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and maybe even a little
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Okay, Mrs. Bonaparte, this is it,
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one last push and we're done.
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Congratulations! It's a general.
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Oh, and here comes the
rest of the army now.
0:36
Did you just say the rest of the army?
0:39
(fanfare music)
1:00
History is full of great conquerors
1:02
many with very impressive origin stories.
1:04
For example, Alexander The
Great was the son of a king.
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1:07
Julius Caesar came from
an aristocratic family
1:10
that descended from a goddess.
1:11
Great conquerors don't usually come
1:13
from relatively
insignificant families living
1:15
on impoverished islands,
but as it just so happens
1:18
that is where our story begins.
1:21
In the early 18th century,
1:23
The Island of Corsica was a part
1:24
of the Republic of Genoa until
one day Corsica said, Hey
1:27
we're declaring independence
and it's probably
1:29
not worth your time to try and stop us.
1:31
So Genoa said, you're right,
it isn't worth our time.
1:33
Hey France, you want to buy this island?
1:35
And France said, sure thing.
1:37
And thus Corsica became
France just in time
1:39
for Napoleon to be born French.
1:41
Many Corsicans didn't appreciate
their new conquers however.
1:45
And from an early age,
Napoleon developed some fairly
1:47
anti French sentiments.
1:48
Napoleon's dad, however,
1:50
quickly embraced his new French overlords
1:52
which created some tension
between dad and son.
1:54
Ooh. Look at me. I'm dad.
1:56
I wear powdered wigs and
silver buckled shoes.
1:58
And I'm a trader to the Corsican people.
2:00
Go to your room Napoleon.
2:01
No, you go to your room, dad.
2:04
Okay.
2:05
On the other hand,
Napoleon adored his mother
2:07
who was definitely the
disciplinarian of the family.
2:09
And even though she would
punish Napoleon severely,
2:11
he kind of respected that.
2:12
But Napoleon's parents wanted
the best for their family.
2:15
And since they were a very minor nobility
2:17
they were able to have Napoleon sent
2:18
off to the shining lights
2:19
and rat-infested sewage
puddles of the big city.
2:22
Napoleon went to military
school in France.
2:25
Okay. Napoleon, why don't
you introduce yourself
2:27
to your new classmates?
2:28
Well, I'm Napoleon, and I hate all of you.
2:30
Your farts smell like cheese.
2:32
You can't pronounce the letter R.
2:33
All you do is go on strike.
2:34
And you call eggs "oeufs" like a bunch of
2:36
big dumb idiot dingleberries.
2:39
Okay, thanks Napoleon.
2:42
I hope you like being bullied.
2:44
And bullied he was.
2:45
They picked on him for
his Corsican accent,
2:47
his family's lack of wealth,
2:49
and it probably didn't help
that he also had a bit of a chip
2:51
on his shoulder, but
he could hold his own.
2:53
And on an average day,
might be found dishing
2:55
out ratatouille sandwiches for breakfast.
2:57
He spent much of his time
alone, and he loved reading
3:00
about the great conquerors of history.
3:02
He learned about Julius
Caesar, and he wondered
3:04
if one day he too might
have a pizza franchise named
3:07
after him,
3:08
(funky music)
3:10
He excelled at math and geography,
3:12
and when he graduated at the age of 16,
3:14
he was made second Lieutenant
in an artillery regiment.
3:17
Now, Second Lieutenant might
sound pretty sweet to a
3:19
screw up like you, but
Napoleon had a little something
3:22
called ambition, stonks of it.
3:25
And he wasn't content being
just some junior officer.
3:28
He wanted to rise the ranks.
3:30
Unfortunately for him, that
would be a little difficult.
3:33
Well, Napoleon I've
reviewed your application,
3:35
it's clear you're very skilled
3:37
and would be a perfect
fit for the promotion.
3:39
And Simeon,
3:40
you're just about the
biggest idiot I've ever seen.
3:42
Your test results suggest
you have the mental aptitude
3:44
of a senile earthworm.
3:45
And in the part of the form
where you list your experience,
3:47
you seem to have drawn
a picture of a gerbil
3:48
giving birth to a shoe,
3:50
but your dad is the
Marquis de la Foofayette,
3:52
so, you get the job.
3:54
(Simeon screams)
3:55
French society was just too closed off.
3:58
Positions were handed out
based on nobility, not talent.
4:02
And the young Napoleon
probably felt stuck.
4:04
Wouldn't it be nice if, say,
a revolution came along,
4:08
and changed all of that?
4:09
Well, what are the chances?
4:11
The French revolution is here.
4:13
Bastille toppling, head
chopping, king popping,
4:16
the revolution promised to do away
4:18
with the old social hierarchy
4:19
and make everyone a little more equal.
4:21
Napoleon may not have cared
much for the violent mobs,
4:24
but if it meant he could
rise the ranks, he was in.
4:28
He began fighting to
defend the revolution.
4:30
He put down a British
sponsored counter-revolution
4:32
into Toulon and got promoted.
4:34
He put down a royalist uprising
in Paris and got promoted.
4:37
And as his military prowess
became more recognized
4:40
he was even given his very own army.
4:42
It was astonishing progress
4:44
for such a young man of humble origins
4:46
and Napoleon's wildest
dreams were coming true.
4:49
But Napoleon also
believed he could increase
4:51
his social status if he
married an older rich lady.
4:53
And so around this time,
Napoleon went on the prowl.
4:57
However, if some sources
are to be believed,
4:59
he was a verified creep.
5:01
He reportedly had terrible luck with woman
5:03
and most wanted nothing to do with him.
5:05
Fortunately, he eventually met Josephine
5:07
an aging single mother
who was deeply in debt,
5:10
and needed stability.
5:11
So she agreed to marry him,
5:12
despite finding him intensely disgusting.
5:14
Napoleon you dirty dog, you've done it.
5:17
Unbeknownst to Napoleon however,
5:19
Josephine had a bit of a
promiscuous reputation.
5:22
Hey Napoleon, I hear
you're marrying Josephine.
5:24
Boy, she sure is a great kisser.
5:26
That's right.
5:27
Hey, wait, what do you
mean she's a great kisser?
5:29
Hey Hugo! You hear Napoleon's
marrying Josephine?
5:31
Wow. She sure is a great kisser.
5:33
Now hang on just a minute.
5:34
Hey everyone! Napoleon's
marrying Josephine!
5:37
(crowd talks over each other)
5:42
Oh for goodness sake,
5:43
is there anyone here who
hasn't kissed my wife?
5:45
Yeah, you.
5:47
(crowd laughs)
5:49
As Napoleon fell madly in
love with his new wife.
5:51
She fell madly in love
with a man named Hippolyte.
5:54
It wouldn't be long however,
5:56
before Napoleon would
leave home and go to war
5:58
because while France was
having its revolution,
6:00
tensions in Europe were rising.
6:03
Hey Austria, you'll never
guess what we just did.
6:05
What's that France?
6:06
I got two words for you, Revo, Lution.
6:09
We totally just socked it to our monarchy!
6:12
What, dude, the rest of us are monarchies.
6:15
You've just totally threatened the balance
6:17
of power in Europe.
6:18
Now we have to worry
about our stinky peasants
6:21
rising up against us.
6:22
I mean, holy hell your Queen is
6:25
Okay, France. This is pretty awkward.
6:27
And the rest of Europe
is probably itching to
6:29
give you a wedgie, but you're
not ready for a war yet.
6:32
So you gotta be cool man.
6:34
It's absolutely crucial that you
6:36
say something to diffuse
the situation, right now.
6:39
Preposterous!
6:42
I declare war.
6:44
Sacrébleu!
6:46
So France ended up at war with
basically the rest of Europe,
6:49
and the war of the first coalition began.
6:52
At first France struggled,
6:54
but then they started
to do surprisingly well.
6:56
And in many conquered territories
6:57
they began to establish sister republics,
7:00
exporting their revolutionary
ideas across Europe.
7:03
In 1796, they planned a
three-pronged attack to take Vienna
7:06
and knock Austria out of the
war with two magnificent armies
7:09
in the north to kick ass,
and Napoleon in the south,
7:12
as a bit of a diversion.
7:13
For the first time, Napoleon
would lead a military campaign.
7:16
This was his chance to prove
himself, to be somebody,
7:20
and what a general, he proved to be.
7:22
The army he was given were demoralized,
7:24
lacking equipment, and underpaid,
7:26
but Napoleon galvanized them
with inspirational speeches.
7:29
And he took them into Italy.
7:31
He was outnumbered and
his campaign was partially
7:33
meant to be a sideshow, but
he made it the main show.
7:36
While the two Northern
armies were being held back,
7:39
Napoleon made staggering progress.
7:41
In a signature Napoleon move,
7:43
he masterfully split his enemies into two
7:45
and took them on separately,
7:46
knocking Sardinia out of the war,
7:48
and putting the Austrians on the run.
7:50
At the famous Battle of Lodi,
7:51
he was in the fray,
aiming the canons himself,
7:54
getting covered in mud,
7:55
and earning the total respect of his men.
7:57
They respected him so much,
7:59
that when he ordered an
almost suicidal assault
8:01
on the only bridge in town,
his men threw themselves at it
8:03
and took it despite fierce
Austrian resistance.
8:06
For Napoleon, it was
all he needed to confirm
8:09
that he was the greatest
human who had ever existed.
8:12
Wow Napoleon, you're pretty
great at this military stuff.
8:14
Just be careful, your
head doesn't get too big.
8:16
What did you just say
to me you little prick?
8:18
And as Napoleon swept
through Northern Italy,
8:20
the Italians cheered his arrival.
8:23
Yes! I'm here to liberate you from your
8:25
cruel Austrian oppressors.
8:31
And replace them with French ones.
8:34
Napoleon plundered as he
went, sending riches back
8:36
to France to help its economy, but also
8:38
paying his men the first real
money that's seen in years.
8:41
The Pope had been
supporting the Austrians,
8:43
so Napoleon briefly went
to go give him a slap.
8:45
And as he began to approach Vienna,
8:47
the exhausted Austrians
were forced to make peace,
8:49
with Napoleon overseeing
negotiations himself.
8:52
He had just single-handedly
knocked Austria out of the war.
8:55
And by the way, he was only 28.
8:58
So maybe it's about time you
moved out of your dad's attic.
9:00
In the Italian territories
he had conquered,
9:02
Napoleon established new
French sister republics,
9:05
even writing constitutions
9:06
and organizing governments himself.
9:08
Not something a general generally does.
9:10
When he got back to France,
he was hailed as a hero
9:13
and the extremely unpopular
government were concerned
9:16
he might get some power hungry ideas.
9:18
So they agreed he should go
far away from France, to Egypt,
9:21
where he could maybe undermine
British access to India.
9:23
Napoleon was eager to win more glory.
9:26
So he brought with him a team of scholars,
9:28
and he was like, whoa
it's a freaky man cat.
9:30
Whoa, it's a big stick.
9:32
Whoa, It's an ugly horse.
9:33
Whoa, it's a stumpy little manlet.
9:35
Hey, I'm actually average
height for the time.
9:40
But then British Admiral Nelson came down
9:42
and wrecked his fleet.
9:42
And an Anglo-Ottoman force
defeated him at Acre.
9:45
So Napoleon abandoned his
men and went back to France.
9:48
His campaign in Egypt hadn't
gone quite as planned.
9:51
But one thing you should
know about Napoleon was
9:53
that he was a skilled propagandist.
9:55
He published his own
newspapers that sometimes
9:57
exaggerated his achievements
and even commissioned paintings
10:00
that generally made him look cool.
10:02
So when he returned to
Paris, he was yet again,
10:04
hailed as a hero,
10:06
and he began to get
some power hungry ideas.
10:08
First however, he had a bit
of a problem to deal with.
10:11
See, he had learned something
shocking about his dear wife.
10:14
Really Josephine, this guy?
10:16
I'm just as tall as him.
10:18
I'm sorry.
10:19
I swear, now that you're becoming famous,
10:21
I'll never do it again.
10:23
Make sure you don't.
10:24
I've never stooped so
low as to cheat on you.
10:27
Now, if you'll excuse
me, I'll be in this room,
10:30
consulting my generals
for the next 30 minutes.
10:32
And by consulting, I mean boinking,
10:34
by my generals, I mean this woman
10:37
and by 30 minutes, well
I mean two seconds.
10:41
Having dealt with his wife,
Napoleon was then approached
10:44
by a very influential politician,
who said he had an idea.
10:46
He wanted to stage a
coup against the deeply
10:49
unpopular government
10:49
and needed the extremely
popular Napoleon's help.
10:52
And Napoleon thought that was
just the darn tootin'est idea.
10:55
The plan was to trap the government
10:57
and convince them to
voluntarily give up their power.
10:59
And here's how they did it.
11:01
Hey guys, oh my gosh, quick!
11:03
There's a dangerous Jacobin
plot to overthrow you
11:05
which we definitely aren't just making up.
11:06
Better get inside this
cage so we can protect you.
11:10
Okay.
11:13
Gentlemen, we got them.
11:15
(cheers)
11:16
In this case, the cage
was an isolated palace
11:19
outside of Paris, with no
one around but Napoleon
11:22
and his army.
11:22
With the government inside,
Napoleon then entered
11:25
and a pretty chaotic event ensued.
11:27
During which, the government
didn't seem entirely sure
11:28
what was going on, Napoleon's
men didn't seem entirely sure
11:31
what was going on, and Napoleon himself
11:33
didn't seem entirely
sure what was going on.
11:35
But thankfully Napoleon's brother Lucien,
11:37
President of the Lower House,
managed to regain control
11:40
and the remaining
councilmen were intimidated
11:42
into creating a new constitution.
11:44
And thus, a new government was formed.
11:45
This time with three Consuls in charge.
11:48
But after Napoleon did some rewriting,
11:49
in the end there was really
only one man in charge,
11:52
the first Consul, him.
11:54
And over the next few years,
11:55
he worked to consolidate even more power
11:57
and essentially became a dictator
11:59
in total control of France,
who, by the way, he was only 30.
12:03
So maybe it's about time you washed
12:04
your disgusting bedsheets.
12:06
France was now ruled by
possibly the greatest
12:08
military leader of the time.
12:10
Possibly the greatest? Or definitely?
12:12
Well now is his chance to prove it.
12:15
See, back when Napoleon
was still in Egypt,
12:17
being Indiana Jones, back
home France was in France,
12:21
being France.
12:22
They had conquered even more
territory and they were like
12:25
hey Piedmont, you get
revolutionary ideals.
12:27
Hey Switzerland, you get
revolutionary ideals.
12:30
And Rome, you get revolutionary ideals.
12:33
Everybody gets revolutionary.
12:34
Oh, Hey guys, nice sledgehammers,
12:37
and Naples, very cool nail gun.
12:39
You guys here to get some
revolutionary ideals?
12:41
(screams)
12:43
Sacre bleu!
12:45
As France was still
spreading the revolution,
12:47
And with Napoleon busy in Egypt,
12:48
the European powers felt the
time was right for round two.
12:51
And the War of the
Second Coalition, began.
12:54
And this time they're
big, bad boy buddy Russia
12:57
was here to bang some French
boys back to Bordeaux.
12:59
And bang them, they did.
13:01
France, got blasted.
13:03
But then Russia pulled out
after stalling in Switzerland.
13:05
And now that Napoleon was
in charge of the country
13:08
he was ready to start blasting right back.
13:10
He took command of The Army of the Reserve
13:12
and he brought the fight to the Austrians.
13:15
Now, there are many
traits that made Napoleon
13:17
a great military leader.
13:19
I already mentioned one of them,
how he was one of the boys,
13:21
and commanded the total
loyalty of his men.
13:23
But now we see a second reason,
the element of surprise.
13:27
In 1800, Napoleon moved to Geneva
13:29
and it looked like he was
probably going to take
13:31
on the Austrian forces in Germany.
13:33
There's no way he'd be crazy enough to
13:35
move his entire army
south through the Alps as
13:36
a surprise attack on the
Austrians besieging Genoa.
13:39
Oh, Napoleon's moving
his entire army south
13:41
through the Alps as a surprise attack
13:42
on the Austrians besieging Genoa.
13:44
Napoleon's crossing of
the Alps, is legendary.
13:46
And you may have seen one
of the most famous paintings
13:48
of the general popping a
sick wheelie on his majestic
13:50
stallion, surrounded by
dangerous mountain terrain.
13:53
Of course, in real life,
he made the crossing
13:55
on a depressed mule,
but that's not as cool.
13:58
When he emerged in Italy,
the Austrians expected him to
14:00
come break their siege.
14:01
But Napoleon went for their
supply line near Milan,
14:04
forcing the Austrians
to meet Napoleon head-on
14:06
at the famous battle of Marengo.
14:08
The Austrians initially clobbered
the out-numbered French.
14:10
And they were like, hooray, we won.
14:12
But then a few hours later,
Napoleon showed up again
14:14
with an even bigger army and
he clobbered them right back.
14:17
Holy cow this tiny little
fun sized French guy
14:20
is running rings around us.
14:21
Hey! I'm average height
for the time, you jerk!
14:24
Then, after General Moreau's
victory at Hohenlinden,
14:27
Vienna was exposed and the
Austrians again, sued for peace.
14:31
Just like the war of The First Coalition,
14:33
the Second Coalition ended
in another French victory.
14:35
But in many ways
14:36
they both felt more
like Napoleon victories.
14:39
Only the UK remained at
war with Napoleon and
14:42
they were using their powerful
Navy to blockade French ports
14:44
and were even seizing the
cargoes of neutral ships.
14:47
Obviously everyone else got pretty pissed
14:49
off that the British were
interfering with their trade.
14:51
So in response,
14:52
they formed a league and they
embargoed the UK right back.
14:56
Neutral countries protecting
their own interests?
14:59
That's offensive.
15:00
So Britain went to Copenhagen
and blew a bunch of stuff up.
15:02
And the league disbanded.
15:04
But because UK's economy was pretty bust
15:06
they decided to sign a
treaty with France in 1802.
15:09
For the first time in a long
time, Europe was at peace.
15:13
Congratulations, Sire,
you've achieved peace.
15:16
Yes, Pierre, but not for long.
15:18
I still don't trust those dirty Brits.
15:20
Did you hear they've been
calling me the Boneyman?
15:23
What does that even mean?
15:24
Keep an eye on them, would you?
15:25
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Now, where were we? Oh yeah.
16:33
Crossing the Alps,
defeating the Austrians,
16:36
and Europe at peace.
16:38
What a meteoric rise it had
been for the young Corsican.
16:42
He had just taken charge of
a nation that appeared to
16:44
be losing a war and turned it all around,
16:46
securing French gains in Europe.
16:49
But there was now a big
question, you see, throughout
16:52
the chaotic French
revolution, French governments
16:54
had struggled to keep the economy afloat.
16:56
They often didn't have
a whole lot of support
16:58
and they frequently came and went.
17:00
Would Napoleon finally be the
man who could stick around?
17:03
Military victories were one thing,
17:05
but could the general also govern?
17:07
Spoiler alert, yes.
17:09
The economy's crumbling?
17:11
Well then why don't you have
yourself a new national bank,
17:13
currency reform, and improve
taxation and welfare systems.
17:16
The legal system is an incoherent mess?
17:18
Well then why don't we nicely
wrap all those civil laws up
17:20
into one new centralized legal code?
17:23
Corrupt government officials?
throw them in the trash.
17:25
Bad infrastructure? Throw it in the trash.
17:27
Women's rights? Throw them in the trash.
17:29
Wait, really?
17:30
Well, Yeah. Unfortunately,
while Napoleon was building
17:33
on the equality of the revolution,
17:35
he also largely scaled back
rights for certain groups
17:37
and husbands had full legal
control over their wives.
17:40
But come on ladies,
17:42
maybe let men have a slice
of the pie for once, okay?
17:45
Napoleon further reformed education,
17:47
ensuring a system based
on individual ability.
17:49
Meaning now, Simeon had to
compete with everyone else
17:52
and Napoleon could get
the cream of the crop
17:54
to help him run the Republic.
17:55
But he wasn't just building on
the ideas of the revolution.
17:58
The revolution had led to a lot of chaos
18:00
and Napoleon needed stability.
18:02
So he rolled back a couple of things.
18:04
Most notably with religion,
the revolution had
18:07
pretty much kicked the
Catholic church to the curb,
18:09
but Napoleon understood
that since many French
18:11
citizens still considered
themselves Catholic,
18:13
that could be a problem.
18:14
So he came to an agreement with the Pope
18:16
and brought back the church.
18:17
Only this time with some
pretty hefty power limitations.
18:20
He also ensured freedom
for other religions
18:22
and is often noted for
his positive treatment
18:24
of Jewish people at a time
of widespread antisemitism.
18:27
But while all of this
may make Napoleon sound
18:29
like a pretty standup
dude, it's good to note
18:31
that he believed in religious freedom
18:32
because he thought it was a
powerful tool to keep the poor
18:34
from eating the rich,
or something like that.
18:37
Overall, Napoleon's aim
18:39
was to end the chaos of the revolution
18:41
and finally create a stable
and prospering French Republic.
18:44
And in that aim, he seemed
to be largely successful
18:46
and generally popular
with the people of France.
18:49
He officially declared
18:50
that the revolution is over,
adding I am the revolution.
18:54
Napoleon's head could be seen for miles.
18:57
Of course, not everyone was
happy with Napoleon's reforms.
19:00
Conservatives felt he was too radical.
19:02
Radicals felt he was too conservative.
19:04
But since Napoleon was a dictator,
19:06
opposition could usually be stamped out
19:08
with some good old fashioned iron fisting.
19:10
In 1804, Napoleon took
one last major step.
19:13
After some failed attempts
were made to assassinate him.
19:16
He wanted to strengthen his position
19:18
and ensure his dynasty
could live on after him.
19:20
And so he decided being
First Consul for Life
19:23
simply wasn't quite enough.
19:24
He decided he should become Emperor.
19:27
He held a vote asking the
French people if they were cool
19:30
with the idea and they
returned to definitely
19:32
not rigged, 99.9% in favor.
19:35
The balls on this man.
19:37
And so in the 2nd of December, 1804,
19:39
in an elaborate ceremony at Notre-dame,
19:41
Napoleon was made Emperor.
19:44
The Pope was even invited to attend
19:45
and normally he would
crown an Emperor, but to
19:48
make sure everyone knew this
wasn't some Charlemagne style
19:50
circular power division,
Napoleon lifted the crown
19:53
and placed it on his own head.
19:55
Like I said, the balls on this man.
19:58
He was now Emperor of the French.
20:00
Well Napoleon, you were a General,
20:02
then you became First Consul for Life,
20:04
And now you're an Emperor.
20:06
Is it enough yet?
20:07
Is your ambition finally satisfied?
20:09
I don't know Pierre,
what comes after Emperor?
20:13
I would say, God sire.
20:15
You want to be a God?
20:20
Yes.
20:22
I'll put it down under maybe.
20:23
Okay everyone. What the hell is going on?
20:26
This Corsican guy showed up out of nowhere
20:28
and he's kicking our ass!
20:30
He's exporting the ideas
of the French revolution
20:32
wherever he goes.
20:33
And he just declared himself
King of Italy and Emperor.
20:36
He can't do that, I'm the emperor!
20:38
Oh, hey fellow monarchs.
20:40
I see you're having a monarch party.
20:41
My invite must've got lost in the mail.
20:43
I'll just set up a spot right here.
20:47
Wow. You don't belong here, Napoleon.
20:50
We're coming to take you down.
20:52
I'd like to see you try.
20:53
I'm so scared, I just pooed my pants.
20:56
Hey everyone, I just pooed my pants!
20:58
(crowd laughing)
21:05
No, but I did just poo my pants.
21:07
Before Napoleon had even
declared himself Emperor,
21:10
the British had already
re-declared war on France,
21:12
because both sides had been
violating their previous treaty.
21:15
Napoleon immediately occupied Hanover
21:17
and then began making plans
for a great British invasion.
21:20
Partially paid for by
selling a huge chunk of land
21:22
to the United States.
21:24
Napoleon gathered his army
along the English channel.
21:27
But here was the problem,
21:28
while Napoleon's powerful
army would almost certainly
21:30
obliterate the British on land,
21:32
there was very little
chance he'd actually make it
21:34
across the channel because
Britannia ruled the waves.
21:38
This power dynamic would keep
the two traditional enemies
21:40
from engaging in much real direct combat
21:42
throughout the Napoleonic wars.
21:44
However, the British had
something else up their sleeves,
21:47
copious amounts of money.
21:49
They were willing to throw cash at anyone
21:51
who would go to war against Napoleon.
21:53
And there were plenty of
takers, Austria, Russia, Naples
21:56
and Sweden, hoping to put
Napoleon's France back
21:59
in its place, formed The Third
Coalition against France.
22:02
The coalition forces probably thought
22:04
that this time they stood a chance.
22:06
They weren't prepared
for the total humiliation
22:09
they were about to suffer.
22:11
The War of the Third Coalition
was Napoleon at his best.
22:14
We've already learned two ways
22:15
in which Napoleon was a
great military commander
22:18
but here comes one of the
biggest reasons, speed.
22:20
He had reorganized his army into corps,
22:22
which were themselves,
basically small armies.
22:25
Each had their own infantry,
cavalry and artillery.
22:28
And as a result was able
to act more independently.
22:31
They spread out through the
countryside and by living
22:33
off the land, rather than
relying on heavy supply trains
22:36
they were able to move extremely quickly.
22:38
Napoleon would traverse massive distances,
22:40
outmaneuver his enemies,
isolate them and then move in
22:44
for the kill before they
even knew what was going on.
22:47
Lightening warfare, leading
to total destruction.
22:50
Would you like to see him do it?
22:51
Here we go.
22:52
Part of the Coalition's plan
was for the Russians to meet up
22:54
with the Austrians and
take on Napoleon together.
22:57
Combined, they could turn
the tide against him.
22:59
So Napoleon needed to stop
them from ever meeting,
23:02
but he's all the way over in Bouillon.
23:04
No problem.
23:04
In a matter of weeks,
Napoleon marched 200,000 men,
23:08
in secret, encircling
Austrian general Mack,
23:11
and capturing his entire army.
23:13
A devastating blow.
23:14
Napoleon later remarked,
23:16
I have destroyed the Austrian
army by simply marching.
23:19
Next, he turned to face
the approaching Russians.
23:21
Okay. It looks like the
French are coming for us,
23:23
but check this out.
23:24
I've got an amazing idea.
23:26
When they approach, We run away,
23:30
Sir, you're a genius.
23:32
The Russians began to retreat
with Napoleon giving chase.
23:35
And since his tactics
relied on quick victories,
23:37
this could be a problem.
23:39
Especially because the
longer the war went on,
23:41
the more likely it looked
23:42
other countries may join
the coalition against him.
23:44
But Napoleon knew the Russians are
23:46
Alexander The First, who
was young and seeking glory.
23:49
So he came up with an idea to lure him in.
23:52
He sent him a message.
23:54
What does it say?
23:55
It says, hello. I'm
just a little baby boy,
23:58
and I'm very scared.
24:00
Are you talking like that, or is he?
24:02
He is, sir.
24:03
Why's he doing that?
24:04
I don't know, but it's very
cute, helpless, and vulnerable.
24:08
A little baby boy.
24:10
Very scared.
24:12
Cute?
24:14
Boris, get my crossbow,
we're going hunting.
24:17
The Allied forces turned to face Napoleon,
24:19
who they now believed was
in a vulnerable position.
24:21
He was set up at Austerlitz
24:23
and to make it look
like he was retreating,
24:25
he had even evacuated the high ground.
24:27
A thick fog set in,
obscuring Napoleon's center,
24:30
as the Allies took the bait
and set up on the heights.
24:32
From there,
24:33
they spotted Napoleon's very
weak looking right flank.
24:36
And they descended the
Heights to go get it.
24:38
Little did they know,
24:39
it was exactly what Napoleon
was hoping they'd do.
24:42
The next thing they knew, a
large French force was emerging
24:45
from the fog, launching a huge
central assault up the hill.
24:48
They swung around crushing the allies.
24:50
And as men attempted to flee
across the frozen lakes,
24:53
Napoleon ordered his
artillery to fire on the ice,
24:56
causing an unknown number to drown.
24:59
But he told me he was just a
little baby boy, what happened?
25:02
He tricked you, sir.
25:03
You mean I was the little
baby boy all along?
25:08
It was Napoleon's masterpiece.
25:10
And Austria were once again forced
25:11
to make peace with France.
25:13
Then, with the French
conquest of Naples in 1806,
25:16
The War of the Third Coalition ended
25:18
as yet another Napoleon victory.
25:21
This was the third time
Napoleon had had to
25:23
give Austrian Emperor
Francis a good spanking.
25:26
And so with the peace treaty in 1805,
25:29
Napoleon was determined to punish him.
25:31
He was forced to give up territory,
25:33
hand over significant compensation,
25:35
and promised never to
fight Napoleon again.
25:37
For now Russia, Sweden, and the UK
25:40
remained at war with France
25:41
but none were able to
offer much of a threat.
25:43
And so Napoleon got to work
25:45
strengthening his grip over Europe.
25:47
He gave out rule of captured territories
25:49
to his family and friends.
25:50
And most notably, he
established a new Confederation
25:53
in Germany with himself as its protector.
25:56
Seeing his influence in
Germany being wiped away,
25:58
Emperor Francis acknowledged reality,
26:01
and officially dissolved
the holy Roman empire.
26:03
An entity that had existed
for over a thousand years.
26:06
But it wasn't all good news for Napoleon.
26:09
For one thing, Spain had earlier
allied with France in 1804,
26:12
because the British just
couldn't help themselves
26:14
from blowing up Spanish ships.
26:15
And Napoleon hoped the
combined French-Spanish fleet
26:18
would eventually be
able to invade England.
26:20
Unfortunately, he received word
that British Admiral Nelson
26:22
had engaged his fleet at Trafalgar.
26:25
Normally Naval battles looked
like this, but in this case,
26:28
Nelson did this?
26:29
Was it because he was an idiot?
26:31
No, it's because he was a genius.
26:34
He successfully punched through
the Franco-Spanish line,
26:37
and unleashed hell.
26:38
His victory ensured British
control of the sea and his death
26:41
during the battle made him a legend.
26:44
Napoleon's hopes for a future
British invasion, were gone.
26:47
But not just that, Napoleon
was also hoping to secure peace
26:50
on the continent, but
that wasn't looking likely
26:52
because the Prussian king was
under pressure from his wife.
26:56
Frederick, he's established
a Confederation in our turf,
26:59
and he told us he'd give us Hanover
27:01
but then offered it to the British.
27:02
You have to declare war on him.
27:04
What is it with you and war?
27:05
What is it with you and being a cupcake?
27:07
Go to war.
27:08
Okay.
27:09
In October 1806, Prussia,
27:11
with its famed military
tradition joined the Coalition,
27:14
and declared war beginning the
War of the Fourth Coalition.
27:17
Unfortunately, Prussian King
Frederick William the Third,
27:20
Wasn't the smartest tool in the shed.
27:22
Look at him over there.
27:23
Being all French, makes me sick!
27:25
Boys, will get him this time.
27:27
But here's the thing, this
time we have to stick together.
27:31
Do not, under any circumstances,
face Napoleon by yourself.
27:34
You all saw what happened to Austria.
27:37
Hey, where'd Fred go?
27:38
Hey you jerk, think you're
some kind of big shot, huh?
27:41
Want to tango with Fred?
27:42
You don't got the cajones.
27:43
We're screwed.
27:44
Without consulting its allies,
27:45
Prussia had gone ahead and
sent Napoleon an ultimatum,
27:48
Demanding he move all his
forces out of Germany.
27:50
Now some of you watching this video,
27:52
probably can't even wipe
your own bum bum yet,
27:54
but even you know,
27:55
you don't just send Napoleon an ultimatum.
27:58
Obviously, Napoleon went in for the kill.
28:00
Prussia's army was quite outdated.
28:02
So when they met Napoleon
at the twin battles
28:04
of Jena and Auerstedt,
it wasn't even close.
28:07
Even Marshall Davout's heavily
outnumbered corp at Auerstedt
28:10
sent the Prussians running
and Napoleon carried
28:12
out a ruthless pursuit of his
fleeing enemy, taking Berlin.
28:15
And within a single month,
decimating the Prussian forces.
28:18
Frederick William, and
the remnants of his army,
28:20
moved to the east.
28:22
At this point, Napoleon's
forces were pretty tired.
28:24
Winter had come and
conditions were miserable.
28:27
He anticipated both sides would
settle into winter quarters,
28:30
but Russia decided to try their hand
28:32
at an unexpected winter attack.
28:34
A series of brutal battles
followed that took a heavy toll
28:37
on both sides, including
the vicious Battle of Eylau,
28:40
fought in blizzard conditions.
28:42
Men froze to death, and many deserted.
28:45
The Russian artillery
tore the French to shreds,
28:47
and Napoleon himself was momentarily
28:49
under risk of being captured.
28:51
In the end, the French army was saved,
28:53
thanks to a legendary cavalry charge
28:54
by Napoleon's flamboyant
cavalry commander, Murat.
28:57
After the horror inflicted on both sides,
29:00
they decided it might
be a good idea not to
29:01
do any more fighting until after winter.
29:03
Then after winter came
and the fighting continued
29:06
the Russians were pushed
back to Friedland,
29:08
where Russian general Bennigsen
made a bit of a blunder
29:11
by positioning himself with
the aloe river to his back.
29:14
The French artillery were
able to pin the Russians
29:16
between the river and
their concentrated gunfire.
29:18
A major element in
Napoleon's fighting style
29:21
and many Russians drowned
as they tried to escape.
29:24
War of the Fourth Coalition,
victory, Napoleon.
29:29
(dramatic music)
— end of transcript —
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