The wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, 1792-1815 / Owen Connelly.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Connelly, Owen, 1924-2011.

Series:

Warfare and history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

First Coalition, War of the, 1792-1797.

Second Coalition, War of the, 1798-1801.

France--History--Revolution, 1789-1799.

France.

History.

Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815.

France--History, Military--1789-1815.

History, Military.

Europe--History, Military--1789-1815.

Europe.

Physical Description:

ix, 270 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2006.

Summary:

In this essential addition to French military history, Owen Connelly examines both the wars of the French Revolution between 1792 and 1799, and those of Napoleon between 1800 and 1815. Arguing that the importance and drama of the Revolutionary wars have been neglected, and that the unceasing cut-throat politics that continued into the Napoleonic era has been overlooked, this analysis examines the two eras together to provide a broader context for warfare. Connelly demonstrates how the wars of the Revolution shaped Napoleon as a military leader and how the practices of warfare developed and deployed during this period were to influence modes of combat throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, establishing trends discernable in the First and Second World Wars.

Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, 1792-1815 examines the causes of the wars of the Revolution and Napoleon and examines key questions, including: what was the impact of the population explosion of the eighteenth century on armies and war? How did the legacy of the ancien regime impact upon revolutionary armies? What was the impact of the Revolution on the leadership, strategy, organization and weaponry of the armies? Was Napoleon's leadership style unique or could other generals have played his role as well? What contributions were made by governments of the early Revolution, the Terror, the Directory and the Napoleonic regime? What did twenty-three years of successive wars accomplish? Was the era of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars a turning point in the history of warfare and the conduct of combat?

Based on extensive research and including twenty maps, this fascinating study provides a thorough re-examination of this crucial period in the history of France.

Contents:

1 The Eighteenth century: the French military and its enemies - the Revolution begins 8

2 The Revolution and war: First campaigns, 1789-93 18

3 The Terror: politics and army reform, 1793-94 40

4 The Terror and war, July 1793-July 1794 45

5 The government of Thermidor and establishment of the Directory, July 1794-October 1795 68

6 War in Italy and Germany, 1796-97 77

7 Egypt and the coup d'etat de Brumaire, 1798-99 97

8 Marengo and the Grande Armee, 1800-05 107

9 Subduing the European powers: Austerlitz-Jena-Auerstadt-Friedland, 1805-07 118

10 "That miserable Spanish affair": the Peninsular War, 1808-13 142

11 The Wagram campaign, 1809/The Empire reaches its height, 1810 155

12 The Russian campaign, 1812 169

13 Campaigns of Germany and France, 1813-14 186

14 The Hundred Days and Waterloo, 1815 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 242-259) and index.

ISBN:

0415239834

0415239842

OCLC:

58919471

Publisher Number:

9780415239844 (hbk. : alk. paper)

9780415239837 (pbk. : alk. paper)