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Elementaire Deeltjes #26
The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction
The Napoleonic Wars have an important place in the history of Europe, leaving their mark on European and world societies in a variety of ways. In many European countries they provided the stimulus for radical social and political change - particularly in Spain, Germany, and Italy - and are frequently viewed in these places as the starting point of their modern histories.In this Very Short Introduction, Mike Rapport provides a brief outline of the wars, introducing the tactics, strategies, and weaponry of the time. Presented in three parts, he considers the origins and course of the wars, the ways and means in which it was fought, and the social and political legacy it has left to the world today.ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2013
57 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
About the author
Mike Rapport
10 books20 followersMike Rapport is a senior lecturer in history at the University of Stirling, in Scotland, where he teaches European history.
He is author of 1848: Year of Revolution (Basic Books, 2009), Nineteenth-Century Europe, 1789-1914 (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2005), Nationality and Citizenship in Revolutionary France: The Treatment of Foreigners (Oxford, 2000). He also has a volume forthcoming on The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2013).
He was elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2000. With his colleague, Dr. Kevin Adamson, he is working on a research project on the "domino revolutions" from 1848 to the Arab Awakening of 2011.
Mr. Rapport earned his undergraduate degree in history at the University of Edinburgh and his doctorate, on the French Revolution, at the University of Bristol.
He is author of 1848: Year of Revolution (Basic Books, 2009), Nineteenth-Century Europe, 1789-1914 (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2005), Nationality and Citizenship in Revolutionary France: The Treatment of Foreigners (Oxford, 2000). He also has a volume forthcoming on The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2013).
He was elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2000. With his colleague, Dr. Kevin Adamson, he is working on a research project on the "domino revolutions" from 1848 to the Arab Awakening of 2011.
Mr. Rapport earned his undergraduate degree in history at the University of Edinburgh and his doctorate, on the French Revolution, at the University of Bristol.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 26, 2013
I approached this book with cautious optimism, as I've found this series very hit or miss in terms of quality. This volume did not disappoint! The author, while adopting a mildly British bias (being from the UK and all), manages to include multiple disparate viewpoints as to the origins, nature and impact of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars in a tight little volume. Seemingly all of the important bases are covered: the wars are analysed from the perspectives of all major participating states to a greater or lesser degree, special chapters address the war at sea and the impact on and martial motivations of the general populace, and key legacy elements are addressed, such as the birth of guerilla warfare, which I had somehow foolishly linked more with gorillas fighting in a jungle than its Spanish origins. The author also successfully outlines a character-sketch of Napoleon; his manoeuvres and motivations, mythology and reality. Rapport manages to coyly allude to various fascinating historical 'side figures' and events important in their own right (such as the ex-patriot Polish army and its support of Napoleon), hooking the reader but leaving it up to you to do further research to quench your insatiable thirst for knowledge. Finally, good use of quotation, strong wording to wake us from our factual sleep and convey the true horror of death and warfare, and a dab of well-chosen lyricism (such as the end of the 'War at Sea' chapter) round out this excellently-structured little book.
One could quibble over various historical debate points I know nothing about given I'm not an expert in French history, but I'll leave that up to the specialist academics.
True rating: 4.4 stars
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May 9, 2021Read in preparation for reading War and Peace. I needed a good introduction to this historical context because I know very little about it.
November 2, 2025
A nice informative read which does a good job at highlighting the broader context and effects on the world during and after this period.
Little drab at times though.
Little drab at times though.
September 22, 2013
After Napoleon Bonaparte, a general of the French revolutionary army, seized power in a coup and became the ruler of France, he continued the French Revolution's wars of conquest, so eventually almost all of Europe (Great Britain, Russia and the Ottoman Balkans were the only significant exceptions) was either annexed to France, made into France's satellite states, or forced to ally with France. This was due both to Napoleon's military genius, and to more prosaic factors such as Old Regime military theorists learning the lessons of defeat in the Seven Years' War, and experimenting with strategy, tactics and weapons. It was not done with any goal in mind except conquest itself: plundering other countries' riches, and sending their young men to death in order to conquer ever more countries: "Hitler did it for the sake of an unbelievably horrible ideal; Napoleon for no underlying purpose at all." British-led anti-Napoleon coalitions formed and were routinely defeated, until Napoleon decided to invade Russia to compel it to join the anti-British blockade and eliminate it as a threat to the French Empire. The conditions of Russia were not conductive to Napoleon's strategy, which was also true of Spain, and his supply lines were overstretched, like Hitler's a century hence, so the invasion failed and Napoleon lost most of his army. A new coalition destroyed another army in the gigantic Battle of Leipzig, driving Napoleon first back to France, and then out of France; when Napoleon came back to rule France for just over 100 days, another coalition gathered and defeated him for good at the Battle of Waterloo.
Other than perhaps 5 million dead, what was the result of it all? Small states consolidated and became larger and more contiguous; 365 principalities that made up the Holy Roman Empire were transformed into 39 members of the German Confederation, a step towards German unification. There were other border shifts; most notably, Poland briefly reappeared and again disappeared off the map, and Napoleon's occupation of Spain allowed Spanish America to revolt and become independent. The most ominous thing, however, was mobilization of whole societies for total war; this prefigured next century's World War I and II.
Other than perhaps 5 million dead, what was the result of it all? Small states consolidated and became larger and more contiguous; 365 principalities that made up the Holy Roman Empire were transformed into 39 members of the German Confederation, a step towards German unification. There were other border shifts; most notably, Poland briefly reappeared and again disappeared off the map, and Napoleon's occupation of Spain allowed Spanish America to revolt and become independent. The most ominous thing, however, was mobilization of whole societies for total war; this prefigured next century's World War I and II.
November 11, 2023
Very handy short guide I’ll be sure to recommend to students. Comprehensive and succinct, detailed but not tedious, and with an excellent further reading section.
March 25, 2019
I started the book to get a general sense of the napoleonic wars. Instead i got a million useless details in a non-chronological order and a deep sense of frustration. I abandoned it halfway through (which is saying a lot considering it’s supposed to be a VERY SHORT introduction)
August 24, 2022
I'm not much of a connoisseur of the subject, but I really liked the more general view that the author takes.
I was a little surprised that the chapters on the conflicts ended halfway through the book. For the rest, he deals with the diplomatic, political and civil issues of each of the main belligerent countries, noting the "Empire of the French" itself, Russia, Britain, Prussia and Spain, plus a few brushstrokes on Italy, the Balkans and Egypt.
The writing is fluid and does not seem to take sides of Napoleon's legacy, exposing the miseries of the wars and positive consequences of the spread of revolutionary ideas throughout Europe and the world.
-> PT-BR
Não sou grande conhecedor do tema, mas gostei bastante da visão mais geral que o autor toma.
Fiquei até um pouco surpreso dos capítulos sobre os conflitos acabarem na metade do livro. No resto, ele trata sobre as questões diplomáticas, políticas e civis de cada um dos principais países beligerantes, a notar o próprio "Império dos Franceses", a Rússia, Reino Unido, Prússia e Espanha, além de algumas pinceladas sobre a Itália, Balcãs e Egito.
A escrita é fluída e não parece tomar lados do legado de Napoleão, expondo as misérias das guerras e consequências positivas da expansão dos ideias revolucionários pela Europa e pelo mundo.
I was a little surprised that the chapters on the conflicts ended halfway through the book. For the rest, he deals with the diplomatic, political and civil issues of each of the main belligerent countries, noting the "Empire of the French" itself, Russia, Britain, Prussia and Spain, plus a few brushstrokes on Italy, the Balkans and Egypt.
The writing is fluid and does not seem to take sides of Napoleon's legacy, exposing the miseries of the wars and positive consequences of the spread of revolutionary ideas throughout Europe and the world.
-> PT-BR
Não sou grande conhecedor do tema, mas gostei bastante da visão mais geral que o autor toma.
Fiquei até um pouco surpreso dos capítulos sobre os conflitos acabarem na metade do livro. No resto, ele trata sobre as questões diplomáticas, políticas e civis de cada um dos principais países beligerantes, a notar o próprio "Império dos Franceses", a Rússia, Reino Unido, Prússia e Espanha, além de algumas pinceladas sobre a Itália, Balcãs e Egito.
A escrita é fluída e não parece tomar lados do legado de Napoleão, expondo as misérias das guerras e consequências positivas da expansão dos ideias revolucionários pela Europa e pelo mundo.
April 11, 2016
I know a lot about the British side of the wars in the Peninsula, but I don't know much at all about the Eastern Front, so I thought this would be a reasonable introduction. Unfortunately, while it's quite interesting, there's less detail in it than I expected, even knowing it was a Very Short Introduction. It also focuses more on the social situations, rather than the actual course of the war. There were also a couple of factual errors which bugged me.
July 25, 2019
I understand there's only but so much you can do in 128 pages, but a book on the Napoleonic Wars needs more than 40 words on Waterloo. I also think Napoleon's retreat from Russia and the devastation it caused for French men and materiel also got short shrift.
July 26, 2021
I never knew that the Napoleonic Wars were the first truly global war until that title went to the Great War in 1914. With a crisp overview of the ingredients that went into the tinderbox, this short introduction lived up to its name.
December 28, 2015
Uitstekende inleiding tot de Revolutionaire en Napoleontische oorlogen.
May 25, 2020
I just finished watching EpicHistoryTV's series on the Napoleonic Wars and was blown away by it. I eagerly dove into a Napoleon biography whose page count continued into 4 digits before my eyes started swimming and I quietly put it down. The mind is willing but the flesh is weak. This VSI on the other hand is more my paygrade. There was a big chunk left out of the YT series between Toulon and Austerlitz, which I was trying to fill. But mostly this book filled many gaps I didn't consider, like the intense economic, social, and political machinery that Napoleon built that made possible his incredible victories. Until pointed out in this book it hadn't struck me that none of these dazzling victories on the battlefield were against the odds heroic feats of courage like Thermopylae or brilliant leadership like Gaugamela. These were dazzling in the style of the modern age, a ruthlessly efficient machine of competent supply chains, man-management, and logistics. Stated so plainly, it takes the shine off, but it really shouldn't, and the book does a good job of outlining just how challenging it is to achieve these things to build a rickety large edifice that doesn't fall in under its own weight, or explode through rebellion, or implode through desertion.
Notes
Nonstop 20 years of warfare actually called French Wars, because 1792-1802 was the French Revolutionary wars and then 1803-1815 was the real Napoleonic Wars.
Russia under Peter the Great became an empire. Most expansion under Catherine the Great, direct conflict with Poland, Sweden, Ottomans, Persians, and Chinese. Allied with Austria to carve up Poland. But Austria is allied with Ottomans, who are fighting Russians in Balkans. Prussia smells opportunity and strikes. They’ve had remarkable expansion under Frederick The Great.
France needs to fight 2 fronts, continental battles + maritime battles for imperial hegemony with British. Bled dry. Goes bankrupt. Mostly loses to Brits overseas. Collapse of monarchy.
Revolution doesn’t begin with Bloody October, unlike what I’ve learned. There’s 3 full years of agreement to switch to constitutional monarchy, which Louis XVI doesn’t want, and leftists like Giroldins and Jacobins also don’t want but will take. Louis XVI thinks war with Austria/Prussia will result in a loss, and Austria/Prussia emperors will restore him, because revolutionaries are a bad precedent for European monarchies. War declared in 1892, sparking 20+ years of constant european war.
Only 9 months into the war does bloody october happen, Louis XVI is guillotined. Giroldins take over and mess it up. Robespierre allies with Parisians and takes over, chops off all leaders heads.
Though Revolutionaries claimed to be exporting liberty, they quickly turned and used conquered lands in Rhine, Belgium, Savoy, to fund their continuing war effort. Although, when Haiti revolted, supported by Spain/Britain, French revolutionaries sided with them, abolished slavery and won their support.
Napoleonic Code meant officers were now meritocratic system, not drawn from nobility any more. British still drew from nobility.
36% of all people liable for conscription were conscripted over the course of Napoleon’s reign. Revolutionary army differed from old armies in that they went for quick smash decisive victories rather than plodding game of chess. This often made war shorter but far more deadly, with hugely higher number of casualties.
Napoleon’s victories weren’t because military performance was better, when evenly matched in numbers, France often lost, but they won because they often managed logistics so well that they were able to consistently outnumber the opposition and throw numbers into the mix.
French revolutionaries were pro-freemarket, abolishing guilds, tolls/customs barriers. Efficient fiscal system, direct/indirect taxes.
Goya’s series Disasters Of War (influenced Picasso, Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls) written during Napoleon’s Iberian wars. He retained position of court painter.
Notes
Nonstop 20 years of warfare actually called French Wars, because 1792-1802 was the French Revolutionary wars and then 1803-1815 was the real Napoleonic Wars.
Russia under Peter the Great became an empire. Most expansion under Catherine the Great, direct conflict with Poland, Sweden, Ottomans, Persians, and Chinese. Allied with Austria to carve up Poland. But Austria is allied with Ottomans, who are fighting Russians in Balkans. Prussia smells opportunity and strikes. They’ve had remarkable expansion under Frederick The Great.
France needs to fight 2 fronts, continental battles + maritime battles for imperial hegemony with British. Bled dry. Goes bankrupt. Mostly loses to Brits overseas. Collapse of monarchy.
Revolution doesn’t begin with Bloody October, unlike what I’ve learned. There’s 3 full years of agreement to switch to constitutional monarchy, which Louis XVI doesn’t want, and leftists like Giroldins and Jacobins also don’t want but will take. Louis XVI thinks war with Austria/Prussia will result in a loss, and Austria/Prussia emperors will restore him, because revolutionaries are a bad precedent for European monarchies. War declared in 1892, sparking 20+ years of constant european war.
Only 9 months into the war does bloody october happen, Louis XVI is guillotined. Giroldins take over and mess it up. Robespierre allies with Parisians and takes over, chops off all leaders heads.
Though Revolutionaries claimed to be exporting liberty, they quickly turned and used conquered lands in Rhine, Belgium, Savoy, to fund their continuing war effort. Although, when Haiti revolted, supported by Spain/Britain, French revolutionaries sided with them, abolished slavery and won their support.
Napoleonic Code meant officers were now meritocratic system, not drawn from nobility any more. British still drew from nobility.
36% of all people liable for conscription were conscripted over the course of Napoleon’s reign. Revolutionary army differed from old armies in that they went for quick smash decisive victories rather than plodding game of chess. This often made war shorter but far more deadly, with hugely higher number of casualties.
Napoleon’s victories weren’t because military performance was better, when evenly matched in numbers, France often lost, but they won because they often managed logistics so well that they were able to consistently outnumber the opposition and throw numbers into the mix.
French revolutionaries were pro-freemarket, abolishing guilds, tolls/customs barriers. Efficient fiscal system, direct/indirect taxes.
Goya’s series Disasters Of War (influenced Picasso, Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls) written during Napoleon’s Iberian wars. He retained position of court painter.
January 25, 2018
The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction (2013) by Mike Rapport is another excellent very short introduction. The book describes the wars between 1792 and 1815. The author, Mike Rapport, a senior lecturer of history at The University of Stirling in Scotland. He’s written numerous other longer history books.
The Very Short Introduction books are a bit hit and miss, some of the books that describe vague concepts are not that great, but the ones that have a constrained subject they can describe in more detail than a Wikipedia page but with fewer pages than the heavyweight history books that are more ‘complete’ are often excellent. This is one of the latter.
The wars are divided into two sections, the revolutionary wars and the Napoleonic wars. The book also describes Total War, revolutionary Wars, the impact on soldiers and civilians, the war at sea and ‘the people’s war’.
I really enjoyed the book, learned a lot and am inspired to go and read more about the Napoleonic Wars and to find similar books about The Seven Years War and The Thirty Years War.
The Very Short Introduction books are a bit hit and miss, some of the books that describe vague concepts are not that great, but the ones that have a constrained subject they can describe in more detail than a Wikipedia page but with fewer pages than the heavyweight history books that are more ‘complete’ are often excellent. This is one of the latter.
The wars are divided into two sections, the revolutionary wars and the Napoleonic wars. The book also describes Total War, revolutionary Wars, the impact on soldiers and civilians, the war at sea and ‘the people’s war’.
I really enjoyed the book, learned a lot and am inspired to go and read more about the Napoleonic Wars and to find similar books about The Seven Years War and The Thirty Years War.
June 1, 2025
I continue to be captivated and intrigued by the extremely short introduction series. This seems to me to be the most time effective ways to engage with history which was either not taught to you or you need a refresher on without delving too far into the realm of pop history.
Because all of my reviews of these books are starting to become repetitive, here are a few things I learned in this book: Napoleon did not have any real ambition of conquering Russia, rather just wanted to force them to distance themselves from the British; Napoleon was an inspiration to the likes of Simon Bolivar; Napoleon abolished many discriminatory laws, and yet reestablished slavery when it was politically expedient; Napoleon’s conflict with the Spanish population after unseating their monarch was the origination of the term “guerilla;” and Napoleon was in part inspired to sell Jefferson the Louisiana Purchase because he was angry that he had failed to stamp out Haiti’s Revolution.
Because all of my reviews of these books are starting to become repetitive, here are a few things I learned in this book: Napoleon did not have any real ambition of conquering Russia, rather just wanted to force them to distance themselves from the British; Napoleon was an inspiration to the likes of Simon Bolivar; Napoleon abolished many discriminatory laws, and yet reestablished slavery when it was politically expedient; Napoleon’s conflict with the Spanish population after unseating their monarch was the origination of the term “guerilla;” and Napoleon was in part inspired to sell Jefferson the Louisiana Purchase because he was angry that he had failed to stamp out Haiti’s Revolution.
July 22, 2017
This is the 2nd book from the 'A Very Short Introduction' series. As with my previous read, I did already know about the Napoleonic Wars which meant this was an easy read. However I do have a concern that the level of basic knowledge assumed in these books is too high. For example there is no map of 1800s Europe in this book which would be useful especially due to the requirement to mention Prussia quite so often.
This had a good overview of the era including a chapter on the impact of the wars around Europe and the impact we still feel today. I don't agree with all the conclusions, but they are interesting to read none-the-less.
As you might expect from 'A Very Short Introduction' covering 20 years of warfare, this doesn't cover any of the aspects in detail (Waterloo got one paragraph!).
This had a good overview of the era including a chapter on the impact of the wars around Europe and the impact we still feel today. I don't agree with all the conclusions, but they are interesting to read none-the-less.
As you might expect from 'A Very Short Introduction' covering 20 years of warfare, this doesn't cover any of the aspects in detail (Waterloo got one paragraph!).
September 12, 2019
This is an excellent overview of the Napoleonic Wars, it's extremely readable and covers the topic well. If you're looking for extensive treatment of individual battles, you will not find it here. This is an overview of more than twenty years of pan-European/global warfare and the social ramifications across numerous belligerents. This is completed in 128 pages, this is quite a feat indeed. This book might not be what other reviewers wanted it to be. As for it's intention to provide an overview of the period and conflicts, explain why knowledge of this period is important and how the impacts are still being felt today? It's quite the success and will hopefully pique the interest of some readers, who can check the further reading section for recommendations on their particular area of interest.
June 13, 2017
A useful synopsis of the Napoleonic wars and how they were pursued by and affected the countries involved (as well as those who weren't involved).
August 22, 2017
A brief but informative introduction to the wars..
June 7, 2018
i felt i was delving into the details of this eurepean's era ..
actually, it is a very short introduction in term of how many pages, while the contnent was very rich..
actually, it is a very short introduction in term of how many pages, while the contnent was very rich..
March 11, 2019
Wonderful intro covering a variety of perspectives. Highly recommend.
May 4, 2020
Mooi beknopte overzicht van de politieke en militaire constellatie in Europa bij het begin van de Negentiende Eeuw in Europa en dienbladen daarvan in de rest van de wereld.
August 1, 2021
Excellent
July 1, 2022
Though short I found it hard to follow at times
July 22, 2024
The British military historian Mike Rapport published Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction in 2013. The first chapter of the book is on the origins of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, known together by Rapport as the ““French Wars”” (Rapport 4). The second chapter is on the history of the French Revolutionary Wars. The third chapter is on the history of the Napoleonic Wars. Chapter 4 is entitled “Total War, Revolutionary War” (Rapport 56-73). This chapter looks at the social and economic aspects of the French military and the French Empire. Chapter 5 looks at the history of the French Wars from the view of soldiers and civilians. Chapter 6 is on the naval aspect of the French Wars. Chapter 7 looks at the effects of the French Wars on the societies of Spain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Great Britain. The conclusion is the legacy of the French Wars. The book has illustrations, including the drawings of Francisco Goya of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, a reference section, and an index. The book has a section entitled “further reading” (Rapport 135-140). Rapport also references Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (Rapport 6, 52, 84, & 126-127). I read the book on the Kindle. I thought Rapport’s Introduction to the French Wars was a well-done and well-balanced book.
July 6, 2024
Địa lý của châu Âu luôn mời gọi một nhà chinh phục như Napoleon hay Hitler, và địa lý của nước Nga luôn từ chối một người như thế.
February 28, 2016
This book provides exactly what it claims to do: a very short introduction to the Napoleonic Wars. Therein, it describes the origins of the Napoleonic Wars (France's concern for security and power, the emergence of Russia, Prusso-Austrian rivalry, and frictions between France and Britain as Europe's major maritime empires), and the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802), the Napoleonic Wars proper (1803-1815). However, the introduction moves beyond a simple listing and amalgamation of historical facts and relationships and explores several topics pertinent to the subject: the Napoleonic Wars as a new type of revolutionary war supported less by semi-professional soldiers than by nationalistic "citizen-soldiers"; the plight of soldiers and civilians; the war at sea; and the people's war. Following its conclusion, the book provides an ample set of references as well as suggestions for further reading.
July 13, 2016
It rushed through the wars too much. About half of the book covers the wars from beginning to finish and the rest covers the ramifications. For a book called, "The Napoleonic Wars", you'd think they'd spend more like 3/4 on the former and the rest on the legacy, as the latter would represent a different book. I'd say the author gets too bogged down on little details and so leaves less time for giving a representation of the wider picture - which is what AVSI is designed for.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but skip chapters 5 and 6.
Would I recommend it? Yes, but skip chapters 5 and 6.
January 6, 2017
Took me tries to get through it but was very happy with this little book.
Gives a lot of background on causes and effects of the french revolution and napoleon. I found some of the statistics on conscription and death during war absolutely shocking. I wish they had gone into a bit more detail about Napoleon as a personality. I'd also have liked to have a few more maps but I suppose that is what Wikipedia is for.
Overall was a good read. Was a good way to kick start getting back to reading in 2017.
Gives a lot of background on causes and effects of the french revolution and napoleon. I found some of the statistics on conscription and death during war absolutely shocking. I wish they had gone into a bit more detail about Napoleon as a personality. I'd also have liked to have a few more maps but I suppose that is what Wikipedia is for.
Overall was a good read. Was a good way to kick start getting back to reading in 2017.
October 23, 2013
Really concise, survey-course view of the big topics. I didn't know much about this, so I wanted the Cliff's Notes version and that's what I got. Great use of 100 pages worth of my time.
February 22, 2014
Quite incisive... sums up the whole era in about 100 pages. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews