On the 21st October 1805, British Admiral Horatio Nelson famously defeated a combined French and Spanish navy under the command of Admiral Villeneuve. The French admiral's reputation has withered under the long shadow of his defeat at Trafalgar, but what was the bigger picture of his life, service, success and failure in the French navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Paul Chamberlain joins us to shed light on Admiral Villeneuve, his character, life and his death, offering insights on misconceptions and myths about one of the significant figures in the French Navy.

Buy Paul's book: https://www.waterstones.com/book/hell-upon-water/paul-chamberlain/9781862274662

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Dr Graeme Callister joins us to discuss how Napoleon conscripted the soldiers who would be so integral to his success on the battlefields of Europe, exploring how people were conscripted, how they evaded conscription, the political dangers of conscription, and the impact on both France and the men themselves.

Buy Graeme's books: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/napoleons-conscripts-conscription-and-the-french-army-1798-1815.php

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to French Conscription and Napoleon's Army

04:32 Origins of Conscription: From Levy to Formal System

12:40 Transition from Levy to Conscription System

16:24 Selling Conscription: Propaganda and Public Sentiment

20:55 Administrative Framework of Conscription

26:26 Evasion, Corruption, and Enforcement Challenges

35:46 Community Involvement and Resistance Tactics

43:12 The Conscription Process for Young Men

50:57 Resistance, Riots, and Policing of Drafts

56:26 Corruption and Abuse in the System

01:00:53 Summary and Future Episodes

On the 27th September 1810, British and Portuguese forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington defeated a French army under Marshal Massena. Dr Graeme Callister joins us for this latest instalment of our Peninsular War saga to talk through how Wellington's men fended off French attacks, discuss whether this was a battle that Wellington couldn't lose, and what this meant for the wider context of the Peninsular War.

Buy Graeme's books:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546

https://www.helion.co.uk/people/graeme-callister.php

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

The Peninsular War series meets our battle series as we deep dive the Battle of Bussaco in the first of a two-parter on Wellington and Massena's duel in the Portuguese mountains. Graeme Callister joins us to talk about the French plan of operations, why their reconnaissance was so poor, and why Massena was so desperate to attack Wellington on his mountaintop position.

Get Graeme's books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546

https://www.helion.co.uk/people/graeme-callister.php

Support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Battle of Basarco

01:47 Strategic context of the Peninsular War in 1810

03:50 French and Allied army conditions and morale

06:49 Terrain features and geographic challenges

11:12 French plans and reconnaissance errors

15:06 Wellington's defensive strategy and troop deployment

20:11 French misconceptions and attack plans

25:00 Terrain's impact on the battle's outcome

29:56 French troop conditions and leadership issues

34:59 The importance of terrain in 1810 warfare

39:54 French tactical errors and missed opportunities

45:07 The aftermath and significance of Basarco

Josh Provan returns for another instalment of our blow by blow retelling of the Peninsular War, which this episode being the first in a triple bill of Peninsular-focused episodes. We cover the Combat at the Coa, the combobulation of Black Bob Craufurd, and 'the big bang' that ended the siege of Almeida.

Buy Josh's books: https://www.helion.co.uk/people/joshua-provan.php

Support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Wellington famously dismissed his rank and file as a band of criminals, rogues and reprobates who were hammered into a fine fighting force by the British military establishment. His infamous 'scum of the earth' comment has cast a long shadow over the reputation of the British soldiers who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. In this wide-ranging discussion, Liam Telfer and Dr Luke Reynolds dissect the reputation of soldiers during this period, separating myth and reality.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/thenapoleonicwarspod

We all love to hate the Napoleon Movie - high hopes left dashed by a lacklustre storytelling, sloppy editing and a disdain for the historical. Now meet the man who wants to right that wrong! Connor O'Brien is a producer who wants to create a short film about a soldier in the Battle of Lundy's Lane, fought in Canada in 1814. His vision is for this project to be a stepping stone to a much larger production about set at the Battle of Waterloo.

I sat down with him to talk about his vision behind 'The Coward' (the short film he's creating), why he is putting historical accuracy front and centre of his film making, and how, in his words, he's bringing a 'Saving Private Ryan' approach to the Napoleonic Wars.

This is a fantastic project which we're very keen to support. If you would like to chip in to the fundraiser, check out the link below - you will not be charged unless the project reaches its funding goal.

Support 'The Coward': https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exorbito/the-coward-short-war-film-2026

Find out more about the project: https://thecoward1812.com

Napoleon III was in equal parts implausible, hapless and ambitious. But in 1848 he finally succeeded in achieving his long-held ambition of taking power in France. In the second instalment of our exploration of Napoleon III's life, we explore how he bounced back from his second failed coup, seized the initiative in the course of the 1848 revolution, and honed his populist style of politics to appeal to all sides of the political divides. How did he reverse his fortunes as an escaped political prisoner to become President of France, and why as President did he decide to carry out yet another coup? Edward Shawcross returns to take us through this rollercoaster of French politics and intrigue.

Get Edward's books: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571361304-the-peoples-emperor/?srsltid=AfmBOoomYEkfA0l83B2WxSnkmV7WFm30bUTqFFdkdxD7UlFQs7ltCPIf

https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571360581-the-last-emperor-of-mexico/

Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Louis Napoleon and his coups

02:12 Exile in London and social life in the demi-monde

03:49 Louis Napoleon's political ambitions and 1848 revolution

07:08 The rise of the Second Republic and the new electoral landscape

11:52 Louis Napoleon's electoral strategy and populist appeal

15:49 The 1848 presidential election and his surprising victory

21:05 The use of plebiscites and propaganda to legitimize power

25:02 The 1851 coup d'etat and the path to empire

29:57 Challenges faced by Louis Napoleon as president

35:00 The expedition to Rome and foreign policy missteps

40:05 Consolidation of power and the 1852 referendum

44:49 The legacy of Louis Napoleon and lessons on populism

keywords

Louis Napoleon, Napoleon III, French history, populism, coup d'etat, 19th-century France, political strategy, democracy, revolution, empire