The Redcoat History Podcast

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for sponsoring this series 'The British army Vs...' 

You can check out all the books mentioned via this link - ospreypublishing.com 

In today's episode, we explore how the British Army learned to fight in North America during the French and Indian War, facing a completely different kind of warfare against Native American warriors in the American wilderness. From the shock of early encounters like the Battle of Monongahela to the gradual adaptation of redcoat tactics, this is the story of how British soldiers were forced to rethink everything they knew about war.

Fighting in dense forests against an elusive enemy who used ambush, concealment, and mobility, the British Army had to evolve or fail. This video breaks down the clash between European linear warfare and irregular woodland fighting, and explains how the redcoats adapted, improved, and ultimately became effective in one of the most challenging theatres of war in British military history.

The Peninsular War saw Britain, Portugal and Spain team up in an unlikely alliance against the might of Napoleon's France.

These days the Spanish and the British both think they won the war single-handed...But what is the truth? Was Spain a useless ally or were they actually surprisingly helpful? Let's find out.

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Now, When people think of the British Army in the age of Napoleon, they usually picture the big stuff - Waterloo. Salamanca. Lines of redcoats smashing French columns. 

But that was only part of the story.

Because the British Army of this era was not just fighting set-piece battles in Spain and Belgium. It was everywhere. Corsica. Egypt. The Low Countries. Strange little expeditions, half-forgotten raids, awkward amphibious landings, sieges, disasters, and operations that now sit in the shadows of the more famous campaigns.

And some of them are extraordinary.

In this episode, I’m joined once again by historian Steve Brown - he is a Goliath of British military history of the Napoleonic era and his books are incredible . Today he is digging into three neglected actions: the invasion of Corsica in 1794, the Ostend raid of 1798, and the Fraser expedition to Egypt in 1807.

They may be obscure, but they are anything but dull. We’ve got Horatio Nelson losing the sight in an eye, British troops smashing their objectives and then being wrecked by the weather and Highlanders and Swiss soldiers ending up in Egyptian slave markets.

So put the big battles out of your mind for a bit and grab a brew. I started off by asking Steve what made him want to research these obscure corners of the Great War against France.

Buy Steve's books here - https://amzn.to/4rlq6x1 

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In this episode, we speak with historian Jack Bowsher about his remarkable new book Thunder Run: Meiktila 1945, which tells the extraordinary story of the final battles of the Burma Campaign in the Second World War. While most histories end with the famous victories at Imphal and Kohima, the dramatic reconquest of Burma in 1945 is often dismissed as little more than “mopping up.” In reality, it was the culmination of years of hard-earned experience by the British and Indian armies, fighting in one of the most challenging environments of the war and without the lavish resources seen in other theatres. At the heart of the story is the stunning armoured thrust on the Japanese supply hub at Meiktila—an all-arms blitz of tanks, motorised infantry, artillery, and air power that shattered the Japanese Burma Area Army. It is one of the most remarkable victories of the war, and yet remains one of its least-known battles.

Jack'sBook can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/4u8xSNs 

Today we are talking about Spaniards - Spanish Republicans - the defeated side of the Civil War… men who get driven into exile and scattered across Europe.

Some end up in British uniform before the fall of France.

Yet again and again they prove themselves as soldiers.

Our guest today is Sean Scullion — a serving British soldier and a lifelong Spain specialist.

This is the story of the men who kept going - after Spain, after France, and after the world decided to forget them.

Sean’s book is called Churchill’s Spaniards and is available from Helion and company. Here is a link to buy - https://amzn.to/3MG2pkR 

If you want to support British military history and keep this channel going then please join my Patreon - https://patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

The Territorials in WW1 were an important part of the British army, yet they are often forgotten - overshadowed by the Pals battalions of the new army.

Well, there is a now new book that examines the vital yet often overlooked contributions of London’s Territorial Force - exploring its unique structure, socioeconomic composition and military operations. In today’s live stream, I talk to two of the authors to find out more.

The book can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/4rf2c7l

Support British history and join my Patreon here - patreon.com/redcoathistory 

Visit Osprey publishing to see their incredible catalogue of military history books - https://www.ospreypublishing.com

Britain has a Royal Navy. A Royal Air Force. And yet… a British Army. Not a Royal Army. Why? If you’ve ever tried to find a clear answer, you’ll know how unsatisfying the usual explanations are. Tradition. Regiments. Legal technicalities. All true - and all incomplete. The full reason lies far deeper, in a violent and deeply uncomfortable chapter of British history. To find it, you have to rewind nearly four hundred years, to the English Civil War - a moment when England experimented with something new, dangerous, and unprecedented.

This episode follows that experiment as it spirals out of control: the first redcoats, armies choosing sides, kings losing authority, and politicians learning lessons the hard way.

My main sources for this video were: Lord Carver, The Seven Ages of the British Army (London, 1984) Fortescue, A History of the British Army Vol. 1, (London, 1899) The Army and the Restoration of 1660 by Godfrey Davis (Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol 32, No. 129)

Mountain guns sound obscure — until you realise they let the British Army haul artillery up goat tracks and into places the enemy thought were safe.

In this episode, friend of the show Chris Brice, speaks to a career Royal Artillery officer whose research traces the story from early improvisation to the formal creation of ten Royal Artillery mountain batteries in 1889 — and why this “forgotten” weapon mattered more than most people realise.

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Britain’s empire was built on more than famous battles. In this live Redcoat History discussion, I’m joined by Cam Simpson and Jon Pick to explore Britain’s forgotten frontier wars — from the North-West Frontier of India to Moorosi’s Rebellion in southern Africa. We’ll tackle the myths, the real fighting, and what life was actually like on the edge of empire — then open it up to your questions.

Cam's new book can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/3LhZA8S 

Sign up for my mailing list here - https://redcoathistory.com/2021/10/27/free-book-the-military-history-geeks-guide-to-the-anglo-zulu-war/ 

Canada has a rich military history. Alongside the British they stood toe-to-toe with the Americans in the war of 1812, battled the Boers, shocked the German's on the Western Front in both world wars and proved themselves amongst the world's greatest warrior nations.

But do they still have what it takes?

In this podcast, I explore both the past and the present of the Canadian army.

Are there other nations armies you would like me to look into? I was thinking Australia and also South Africa could be next if this episode is well received.

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