Napoleonic Wars: A History from Beginning to End

The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between France and various coalitions in Europe between 1803 and 1815 (though some put the start date at 1799). The prelude to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Wars is the French Revolution, and the conflicts that continued after Napoleon seized power would radically affect Europe and indeed political philosophies not confined by artificial boundaries.

When Napoleon rose to power, he had first to get his country on stable financial ground. After he did so, he created a professional, well-trained army that would go on to dominate Europe for years to come. And, it wasn’t only his army that changed the continent; it was also the liberal ideals—including democracy, the abolition of serfdom, and the reduction in power of the church—that would change the course of history and leave an enduring legacy.