The Napoleonic Quarterly

This episode offers a deep dive into the pivotal Battle of Assaye fought on September 23, 1803, a clash that shaped British dominance in India and forged the reputation of Arthur Wellesley—better known to history as the Duke of Wellington. Host Clemens Bemmann welcomes a special panel to explore the campaign, armies, personalities, and chaos that defined one of the most dramatic battles on the Indian subcontinent during the Napoleonic era. Josh Provan is the battlefield correspondent; Zack White is the East India Company expert; Andy Copestake is the Maratha army expert. Featuring:

• The Maratha Confederacy: European mercenaries, regular brigades, and command struggles

• British Army composition: The rise of Arthur Wellesley, Indian sepoys, and logistical prowess

• Lead-up to Assaye: The Treaty of Bassein, Maratha-British diplomacy, and campaign maneuvers

• The battlefield: Terrain, climate, and strategic options

• The battle unfolds: Surprise encounters, flanking maneuvers, massed artillery, discipline under fire

• Leadership and morale: Command breakdowns vs. individual heroism on both sides

• The outcome: Heavy losses, psychological aftermath, and the reshaping of Indian and British military futures

The panel considers how the mix of European mercenaries and Indian soldiers within the Maratha army both enhanced and undermined its fighting ability at Assaye; what the leadership style of Arthur Wellesley at Assaye—and the razor-thin margin of his victory—reveal about the nature of military success and reputation in the colonial era; and, in a battle filled with confusion, split-second decisions, and shifting morale, the role of discipline, training, and individual initiative in determining battles like these.

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Rachel Blackman-Rogers and Catherine Scheybeler, both of King's College London, join Alex Stevenson for an in-depth look at one of Horatio Nelson's most famous formative battles. The Royal Navy in the 1790s was always going to do well against the Spanish Navy, but it was Nelson's decisive use of initiative - and then the double-boarding to capture not one but two Spanish ships his Captain had become entangled with - which marked this battle out.

This episode also features written contributions by Rif Winfield, co-author of Pen and Sword's Warships In The Age of Sail series. Thank you to Rif for taking part. You can read Rif's contributions in full on Patreon.

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

Josh Provan is joined by Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze, with Alex Stevenson and Clemens Bemmann along for the ride, to discuss some military topics in this Q&A episode. Including:

[2:00] - The Royal Navy PR machine

[10:11] - Elite units of the Napoleonic Wars

[22:30] - Suvorov in 1799

[34:00] - Feedback on our battle episodes

1803. July… August… September… Three months in which the Maratha forces are defeated by Arthur Wellesley at Assaye… Hanover becomes the latest victim to Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces… And there’s another attempted uprising in Ireland. This is episode 47 of the Napoleonic Quarterly - covering three months in which the British and their sepoys take another step towards Empire on the Indian subcontinent.

[07:08] - Headline developments

[20:17] - Michael Rowe on the French invasion of Hanover

[39:45] - Ravindra Rathee on the end of the Second Anglo-Maratha War

[1:01:00] - Ciaran McDonnell on Emmet’s uprising

Alex Stevenson sits down with Martin Howard, author of the newly published 'The Napoleonic Wars: A Medical History' (March 2025). Together, they dive into the real and often overlooked medical realities of the Napoleonic Wars.

The discussion explores how disease, especially yellow fever and malaria, decimated armies in places like the Caribbean, frequently eclipsing battlefield casualties. Martin Howard explains the psychological, social, and strategic impact of mass disease, highlighting how military leaders and soldiers navigated the ever-present threat of death and illness during this era. The episode also delves into medical advancements, the organization of military healthcare, and personal anecdotes that bring the human cost—and resilience—of the period into sharper focus.

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

Here's a brief update on the state of the podcast. The main points:

- The podcast is temporarily slowing down its pace. There will now be a main episode, three bonus episodes and three Patreon bonuses every 42 days, rather than every calendar month; published alternating weekends / midweek, ie an episode every 10/11 days rather than every 7.

- A new super-bargain priced tier is being introduced on Patreon so those who feel short-changed have the option of downgrading. It also offers incredibly good value to those who might want to join our community of Quartermasters...

Josh Provan is joined by Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze, with Alex Stevenson and Clemens Bemmann along for the ride, to discuss all things politico-diplomatic in this Q&A episode. Including:

02:30: British dirty tricks (Warning: Grumpy Charles alert)

24:00: French brinkmanship

32:00: Poland's prospects

36:32: Napoleonic ghost stories

Link: Napoleon's little red man

41:00: Listener feedback

Seven years before the Napoleonic Quarterly got going properly, a single interview was recorded in 2013 - in the Palace of Westminster, of all places. A young Alex Stevenson, then a lobby journalist, spoke to Professor David Andress of the University of Portsmouth about his new book, 'The Savage Storm - Britain on the brink in the age of Napoleon' (it was subsequently retitled 'Beating Napoleon' - for obvious Bonaparte-googling reasons). David kindly returned to the podcast once it hit its stride in 2020, but it's a great pleasure to finally get around to releasing this outlier. Twelve years might be some sort of record...

Quartermasters - keep a look out on Patreon for more from this interview from David, where he discusses the situation in the first half of 1803.

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

1803… April… May… June… Three months in which war once again breaks out between Britain and France… American negotiators worrying about Louisiana’s future get an unexpected offer from the First Consul… And on Saint-Domingue, General Jean-Jacques Dessalines unifies resistance to the struggling French expedition.This is episode 46 of the Napoleonic Quarterly - covering three months which sees the beginning of what will become known as the Napoleonic Wars.

[04:25] - Headline developments

[16:25] - Graeme Callister on the resumption of war between Britain and France

[39:40] - Peter Kastor on the Louisiana Purchase

[1:01:20] - Marlene Daut on the Arcahaie Agreement, the anti-French slide and progress towards Haitian independence on Saint-Domingue

Liam Gauci, Senior Curator at the Malta Maritime Museum in Valletta, returns for another conversation about Maltese history, this time with the goal of planning a future visit by the Napoleonic Quarterly to the 'crossroads of the Mediterranean'.

This episode is sponsored by Heritage Malta, whose support for the podcast is enormously appreciated. Liam's book Morte o Fortuna: Corsairs in Malta 1747-1798 is out now.