The Napoleonic Quarterly

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1794. April. May. June. Three months in which the French and British fight their first major fleet action of these wars… as France is gripped by the Great Terror, the man at its centre is going through a personal crisis… And on the frontline the French scrape major victories at Tourcoing and Fleurus – thanks in part to the Austrians letting down the British. This is episode ten of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which infighting and the French foil the Allied Plan of Destruction.

[09:13] - Rachel Blackman-Rogers describes how the Royal Navy won the Glorious First of June - but the French have a good claim to success too.

[29:00] - Marisa Linton on the Great Terror and Robespierre's mental breakdown

[47:02] - Philip Ball updates on the latest proceedings in the Low Countries, where the French continue to make progress.

Plus Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze offer their inimitable analysis as usual throughout. 

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1794. January, February, March. Three months in which the French Revolution’s radicals see enemies everywhere, even amongst their own… The French military machine takes decisive steps to improve itself… And the colonial world is rocked by news that the National Convention agrees to abolish slavery in Saint-Domingue. This is episode 9 of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which Robespierre acts against his own.

[14:38] - David Andress on Robespierre and co's decision to move against both the radical Hebertists and the moderate(ish) Danton and his indulgents, too.

[37:08] - Rafe Blaufarb on the Amalgame and the French Army's game-changing reforms

[49:42] - Christy Pichichero on the momentous decision to abolish slavery on Saint-Domingue

Plus Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze provide their usual analysis of the state of play.

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Here's what to expect in the next batch of episodes from the Napoleonic Quarterly, beginning with episode 9 on Friday June 4th, including...

- The first major fleet action of these wars

- A sticky end for one of the French Revolution's most importance characters

- French numbers begin to tell in the Low Countries

- The British seek to flex their naval muscles in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean

... and much more. In addition to the main eight episodes you can expect six more interview episodes with some of the military historians and academics interviewed for this series - three in a row after episode 12 and three more after episode 16.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Professor Emeritus Charles Esdaile of the University of Liverpool discusses his never-ending crusade against the many myths and misperceptions which predominate about the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. This interview was the first recorded for this podcast in the spring of 2020. An alternative title might therefore have been 'CHARLES ESDAILE on the Napoleonic Quarterly', as much of what is discussed is framed around the challenge faced by this podcast in its attempt to present a synthesis of these 24 astonishing years. 

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Dr Jacqueline Reiter discusses the subject of her second autobiography, Sir Home Riggs Popham, an extraordinary man whose ability to persuade the British government to go along with his ideas was only matched by his ability to make a botch of them.

You can watch more of Jacqueline talking about Sir Home's career from [4:10] in her contribution to the recent Massena Society Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf4w40aV4Nk

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Military historian and author Philip Ball discusses his experience researching and writing his book Neither Up Nor Down: The British Army and the Flanders Campaign 1793-1795 (2020), as well as his reflections on the odd vagaries - and odd personalities - of the period. 

Link: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/neither-up-nor-down-the-british-army-and-the-flanders-campaign-1793-1795.php?sid=92ffb898ebcf3de91cb88867ffdd748a

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

1793. October, November, December. Three months in which Napoleon Bonaparte helps the French retake Toulon… the Austrians set themselves up for a fall at Wattingnies… and in the Caribbean the situation on Saint Domingue descends further into the mire. This is episode eight of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the French revolutionaries crush their enemies within and without through the merciless use of brute force.

[4:15] – An extended opening section in which Charles Esdaile tells the story of the horror of the Vendee during this quarter

[15:15] – Alexander Mikaberidze on the recapture of Toulon

[29:20] – Philip Ball on the Austrian siege of Mauberge and the Battle of Wattingnies

[46:25] – Christy Pichichero on Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Slave Revolt up to the end of 1793

Plus from [1:05:43] Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze sum up not just this three months but the entire two years covered by season one.

Also, keep on listening for the final three minutes! It's got lots of thunder!

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1793. July, August, September. Three months in which the machinery of the Terror grinds into action… Toulon hands itself over to the Allies but is soon under siege… And Allied hopes of making progress against the border fortresses protecting France in Flanders meet another major setback. This is episode seven of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which Napoleon Bonaparte first makes his mark on the Revolution.

[11:48] – Marisa Linton on the beginnings of the Terror

[23:56] – Alexander Mikaberidze on the Federalist Revolts and Toulon’s uprising

[46:25] – Paul Demet on the campaign in the Low Countries and the Battle of Hondschoote

Plus from [36:40] Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze discuss Napoleon Bonaparte who arrives on the scene for the first time; and from [1:05:13] they assess the situation at the end of this turbulent three months.

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1793. April, May, June. Three months in which a leading French general defects to the Allies... In Paris the game is up for the ruling Girondin faction as the sans-culottes and the Jacobins force them out… and revolt and insurrection erupts in the Vendee. This is episode six of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the Jacobins mount their takeover of the revolution.

[08:40] - David Andress on the Vendee

[21:43] - Marisa Linton on the downfall of the Brissotins

[37:14] - Philip Ball on Dumouriez's defection 

Plus from [52:43] Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze size up the state of play at the end of this three-month period and look ahead to the big cliffhangers and question-marks as we head into the second half of 1793.

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1793. January. February. March. Three months in which the French revolutionary wave finally breaks against the rock of the Austrian military at Neerwinden... the French declare war against Britain, the Netherlands and Spain... and a King loses his head to the guillotine.

This is episode five of the Napoleonic Quarterly – covering three months in which the stakes are raised across Europe.

[07:15] - Marisa Linton on the execution of Louis XVI

[23:48] - Philip Ball on the Allied defeat at Neerwinden

[41:18] - David Andress on the French declarations of war against Britain and Spain

Plus Alexander Stevenson is joined by Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze throughout for analysis and expert summaries - and from [56:23] an assessment of the state of play on 31 March 1793.