'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 13, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE NAPOLEONIC WARS group.

The author of my book mentioned the same incident, Scott. Petty ruthless times and a forerunner for what was to come in the 20th century!

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The author provided an interesting and balanced discussion on the outbreak of war in 1803 between France and Britain. The author highlighted the numerous attempts by France to try and keep the Treaty of Amiens in place and that the failure was not all due to Napoleon, that the British government was just as much to blame for the outbreak of hostilities as anything Napoleon might have done. It's been refreshing to read a book that gives a balanced and unbiased account of the Napoleonic period.

Peace of Amiens 1801 by Robert Markley:
https://www.napoleon-series.org/resea...

Please excuse my lack of posts during this theme read. Since selling and moving out of our house in late May we have moved five times into various accommodation while waiting for our new apartment to be made available. It's now been extended till late July, so I have had to book another furnished apartment on Airbnb. Besides moving about so much I just can't get into a routine and enjoy reading a good book - very frustrating!

Having said that, I am really enjoying Alexander Mikaberidze's book on the Napoleonic Wars. He seems quite impartial and very balanced on his views about Napoleon and other figures in this period of history.

Scott wrote: "I am not sure, Betsy, that Napoleon wanted the title of Holy Roman Emperor; he was probably more interested in dismantling the empire to create one of his own. Perhaps a pan-Gallo-Frankish empire w..."

That's how Alexander Mikaberidze saw it as well.

I suppose with Napoleon, everything was up for grabs :)

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The author discussed Napoleon's efforts to restructure the German states that became known as the Imperial Recess (Reichsdeputationshauptschluss) - one of the most extensive redistributions of property in European history:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolu...

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - Some interesting comments by the author on Napoleon's intervention in Switzerland and the Act of Mediation:

"France's actions in Switzerland produced muted reactions among the continental powers that were keen on gaining France's favor in the impending reorganization of Germany (discussed later). But in Britain it produced a vocal outcry. Despite the fact that Britain had barely any national interest in Switzerland, politicians vehemently denounced the Act of Mediation, claiming that the political turmoil in the confederation was merely the 'lawful efforts of a brave and generous people to recover their ancient Laws and government,' as Sir Arthur Paget put it. The reality was more complex than that. After the French withdrawal from Switzerland in 1801, Britain had intervened in Swiss affairs and dispatched agents with money and instructions to encourage local unrest and pledge British 'pecuniary assistance' in case the Swiss were willing to resist the French. In the words of Bonaparte, Britain sought to turn Switzerland into 'a new Jersey [island] from which troubles against France would be fomented'."

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The French involvement in Switzerland and its subsequent withdrawal later let to what was known as the 'War of Sticks':

https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/202...

Betsy wrote: "That may possibly be true, but that doesn't exonerate Napoleon of his responsibility for his actions."

You are correct Betsy, it doesn't exonerate Napoleon.

Very true Betsy, but I wonder if Toussaint L'Ouverture would have received any better treatment from any other colonial power at that time.

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - On the attempted recovery of Saint-Domingue:

"More than 50,000 French soldiers, sailors, and civilians and a far greater number of black troops and civilians perished in Bonaparte's attempt to reclaim Saint-Domingue. This marked one of the worst defeats a French army suffered during the entire revolutionary era and had profound consequences for both the island and the metropole. After their victory over the French, the black military leaders elected Dessalines 'governor-general for life' and proclaimed Haitian independence on January 1, 1804. Haiti was the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt and the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Haitian Declaration of Independence was only the second such act (after the American Declaration of Independence), but it was the first to assert the right of a nonwhite population to govern itself."

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The next minor conflict during this period was the War of the Oranges:

https://www.spanishwars.net/18th-cent...

https://sickhistory.com/war-of-the-or...

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The author on the period of the Consulate:

"For France, the Consulate (1800-1804) was one of the most dynamic periods of the entire nineteenth century. The Revolution was now at an end. Its radical vestiges were swept aside, churches reopened, and emigres were allowed to return home if they wished. Reconciliation and restoration of order became paramount. These policies helped secure public confidence in the new government and allowed Bonaparte to embark on a series of reforms that, taken together, constituted the most constructive and enduring legacy of his career. The key elements of these reforms combined preservation of the Revolution's gains with restoration of order."

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze

Good question Betsy! I think Napoleon believed he had the military might to dictate to his European 'allies' but coercion is never the best way to get results eh!

Scott wrote: "Obviously, the Shah preferred lavish gifts than ambassadors!"

Ambassadors - a dime a dozen!

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - An incident during the negotiations of a British-Iranian treaty:

"Although signed, the Anglo-Iranian treaty could not be enforced until it was ratified by the respective parties. In early 1802 Fath Ali sent his ambassador Hajji Khalil Khan to secure formal ratification, but this mission suffered a dramatic setback early on when, upon reaching Bombay, the Iranian ambassador was mistakenly killed in an altercation between his retinue and British troops. The BEIC authorities hastened to make amends for this incident and sent such lavish gifts to the shah that he is said to have quipped that more ambassadors could be killed on the same terms."

The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze

"The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History" - The author mentioned the 'Quasi-War' (1798-1801) between America and France:

https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/maj...

Reuben wrote: "@AussieRick thank you, I've only heard of 2 of the authors you've mentioned, so you've been really helpful. I'm looking forward to checking as many of these out as I can. Cheers pal"

Glad to help, I hope you find some noteworthy books to read. If you check out some of the threads here you might find a few more books of interest:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Also, if you interested a few members of the group are currently involved in a group theme read on any book covering the Napoleonic Wars:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Also, any book by Adam Zamoyski is well worth checking out.

Hi Rueben, Andrew Robert's bio on Napoleon is one of the best single volume accounts around. There are a few multi-volume biographies if you want to dig deeper - Here is a good article on some of the best books (Michael Broers & Patrice Gueniffey are excellent) :

http://markk.booklikes.com/post/13919...

Some of my favourite Napoleonic books include:

Napoleon and Russia by Michael Adams

The Spanish Ulcer: A History of Peninsular War by David Gates

The Road to Rivoli: Napoleon's First Campaign by Martin Boycott-Brown

The Campaigns of Napoleon by David G. Chandler