This is the introduction to the first session of my class on Napoleon, Part 2 (1807-1821)

1. Napoleon
Part 2
session i
Apogee
(the high point of an orbit)

2. Napoleon
Part 2
session i
Apogee
(the high point of an orbit)

3. course outline
i-Apogee
ii-Spain
iii-Wellington
iv-Russia
v-Sixth Coalition
vi-Völkerschlacht
vii-The Hundred Days
viii-Waterloo & St Helena

4. Major points from last spring

5. Major points from last spring
the Corsican Buonaparte became a Frenchman during the French
Revolution, he was both its loyal son and later its destroyer
as a 26-year-old military prodigy, he defeated Austria’s four best
generals in the first Italian campaign
the Boulogne camp was to be the base for the attack on England.
Instead it became the birthplace for the Grand Army
Nelson showed superior abilities at Trafalgar. Thereafter there was
never serious fear that Britain would be invaded
Austerlitz, the premier Napoleonic battle, showed all his abilities
Prussia was completely defeated at Jena-Auerstadt. The long term
outcome was reforms which made her the 19th century
powerhouse

6. Major points in this session

7. Major points in this session
Napoleon’s Polish campaign once again humbled Prussia and Russia
Eylau was a bloody draw but Friedland was a decisive victory
the Peace of Tilsit left only Britain to frustrate Napoleon
his solution was the Continental System. Thus he hoped to win the
war at sea with a land-based strategy
instead this economic warfare proved his undoing
Britain and Austria produced yet a Fifth Coalition
at Wagram, Napoleon avenged his defeat at Aspern-Essling and, for
the umpteenth time, humiliated the House of Habsburg. At a bloody
cost, he reached the apogee of his military power

8. Review of last spring’s sessions

9. =

10. =

11. his first national notice 1793

12. The Demonstration of 13 Vendemiaire
Napoleon delivers “a whiff of grapeshot” October 1795

13. Joséphine

14. the petit caporal sights one of his guns
First Italian Campaign, 1796-1797

15. the myth of Arcola

16. the Revolution
comes to
Italy

17. battle of the Pyramids, 1798

18. the battle
of the
Nile
1798

19. the battle
of the
Nile
1798

20. Napoleon seizes
power, 1799
--
the
heroic
version

21. Napoleon gets the land; Pitt, the seas

22. Remember the three-legged stool
of British foreign policy?

23. Remember the three-legged stool
of British foreign policy?
1-maintain the balance of 2-keep the mouth of the
power on the Continent Scheldt River in friendly/
weak hands
3- sea power

24. Captain Horatio Nelson
(picture painted in1781)

25. The Battle of
Copenhagen,
1801

27. Suvorov’s Journey across the Alps in 1799

28. sessions remaining
ii-Spain
iii-Wellington
iv-Russia
v-Sixth Coalition
vi-Völkerschlacht
vii-The Hundred Days
viii-Waterloo & St Helena

29. Major points from last spring

30. Major points from last spring
the Corsican Buonaparte became a Frenchman during the French
Revolution, he was both its loyal son and later its destroyer
as a 26-year-old military prodigy, he defeated Austria’s four best
generals in the first Italian campaign
the Boulogne camp was to be the base for the attack on England.
Instead it became the birthplace for the Grand Army
Nelson showed superior abilities at Trafalgar. Thereafter there was
never serious fear that Britain would be invaded
Austerlitz, the premier Napoleonic battle, showed all his abilities
Prussia was completely defeated at Jena-Auerstadt. The long term
outcome was reforms which made her the 19th century
powerhouse

31. Major points in this session

32. Major points in this session
Napoleon’s Polish campaign once again humbled Prussia and Russia
Eylau was a bloody draw but Friedland was a decisive victory
the Peace of Tilsit left only Britain to frustrate Napoleon
his solution was the Continental System. Thus he hoped to win the
war at sea with a land-based strategy
instead this economic warfare proved his undoing
Britain and Austria produced yet a Fifth Coalition
at Wagram, Napoleon avenged his defeat at Aspern-Essling and, for
the umpteenth time, humiliated the House of Habsburg. At a bloody
cost, he reached the apogee of his military power

33. The Consulate, 1799-1801

34. David’s famous picture of the 2nd Italian campaign

35. his logo as Premier Consul
1801-1804

36. Fouché
Chief of Police

38. peace with England, 1802-1803

40. Talleyrand

42. Under a vague symbol
representing the Deity,
Bonaparte grants
religious toleration to
every sort of creed

43. Pope Pius
VII
the Concordat
with Rome
1801

44. Sacre de l'empereur Napoléon Ier et couronnement de l'impératrice Joséphine dans la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris,
le 2 décembre 1804
Jacques-Louis David, 1805-1808

45. Napoléon Ier sur le trône impérial
Jean Auguste Dominic Ingres
1806

46. « First distribution of the Légion of Honor at the Boulogne camp »

47. diagram of the barges
intended for the British invasion

48. Major points in this session

49. Major points in this session
Napoleon’s Polish campaign once again humbled Prussia and Russia
Eylau was a bloody draw but Friedland was a decisive victory
the Peace of Tilsit left only Britain to frustrate Napoleon
his solution was the Continental System. Thus he hoped to win the
war at sea with a land-based strategy
instead this economic warfare proved his undoing
Britain and Austria produced yet a Fifth Coalition
at Wagram, Napoleon avenged his defeat at Aspern-Essling and, for
the umpteenth time, humiliated the House of Habsburg. At a bloody
cost, he reached the apogee of his military power

50. England mocks “Boney”

52. Nelson chases Villeneuve
March-October, 1805

53. “England expects that every man will do his duty”
Trafalgar, 1805

54. Nelson’s memorial
Copenhagen
the Nile
Trafalgar

55. The Oath the Army makes to the Emperor after the distribution of the Eagles on the Field of Mars

56. the Emperor’s military household

60. Napoleon’s care for his soldiers
the first field ambulances

61. a mobile field kitchen
“the Armée marches on its stomach”

63. Austrian General Mack surrenders at Ulm

64. Austerlitz
2 December 1805

65. Major points in this session

66. Major points in this session
Napoleon’s Polish campaign once again humbled Prussia and Russia
Eylau was a bloody draw but Friedland was a decisive victory
the Peace of Tilsit left only Britain to frustrate Napoleon
his solution was the Continental System. Thus he hoped to win the
war at sea with a land-based strategy
instead this economic warfare proved his undoing
Britain and Austria produced yet a Fifth Coalition
at Wagram, Napoleon avenged his defeat at Aspern-Essling and, for
the umpteenth time, humiliated the House of Habsburg. At a bloody
cost, he reached the apogee of his military power

67. Napoleon’s monument to Austerlitz

68. Napoleon’s
Confederation
of the
Rhine,
1806-1813

69. Prussian King Frederick William III

70. Officers of the élite Prussian Guard, wishing to provoke war, ostentatiously
sharpen their swords on the steps of the French embassy in Berlin in the
autumn of 1805.

71. Officers of the élite Prussian Guard, wishing to provoke war, ostentatiously
sharpen their swords on the steps of the French embassy in Berlin in the
autumn of 1805.

74. Bonaparte enters Berlin

75. Napoleon’s monument to Jena

76. Preview of this week’s session

78. The Grand Duchy of Warsaw

79. Eylau, February 1807

83. Friedland, June 1807

87. the raft at Tilsit

89. Napoleon &
Alexander
charm
one another

90. Prussian
königin Luise
by Vigee
Lebrun

91. The
Continental
System

92. The
Continental
System

93. Viceroy
of
Italy
Eugene
de
Beauharnais

94. Joseph
Bonaparte
King of
Naples

95. Louis
Bonaparte
King of
Holland

96. Jerome
Bonaparte
King of
Westphalia

97. Emperor Francis I
of
Austria

98. Emperor Francis I
of
Austria

101. Wagram, July 1809

103. Marshal
MacDonald’s
Great
Square

104. Marshal
MacDonald’s
Great
Square

105. Britain’s failed Walcheren expedition, 1809

107. Tyrolean patriot Andreas Hofer executed

109. Major points in this session

110. Major points in this session
Napoleon’s Polish campaign once again humbled Prussia and Russia
Eylau was a bloody draw but Friedland was a decisive victory
the Peace of Tilsit left only Britain to frustrate Napoleon
his solution was the Continental System. Thus he hoped to win the
war at sea with a land-based strategy
instead this economic warfare proved his undoing
Britain and Austria produced yet a Fifth Coalition
at Wagram, Napoleon avenged his defeat at Aspern-Essling and, for
the umpteenth time, humiliated the House of Habsburg. At a bloody
cost, he reached the apogee of his military power