Curated playlist
Battles commanded by Napoleon
- Battle of Caldiero (1796)A hailstorm helped stop Napoleon at the Battle of Caldiero in 1796.
- Battle of CevaAt the Battle of Ceva in 1796, the Sardinians won the fight and retreated anyway. They left the ridge that night.
- Battle of RoveretoThe Battle of Rovereto, fought on the 4th of September 1796, is remembered partly for a dinner. Austrian troops at Calliano were cooking a meal when French soldiers burst into their camp. The battle, also spelled Roveredo, set Napoleon…
- Siege of El ArishFrench forces stormed the Ottoman fortress of El Arish on February 20, 1799, after a nine-day siege.
- Battle of La RothièreNapoleon waited two days at Brienne, then lost the Battle of La Rothière in 1814. Historians still ask why he stayed.
- Battle of Shubra KhitAt Shubra Khit, French soldiers stood in giant rectangles as Mameluke horsemen circled them for three hours.
- Battle of Château-Thierry (1814)About 400 Prussian soldiers fought to a bridge at Château-Thierry, only to find it destroyed.
- Battle of LaonA sick Prussian general with twice Napoleon's men still let him slip away at Laon.
- Revolt of CairoIn October 1798, Cairo rose up against the French troops occupying it. The two-day revolt began at the Al-Azhar Mosque.
- Battle of ChampaubertAt the Battle of Champaubert in 1814, a 19-year-old French conscript captured a senior Russian general.
- Battle of MontmirailOutnumbered nearly three to one, Napoleon attacked instead of defending. He struck at Montmirail in 1814.
- Battle of HeilsbergAt Heilsberg in 1807, Murat charged before Napoleon even arrived. He hit the strongest point in the Russian line.
- Battle of Reims (1814)At Reims in 1814, a general who doubted Napoleon was coming lost the city in one evening.
- Battle of BassanoThe Battle of Bassano, fought on the 8th of September 1796 in the territory of the Republic of Venice, was the last battle of Napoleon Bonaparte's perfect military career. Two months later he would lose the Second Battle of Bassano, and…
- Battle of BorghettoAustrian hussars nearly captured Napoleon Bonaparte at Valeggio in 1796. He then formed a personal cavalry bodyguard.
- Battle of Landshut (1809)At Landshut in 1809, French grenadiers crossed a smoldering bridge without firing. They broke down the gate.
- Battle of MillesimoNapoleon admitted his costliest fight at Millesimo was a mistake. He blamed his own impatience.
- Battle of Arcis-sur-AubeAt Arcis-sur-Aube in 1814, Napoleon's army climbed a ridge and met a far larger enemy. He had roughly 28,000 men.
- Battle of EckmühlAt Eckmühl in 1809, Napoleon lost the initiative for the first time as emperor. He still won.
- Second Battle of DegoThe Second Battle of Dego was fought on the 14th and the 15th of April 1796 around a hamlet in northwestern Italy. Hamlets rarely decide campaigns, but this one stood on the only road by which two enemy armies could link up. Whoever held…
- Battle of VauchampsAt Vauchamps, Blucher attacked a weak-looking French corps and met Napoleon. His army lost as many as 10,000 men.
- Second Battle of BassanoAt Bassano in 1796, Napoleon suffered his first clear tactical defeat. He still reported a victory that day.
- Battle of CastiglioneNapoleon lifted his own siege of Mantua to beat four Austrian columns. The Battle of Castiglione came on August 5, 1796.
- Battle of HanauIn October 1813, 42,000 Austro-Bavarian soldiers blocked Napoleon's road home from Germany.
- Battle of MormantRetreat orders reached a Russian commander too late at the Battle of Mormant. French infantry advanced at five.
- Battle of Saint-DizierNapoleon won the Battle of Saint-Dizier in 1814, and it helped lose him Paris.
- Second Battle of SaorgioNapoleon Bonaparte's plan outflanked a mountain line at Saorgio in April 1794. It had held since September 1792.
- Battle of Lützen (1813)At Lützen in 1813, Napoleon rode among disordered young soldiers to pull them back into the fight.
- Battle of Tarvis (1797)The Battle of Tarvis in March 1797 left thousands of Austrian soldiers captive in mountain passes.
- Battle of Bautzen (1813)At the 1813 Battle of Bautzen, Marshal Ney got distracted and Napoleon's trap failed.
- Battle of Mount Tabor (1799)Wild wheat hid a French relief force at the Battle of Mount Tabor in 1799.
- Battle of FombioA French general at the Battle of Fombio may have died by friendly fire. Laharpe fell in a chaotic night fight.
- Battle of the PyramidsThe Battle of the Pyramids began with a promise shouted across the sand. On the 21st of July 1798, General Bonaparte told his weary soldiers, "From the top of those pyramids, forty centuries are contemplating you." The monuments were…
- Siege of Mantua (1796–1797)The siege of Mantua, a fortress ringed by lakes and marshes, lasted eight months.
- Battle of AbensbergThe Battle of Abensberg ended on the 20th of April 1809 in a complete victory for Emperor Napoleon I of France. His Franco-German force had faced a reinforced Austrian corps led by Archduke Louis. The fighting rolled across country…
- Battle of FriedlandAt Friedland in 1807, a Russian general marched his army into a trap. Its bridges were bunched at one village.
- Battle of LignyNapoleon won the Battle of Ligny, yet the beaten Prussians helped finish him at Waterloo.
- Battle of MontereauFrench cavalry seized two rigged bridges at Montereau before the fuses could be lit.
- Battle of RatisbonAt the Battle of Ratisbon in 1809, a canister round struck Napoleon in the left foot. He still rode among his troops.
- 13 VendémiaireOn 5 October 1795, a young general's cannon stopped a Royalist attack on Paris.
- Battle of Aspern–EsslingThe Battle of Aspern-Essling was the first time Napoleon had been personally defeated in a major battle in ten years. It was fought on the 21st-the 22nd of May 1809. At four in the afternoon on the first day, his senior commanders met on…
- Battle of CraonneAt the Battle of Craonne in 1814, Napoleon won but lost more men than the Russians he beat.
- Battle of DresdenNapoleon won the Battle of Dresden in 1813, yet it changed almost nothing.
- Battle of RivoliJust 26 horsemen captured a whole Austrian battalion at the Battle of Rivoli. They also seized five enemy flags.
- Battle of BrienneAt the Battle of Brienne in 1814, 400 French soldiers nearly captured a Prussian field marshal.
- Battle of MontenotteBy 9:30 on the morning of the 12th of April 1796, the Battle of Montenotte was already over. It was fought near the village of Cairo Montenotte, in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. The modern town lies in the northwest of Italy. On one…
- Battle of LonatoAt Lonato in 1796, Napoleon bluffed a larger Austrian force into surrendering. He set an eight-minute deadline.
- Battle of UlmThe Battle of Ulm ended with an Austrian general introducing himself to Napoleon as "the unfortunate General Mack." Karl Mack von Leiberich had just offered his sword, and behind him stood an army that had been caught without ever fighting…
- Battle of AusterlitzAt Austerlitz, Napoleon staged a chaotic retreat to lure the Allies onto a hill.
- Battle of LodiFrench carabiniers stormed a wooden bridge at the Battle of Lodi in 1796.