Warfare in the Napoleonic Era

The Gunpowder Revolution Early gunpowder weapons were: Simple in design Unreliable Inaccurate Why they stuck: Potential Shock factor Used w/ other weapons

Timeline: Build up to Napoleonic Era 1618-48: The Thirty Years’ War Gustavus Adolphus develops the concept of “combined arms” Attaching field artillery to cavalry & infantry units Idea of spreading out infantrymen over a wider area Countered older deeper formations (50 ranks) Reduced cannon’s potential for devastation 1700-21: The Great Northern War Peter the Great modernizes Russian military Start of Russia as a Eurasian power

1775-83: The American Revolution 1756-63: The Seven Years’ War Includes French & Indian War fought in N. America Volleys of flintlock muskets in two ranks led to carnage Prussia becomes a power in Europe Britain’s victory, and war’s costs, led to A. Rev. France’s loss led to Fr. Rev. 1775-83: The American Revolution Ideals influenced French Revolution Britain loses dominance in N. America Holds on to Canada

1792-1802: The French Revolutionary Wars Overthrew French monarchy Allowed for the rise of Napoleon 1803-15: The Napoleonic Wars Allowed for Napoleon’s conquest of most of Europe

The Napoleonic Wars: 1803-1815 France vs. Where? Casualties Austria Prussia Russia Sweden Britain And others… Where? Europe Russia Spain Atlantic West Indies Casualties Estimated 2.5 million total war dead

Effect of Napoleonic Wars Reshaped Europe Saw warfare on a massive scale Word “guerilla” coined for irregularSpaniards who rebelled against French Napoleonic Code Basis for Most modern western law codes “innocent until proven guilty” Led to nationalist movements

Austerlitz (Sept. 1805) Napoleon’s most brilliant tactical victory French vs. Russians & Austrians Destroyed Third Coalition Let right wing get pushed back Drew Russians & Austrians from their center “Feigned retreat” on a larger scale French launched massive counterattack at right moment

Any day is fine!

Borodino (Sept. 1812) Kutuzov withdrew into Russian interior Kutuzov adopted a fabian strategy (Punic Wars) Initially refused to engage Napoleon in decisive battle Napoleon wanted decisive victory Both sides evenly matched Russians slowly retreated Napoleon denied decisive victory Borodino was largest and bloodiest single-day battle in Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia 1812 Grand Army of 600,000* troops (est. vary) Russians employed a scorched-earth policy Retreat, use geography to advantage destroy everything to deny French supplies French capture Moscow Russians set it on fire French retreat after spending winter in Moscow Napoleon leaves troops in Lithuania Hurries to France

War & Peace

End of Napoleon Napoleon defeated and imprisoned Escapes and returns to France on 3/1/1815 Napoleon fights a coalition of Prussia, GB & the Netherlands Defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, end of Napoleon Dies in prison in 1821

Technology Flintlock Musket Congreve Rocket Shrapnel Man of War “Brown Bess” musket Congreve Rocket Shrapnel Developed by British Lt. Henry Shrapnel Hollow shell filled w/musket balls and explosives Maximized damage Man of War

Logistics French army lived off land as much as possible Could move quickly Did not depend on supply lines as much Alienated civilians Start of canned food