The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of conflicts fought between the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte (1804–1815) and a fluctuating array of European coalitions. The wars originated in political forces arising from the French Revolution (1789–1799) and from the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and produced a period of French domination over Continental Europe. The wars are categorised as seven conflicts, five named after the coalitions that fought Napoleon, plus two named for their respective theatres: the War of the Third Coalition, War of the Fourth Coalition, War of the Fifth Coalition, War of the Sixth Coalition, War of the Seventh Coalition, the Peninsular War, and the French invasion of Russia.
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais was a French nobleman, statesman, and military commander who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Through the second marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, he was the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte. Under the French Empire he also became Napoleon's adopted son. He was Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy under his stepfather, from 1805 to 1814, and commanded the Army of Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. Historians consider him one of Napoleon's most able relatives.
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel et Valangin, prince de Wagram was a French military commander who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was twice Minister of War of France and was made a Marshal of the Empire in 1804. Berthier served as chief of staff to Napoleon Bonaparte from his first Italian campaign in 1796 until his first abdication in 1814. The operational efficiency of the Grande Armée owed much to his considerable administrative and organizational skills.
Émile Jean-Horace Vernet more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects.
The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in Central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis I and Napoleon's French Empire. The French were supported by their client states—the Kingdom of Italy, the Confederation of the Rhine and the Duchy of Warsaw. Austria was supported by the Fifth Coalition which included the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and the Kingdoms of Sardinia and Sicily, although the latter two took no part in the fighting. By the start of 1809 much of the French army was committed to the Peninsular War against Britain, Spain and Portugal. After France withdrew 108,000 soldiers from Germany, Austria attacked France to seek the recovery of territories lost in the 1803–1806 War of the Third Coalition. The Austrians hoped Prussia would support them, having recently been defeated by France, but Prussia chose to remain neutral.
Karl Philipp, Fürst zu Schwarzenberg was an Austrian Generalissimo and former Field Marshal. He first entered military service in 1788 and fought against the Turks. During the French Revolutionary War, he fought on the allied side against France and in that period rose through the ranks of the Imperial Army. During the Napoleonic Wars, he fought in the Battle of Wagram (1809), which the Austrians lost decisively against Napoleon. He had to fight for Napoleon in the Battle of Gorodechno (1812) against the Russians and won. During the War of the Sixth Coalition, he was in command of the allied army that decisively defeated Napoleon in the Battle of Leipzig (1813). He participated in the Battle of Paris (1814), which forced Napoleon to abdicate.
The Battle is a historical novel by French author Patrick Rambaud which was first published in 1997. The English translation by Will Hobson appeared in 2000. The book describes the 1809 Battle of Aspern-Essling between the French Empire under Napoleon and the Austrian Empire. The action in the novel follows closely historical observations and descriptions as seen from the French perspective. La Bataille is the first book of a trilogy by Rambaud about the decline of Napoleon, describing his first personal defeat in a European battle. The other two books cover Napoleon’s defeat in Russia in The Retreat and his banishment at Elba in Napoleon’s Exile.
The Battle of Hollabrunn was a rearguard action fought on 9 July 1809 by Austrian VI Korps of the Kaiserlich-königliche Hauptarmee under Johann von Klenau against elements of the French IV Corps of the Armée d'Allemagne, under the command of André Masséna.
Baron Charles-Joseph Christiani was a French Army Maréchal de camp who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Tirailleurs du Pô was a specialist light infantry corps of the French Imperial Army, forming part of the Italian Corps of the Foreign Troops Contingent. Though a short-lived unit, the Po Tirailleurs would, along with the Corsican Tirailleurs, serve with distinction in the early campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. Actions included the Battle of Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Heilsberg, and Wagram, where both units were notably engaged. Following a reorganisation of the independent foreign units in 1811, several battalions were merged to form the 11th Light Infantry Regiment, which the Po Tirailleurs continued into.
The Barrière de Clichy. Defence of Paris, 30 March 1814 is an oil-on-canvas painting by Horace Vernet from 1820. It shows a battle against Russian cossacks at the barrière de Clichy, highlighting the soldiers present but not engaged in fighting. Vernet's participation in this battle marked his only experience in active combat, which influenced his choice of subject matter for the remainder of his career.
The Battle of Friedland is an 1835 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Friedland fought on 14 June 1807 in East Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was a decisive victory for French forces over their Russian enemies. At the subsequent Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon was able to dictate peace terms to his beaten opponents. It is also sometimes known as Napoleon at the Battle of Friedland.
The Battle of Jemmapes is an 1821 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Jemmapes fought on 6 November 1792 near Jemappes in modern-day Belgium. Stylistically it is part of the developing romantic movement in art.
The Battle of Valmy is an 1826 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Valmy, one of the earliest battles of the French Revolutionary Wars fought on 20 September 1792. The revolutionary French troops defeated an advance by a coalition of Foreign forces under the command of the Duke of Brunswick.
The Battle of Montmirail is an 1822 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the 1814 Battle of Montmirail during the Napoleonic Wars. It was one of four battle scenes Vernet painted on a commission by the Duke of Orleans, a cousin of Louis XVIII and himself a future monarch of France. Vernet received a total of thirty eight thousand francs for the four works. It depicts the Battle Montmirail, one of the final victories of the French emperor Napoleon. Fought on 11 February 1814 during the Six Days' Campaign, Napoleon's success there ultimately didn't prevent the fall of Paris and his abdication two months later.
The Battle of Fontenoy is an 1828 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Fontenoy fought on the 11 May 1745 in modern-day Belgium. Part of the War of the Austrian Succession, Fontenoy was a notable French victory over Allied forces under the command of Duke of Cumberland.
The Battle of Aspern-Essling is an 1820 history painting by the German-Austrian artist Johann Peter Krafft. It portrays the Battle of Aspern-Essling fought on 21–22 May 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. Fought just after Napoleon's forces had captured the Austrian capital Vienna, it was a significant defeat for the Grande Armée at the hands of the Austrian Army led by Archduke Charles. It is also known by the longer title Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen, with his Staff at the Battle of Aspern-Essling.
The Battle of Bouvines is an 1827 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts Philip II of France shortly before the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. A victory for Philip, the subsequent Truce of Chinon ended the Anglo-French War.
The Death of Prince Poniatowski is an 1816 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the death of the Polish general Józef Poniatowski at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813. Recently promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Empire by Napoleon, Poniatowski was ordered to defend the city of Leipzig during the battle. He drowned in the River Elster after covering the chaotic attempt to break out following Napoleon's defeat.
The Battle of Hanau is an 1824 history painting by the French artist Horace Vernet. It depicts the Battle of Hanau fought at Hanau in Hesse in October 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars.
