The Napoleonic Quarterly

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Mary Robinson, Associate Professor of History at Lourdes University, discusses the remarkable story of Louise Charlotte Françoise de Montesquiou, governess to the King of Rome.

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1795. October. November. December. Three months in which Napoleon Bonaparte takes on tens of thousands of armed Parisians amidst the blood and gore of Vendemiare… Austrian, Prussian, and Russian representatives meet on 24 October 1795 to dissolve the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth… And in north Italy the French perform a real comeback by sending the Austrians packing at the Battle of Loano. This is episode 16 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the whiff of grapeshot hangs over Paris.

[04:51] - Military historian Paul Demet wraps up the Mannheim offensive story begun in episode 15

[15:15] - Professor David Andress of the University of Portsmouth describes the drama of Vendemiare in October 1795, when Napoleon Bonaparte plays a key role in defending the Convention against tens of thousands of armed Parisians

[28:10] - Frederick Schneid, Herman and Louise Smith Professor of History at High Point University, sets the scene for the north Italian theatre and talks through the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and the Battle of Loano

[48:25] - Historian and author Adam Zamoyski reflects on the Third Polish Partition

Plus throughout Professor Emeritus Charles Esdaile of the University of Liverpool and Professor Alexander Mikaberidze of Louisiana State University-Shreveport offer their analysis of the situation now that "the Revolution, for all practical matters, is done".

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1795. July. August. September. Three months in which France’s leaders turn their backs on the electorate… The Rhine theatre sees the launch of the French offensive targeting Mannheim… And the failure of the emigres expedition to Quiberon Bay leads to a terrible reckoning. This is episode 15 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which power trumps principle in the French republic.

[09:16] – Professor David Andress of the University of Portsmouth explains the tricky situation faced by those ruling France in this three months – and their profoundly anti-democratic solution.

[27:15] – Military historian Paul Demet describes the initial stages of the Mannheim offensive as Jourdan and Pichegru take on the Austrians on the Rhine.

[44:54] – Mary Robinson, Associate Professor of History at the University of Lourdes, outlines why the British-backed Quiberon landing of French emigres proved such a failure during this quarter.

Plus Professor Emeritus Charles Esdaile of the University of Liverpool and Professor Alexander Mikaberidze of Louisiana State University-Shreveport offer their analysis throughout, including Alex describing the sacking of his home town from [42:00].

And from [1:02:00], we have our first choices of two figures facing dilemmas at the end of the quarter: Alex chooses French military officer Napoleon Buona Parte, hanging around in ‘sleazy theatres’ during this period, while Charles picks Sultan Selim III of Ottoman Turkey.

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1795. April. May. June. Three months in which the French make peace with Prussia and Holland… A British attempt to stoke up trouble in Brittany appears to get off to a good start… And John Jay’s deal with an old enemy divides opinion in the United States. This is episode 14 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months which sees the collapse of the First Coalition against the French and their Revolution…

[14:25] – Jordan R Hayworth, Assistant Professor of Military and Security Studies at the US Air Command and Staff College, on the peace treaties with Prussia and Holland which effectively ended the First Coalition

[33:44] – Mary Robinson, Associate Professor of History at the University of Lourdes, on an improbable attempt by British-backed French emigres to raise the Breton chouanerie against the Revolution

[50:36] – Josh Provan of @LandOfHistory on the Jay Treaty and the outcry it provoked in US domestic politics

Plus throughout Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze offer their thoughts – and from [04:40] in particular lock horns about whether or not the Revolution really offered “nothing” to ordinary French people…

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1795. January. February. March. Three months in which the French complete their conquest of the Netherlands… The British miss a chance to bring the French fleet to battle in the Med… And the French Revolution comes to terms with religion. This is episode 13 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which this initial tussle for the Low Countries ends in defeat for the Allies as the Netherlands falls to the arms of the Revolution.

[07:11] - Philip Ball on the Netherlands falling to the French - and the cavalry charge across the Texel that never was

[21:42] - Rachel Blackman-Rogers on a doomed French attempt to retake Corsica

[38:24] - Mary Robinson on the Law of Religious Toleration and its implications for the restive Vendee.

Plus Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze offer perspectives from across the European continent - and nearly manage to avoid arguing until an excellent mini-spat from around [1:01:00]...

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Professor Rafe Blaufarb, Director and Ben Weider Eminent Scholar in Napoleonic Studies at the Florida State University Department of History, discusses the making of the French military machine and the role of Napoleon Bonaparte in shaping an irresistible fighting force. 

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Military historian Paul Demet discusses his fascination with the Wars of the French Revolution, his experiences researching them and why we should all care a little bit more about the 1790s. His book We Are Accustomed to Do Our Duty : German Auxiliaries with the British Army 1793-9 is published by Helion Books.

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Professor Marisa Linton of Kingston University discusses the notion that Bonaparte's canniness helped him triumph over other potential military leaders - Hoche or Joubert spring to mind - who might have emerged from the French Revolution.

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1794. October. November. December. Three months in which the Polish uprising is crushed for good… The plantation owners win a victory for slavery on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe… And in Holland the French outflank an increasingly beleaguered British army. This is episode 12 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the Polish question which has hung over Europe since 1792 is answered decisively and brutally.

[14:15] - Adam Zamoyski reflects on the disaster of 1794 for Poland - 'Finis Poloniae', or 'the end of Poland' in effect.

[29:15] - Christy Pichichero on how diseases and deals with the British led to very different outcomes on Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue in 1794.

[48:48] - Garry Wills describes the very bleak situation faced by the British fighting in Holland during this three months.

Plus Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze are on hand as always to pick over the latest state of play and assess the situation as 1795 approaches.

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1794. July. August. September. Three months in which Maximilien Robespierre appears to sleepwalk his way to the guillotine... The British and the Austrians are going backwards fast in the Low Countries... And in the Mediterranean British forces finally wrest a useful prize from the French. This is episode 11 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the Terror finally consumes its own.

[08:50] - Marisa Linton on the Thermidorean reaction and Robespierre's grisly end.

[21:30] - Garry Wills on Allied struggles as the Austrians check out of the Low Countries for good.

[41:25] - Rachel Blackman-Rogers on the British capture of Corsica - and its implications for power politics in the Western Mediterranean.

Plus Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze contribute their usual commentary throughout. 

There is a rogue rumble of thunder in this episode somewhere... see if you can spot it...