, Napoleon began to redraw the map of the continent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2021 / 12 / 1

Episode 84: The Battle of the Three Emperors

On the first anniversary of his coronation, Napoleon faced off against a powerful Coalition army. With France's strategic situation deteriorating by the hour, he formed an audacious plan to win the war in a...

Download
2021 / 10 / 31

Episode 83: The Chase

Napoleon pursues a Coalition army through Austria. Masséna fights in Italy. Prussian neutrality finally ends. https://www.patreon.com/ageofnapoleon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2021 / 9 / 30

Episode 82: The Fortunes of War

A new coalition forms against France. Napoleon leads his new army into Germany in a stunning, lightning campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2021 / 8 / 31

Episode 81: The Eagles of Boulogne

Napoleon brings his army to the Channel Coast and builds it into one of the most formidable war machines in military history. Meanwhile, talk of another anti-French Coalition begins to swirl in the old regime...

Download
2021 / 7 / 25

Episode 80: The Crown of Charlemagne

On December 2nd, 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2021 / 6 / 10

Episode 79: The Eagle's Landing

We examine Napoleon's colonial policies, the tragic end of Toussaint Louverture, and the final act of the Haitian War of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2021 / 4 / 23

Episode 78: Free Haiti

After his victory over Britain, Toussaint Louverture began a new struggle: to build a new country out of the ruins of war and rebellion. Louverture had a bright vision for the future, but old divisions still...

Download
2021 / 4 / 1

Episode 77: The Symposium

A recording of a panel on Napoleonic podcasting from the 2021 Massena Society symposium on Napoleonic History. The Massena Society's YouTube channel can be found here:...

Download
2021 / 3 / 3

Episode 76: The Black Napoleon

As the war in Haiti rages on, Toussaint Louverture makes a fateful decision to leave his allies behind. We follow his development as a general as he forges his guerilla forces into a powerful, modern army,...

Download
2021 / 1 / 31

Episode 75: The Opening

As Haiti sinks deeper into chaos and tragedy, Toussaint begins his rise to leadership within the rebel movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2020 / 12 / 23

Episode 74: The Age of Toussaint

Haiti was France's richest colony, but Europe's lust for sugar had created a barbaric and unstable social system in the colonies. We meet the man who would one day rise above this barbarism and become father...

Download
2020 / 10 / 11

Episode 73: The Blood of a King

In 1803, Britain sent a team of assassins against Napoleon. They failed, but the plot led to one of the most controversial episodes of Napoleon's career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 8 / 23

Episode 72: The Experiment

With the war over, France was finally becoming prosperous again. Napoleon contemplated what this would mean for his regime as he worked to reform the country. In many ways, the Consulate was a golden age, but...

Download
2020 / 7 / 29

Episode 71: The Spoiled Child of Victory

France welcomes the Catholic Church back to the country in grand style, but the Concordat complicated Napoleon's relationship with staunch republicans in the army leadership. Learn more about your ad choices....

Download
2020 / 7 / 8

Episode 70: Concord

Napoleon finally had his deal with the Vatican, but how would the Concordat of 1801 change France? What would it mean for the future of the revolution, and millions of alienated French Catholics? Learn more...

Download
2020 / 6 / 15

Episode 69: God Save the Republic

Napoleon continues in his attempt to reconcile with conservatives. He finally manages to bring the Vatican to the negotiating table for an historic agreement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 5 / 26

Episode 68: The Eagle and the Owls

Napoleon wanted to bring social harmony to France, but to do that, he needed to resolve the bitter conflict between the Catholic Church and the revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 5 / 6

Episode 67: Resistance is Pointless

A conclusion to our discussion of the Napoleonic Code, plus the fate of France's crown jewels, the legal opposition to Bonaparte's regime, and women's rights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 4 / 13

Episode 66: Master of France

Bonaparte finally takes the last legal step towards dictatorship, and we begin a discussion of his most important legacy: the Napoleonic Code. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 3 / 21

Episode 65: The Blank Slate

The Treaty of Amiens is greeted with celebrations around the world. With peace, Napoleon prepares to embark on an ambitious program of reform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2020 / 2 / 27

Episode 64: The Last Treaty

After 8 years of war, Britain and France were finally on the road to peace, but reaching an agreement between such bitter rivals would be a long, arduous process. Fortunately, for both countries, an unlikely...

Download
2020 / 2 / 5

Episode 63: Definitive Peace

After their defeat at Hohenlinden, the Austrians return to the negotiating table, resulting in a treaty that threw the entire future of the Holy Roman Empire into doubt. We examine Prussian diplomacy, and...

Download
2020 / 1 / 17

Episode 62; The World Stage

The War of the 2nd Coalition is winding down, but in the cut-throat world of Napoleonic diplomacy, peace could often prove elusive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2019 / 12 / 4

Episode 61: Triumph and Temptation

Horatio Nelson continues to build his reputation as one of the most brilliant sailors of the age, but as his fame grows, the dark side of Nelson's character threatens to undermine his achievements. Learn more...

Download
2019 / 11 / 8

Episode 60: Do Much or Be Ruined

With the outbreak of war, Nelson vows to either make his career or destroy himself in the effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2019 / 10 / 19

Episode 59: That Great Little Man

We examine the early career of Horatio Nelson, one of Napoleon's ablest and most implacable opponents. Nelson had good connections and showed great promise, but his temperament endangered his career almost as...

Download
2019 / 9 / 28

Episode 58: Stalemate

Austria drops out of the war, leaving Britain to continue the struggle against France alone. Emperor Paul of Russia faces fierce opposition. The British navy gets itself into trouble in the Baltic. Learn more...

Download
2019 / 9 / 10

Episode 57: The Infernal Machine

After Marengo, Napoleon's secret police did battle with violent radicals in the political underground, culminating in a brush with death on Christmas Eve, 1800. For the ad-free version of the show,...

Download
2019 / 8 / 26

Episode 56: The Fruits of Victory

Does the Battle of Marengo deserve its reputation as one of Napoleon's greatest victories? We analyze the battle and examine its chaotic aftermath. If you'd like to listen to the show ad-free,...

Download
2019 / 8 / 8

Episode 55: The Promise

Napoleon marches against the Austrians yet again, with the future of his new regime hanging in the balance. What followed was one of the most dramatic and consequential campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars,...

Download
2019 / 7 / 23

Episode 54: The New Covenant

Napoleon outmaneuvers his rivals and forms a new government, then secures his position as dictator of France with an undemocratic referendum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2019 / 7 / 7

Episode 53: Marx and the Coup with Matt Christman

Writer and political commentator Matt Christman returns for a conversation about the significance of the Coup of 18 Brumaire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2019 / 6 / 23

Episode 52: The Morning After

We examine the aftermath and significance of the Coup of 18 Brumaire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2019 / 6 / 7

Episode 51: The Sword of Brumaire

Napoleon makes a triumphant return to France, but finds the country no longer has any dire need of a military savior. Nonetheless, a plot was already underway in Paris that would soon culminate in Napoleon's...

Download
2019 / 5 / 21

Episode 50: Egypt Epilogue with Derek Davison

Derek Davison returns to discuss Middle Eastern history in the wake of the French Expedition. Topics include: the remarkable reign of Muhammad Ali, army reform, orientalism, and a possible 20th-century...

Download
2019 / 5 / 10

Episode 49: Meanwhile, in Europe

While Napoleon is away in Egypt, the revolution faces new struggles in Europe. Another coalition goes to war with France. One of history's greatest commanders faces off against the republic in Italy. Back in...

Download
2019 / 4 / 23

Episode 48: Leaving Egypt

Murat's cavalry secure another crushing victory over the Mamelukes, but news from France leads Napoleon to abandon the expedition (and his mistress), leaving General Kléber to pick up the pieces. We follow...

Download
2019 / 4 / 5

Episode 47: A Spectacle of Death

With the dream of an eastern empire collapsing, Bonaparte launches an invasion of Syria against enormous odds, leading to some of the darkest episodes of his early career. We meet Pauline Fourès, a young...

Download
2019 / 3 / 21

Episode 46: The End of Illusion

The expedition's bad luck continues. The people of Egypt finally reach their breaking point. Cairo gets a taste of Napoleon's tyrannical side. Bonaparte receives a disturbing revelation about his personal...

Download
2019 / 3 / 6

Episode 45: In Debt with Zachary Stoltzfus

A conversation about debt and property in revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and what's it's like to research late 18th and early 19th century French history Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2019 / 2 / 16

Episode 44: Ali Bonaparte

Relations between France and other great powers deteriorate. The Army of the Orient occupies Cairo, and the French immediately run into difficulties governing. Napoleon makes a major decision that could have...

Download
2019 / 1 / 29

Episode 43: Brave Despair

The British Mediterranean Fleet under Horatio Nelson spends months chasing the naval component of the Egypt Expedition. They finally catch the French at Aboukir Bay and fight the decisive Battle of the Nile,...

Download
2019 / 1 / 26

Episode 42: The Scorched Plains

The Army of the Orient pushes deeper into Egypt and learns painful lessons about life and death in the desert. Napoleon clamps down on discontent and rallies the army to win a skirmish at Shubra Khit and a...

Download
2019 / 1 / 9

Episode 41: To the Land of the Gods

The Army of the Orient sets sail. They make a brief stop in Malta, where Napoleon clashes with an ancient organization of religious pirates. The French landing in Egypt turns into a debacle. Bonaparte seizes...

Download
2018 / 12 / 21

Episode 40: Davison Pasha

An interview with the writer and historian Derek Davison, who helps us look past the myths and orientalist fantasies to see the Middle East as it actually was on the eve of Napoleon's arrival. Topics include:...

Download
2018 / 12 / 7

Episode 39: East and West

Napoleon cajoles the Austrians into signing a peace treaty... a treaty which practically guarantees another war in the future. He begins planning the expedition to Egypt, and we examine the rationales behind...

Download
2018 / 11 / 20

Episode 38: The Kansas Campaign

A special interview with military historians Dr. Mark Gerges, Dr. Jonathan Abel, and Dr. John Kuehn, experts on the Napoleonic era from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth,...

Download
2018 / 11 / 7

Episode 37: Breaking the Pendulum

While Napoleon fought in Italy, French politics oscillated dangerously between left and right. Finally, a fraught election and divisions within the Directory tore the system apart. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2018 / 10 / 19

Episode 36: Questions and Answers

We take a break from the narrative to answer listener questions on topics ranging from the organization of the revolutionary armies to pop culture to alternate history hypotheticals. Learn more about your ad...

Download
2018 / 9 / 27

Episode 35: King of Italy

Bonaparte returns to Italy after Leoben, and is already coming into his own as a political figure. He is reunited with Josephine, and enjoys an opulent court life at Mombello. We trace Napoleon's development...

Download
2018 / 9 / 12

Episode 34: The Road to Leoben

The First Italian Campaign reaches its less-than-dramatic conclusion with Napoleon's invasion of Austria. We take a look back on this remarkable period, and assess Napoleon as a strategist. Learn more about...

Download
2018 / 8 / 24

Episode 33: The Final Effort

With the Mantua garrison on the brink of starvation, the Austrians under Alvinczy launch one last relief attempt. General Sérurier returns, and General Joubert is given command of a division. Napoleon fights...

Download
2018 / 8 / 11

Episode 32: The Fate of Italy

Napoleon faces a new opponent, who gives the Army of Italy their toughest fight of the campaign so far. He suffers his first defeats as commander-in-chief. We examine an iconic moment of Napoleon's career:...

Download
2018 / 7 / 30

Episode 31: The Walls of Mantua

The Army of Italy pushes north to support a French offensive in Germany, but finds Wurmser already back on the march, leading to a major battle at Bassano and a frantic race down from the Alps. Conditions...

Download
2018 / 7 / 15

Episode 30: Risk and Reward

The Army of Italy faces off against Field Marshal Wurmser, and finds itself in its toughest fight of the campaign so far. Bonaparte takes some calculated risks to even the odds. One of Napoleon's inner circle...

Download
2018 / 7 / 3

Episode 29: To the Victor Go the Spoils

The Army of Italy beats Beaulieu one last time, then takes a lucrative detour south and confronts the Pope. Napoleon and Josephine are finally reunited. We also meet Napoleon's next opponent, discuss...

Download
2018 / 6 / 19

Episode 28: The Liberation of Lombardy

Napoleon finally enters Milan. The French conquest has divided Lombardy-- radicals are eager to follow the example of the revolution, but many others greet their conquerors with hostility and suspicion....

Download
2018 / 6 / 4

Episode 27: The Legend of Lodi

The First Italian Campaign continues. Napoleon outfoxes the Austrians and takes Milan. The Army of Italy fights a famous battle at Lodi, which probably does not deserve its legendary reputation. We also take...

Download
2018 / 5 / 17

Episode 26: The Promised Land

We meet some of the leaders of the Army of Italy. The First Italian Campaign begins in dramatic fashion, with two weeks of lightning battles at Montenotte, Millesimo, Dego, Ceva, and Mondovì. Napoleon...

Download
2018 / 4 / 27

Episode 25: Naked and Underfed

We meet the Army of Italy, which Napoleon finds in a "state of destitution." Paris provides little support, but Bonaparte attempts to get his command into shape for the offensive. We discuss more of the...

Download
2018 / 4 / 12

Episode 24: To Destiny

For better and for worse, a new government takes over in Paris: the Directory. Napoleon and Josephine are married, and we examine her unhappy early life. Napoleon leaves Paris to meet his destiny. Learn more...

Download
2018 / 3 / 25

Epiode 23: Momentum

An update from the armies at the front: French success continues in the Netherlands, and the long-suffering Dutch radicals finally have their day. In the South, the republicans push into Catalonia, knocking...

Download
2018 / 3 / 8

Episode 22: The Man of Bronze

With the defeat of the French left, the right begins a violent resurgence, culminating in a rebellion that nearly conquers Paris. Napoleon saves the Convention (and his career with it). We meet two memorable...

Download
2018 / 2 / 23

Episode 21: Down and Out in Paris

With so many of his political patrons dead, Napoleon's career stalls. He spends some aimless months in the capital trying to improve his situation. He finds high society transformed along with politics. Also...

Download
2018 / 2 / 1

Episode 20: Thermidor

An eclectic episode. Napoleon gets out of jail, fights another battle in northern Italy, and comes tantalizingly close to a triumphant return to Corsica. Other topics include: the fall of Robespierre, the...

Download
2018 / 1 / 19

Episode Nineteen: The Principles of Mountain Warfare

Napoleon reports for duty with the Army of Italy, which is fighting a tough campaign in the rugged Alps. André Masséna is introduced. Napoleon's plan and Masséna's daring win a victory at Saorgio. Napoleon...

Download
2018 / 1 / 5

Episode Eighteen: Vindication

Napoleon takes charge as head of artillery for the Army of the Alps, clashes with his incompetent commanders, and finally wins recognition on the battlefield during the Siege of Toulon. Learn more about your...

Download
2017 / 12 / 16

Episode Seventeen: A Nation in Arms

Napoleon finally reports to the regular army, just as France sinks deeper into chaos. The Jacobins come to power and launch The Reign of Terror. The army continues to transform. Napoleon finally achieves some...

Download
2017 / 12 / 1

Episode Sixteen: Into the Storm

SURVEY: https://survey.libsyn.com/ageofnapoleon Napoleon returns to Corsica. The former king is executed; royalists rise up to avenge him. Napoleon fights in his first (real) battle. Paoli breaks with the...

Download
2017 / 11 / 23

Episode Fifteen: the Mob

Napoleon bungles his first test as a National Guard officer and bears witness to the revolution's darkest days survey: survey.libsyn.com/ageofnapoleon Patreon: patreon.com/ageofnapoleon Learn more about your...

Download
2017 / 11 / 10

A Guide to the Infantry of the Napoleonic Era

A short episode delving into the organization, equipment, and uniforms of Napoleonic foot-soldiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 10 / 28

Episode Fourteen: The People's Army

Back on the mainland, 1792 saw the revolution face an existential crisis, which gave birth to a new new kind of army. Topics include Count Guibert and his theory of the citizen-soldier, the Battle of Valmy,...

Download
2017 / 10 / 22

Episode Thirteen: The Coriscan Gracchi

The Bonaparte brothers launch their political careers with very mixed success, Paoli returns from exile a changed man, and we take a close look at the crooked, violent world of eighteenth century Corsican...

Download
2017 / 10 / 12

Episode Twelve: Long Live the Fatherland

Napoleon is bored in a peacetime army and fills his time with writing and the study of military theory. He returns to Corsica for the first time since childhood. The revolution turns his political beliefs...

Download
2017 / 9 / 27

Episode Eleven: Cadet Paille-au-nez

Napoleon grows up: surviving military school, coping with the death of his father, and becoming an officer in record time. Also discussed: Bourrienne's problematic 'Memoirs,' Napoleon's love of books, talking...

Download
2017 / 9 / 17

Episode Ten: As the Fatherland Was Dying

the life and death of Carlo Bonaparte, Napoleon's childhood, Napoleon leaves home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 8 / 30

Episode Nine: The Iron Soil of Corsica

Napoleon's roots. Topics include: vendettas, the Corsican War of Independence, Napoleon's hero- Pasquale Paoli, and James Boswell's Corsica cosplay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 8 / 17

Bonus Episode: Robespierre

Topics include: the life and career of Maximilien Robespierre and The Terror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 8 / 2

Bonus Episode

Bonus Episode by The Age of Napoleon Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 7 / 17

Bonus Episode: The 28th Messidor of Matt Christman

A discussion on Karl Marx's '18 Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte' with podcaster, writer, and Marx enthusiast Matt Christman. Topics include Napoleon III's rise to power and why you are a potato in a sack Learn...

Download
2017 / 7 / 4

Episode Eight: Fracture

French society begins to fracture as the Revolution goes off the rails. Topics include the first Bastille Day, the Catholic counter-revolution, the émigrés, the rise of radicalism, and revolutionary...

Download
2017 / 6 / 13

Episode Seven: The Undesired

The road to the French Revolution. The Bastille, the Tennis Court Oath, the Women's March on Versailles, the Great Fear, and Lafayette (yes, that Lafayette) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 5 / 30

Episode Six: The King's Army

Topics include: military life in the 18th century, officer culture, battles, desertion, and the life story and real adventures of the poor man of Toggenburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 5 / 25

Episode 5.5: The Doomed Regime

Rounding out the discussion of 18th century France from episode 5. Topics include politics, the economy, diplomacy, and workin' for the King of Prussia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 5 / 21

Episode Five: The Setting Sun

topics include Louis XIV and his disastrous successors, the people and society of 18th century France, and a dog who became a saint (kind of) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 5 / 6

Episode Four: Nemesis

Great Britain in the Eighteenth century. Politics, society, and the industrialization (or lack thereof) of the British economy special cameo by Hank the cat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 4 / 29

Episode Three: Eastern Ambitions

Topics include: the Habsburgs, the Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, the wars of Frederick the Great, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Download
2017 / 4 / 22

Episode 2.5: The Advances of Dr. Struensee

Bonus mini-episode with a show announcement and a good story about Denmark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 4 / 14

Episode Two: Enlightenment and Tyranny

Topics include: The Enlightenment, absolute monarchy, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download
2017 / 3 / 31

Episode One: The Basics

Episode one of a history podcast about the Napoleonic Era Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Download