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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.

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Did you just say the rest of the army?

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(fanfare music)

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History is full of great conquerors

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many with very impressive origin stories.

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00:01:04,579 --> 00:01:07,659
For example, Alexander The
Great was the son of a king.

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Julius Caesar came from
an aristocratic family

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that descended from a goddess.

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Great conquerors don't usually come

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from relatively
insignificant families living

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on impoverished islands,
but as it just so happens

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that is where our story begins.

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In the early 18th century,

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The Island of Corsica was a part

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of the Republic of Genoa until
one day Corsica said, Hey

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we're declaring independence
and it's probably

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not worth your time to try and stop us.

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So Genoa said, you're right,
it isn't worth our time.

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Hey France, you want to buy this island?

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And France said, sure thing.

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And thus Corsica became
France just in time

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for Napoleon to be born French.

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Many Corsicans didn't appreciate
their new conquers however.

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And from an early age,
Napoleon developed some fairly

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anti French sentiments.

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Napoleon's dad, however,

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quickly embraced his new French overlords

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which created some tension
between dad and son.

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Ooh. Look at me. I'm dad.

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I wear powdered wigs and
silver buckled shoes.

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And I'm a trader to the Corsican people.

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Go to your room Napoleon.

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No, you go to your room, dad.

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Okay.

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On the other hand,
Napoleon adored his mother

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who was definitely the
disciplinarian of the family.

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And even though she would
punish Napoleon severely,

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he kind of respected that.

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But Napoleon's parents wanted
the best for their family.

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And since they were a very minor nobility

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they were able to have Napoleon sent

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off to the shining lights

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and rat-infested sewage
puddles of the big city.

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Napoleon went to military
school in France.

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Okay. Napoleon, why don't
you introduce yourself

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to your new classmates?

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Well, I'm Napoleon, and I hate all of you.

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Your farts smell like cheese.

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You can't pronounce the letter R.

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All you do is go on strike.

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And you call eggs "oeufs" like a bunch of

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big dumb idiot dingleberries.

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Okay, thanks Napoleon.

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I hope you like being bullied.

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And bullied he was.

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They picked on him for
his Corsican accent,

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his family's lack of wealth,

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and it probably didn't help
that he also had a bit of a chip

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on his shoulder, but
he could hold his own.

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And on an average day,
might be found dishing

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out ratatouille sandwiches for breakfast.

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He spent much of his time
alone, and he loved reading

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about the great conquerors of history.

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He learned about Julius
Caesar, and he wondered

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if one day he too might
have a pizza franchise named

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after him,

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(funky music)

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He excelled at math and geography,

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and when he graduated at the age of 16,

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he was made second Lieutenant
in an artillery regiment.

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Now, Second Lieutenant might
sound pretty sweet to a

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screw up like you, but
Napoleon had a little something

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called ambition, stonks of it.

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And he wasn't content being
just some junior officer.

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He wanted to rise the ranks.

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Unfortunately for him, that
would be a little difficult.

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Well, Napoleon I've
reviewed your application,

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it's clear you're very skilled

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and would be a perfect
fit for the promotion.

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And Simeon,

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you're just about the
biggest idiot I've ever seen.

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Your test results suggest
you have the mental aptitude

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of a senile earthworm.

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And in the part of the form
where you list your experience,

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you seem to have drawn
a picture of a gerbil

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giving birth to a shoe,

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but your dad is the
Marquis de la Foofayette,

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so, you get the job.

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(Simeon screams)

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French society was just too closed off.

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Positions were handed out
based on nobility, not talent.

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And the young Napoleon
probably felt stuck.

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Wouldn't it be nice if, say,
a revolution came along,

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and changed all of that?

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Well, what are the chances?

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The French revolution is here.

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Bastille toppling, head
chopping, king popping,

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the revolution promised to do away

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with the old social hierarchy

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and make everyone a little more equal.

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Napoleon may not have cared
much for the violent mobs,

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but if it meant he could
rise the ranks, he was in.

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He began fighting to
defend the revolution.

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He put down a British
sponsored counter-revolution

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into Toulon and got promoted.

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He put down a royalist uprising
in Paris and got promoted.

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And as his military prowess
became more recognized

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he was even given his very own army.

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It was astonishing progress

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for such a young man of humble origins

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and Napoleon's wildest
dreams were coming true.

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But Napoleon also
believed he could increase

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his social status if he
married an older rich lady.

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And so around this time,
Napoleon went on the prowl.

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However, if some sources
are to be believed,

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he was a verified creep.

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He reportedly had terrible luck with woman

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and most wanted nothing to do with him.

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Fortunately, he eventually met Josephine

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an aging single mother
who was deeply in debt,

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and needed stability.

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So she agreed to marry him,

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despite finding him intensely disgusting.

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Napoleon you dirty dog, you've done it.

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Unbeknownst to Napoleon however,

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Josephine had a bit of a
promiscuous reputation.

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Hey Napoleon, I hear
you're marrying Josephine.

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Boy, she sure is a great kisser.

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That's right.

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Hey, wait, what do you
mean she's a great kisser?

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Hey Hugo! You hear Napoleon's
marrying Josephine?

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Wow. She sure is a great kisser.

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Now hang on just a minute.

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Hey everyone! Napoleon's
marrying Josephine!

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(crowd talks over each other)

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Oh for goodness sake,

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is there anyone here who
hasn't kissed my wife?

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Yeah, you.

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(crowd laughs)

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As Napoleon fell madly in
love with his new wife.

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She fell madly in love
with a man named Hippolyte.

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It wouldn't be long however,

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before Napoleon would
leave home and go to war

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because while France was
having its revolution,

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tensions in Europe were rising.

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Hey Austria, you'll never
guess what we just did.

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What's that France?

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I got two words for you, Revo, Lution.

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We totally just socked it to our monarchy!

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What, dude, the rest of us are monarchies.

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You've just totally threatened the balance

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of power in Europe.

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Now we have to worry
about our stinky peasants

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rising up against us.

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I mean, holy hell your Queen is

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Okay, France. This is pretty awkward.

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And the rest of Europe
is probably itching to

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give you a wedgie, but you're
not ready for a war yet.

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So you gotta be cool man.

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It's absolutely crucial that you

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say something to diffuse
the situation, right now.

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Preposterous!

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I declare war.

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Sacrébleu!

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So France ended up at war with
basically the rest of Europe,

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and the war of the first coalition began.

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At first France struggled,

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but then they started
to do surprisingly well.

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And in many conquered territories

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they began to establish sister republics,

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exporting their revolutionary
ideas across Europe.

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In 1796, they planned a
three-pronged attack to take Vienna

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and knock Austria out of the
war with two magnificent armies

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in the north to kick ass,
and Napoleon in the south,

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as a bit of a diversion.

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For the first time, Napoleon
would lead a military campaign.

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This was his chance to prove
himself, to be somebody,

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and what a general, he proved to be.

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The army he was given were demoralized,

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lacking equipment, and underpaid,

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but Napoleon galvanized them
with inspirational speeches.

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And he took them into Italy.

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He was outnumbered and
his campaign was partially

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meant to be a sideshow, but
he made it the main show.

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While the two Northern
armies were being held back,

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Napoleon made staggering progress.

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In a signature Napoleon move,

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he masterfully split his enemies into two

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and took them on separately,

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knocking Sardinia out of the war,

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and putting the Austrians on the run.

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At the famous Battle of Lodi,

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he was in the fray,
aiming the canons himself,

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getting covered in mud,

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and earning the total respect of his men.

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They respected him so much,

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that when he ordered an
almost suicidal assault

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on the only bridge in town,
his men threw themselves at it

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and took it despite fierce
Austrian resistance.

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For Napoleon, it was
all he needed to confirm

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00:08:09,189 --> 00:08:12,089
that he was the greatest
human who had ever existed.

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00:08:12,089 --> 00:08:14,810
Wow Napoleon, you're pretty
great at this military stuff.

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00:08:14,810 --> 00:08:16,899
Just be careful, your
head doesn't get too big.

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00:08:16,899 --> 00:08:18,409
What did you just say
to me you little prick?

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00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:20,330
And as Napoleon swept
through Northern Italy,

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the Italians cheered his arrival.

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00:08:23,459 --> 00:08:25,959
Yes! I'm here to liberate you from your

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00:08:25,959 --> 00:08:28,222
cruel Austrian oppressors.

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And replace them with French ones.

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00:08:34,399 --> 00:08:36,889
Napoleon plundered as he
went, sending riches back

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00:08:36,889 --> 00:08:38,759
to France to help its economy, but also

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paying his men the first real
money that's seen in years.

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00:08:41,490 --> 00:08:43,259
The Pope had been
supporting the Austrians,

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00:08:43,259 --> 00:08:45,480
so Napoleon briefly went
to go give him a slap.

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00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,120
And as he began to approach Vienna,

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the exhausted Austrians
were forced to make peace,

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00:08:49,870 --> 00:08:52,919
with Napoleon overseeing
negotiations himself.

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00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:55,796
He had just single-handedly
knocked Austria out of the war.

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00:08:55,797 --> 00:08:58,100
And by the way, he was only 28.

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00:08:58,100 --> 00:09:00,690
So maybe it's about time you
moved out of your dad's attic.

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00:09:00,690 --> 00:09:02,610
In the Italian territories
he had conquered,

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00:09:02,610 --> 00:09:05,360
Napoleon established new
French sister republics,

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00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:06,580
even writing constitutions

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00:09:06,580 --> 00:09:08,379
and organizing governments himself.

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00:09:08,379 --> 00:09:10,759
Not something a general generally does.

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00:09:10,759 --> 00:09:13,610
When he got back to France,
he was hailed as a hero

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00:09:13,610 --> 00:09:16,070
and the extremely unpopular
government were concerned

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00:09:16,070 --> 00:09:18,000
he might get some power hungry ideas.

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00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,080
So they agreed he should go
far away from France, to Egypt,

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where he could maybe undermine
British access to India.

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00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:26,260
Napoleon was eager to win more glory.

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00:09:26,259 --> 00:09:28,159
So he brought with him a team of scholars,

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00:09:28,159 --> 00:09:30,549
and he was like, whoa
it's a freaky man cat.

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00:09:30,549 --> 00:09:32,000
Whoa, it's a big stick.

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00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,450
Whoa, It's an ugly horse.

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00:09:33,450 --> 00:09:35,250
Whoa, it's a stumpy little manlet.

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00:09:35,250 --> 00:09:38,812
Hey, I'm actually average
height for the time.

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00:09:40,419 --> 00:09:42,039
But then British Admiral Nelson came down

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00:09:42,039 --> 00:09:42,872
and wrecked his fleet.

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00:09:42,873 --> 00:09:45,220
And an Anglo-Ottoman force
defeated him at Acre.

253
00:09:45,220 --> 00:09:48,072
So Napoleon abandoned his
men and went back to France.

254
00:09:48,919 --> 00:09:51,669
His campaign in Egypt hadn't
gone quite as planned.

255
00:09:51,669 --> 00:09:53,669
But one thing you should
know about Napoleon was

256
00:09:53,669 --> 00:09:55,759
that he was a skilled propagandist.

257
00:09:55,759 --> 00:09:57,879
He published his own
newspapers that sometimes

258
00:09:57,879 --> 00:10:00,740
exaggerated his achievements
and even commissioned paintings

259
00:10:00,740 --> 00:10:02,529
that generally made him look cool.

260
00:10:02,529 --> 00:10:04,889
So when he returned to
Paris, he was yet again,

261
00:10:04,889 --> 00:10:06,049
hailed as a hero,

262
00:10:06,049 --> 00:10:08,699
and he began to get
some power hungry ideas.

263
00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,259
First however, he had a bit
of a problem to deal with.

264
00:10:11,259 --> 00:10:14,490
See, he had learned something
shocking about his dear wife.

265
00:10:14,490 --> 00:10:16,899
Really Josephine, this guy?

266
00:10:16,899 --> 00:10:18,350
I'm just as tall as him.

267
00:10:18,350 --> 00:10:19,310
I'm sorry.

268
00:10:19,309 --> 00:10:21,389
I swear, now that you're becoming famous,

269
00:10:21,389 --> 00:10:23,139
I'll never do it again.

270
00:10:23,139 --> 00:10:24,939
Make sure you don't.

271
00:10:24,940 --> 00:10:27,100
I've never stooped so
low as to cheat on you.

272
00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:30,019
Now, if you'll excuse
me, I'll be in this room,

273
00:10:30,019 --> 00:10:32,809
consulting my generals
for the next 30 minutes.

274
00:10:32,809 --> 00:10:34,989
And by consulting, I mean boinking,

275
00:10:34,990 --> 00:10:37,409
by my generals, I mean this woman

276
00:10:37,409 --> 00:10:40,423
and by 30 minutes, well
I mean two seconds.

277
00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:44,009
Having dealt with his wife,
Napoleon was then approached

278
00:10:44,009 --> 00:10:46,919
by a very influential politician,
who said he had an idea.

279
00:10:46,919 --> 00:10:49,039
He wanted to stage a
coup against the deeply

280
00:10:49,039 --> 00:10:49,990
unpopular government

281
00:10:49,990 --> 00:10:52,759
and needed the extremely
popular Napoleon's help.

282
00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:55,509
And Napoleon thought that was
just the darn tootin'est idea.

283
00:10:55,509 --> 00:10:57,230
The plan was to trap the government

284
00:10:57,230 --> 00:10:59,570
and convince them to
voluntarily give up their power.

285
00:10:59,570 --> 00:11:01,220
And here's how they did it.

286
00:11:01,220 --> 00:11:03,210
Hey guys, oh my gosh, quick!

287
00:11:03,210 --> 00:11:05,090
There's a dangerous Jacobin
plot to overthrow you

288
00:11:05,090 --> 00:11:06,740
which we definitely aren't just making up.

289
00:11:06,740 --> 00:11:09,240
Better get inside this
cage so we can protect you.

290
00:11:10,539 --> 00:11:11,372
Okay.

291
00:11:13,350 --> 00:11:15,762
Gentlemen, we got them.

292
00:11:15,761 --> 00:11:16,599
(cheers)

293
00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,220
In this case, the cage
was an isolated palace

294
00:11:19,220 --> 00:11:22,009
outside of Paris, with no
one around but Napoleon

295
00:11:22,009 --> 00:11:22,980
and his army.

296
00:11:22,980 --> 00:11:25,409
With the government inside,
Napoleon then entered

297
00:11:25,409 --> 00:11:27,139
and a pretty chaotic event ensued.

298
00:11:27,139 --> 00:11:28,960
During which, the government
didn't seem entirely sure

299
00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,530
what was going on, Napoleon's
men didn't seem entirely sure

300
00:11:31,529 --> 00:11:33,509
what was going on, and Napoleon himself

301
00:11:33,509 --> 00:11:35,409
didn't seem entirely
sure what was going on.

302
00:11:35,409 --> 00:11:37,389
But thankfully Napoleon's brother Lucien,

303
00:11:37,389 --> 00:11:40,340
President of the Lower House,
managed to regain control

304
00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:42,100
and the remaining
councilmen were intimidated

305
00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:44,019
into creating a new constitution.

306
00:11:44,019 --> 00:11:45,870
And thus, a new government was formed.

307
00:11:45,870 --> 00:11:48,070
This time with three Consuls in charge.

308
00:11:48,070 --> 00:11:49,830
But after Napoleon did some rewriting,

309
00:11:49,830 --> 00:11:52,400
in the end there was really
only one man in charge,

310
00:11:52,399 --> 00:11:54,480
the first Consul, him.

311
00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:55,680
And over the next few years,

312
00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,689
he worked to consolidate even more power

313
00:11:57,690 --> 00:11:59,250
and essentially became a dictator

314
00:11:59,250 --> 00:12:03,360
in total control of France,
who, by the way, he was only 30.

315
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:04,680
So maybe it's about time you washed

316
00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:06,250
your disgusting bedsheets.

317
00:12:06,250 --> 00:12:08,419
France was now ruled by
possibly the greatest

318
00:12:08,419 --> 00:12:10,360
military leader of the time.

319
00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,899
Possibly the greatest? Or definitely?

320
00:12:12,899 --> 00:12:15,470
Well now is his chance to prove it.

321
00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:17,769
See, back when Napoleon
was still in Egypt,

322
00:12:17,769 --> 00:12:21,240
being Indiana Jones, back
home France was in France,

323
00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:22,450
being France.

324
00:12:22,450 --> 00:12:25,240
They had conquered even more
territory and they were like

325
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,740
hey Piedmont, you get
revolutionary ideals.

326
00:12:27,740 --> 00:12:30,310
Hey Switzerland, you get
revolutionary ideals.

327
00:12:30,309 --> 00:12:33,029
And Rome, you get revolutionary ideals.

328
00:12:33,029 --> 00:12:34,850
Everybody gets revolutionary.

329
00:12:34,850 --> 00:12:37,040
Oh, Hey guys, nice sledgehammers,

330
00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:39,299
and Naples, very cool nail gun.

331
00:12:39,299 --> 00:12:41,058
You guys here to get some
revolutionary ideals?

332
00:12:41,058 --> 00:12:43,706
(screams)

333
00:12:43,706 --> 00:12:45,240
Sacre bleu!

334
00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,230
As France was still
spreading the revolution,

335
00:12:47,230 --> 00:12:48,930
And with Napoleon busy in Egypt,

336
00:12:48,929 --> 00:12:51,949
the European powers felt the
time was right for round two.

337
00:12:51,950 --> 00:12:54,680
And the War of the
Second Coalition, began.

338
00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,229
And this time they're
big, bad boy buddy Russia

339
00:12:57,230 --> 00:12:59,830
was here to bang some French
boys back to Bordeaux.

340
00:12:59,830 --> 00:13:01,379
And bang them, they did.

341
00:13:01,379 --> 00:13:03,659
France, got blasted.

342
00:13:03,659 --> 00:13:05,969
But then Russia pulled out
after stalling in Switzerland.

343
00:13:05,970 --> 00:13:08,180
And now that Napoleon was
in charge of the country

344
00:13:08,179 --> 00:13:10,799
he was ready to start blasting right back.

345
00:13:10,799 --> 00:13:12,969
He took command of The Army of the Reserve

346
00:13:12,970 --> 00:13:15,240
and he brought the fight to the Austrians.

347
00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,500
Now, there are many
traits that made Napoleon

348
00:13:17,500 --> 00:13:19,019
a great military leader.

349
00:13:19,019 --> 00:13:21,699
I already mentioned one of them,
how he was one of the boys,

350
00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:23,720
and commanded the total
loyalty of his men.

351
00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,500
But now we see a second reason,
the element of surprise.

352
00:13:27,500 --> 00:13:29,929
In 1800, Napoleon moved to Geneva

353
00:13:29,929 --> 00:13:31,559
and it looked like he was
probably going to take

354
00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,539
on the Austrian forces in Germany.

355
00:13:33,539 --> 00:13:35,209
There's no way he'd be crazy enough to

356
00:13:35,210 --> 00:13:36,759
move his entire army
south through the Alps as

357
00:13:36,759 --> 00:13:39,139
a surprise attack on the
Austrians besieging Genoa.

358
00:13:39,139 --> 00:13:41,189
Oh, Napoleon's moving
his entire army south

359
00:13:41,190 --> 00:13:42,610
through the Alps as a surprise attack

360
00:13:42,610 --> 00:13:44,370
on the Austrians besieging Genoa.

361
00:13:44,370 --> 00:13:46,730
Napoleon's crossing of
the Alps, is legendary.

362
00:13:46,730 --> 00:13:48,610
And you may have seen one
of the most famous paintings

363
00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:50,889
of the general popping a
sick wheelie on his majestic

364
00:13:50,889 --> 00:13:53,360
stallion, surrounded by
dangerous mountain terrain.

365
00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,570
Of course, in real life,
he made the crossing

366
00:13:55,570 --> 00:13:58,060
on a depressed mule,
but that's not as cool.

367
00:13:58,059 --> 00:14:00,509
When he emerged in Italy,
the Austrians expected him to

368
00:14:00,509 --> 00:14:01,799
come break their siege.

369
00:14:01,799 --> 00:14:04,449
But Napoleon went for their
supply line near Milan,

370
00:14:04,450 --> 00:14:06,570
forcing the Austrians
to meet Napoleon head-on

371
00:14:06,570 --> 00:14:08,370
at the famous battle of Marengo.

372
00:14:08,370 --> 00:14:10,820
The Austrians initially clobbered
the out-numbered French.

373
00:14:10,820 --> 00:14:12,780
And they were like, hooray, we won.

374
00:14:12,779 --> 00:14:14,879
But then a few hours later,
Napoleon showed up again

375
00:14:14,879 --> 00:14:17,750
with an even bigger army and
he clobbered them right back.

376
00:14:17,750 --> 00:14:20,179
Holy cow this tiny little
fun sized French guy

377
00:14:20,179 --> 00:14:21,379
is running rings around us.

378
00:14:21,379 --> 00:14:24,730
Hey! I'm average height
for the time, you jerk!

379
00:14:24,730 --> 00:14:27,120
Then, after General Moreau's
victory at Hohenlinden,

380
00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:31,220
Vienna was exposed and the
Austrians again, sued for peace.

381
00:14:31,220 --> 00:14:33,240
Just like the war of The First Coalition,

382
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,960
the Second Coalition ended
in another French victory.

383
00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:36,879
But in many ways

384
00:14:36,879 --> 00:14:39,919
they both felt more
like Napoleon victories.

385
00:14:39,919 --> 00:14:42,309
Only the UK remained at
war with Napoleon and

386
00:14:42,309 --> 00:14:44,939
they were using their powerful
Navy to blockade French ports

387
00:14:44,940 --> 00:14:47,830
and were even seizing the
cargoes of neutral ships.

388
00:14:47,830 --> 00:14:49,820
Obviously everyone else got pretty pissed

389
00:14:49,820 --> 00:14:51,879
off that the British were
interfering with their trade.

390
00:14:51,879 --> 00:14:52,889
So in response,

391
00:14:52,889 --> 00:14:56,439
they formed a league and they
embargoed the UK right back.

392
00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,180
Neutral countries protecting
their own interests?

393
00:14:59,179 --> 00:15:00,079
That's offensive.

394
00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,960
So Britain went to Copenhagen
and blew a bunch of stuff up.

395
00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,280
And the league disbanded.

396
00:15:04,279 --> 00:15:06,409
But because UK's economy was pretty bust

397
00:15:06,409 --> 00:15:09,299
they decided to sign a
treaty with France in 1802.

398
00:15:09,299 --> 00:15:13,879
For the first time in a long
time, Europe was at peace.

399
00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:16,639
Congratulations, Sire,
you've achieved peace.

400
00:15:16,639 --> 00:15:18,679
Yes, Pierre, but not for long.

401
00:15:18,679 --> 00:15:20,669
I still don't trust those dirty Brits.

402
00:15:20,669 --> 00:15:23,009
Did you hear they've been
calling me the Boneyman?

403
00:15:23,009 --> 00:15:24,019
What does that even mean?

404
00:15:24,019 --> 00:15:25,462
Keep an eye on them, would you?

405
00:15:25,462 --> 00:15:26,949
I can't, Sire.

406
00:15:26,950 --> 00:15:27,783
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407
00:15:27,783 --> 00:15:31,240
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408
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409
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410
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411
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414
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434
00:16:30,820 --> 00:16:33,550
Now, where were we? Oh yeah.

435
00:16:33,549 --> 00:16:36,169
Crossing the Alps,
defeating the Austrians,

436
00:16:36,169 --> 00:16:38,849
and Europe at peace.

437
00:16:38,850 --> 00:16:42,139
What a meteoric rise it had
been for the young Corsican.

438
00:16:42,139 --> 00:16:44,299
He had just taken charge of
a nation that appeared to

439
00:16:44,299 --> 00:16:46,839
be losing a war and turned it all around,

440
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,230
securing French gains in Europe.

441
00:16:49,230 --> 00:16:52,389
But there was now a big
question, you see, throughout

442
00:16:52,389 --> 00:16:54,600
the chaotic French
revolution, French governments

443
00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:56,560
had struggled to keep the economy afloat.

444
00:16:56,559 --> 00:16:58,399
They often didn't have
a whole lot of support

445
00:16:58,399 --> 00:17:00,230
and they frequently came and went.

446
00:17:00,230 --> 00:17:03,320
Would Napoleon finally be the
man who could stick around?

447
00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,170
Military victories were one thing,

448
00:17:05,170 --> 00:17:07,350
but could the general also govern?

449
00:17:07,349 --> 00:17:09,839
Spoiler alert, yes.

450
00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:11,000
The economy's crumbling?

451
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,349
Well then why don't you have
yourself a new national bank,

452
00:17:13,349 --> 00:17:16,359
currency reform, and improve
taxation and welfare systems.

453
00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:18,629
The legal system is an incoherent mess?

454
00:17:18,630 --> 00:17:20,680
Well then why don't we nicely
wrap all those civil laws up

455
00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,009
into one new centralized legal code?

456
00:17:23,009 --> 00:17:25,490
Corrupt government officials?
throw them in the trash.

457
00:17:25,490 --> 00:17:27,700
Bad infrastructure? Throw it in the trash.

458
00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:29,860
Women's rights? Throw them in the trash.

459
00:17:29,859 --> 00:17:30,879
Wait, really?

460
00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,410
Well, Yeah. Unfortunately,
while Napoleon was building

461
00:17:33,410 --> 00:17:35,090
on the equality of the revolution,

462
00:17:35,089 --> 00:17:37,740
he also largely scaled back
rights for certain groups

463
00:17:37,740 --> 00:17:40,940
and husbands had full legal
control over their wives.

464
00:17:40,940 --> 00:17:42,330
But come on ladies,

465
00:17:42,329 --> 00:17:45,199
maybe let men have a slice
of the pie for once, okay?

466
00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,039
Napoleon further reformed education,

467
00:17:47,039 --> 00:17:49,599
ensuring a system based
on individual ability.

468
00:17:49,599 --> 00:17:52,299
Meaning now, Simeon had to
compete with everyone else

469
00:17:52,299 --> 00:17:54,299
and Napoleon could get
the cream of the crop

470
00:17:54,299 --> 00:17:55,849
to help him run the Republic.

471
00:17:55,849 --> 00:17:58,480
But he wasn't just building on
the ideas of the revolution.

472
00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:00,710
The revolution had led to a lot of chaos

473
00:18:00,710 --> 00:18:02,660
and Napoleon needed stability.

474
00:18:02,660 --> 00:18:04,360
So he rolled back a couple of things.

475
00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,259
Most notably with religion,
the revolution had

476
00:18:07,259 --> 00:18:09,400
pretty much kicked the
Catholic church to the curb,

477
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,320
but Napoleon understood
that since many French

478
00:18:11,319 --> 00:18:13,599
citizens still considered
themselves Catholic,

479
00:18:13,599 --> 00:18:14,809
that could be a problem.

480
00:18:14,809 --> 00:18:16,559
So he came to an agreement with the Pope

481
00:18:16,559 --> 00:18:17,799
and brought back the church.

482
00:18:17,799 --> 00:18:20,539
Only this time with some
pretty hefty power limitations.

483
00:18:20,539 --> 00:18:22,609
He also ensured freedom
for other religions

484
00:18:22,609 --> 00:18:24,549
and is often noted for
his positive treatment

485
00:18:24,549 --> 00:18:27,609
of Jewish people at a time
of widespread antisemitism.

486
00:18:27,609 --> 00:18:29,269
But while all of this
may make Napoleon sound

487
00:18:29,269 --> 00:18:31,230
like a pretty standup
dude, it's good to note

488
00:18:31,230 --> 00:18:32,610
that he believed in religious freedom

489
00:18:32,609 --> 00:18:34,969
because he thought it was a
powerful tool to keep the poor

490
00:18:34,970 --> 00:18:37,769
from eating the rich,
or something like that.

491
00:18:37,769 --> 00:18:39,210
Overall, Napoleon's aim

492
00:18:39,210 --> 00:18:41,000
was to end the chaos of the revolution

493
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,119
and finally create a stable
and prospering French Republic.

494
00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,859
And in that aim, he seemed
to be largely successful

495
00:18:46,859 --> 00:18:49,119
and generally popular
with the people of France.

496
00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:50,209
He officially declared

497
00:18:50,210 --> 00:18:54,490
that the revolution is over,
adding I am the revolution.

498
00:18:54,490 --> 00:18:57,120
Napoleon's head could be seen for miles.

499
00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,379
Of course, not everyone was
happy with Napoleon's reforms.

500
00:19:00,380 --> 00:19:02,430
Conservatives felt he was too radical.

501
00:19:02,430 --> 00:19:04,440
Radicals felt he was too conservative.

502
00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,470
But since Napoleon was a dictator,

503
00:19:06,470 --> 00:19:08,150
opposition could usually be stamped out

504
00:19:08,150 --> 00:19:10,280
with some good old fashioned iron fisting.

505
00:19:10,279 --> 00:19:13,839
In 1804, Napoleon took
one last major step.

506
00:19:13,839 --> 00:19:16,220
After some failed attempts
were made to assassinate him.

507
00:19:16,220 --> 00:19:18,100
He wanted to strengthen his position

508
00:19:18,099 --> 00:19:20,649
and ensure his dynasty
could live on after him.

509
00:19:20,650 --> 00:19:23,100
And so he decided being
First Consul for Life

510
00:19:23,099 --> 00:19:24,759
simply wasn't quite enough.

511
00:19:24,759 --> 00:19:27,730
He decided he should become Emperor.

512
00:19:27,730 --> 00:19:30,099
He held a vote asking the
French people if they were cool

513
00:19:30,099 --> 00:19:32,240
with the idea and they
returned to definitely

514
00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,440
not rigged, 99.9% in favor.

515
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,250
The balls on this man.

516
00:19:37,250 --> 00:19:39,730
And so in the 2nd of December, 1804,

517
00:19:39,730 --> 00:19:41,950
in an elaborate ceremony at Notre-dame,

518
00:19:41,950 --> 00:19:44,160
Napoleon was made Emperor.

519
00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:45,990
The Pope was even invited to attend

520
00:19:45,990 --> 00:19:48,180
and normally he would
crown an Emperor, but to

521
00:19:48,180 --> 00:19:50,759
make sure everyone knew this
wasn't some Charlemagne style

522
00:19:50,759 --> 00:19:53,609
circular power division,
Napoleon lifted the crown

523
00:19:53,609 --> 00:19:55,759
and placed it on his own head.

524
00:19:55,759 --> 00:19:58,049
Like I said, the balls on this man.

525
00:19:58,049 --> 00:20:00,680
He was now Emperor of the French.

526
00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:02,650
Well Napoleon, you were a General,

527
00:20:02,650 --> 00:20:04,610
then you became First Consul for Life,

528
00:20:04,609 --> 00:20:06,359
And now you're an Emperor.

529
00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:07,929
Is it enough yet?

530
00:20:07,930 --> 00:20:09,700
Is your ambition finally satisfied?

531
00:20:09,700 --> 00:20:13,009
I don't know Pierre,
what comes after Emperor?

532
00:20:13,009 --> 00:20:15,809
I would say, God sire.

533
00:20:15,809 --> 00:20:17,712
You want to be a God?

534
00:20:20,369 --> 00:20:21,202
Yes.

535
00:20:22,619 --> 00:20:23,829
I'll put it down under maybe.

536
00:20:23,829 --> 00:20:26,379
Okay everyone. What the hell is going on?

537
00:20:26,380 --> 00:20:28,630
This Corsican guy showed up out of nowhere

538
00:20:28,630 --> 00:20:30,080
and he's kicking our ass!

539
00:20:30,079 --> 00:20:32,210
He's exporting the ideas
of the French revolution

540
00:20:32,210 --> 00:20:33,360
wherever he goes.

541
00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,279
And he just declared himself
King of Italy and Emperor.

542
00:20:36,279 --> 00:20:38,460
He can't do that, I'm the emperor!

543
00:20:38,460 --> 00:20:40,100
Oh, hey fellow monarchs.

544
00:20:40,099 --> 00:20:41,899
I see you're having a monarch party.

545
00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:43,890
My invite must've got lost in the mail.

546
00:20:43,890 --> 00:20:46,313
I'll just set up a spot right here.

547
00:20:47,700 --> 00:20:50,299
Wow. You don't belong here, Napoleon.

548
00:20:50,299 --> 00:20:52,129
We're coming to take you down.

549
00:20:52,130 --> 00:20:53,536
I'd like to see you try.

550
00:20:53,536 --> 00:20:56,460
I'm so scared, I just pooed my pants.

551
00:20:56,460 --> 00:20:58,798
Hey everyone, I just pooed my pants!

552
00:20:58,798 --> 00:21:01,548
(crowd laughing)

553
00:21:05,140 --> 00:21:07,970
No, but I did just poo my pants.

554
00:21:07,970 --> 00:21:10,299
Before Napoleon had even
declared himself Emperor,

555
00:21:10,299 --> 00:21:12,569
the British had already
re-declared war on France,

556
00:21:12,569 --> 00:21:15,319
because both sides had been
violating their previous treaty.

557
00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:17,250
Napoleon immediately occupied Hanover

558
00:21:17,250 --> 00:21:20,410
and then began making plans
for a great British invasion.

559
00:21:20,410 --> 00:21:22,779
Partially paid for by
selling a huge chunk of land

560
00:21:22,779 --> 00:21:24,170
to the United States.

561
00:21:24,170 --> 00:21:27,110
Napoleon gathered his army
along the English channel.

562
00:21:27,109 --> 00:21:28,799
But here was the problem,

563
00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:30,940
while Napoleon's powerful
army would almost certainly

564
00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:32,370
obliterate the British on land,

565
00:21:32,369 --> 00:21:34,479
there was very little
chance he'd actually make it

566
00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,120
across the channel because
Britannia ruled the waves.

567
00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,729
This power dynamic would keep
the two traditional enemies

568
00:21:40,730 --> 00:21:42,849
from engaging in much real direct combat

569
00:21:42,849 --> 00:21:44,549
throughout the Napoleonic wars.

570
00:21:44,549 --> 00:21:47,559
However, the British had
something else up their sleeves,

571
00:21:47,559 --> 00:21:49,529
copious amounts of money.

572
00:21:49,529 --> 00:21:51,399
They were willing to throw cash at anyone

573
00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,009
who would go to war against Napoleon.

574
00:21:53,009 --> 00:21:56,700
And there were plenty of
takers, Austria, Russia, Naples

575
00:21:56,700 --> 00:21:59,230
and Sweden, hoping to put
Napoleon's France back

576
00:21:59,230 --> 00:22:02,930
in its place, formed The Third
Coalition against France.

577
00:22:02,930 --> 00:22:04,750
The coalition forces probably thought

578
00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:06,710
that this time they stood a chance.

579
00:22:06,710 --> 00:22:09,329
They weren't prepared
for the total humiliation

580
00:22:09,329 --> 00:22:11,079
they were about to suffer.

581
00:22:11,079 --> 00:22:14,439
The War of the Third Coalition
was Napoleon at his best.

582
00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:15,690
We've already learned two ways

583
00:22:15,690 --> 00:22:18,000
in which Napoleon was a
great military commander

584
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,779
but here comes one of the
biggest reasons, speed.

585
00:22:20,779 --> 00:22:22,869
He had reorganized his army into corps,

586
00:22:22,869 --> 00:22:25,569
which were themselves,
basically small armies.

587
00:22:25,569 --> 00:22:28,259
Each had their own infantry,
cavalry and artillery.

588
00:22:28,259 --> 00:22:31,200
And as a result was able
to act more independently.

589
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,440
They spread out through the
countryside and by living

590
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,059
off the land, rather than
relying on heavy supply trains

591
00:22:36,059 --> 00:22:38,700
they were able to move extremely quickly.

592
00:22:38,700 --> 00:22:40,980
Napoleon would traverse massive distances,

593
00:22:40,980 --> 00:22:44,180
outmaneuver his enemies,
isolate them and then move in

594
00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:47,509
for the kill before they
even knew what was going on.

595
00:22:47,509 --> 00:22:50,190
Lightening warfare, leading
to total destruction.

596
00:22:50,190 --> 00:22:51,769
Would you like to see him do it?

597
00:22:51,769 --> 00:22:52,650
Here we go.

598
00:22:52,650 --> 00:22:54,930
Part of the Coalition's plan
was for the Russians to meet up

599
00:22:54,930 --> 00:22:57,279
with the Austrians and
take on Napoleon together.

600
00:22:57,279 --> 00:22:59,420
Combined, they could turn
the tide against him.

601
00:22:59,420 --> 00:23:02,320
So Napoleon needed to stop
them from ever meeting,

602
00:23:02,319 --> 00:23:04,079
but he's all the way over in Bouillon.

603
00:23:04,079 --> 00:23:04,913
No problem.

604
00:23:04,913 --> 00:23:08,490
In a matter of weeks,
Napoleon marched 200,000 men,

605
00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:11,120
in secret, encircling
Austrian general Mack,

606
00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,149
and capturing his entire army.

607
00:23:13,150 --> 00:23:14,740
A devastating blow.

608
00:23:14,740 --> 00:23:16,009
Napoleon later remarked,

609
00:23:16,009 --> 00:23:19,140
I have destroyed the Austrian
army by simply marching.

610
00:23:19,140 --> 00:23:21,620
Next, he turned to face
the approaching Russians.

611
00:23:21,619 --> 00:23:23,649
Okay. It looks like the
French are coming for us,

612
00:23:23,650 --> 00:23:24,660
but check this out.

613
00:23:24,660 --> 00:23:26,160
I've got an amazing idea.

614
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,050
When they approach, We run away,

615
00:23:30,049 --> 00:23:32,440
Sir, you're a genius.

616
00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,430
The Russians began to retreat
with Napoleon giving chase.

617
00:23:35,430 --> 00:23:37,910
And since his tactics
relied on quick victories,

618
00:23:37,910 --> 00:23:39,330
this could be a problem.

619
00:23:39,329 --> 00:23:41,429
Especially because the
longer the war went on,

620
00:23:41,430 --> 00:23:42,299
the more likely it looked

621
00:23:42,299 --> 00:23:44,876
other countries may join
the coalition against him.

622
00:23:44,876 --> 00:23:46,680
But Napoleon knew the Russians are

623
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,860
Alexander The First, who
was young and seeking glory.

624
00:23:49,859 --> 00:23:52,099
So he came up with an idea to lure him in.

625
00:23:52,099 --> 00:23:54,029
He sent him a message.

626
00:23:54,029 --> 00:23:55,106
What does it say?

627
00:23:55,106 --> 00:23:58,680
It says, hello. I'm
just a little baby boy,

628
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,330
and I'm very scared.

629
00:24:00,329 --> 00:24:02,299
Are you talking like that, or is he?

630
00:24:02,299 --> 00:24:03,419
He is, sir.

631
00:24:03,420 --> 00:24:04,500
Why's he doing that?

632
00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:07,450
I don't know, but it's very
cute, helpless, and vulnerable.

633
00:24:08,806 --> 00:24:10,840
A little baby boy.

634
00:24:10,839 --> 00:24:12,599
Very scared.

635
00:24:12,599 --> 00:24:14,000
Cute?

636
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,049
Boris, get my crossbow,
we're going hunting.

637
00:24:17,049 --> 00:24:19,339
The Allied forces turned to face Napoleon,

638
00:24:19,339 --> 00:24:21,889
who they now believed was
in a vulnerable position.

639
00:24:21,890 --> 00:24:23,580
He was set up at Austerlitz

640
00:24:23,579 --> 00:24:25,210
and to make it look
like he was retreating,

641
00:24:25,210 --> 00:24:27,319
he had even evacuated the high ground.

642
00:24:27,319 --> 00:24:30,029
A thick fog set in,
obscuring Napoleon's center,

643
00:24:30,029 --> 00:24:32,720
as the Allies took the bait
and set up on the heights.

644
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:33,553
From there,

645
00:24:33,553 --> 00:24:36,060
they spotted Napoleon's very
weak looking right flank.

646
00:24:36,059 --> 00:24:38,319
And they descended the
Heights to go get it.

647
00:24:38,319 --> 00:24:39,349
Little did they know,

648
00:24:39,349 --> 00:24:42,209
it was exactly what Napoleon
was hoping they'd do.

649
00:24:42,210 --> 00:24:45,069
The next thing they knew, a
large French force was emerging

650
00:24:45,069 --> 00:24:48,579
from the fog, launching a huge
central assault up the hill.

651
00:24:48,579 --> 00:24:50,789
They swung around crushing the allies.

652
00:24:50,789 --> 00:24:53,519
And as men attempted to flee
across the frozen lakes,

653
00:24:53,519 --> 00:24:56,519
Napoleon ordered his
artillery to fire on the ice,

654
00:24:56,519 --> 00:24:59,039
causing an unknown number to drown.

655
00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:02,639
But he told me he was just a
little baby boy, what happened?

656
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:03,900
He tricked you, sir.

657
00:25:03,900 --> 00:25:08,009
You mean I was the little
baby boy all along?

658
00:25:08,009 --> 00:25:10,210
It was Napoleon's masterpiece.

659
00:25:10,210 --> 00:25:11,890
And Austria were once again forced

660
00:25:11,890 --> 00:25:13,580
to make peace with France.

661
00:25:13,579 --> 00:25:16,470
Then, with the French
conquest of Naples in 1806,

662
00:25:16,470 --> 00:25:18,319
The War of the Third Coalition ended

663
00:25:18,319 --> 00:25:21,659
as yet another Napoleon victory.

664
00:25:21,660 --> 00:25:23,759
This was the third time
Napoleon had had to

665
00:25:23,759 --> 00:25:26,650
give Austrian Emperor
Francis a good spanking.

666
00:25:26,650 --> 00:25:29,280
And so with the peace treaty in 1805,

667
00:25:29,279 --> 00:25:31,639
Napoleon was determined to punish him.

668
00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,240
He was forced to give up territory,

669
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,220
hand over significant compensation,

670
00:25:35,220 --> 00:25:37,730
and promised never to
fight Napoleon again.

671
00:25:37,730 --> 00:25:40,079
For now Russia, Sweden, and the UK

672
00:25:40,079 --> 00:25:41,659
remained at war with France

673
00:25:41,660 --> 00:25:43,860
but none were able to
offer much of a threat.

674
00:25:43,859 --> 00:25:45,549
And so Napoleon got to work

675
00:25:45,549 --> 00:25:47,710
strengthening his grip over Europe.

676
00:25:47,710 --> 00:25:49,450
He gave out rule of captured territories

677
00:25:49,450 --> 00:25:50,720
to his family and friends.

678
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,210
And most notably, he
established a new Confederation

679
00:25:53,210 --> 00:25:56,000
in Germany with himself as its protector.

680
00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,609
Seeing his influence in
Germany being wiped away,

681
00:25:58,609 --> 00:26:01,029
Emperor Francis acknowledged reality,

682
00:26:01,029 --> 00:26:03,599
and officially dissolved
the holy Roman empire.

683
00:26:03,599 --> 00:26:06,969
An entity that had existed
for over a thousand years.

684
00:26:06,970 --> 00:26:09,329
But it wasn't all good news for Napoleon.

685
00:26:09,329 --> 00:26:12,529
For one thing, Spain had earlier
allied with France in 1804,

686
00:26:12,529 --> 00:26:14,369
because the British just
couldn't help themselves

687
00:26:14,369 --> 00:26:15,919
from blowing up Spanish ships.

688
00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,070
And Napoleon hoped the
combined French-Spanish fleet

689
00:26:18,069 --> 00:26:20,220
would eventually be
able to invade England.

690
00:26:20,220 --> 00:26:22,789
Unfortunately, he received word
that British Admiral Nelson

691
00:26:22,789 --> 00:26:25,119
had engaged his fleet at Trafalgar.

692
00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,109
Normally Naval battles looked
like this, but in this case,

693
00:26:28,109 --> 00:26:29,629
Nelson did this?

694
00:26:29,630 --> 00:26:31,670
Was it because he was an idiot?

695
00:26:31,670 --> 00:26:34,350
No, it's because he was a genius.

696
00:26:34,349 --> 00:26:37,099
He successfully punched through
the Franco-Spanish line,

697
00:26:37,099 --> 00:26:38,409
and unleashed hell.

698
00:26:38,410 --> 00:26:41,519
His victory ensured British
control of the sea and his death

699
00:26:41,519 --> 00:26:44,059
during the battle made him a legend.

700
00:26:44,059 --> 00:26:47,579
Napoleon's hopes for a future
British invasion, were gone.

701
00:26:47,579 --> 00:26:50,710
But not just that, Napoleon
was also hoping to secure peace

702
00:26:50,710 --> 00:26:52,950
on the continent, but
that wasn't looking likely

703
00:26:52,950 --> 00:26:56,069
because the Prussian king was
under pressure from his wife.

704
00:26:56,069 --> 00:26:59,299
Frederick, he's established
a Confederation in our turf,

705
00:26:59,299 --> 00:27:01,029
and he told us he'd give us Hanover

706
00:27:01,029 --> 00:27:02,599
but then offered it to the British.

707
00:27:02,599 --> 00:27:04,299
You have to declare war on him.

708
00:27:04,299 --> 00:27:05,759
What is it with you and war?

709
00:27:05,759 --> 00:27:07,640
What is it with you and being a cupcake?

710
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:08,520
Go to war.

711
00:27:08,519 --> 00:27:09,353
Okay.

712
00:27:09,353 --> 00:27:11,120
In October 1806, Prussia,

713
00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:14,239
with its famed military
tradition joined the Coalition,

714
00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,697
and declared war beginning the
War of the Fourth Coalition.

715
00:27:17,696 --> 00:27:20,449
Unfortunately, Prussian King
Frederick William the Third,

716
00:27:20,450 --> 00:27:22,309
Wasn't the smartest tool in the shed.

717
00:27:22,309 --> 00:27:23,609
Look at him over there.

718
00:27:23,609 --> 00:27:25,879
Being all French, makes me sick!

719
00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,670
Boys, will get him this time.

720
00:27:27,670 --> 00:27:31,310
But here's the thing, this
time we have to stick together.

721
00:27:31,309 --> 00:27:34,879
Do not, under any circumstances,
face Napoleon by yourself.

722
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,090
You all saw what happened to Austria.

723
00:27:37,089 --> 00:27:38,990
Hey, where'd Fred go?

724
00:27:38,990 --> 00:27:41,539
Hey you jerk, think you're
some kind of big shot, huh?

725
00:27:41,539 --> 00:27:42,779
Want to tango with Fred?

726
00:27:42,779 --> 00:27:43,920
You don't got the cajones.

727
00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:44,753
We're screwed.

728
00:27:44,752 --> 00:27:45,899
Without consulting its allies,

729
00:27:45,900 --> 00:27:48,269
Prussia had gone ahead and
sent Napoleon an ultimatum,

730
00:27:48,269 --> 00:27:50,710
Demanding he move all his
forces out of Germany.

731
00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:52,759
Now some of you watching this video,

732
00:27:52,759 --> 00:27:54,930
probably can't even wipe
your own bum bum yet,

733
00:27:54,930 --> 00:27:55,930
but even you know,

734
00:27:55,930 --> 00:27:58,360
you don't just send Napoleon an ultimatum.

735
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,559
Obviously, Napoleon went in for the kill.

736
00:28:00,559 --> 00:28:02,809
Prussia's army was quite outdated.

737
00:28:02,809 --> 00:28:04,750
So when they met Napoleon
at the twin battles

738
00:28:04,750 --> 00:28:07,549
of Jena and Auerstedt,
it wasn't even close.

739
00:28:07,549 --> 00:28:10,149
Even Marshall Davout's heavily
outnumbered corp at Auerstedt

740
00:28:10,150 --> 00:28:12,330
sent the Prussians running
and Napoleon carried

741
00:28:12,329 --> 00:28:15,629
out a ruthless pursuit of his
fleeing enemy, taking Berlin.

742
00:28:15,630 --> 00:28:18,920
And within a single month,
decimating the Prussian forces.

743
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:20,660
Frederick William, and
the remnants of his army,

744
00:28:20,660 --> 00:28:22,279
moved to the east.

745
00:28:22,279 --> 00:28:24,920
At this point, Napoleon's
forces were pretty tired.

746
00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,660
Winter had come and
conditions were miserable.

747
00:28:27,660 --> 00:28:30,600
He anticipated both sides would
settle into winter quarters,

748
00:28:30,599 --> 00:28:32,469
but Russia decided to try their hand

749
00:28:32,470 --> 00:28:34,500
at an unexpected winter attack.

750
00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:37,700
A series of brutal battles
followed that took a heavy toll

751
00:28:37,700 --> 00:28:40,230
on both sides, including
the vicious Battle of Eylau,

752
00:28:40,230 --> 00:28:42,339
fought in blizzard conditions.

753
00:28:42,339 --> 00:28:45,039
Men froze to death, and many deserted.

754
00:28:45,039 --> 00:28:47,799
The Russian artillery
tore the French to shreds,

755
00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:49,538
and Napoleon himself was momentarily

756
00:28:49,538 --> 00:28:51,339
under risk of being captured.

757
00:28:51,339 --> 00:28:53,109
In the end, the French army was saved,

758
00:28:53,109 --> 00:28:54,769
thanks to a legendary cavalry charge

759
00:28:54,769 --> 00:28:57,769
by Napoleon's flamboyant
cavalry commander, Murat.

760
00:28:57,769 --> 00:29:00,160
After the horror inflicted on both sides,

761
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:01,880
they decided it might
be a good idea not to

762
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:03,810
do any more fighting until after winter.

763
00:29:03,809 --> 00:29:06,809
Then after winter came
and the fighting continued

764
00:29:06,809 --> 00:29:08,819
the Russians were pushed
back to Friedland,

765
00:29:08,819 --> 00:29:11,259
where Russian general Bennigsen
made a bit of a blunder

766
00:29:11,259 --> 00:29:14,089
by positioning himself with
the aloe river to his back.

767
00:29:14,089 --> 00:29:16,179
The French artillery were
able to pin the Russians

768
00:29:16,180 --> 00:29:18,640
between the river and
their concentrated gunfire.

769
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:21,070
A major element in
Napoleon's fighting style

770
00:29:21,069 --> 00:29:24,319
and many Russians drowned
as they tried to escape.

771
00:29:24,319 --> 00:29:29,042
War of the Fourth Coalition,
victory, Napoleon.

772
00:29:29,042 --> 00:29:31,792
(dramatic music)