Butte du Lion (The Lions Mound)
Posted on 25. Aug, 2006 by cameron in Images
Monument Memorial where Napoleon was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo.
Legend has it that the Lion was cast from the bronze of the weapons the French left behind on the battlefield.
The tungsten lights that form the orange glow are from a highway.
Mont St. Jean / Waterloo, Belgium
The Grey Riding Coat
Posted on 25. Aug, 2006 by cameron in Images
Imagine how the simple grey redingcote and unadorned black bicorne, with the relatively modest dark green coat of the undress of a mere Colonel of the Chasseurs a Cheval of the Guard, made the Emperor stand out against the gold embroidery and swans feathers of his marshals, or the overblown flamboyance of Murat.
(quote from Ancient Rome Forums)
The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #10 – The Battle of Marengo
Posted on 11. Aug, 2006 by cameron in Podcast
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In this episode we explore First Consul Bonaparte’s failed attempts to make peace with the Kings of England and Austria after he took power in 1799 and the subsequent French campaign into Italy to regain the territory lost to the Austrians since Napoleon’s original Italian campaign.
We also cover:
- The famous Jacques-Louis David painting of Napoleon Crossing The Alps
- The revisionist (and more realistic) painting of the same journey by Paul Delaroche
- The Battle Of Marengo, where Napoleon narrowly, but comprehensively, routed the Austrians
- By the way, here’s a great link to a bicentennial review of the Battle of Marengo
- Here’s the uniform Bonaparte wore at Marengo from that bicentennial site (on display at Les Invalides in Paris)
- And we also get slightly side-tracked (my fault!) and talk about some great Napoleonic films, including “Waterloo” (Sergei Bondarchuk, 1970) and “Napoleon” (Abel Gance, 1927).
As always, David and I had a lot of fun producing this show and we hope you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who has left comments recently and please keep them coming! Also feel free to ask any questions over at our new Napoleon forum.
The Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast #9 – Domestic Affairs
Posted on 04. Aug, 2006 by cameron in Podcast
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In 1799, when Napoleon became First Consul of France, he started a series of important domestic reforms which were revolutionary in Europe, many of which survive to this day. In this episode, we depart from Napoleon’s military triumphs and demonstrate a less-appreciated aspect of his career – his genius for domestic affairs.
We talk about:
- The Code Napoleon
- The Legion of Honour
- The Bank of France and the economy
- Public education
- The Amnesty for the Emigres
- and the Concordat with the Catholic Church
As always, David and I had a lot of fun producing this show and we hope you enjoy it. We would really love it if you’d let us know if you’re enjoying the show by leaving a comment here and please feel free to ask any questions over at our new Napoleon forum.