Gunboats, Royal Navy, Napoleonic Period

Gunboats, Royal Navy, Napoleonic Period

The Gunboat was the smallest ship of war in common use during this period. It played an important role in many amphibious operations during the wars, as it was able to go much closer inland than larger ships.

Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798

Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798

Day nineteen of our Napoleonic Month covers the battle of the Nile, Nelson's first victory as the commander of a fleet. The battle of the Nile was one of the most one-sided of battles during the age of sail. The French fleet was almost totally destroyed, for the loss of no British ships, leaving Napoleon's army stranded in Egypt.

Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798

Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798

Day nineteen of our Napoleonic Month covers the battle of the Nile, Nelson's first victory as the commander of a fleet. The battle of the Nile was one of the most one-sided of battles during the age of sail. The French fleet was almost totally destroyed, for the loss of no British ships, leaving Napoleon's army stranded in Egypt.

Battle of Aboukir, 25 July 1799

Battle of Aboukir, 25 July 1799

The First Battle of Aboukir was Napoleon's final victory in Egypt and saw him defeat an Ottoman invasion aimed at expelling the French.

Soon after the battle, Napoleon received news from France which convinced him to return home, abandoning his expedition.

Sea Fencibles, 1798-1810

Sea Fencibles, 1798-1810

For day seventeen of our Napoleonic month, we look at the Sea Fencibles, a naval home guard formed to defend Britain against the threat of French Invasion.

Battle of EggMuhl

Battle of EggMuhl, 1809

A French victory over the Austrians that led to a short lived occupation of Austria.

French Republican Calendar

French Republican Calendar

Typical of the revolutionary fervour that swept through France was the Republican Calendar, adopted as a symbol of the complete break with the past hoped for by the more radical revolutionaries.

Ship of the Line (Napoleonic)

Ship of the Line (Napoleonic)

Day Fourteen of our Napoleonic Month sees a definition of the Ship of the Line, the most powerful warship system of the period, and key to the tactics used in major battles at sea.

Napoleonic Body Armour

Napoleonic Body Armour

For Day Thirteen of our Napoleonic Month, we discuss the use of body armour during the Napoleonic Wars. From being a dominant feature of military equipment, by this period body armour was used exclusively by the heavy cavalry, and even then was not in constant use.

Subject Index: Napoleonic Wars

Subject Index: Napoleonic Wars

Day Twelve of our Napoleonic month sees part two of our three part biography of Admiral Nelson, which sees him cement his fame at the battle of the Nile, start his famous love affair with Lady Hamilton, and win his hardest victory at the battle of Copenhagen.

Subject Index: Napoleonic Wars

Admiral Nelson (part two)

Day Twelve of our Napoleonic month sees part two of our three part biography of Admiral Nelson, which sees him cement his fame at the battle of the Nile, start his famous love affair with Lady Hamilton, and win his hardest victory at the battle of Copenhagen.

Collingwood, Cuthbert, first baron Collingwood (1750-1810)

Collingwood, Cuthbert, first baron Collingwood (1750-1810)

Day Eleven of our Napoleonic Month sees a biography of Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, second in command at the battle of Trafalgar, and the British commander in chief in the Mediterranean after the death of Nelson.

Finisterre, Calder's battle off,22 July 1805

Finisterre, Calder's battle off,22 July 1805

For Day Ten of our Napoleonic Month, we have Calder's Battle off Finisterre (22 July 1805), a missed chance for a British victory during the campaign that led to Trafalgar.

French Invasion of Egypt, 1798-1801

French Invasion of Egypt, 1798-1801

Day Nine of our Napoleonic Month sees an account of the French invasion of Egypt (1798-1801), a three year venture that began with high hopes of destroying British power in the east, but that eventually fizzled out after the French lost control of the Mediterranean.

Napoleon's Marshals

Napoleon's Marshals

Day Eight sees a list of Napoleon's Marshals. These were his most trusted military commanders, and their successes and failures were almost as important for the fate of France as Napoleon's own.

Louis-Alexandre Berthier (1753-1815)

Louis-Alexandre Berthier (1753-1815)

Day seven sees our biography of Louis-Alexandre Berthier (1753-1815), Napoleon's chief of staff for nearly twenty years, and an important element in many of his military victories.

Nelson, Horatio, Admiral, (1759-1805)

Nelson, Horatio, Admiral, (1759-1805)

Part one of our three part biography of Lord Horatio Nelson traces his career to the battle of Cape St. Vincent, where he first made his name when he placed his ship in front of the entire Spanish fleet to give the rest of the British fleet time to close their trap.

Demi-Brigade

Demi-Brigade

The creation of Demi-Brigades was amongst the first of a series of reformed that made French armies the most feared in Europe in the two decades after the revolution.

Flag, Flying or Raising

Flag, Flying or Raising

Day four of our themed month sees an article on the concept of 'flying' or 'raising' a flag, a term used to indicate the location of an Admiral at sea.

Battle of Vittoria

Battle of Vittoria

Day three of our Napoleonic themed month sees the battle of Vittoria, the decisive battle of the Peninsular War.

Sabre (Napoleonic)

Sabre (Napoleonic)

Day two of our Napoleonic month sees an article on the Sabre during the Napoleonic Wars. The sabre was the main cavalry weapon during this period, used by all the major combatants.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte

We begin our Napoleonic month with a biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, the politician and general who gave his name to the entire period. Napoleon's career still causes controversy - he can be seen as everything from a military dictator to a dedicated democrat - but his military ability is not in doubt.