Close-ups : 22
-
Close-upThe “Franco-German” War of 1870-1871
This Close-up deals with aspects of the conflict between France and Prussia, the latter allied with the North German Confederation and other German states in the South. We have decided to refer to this adversary – composed of several political entities – as “German”. Indeed, one of the main consequences of this conflict was the […]
-
Close-upBlücher and the Waterloo campaignThe Prussian army’s role in the Battle of Waterloo (or the Battle of Belle-Alliance, as they named it) has often been underestimated. This dossier offers a close-up on the German cultural hero Blücher and the composition and whereabouts of his troops between March and June 1815.
-
Close-upNapoleon’s Russian Campaign – 2 – from the Niemen to MoscowHaving crossed the rubicon (or in this case the Niemen), the ‘Army of Twenty Nations’ set about bringing Alexander to heel. The Russian camp hastily built Drissa was soon abandoned, and Alexander’s forces began their celebrated ‘Fabian’ tactic, refusing to give battle and continuously retreating,…
-
Close-upNapoleon’s Russian Campaign – 3 – the retreatAfter victory at Borodino, Napoleon expected a glorious arrival in Moscow and a swift end to his Russian Campaign. However, the Russians were not about to make peace, forcing the Emperor into an ill-planned retreat. Despite the amazing feat at the Berezina, the increasingly precarious position…
-
Close-upThe Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was created by Napoleon in July 1807 and was seen by the Poles as a sign of a future restoration of their nation. This, however, was not to be, as the Duchy ceased to be with the fall of the French Empire. Its fate was decided at the Congress of Vienna; […]
-
Close-up1814: The French CampaignAccompanied out of Russia and pursued across German lands, Napoleon and France were encircled and invaded in early 1814. Despite a military performance as gifted as the First Italian campaign, the First Emperor was to be forced into abdication and exile on Elba.
-
Close-up1813 and the lead up to the Battle of LeipzigAfter a mad-cap dash in sledges and post-chases, Napoleon finally reached Paris and began preparing to meet the Russian threat. The news of the defeat in Russia was beginning to filter throughout Europe, and erstwhile French allies were beginning to consider their interest. The battle…
-
Close-upNapoleon’s Russian campaign – 1 – the march to the NiemenThe first in our three-part extended close-up of Napoleon’s Russian campaign of 1812 traces the build-up to the monumental conflict that would signal the beginning of the end for the French emperor.
-
Close-upThe Mexican campaign, 1862-1867Following years of political instability and a financial crisis that had crippled the country, the president of Mexico, Benito Juárez, announced a suspension on all repayment on loans contracted with European powers. This declaration set in motion a wave of consternation and indignation that swept…
-
Close-upA close-up on: the Franco-British expedition to China, 1860The allied expedition to China, launched in 1859 following the Taku Forts incident in June of that year, saw a large British and French force land set sail for China and defeat the imperial Chinese army at the Battle of Baliqiao on 21 September, 1860.…