Curated playlist

Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe

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…
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 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 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 EckmühlAt Eckmühl in 1809, Napoleon lost the initiative for the first time as emperor. He still won.
Battle of MaloyaroslavetsThe Battle of Maloyaroslavets was fought on the 24th of October 1812, and in the course of that single day the small Russian town at its center changed hands no fewer than eight times. Two armies of nearly equal strength fought through its…
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 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 Lützen (1813)At Lützen in 1813, Napoleon rode among disordered young soldiers to pull them back into the fight.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 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.
Battle of Abukir (1799)A French cavalry general rode into an enemy commander's tent at the Battle of Abukir.
Battle of Jena–AuerstedtNapoleon refused to believe one of his own marshals had beaten the main Prussian army.
Battle of WagramLosing the Battle of Wagram in 1809 cost Austria one sixth of its subjects. It was landlocked until 1813.
Siege of JaffaAt the Siege of Jaffa in 1799, Napoleon ordered thousands of prisoners killed on the seashore.
Battle of Smolensk (1812)The Battle of Smolensk left a city of 2,250 buildings with only 350 still standing. Fire destroyed 84 percent of them. Of the roughly 15,000 people who lived there, about 1,000 were still among the smoking ruins when the fighting ended. It…
Battle of BorodinoAt the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon refused to send in his Imperial Guard.
Battle of MondovìAn unguarded footbridge helped Napoleon win the Battle of Mondovì in 1796. Two assaults had failed.
Battle of EylauAt Eylau in 1807, Napoleon sent 11,000 cavalry straight at the Russian army to save his collapsing center.
Battle of CorunnaThe Battle of Corunna, known in Spain as the Battle of Elviña, cost the British army its commander in a single moment. Sir John Moore was hit by a cannonball that carried away his left shoulder and part of his collar-bone, leaving the arm…
Battle of MarengoAt Marengo in 1800, Napoleon's army was nearly beaten before a late cavalry charge.
Battle of ArcoleNapoleon Bonaparte grabbed a flag and charged a defended bridge at Arcole. His aide was shot dead beside him in 1796.
Battle of SomosierraAt Somosierra in 1808, 125 Polish horsemen charged sixteen Spanish cannon. It opened Napoleon's road to Madrid.