Podcast Episodes

The Limits of Power

The Spanish uprising was a disaster for France. Napoleon tried to shore up his diplomatic situation but found himself undermined by a surprising new enemy. Cameo appearances by José de San Martín and…

Published on 1 year, 7 months ago

Victory or Death

In the spring of 1808, Napoleon said he considered Spain conquered. That summer, Spanish forces dealt France its first major battlefield defeat in nearly a decade. How did Spain manage this stunning …

Published on 1 year, 8 months ago

Grey History Collaboration

I recently recorded a collaboration with Will Clark of Grey History: the French Revolution.

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Published on 1 year, 8 months ago

The Way of the Bandit

In the Spring of 1808, Napoleon installed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. However, the people of Madrid had had enough of the French, and took matters into their own hands.

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Published on 1 year, 9 months ago

Bad Omens

With Portugal conquered, Napoleon turned his attention to Spain. As French troops began occupying the country, it soon became clear they were sitting on a political powder keg. 

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Published on 1 year, 10 months ago

Barbarians

1807 saw Napoleon and the British jockeying for influence among the remaining neutral states of Europe. Average people paid the price for this competition.

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Published on 1 year, 11 months ago

The Rise of the Sausage-Maker

In 1808, France would find itself in a new war on the Iberian Peninsula. How did Napoleon find himself engaged in a new war less than a year after the Treaty of Tilsit?

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Published on 2 years ago

Europe Under the Eagle

Episode 108

By 1808, the Napoleonic empire stretched from Poland to the Pyrenees, and from the North Sea to the southern tip of Italy. How was Europe adjusting to Napoleon's new order?

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Published on 2 years, 1 month ago

The Will of the Emperor

By 1809, Napoleon had ruled France for a decade. How did the Napoleonic regime actually function? How could one person effectively exercise his will over half a continent?

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Published on 2 years, 2 months ago

The Art of Power

In Europe at the dawn of the nineteenth century, art and politics were deeply intertwined, sometimes in surprising ways. No one understood this better than Napoleon Bonaparte.

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Published on 2 years, 3 months ago