Napoleon, the victor of Austerlitz and conqueror of the Holy Roman Empire, had little time to rest on his incredible achievements. While the Russians were resoundingly defeated in December 1805, they were not quite out of the war just yet. With enough space to retreat back into friendly territory, they were set to regroup and strike again - but without allies on the continent, this would be a difficult task.
To their luck, and soon to be to their disaster, the Kingdom of Prussia, who remained neutral during the War of the Third Coalition, had declared war on France in 1806. The shy and reserved Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III was convinced by Prussia's war party, who found an ally in his wife Queen Louise of Mecklenberg-Strelitz, to halt France's advance through Europe once and for all - but they should have listened to calmer heads in the Prussian army, who advised caution and warned of the threats to Prussia's position at the time war was being considered.
They would soon be proven right, as Napoleon would see to their army within days of crossing into Prussian territory at the Battle of Jena-Auerstadt. But the Prussians would not give up entirely, as in 1807 the Russians had finally mobilised again and were ready to strike once again. While this war will display the brilliance of Napoleon's Corps system, it will also greatly challenge it...
This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord and follow us on social media by following the links below!
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Sources & Further Reading:
- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: The Spirit of the Age", (2018).
- Chandler, David G., "Napoleon's Marshals", (1987).
- Dodge, Theodore A., "Warfare in the Age of Napoleon Volume 3: The Battle of Austerlitz, the War of the Fourth Coalition, and the Early Peninsular Campaigns, 1805-1809", (2011).
- Griffith, Paddy, "French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815", (2007).
- Griffith, Robert (ed.), "Armies and Enemies of Napoleon 1789-1815", (2022).
- Harvey, Robert, "The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1789-1815", (2007).
- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon", (2003).
- McNab, Chris, "Napoleon's Military Machine: Operations Manual", (2019).
- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History", (2020).
- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great", (2015).
- Zamoyski, Adam, "Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth", (2019).
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