A definitive analysis of the weapons, equipment, deployment, tactics and motivation of these national forces, as well as fascinating detail of day-to- day life for the soldiers that fought the battles číst celé
In June 1812 500,000 men of Napoleon's army invaded Russia. Six months later barely 20,000 returned. The disastrous advance to Moscow and the subsequent retreat irreparably damaged Napoleon's military power and prestige and resulted one of the most celebrated catastrophes of in all military history. Digby Smith's new account of the grim events of 1812 is based on the diaries and letters of soldiers who survived, many of which have not been published in English before. They describe the deadly effect of Napoleon's faulty decisions on the lives of his men, to say nothing of the innumerable Russian military and civilian casualties his campaign caused.
The book offers an in-depth exploration of the Prussian army from its early formation in 1571 to its pivotal role in the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. It highlights the influence of key figures like Frederick William I and Frederick the Great, detailing each regiment's history, uniforms, and battle participation. The narrative includes insights on regimental standards and the fate of lost banners. Accompanied by over a hundred illustrations, many previously unpublished, the work draws on reliable German sources and features contemporary artifacts from the Military Museum in Rastatt, Germany.
The Frontline Napoleonic Library is an unparalleled collection of classic works on the Napoleonic Wars. Presenting some of the finest memoirs and studies of the period the collection brings together renowned contemporary accounts with more recent analytical publications.
The Frontline Napoleonic Library is an unparalleled collection of classic works on the Napoleonic Wars. Presenting some of the finest memoirs and studies of the period the collection brings together renowned contemporary accounts with more recent analytical publications.
The period of turmoil that preceded and marked the Napoleonic era caused an expansion in the navies of Europe and the United States. Naval tactics were evolving too, as the old system of individual ships and captains was replaced by true navies, governed by a hierarchy and working together as a force. The book falls into three Part The Ships and the Men describes ship construction, rigging, sail plans and rating system, life at sea, naval tactics and the balance of naval forces from the outbreak of war in 1792. Part The Engagements describes in detail, in chronological order, the individual actions divided into the three major wars – The War of the First Coalition 1792-1797, The War of the Second Coalition 1798-1802 and The Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815. Part The National Navies gives the strength of fleets at various times, the organization and training of individual navies, and also detailed descriptions of the uniforms worn at different periods. Appendices give precise details of ship losses by the major navies in the periods 1793-1802 and 1803-1815, a glossary of British naval terminology and a bibliography. Detailed battle plans of major engagements, line drawings of construction details and sixty photographs complement this authoritative work that will appeal to all those interested in maritime and military history.
The Crimean War is sometimes considered to be the first modern conflict and introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare.
This book brings a highly eventful period of European history to life, chrinicling the battles, campaigns and skirmishes of the conflict and the political triumphs and declines of the combatant forces.
The crucial three-day battle of Leipzig, known to posterity as the Battle of the Nations, was the biggest battle of the Napoleonic Wars. It was also one of Napoleon's worst defeats - Leipzig sealed the fate of Napoleon's empire. Now, in this superbly narrated account of the battle, Digby Smith describes the events of 16, 17, 18 and 19 October 1813, and stresses both the significance of the battle and the brutality of the fighting. At the height of the battle Napoleon fielded more than 200,000 men against an Allied force - which included contingents from Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sweden - of some 360,000 soldiers. Cornered against the River Estler, Napoleon, outnumbered and suffering heavily from the fire of 1,400 Allied guns, was soundly defeated, had to relinquish control of Germany and was forced back into France. Digby Smith's evocative account of Leipzig concentrates on the ferocious fighting, charts the fortunes of the three day struggle and underlines the incredible human cost of the battle. Using a wealth of first-hand accounts, many of them previously unpublished in English, he brings the dramatic struggle to life and demonstrates just what it was like for the average French, German, Russian, Prussian, Austrian or Swedish soldier to take part in the Battle of the Nations.
Armies of the Napoleonic Era provides a complete overview of the tactics, organisation, uniforms, equipment, weapons and actions fought during those dynamic years 1792-1815, when revolutionary France reshaped Europe before being forced back into a more co