Warfare in the Napoleonic Era

1. Warfare in the Napoleonic Era

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

3. Timeline: Build up to Napoleonic Era • 1618-48: The Thirty Years’ War • GustavusAdolphusdevelops • 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

5. 1756-63: The Seven Years’ War • Includes French & Indian Warfought 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

7. 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

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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Any day is fine!

13. Borodino (Sept. 1812) • Kutuzovwithdrew 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

14. Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia 1812 • Grand Army of 600,000* troops (est. vary) • Russians employed a scorched-earthpolicy • 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

15. War & Peace

17. 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

18. Technology • Flintlock Musket • “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

19. 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