We hope you enjoy our brand new documentary: 'Voices of the Peninsular War'. Don’t forget, if you want to watch all our videos first, and ad-free, come and join us at Nebula, with 40% off an annual subscription using our link: go.nebula.tv/EpicHistory. A huge thank you to all our Patreon supporters. Get exclusive production updates, votes on future topics, as well as ad-free, early access to all our new videos by signing up here: www.patreon.com/EpicHistoryTV. As always, let us know that you think and tell us what your favourite testimony was in the comments! Thank you for watching.
Is it possible to make a special with different voices from conflicts across time, from ancient Greece to the Ukrainian war? I think it would be interesting to see how the perception of war changed across the ages
Is it not ridicoulos how the French (or any nation involved in war) escape from the brand of "nazis"? They have done worse than the Germans on WW2. The difference is that the French represent socialism-atheism-christophobics ...
Respect to the French colonel in the Portuguese campaign. It was a pretty sober and rational assessment of the situation and the atrocities that happened without sentimentalism or propaganda and actually saw the perspective of his enemy.
because unlike the spanish, and portuguese he knew and understood how stupid this rebellion was fighting so that the nobles and clergy keep the spanish people under serfdom
@@ommsterlitz1805 I think you missed the point of his testimony. He realizes that the war was needless, immoral, born from the ego of one man and that he understands why the French were so hated in the Peninsula and probably deserve it. He sees why the Portuguese were so ruthless towards their ocupiers without defending their methods. He also sees that fault of failure is not so much about the general who didn't move a certain division in time but Napoleon's who alone pushed for an unnecessary war that caused endless suffering and then failed to provide his generals and armies with the necessary means to finish it. As things were going south in Spain he took troops away from the theatre and moved them to Russia. You Napoleon fanboys atempting to demonize people for not wanting to be ransacked to fund his empire are always funny.😂 Sound a lot like Americans claiming they bring "freedom and democracy" to countries they invade.😂
@@masterplokoon8803 Napoleon didn't declare war on Spain, he didn't want war. He entered in Spain to force them to apply the blockade on UK. Without this reason, Napoleon didn't care about Spain or Portugal. So it's ridiculous to say that Napoleon invaded the peninsula for the glory or prestige. You should read history, and put you in french perspective. UK paid all the European monarchies to break peace treaties and declare war again and again. Millions of young french peoples died because of that. The only solution was to weaken UK financially to prevent them to give others european countries money. It's why the blockade was so important for Napoleon. So when you said it was an unnecessary war, first Napoleon didn't want a war and for Napoleon perspective the invasion was necessary to apply the blockade. But, everything turned bad...
@@thierryfromgwada9312 The continental system didn't work. And it just turned France into Europe's policeman, since countries would try to get out of it since it was ruining their economies only for the French army to invade costing a lot more French lives than if Napoleon had just left those countries alone. Plus British funding became a lot more appealing when Napoleon started actively destroying everyone's economies. And invading, plundering and brutalizing Portugal (a country that was no threat whatsoever to France) because it was trading with someone he didn't like is highly immoral. It's not as if Portugal could just cut off trade with its largest trading partner without being ruined and exposing its overseas posessions to danger. And Spain was actually allied with Napoleon and was part of the system but he backstabbed them anyway because he thought they were too incompetent and thought he would be better off running Spain by himself. The immorality, insidious nature and uglyness behind the motivations and conduct of the Peninsular war is painfully obvious and Napoleon himself later in exile admitted it. I find it funny that a lot of people want us to empathize and justify every bad thought or action that Napoleon made all the while seeing any other country in Europe either as cartoonish evil monarch bad guys being mean to him for no reason or as NPCs to be crushed or owned in a epic battle for his glory. They can't put themselves in the perspectives of these countries that he was bullying and abusing for power and actually look through their perspectives.
The quality of these videos is getting unbelievable, the paintings, narration and topics are amazing. These tales remind me of the horrors inflicted during the 1798 rebellion of Ireland. Both sides took no prisoners and it was said that every tree in the South East had a "Croppy" (term for an Irish rebel) hung from every tree.
Yeah, were told here in the US that the expression "the jig is up", meant Irish patriots were being hanged by the British, their legs kicking. The Irish were the most abused in all of Europe. I always wished the North Americans and South Americans could have united to help Napoleon by attacking England and Spain, with help from the Irish.
@@chriscoll6493 The USA did - when it declared war in 1812 - and found campaigning on its own home turf enough of a handful, never mind trying to mount a naval expedition across the Atlantic. Most of the South American territories that we know as countries today were Spanish or Portuguese colonies and did not gain independence until long after Napoleon had been defeated and imprisoned on St Helene, and so were in absolutely no position to attack Britain and Spain. So, your wish is just pure fantasy.
What a terrible error made by the Spanish listing their priests. Fighting for the return of an evil and cruel king from a French dynasty vs a modern and wise king from another French dynasty. An historic error.
@@rodrigodiazdevivar6183 Most of those 'cries of freedom' came from Spain's descendents in the Americas who did not want to be ruled by European royal houses. Simón Bolívar was descended from a Basque family.
7:28 Just to add to this story: Harris grew quite close with Mrs. Cochan during the short while of the campaign, looked after hell well-being during the harsh marches, and in Lisbon, he asked to marry her. However, as Harris himself says: "She had received too great a shock on the occasion of her husband's death ever to think of another soldier, she said; she therefore thanked me for my good feeling towards her, but declined my offer, and left us soon afterwards for England."
“I confess, without shame, that I am sick and tired of fighting - its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands, and fathers ... it is only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated ... that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation.” -Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. Army, 1865
At least General Sherman led a brilliant campaign in 1864 that led the Union to victory, unlike Napoleon, who made massive mistakes in so many campaigns in ended in total French defeat, with a generation's worth of French boys in mass graves.
No es guerra de independencia, no tomaron la península y España estaba también en América, Filipinas etc. Nosotros no eramos un Imperio con colonias depredador como ingleses y franceses. Los españoles somos los herederos de Roma, y no colonizabamos, conquistabamos.
@@Hispano999 Si bien es cierto que en el momento no se llamo guerra de independencia, lo cierto es que Napoleón sustituyo nuestro gobierno con su hermano, haciéndonos un estado satélite. No es incorrecto entonces ver que es una guerra para evitar ser gobernados por otro país.
18:27 really reflects the horror the soldier came through only by hearing his voice alone... epic history really took me by surprise with this small detail... cheers to the team lads!
Jesus Christ, this is hands down the best narration I've ever heard on UA-cam 😭. We'd love to collaborate with you on one video only! I bow down to you EHTV. Take some of my money!
This was a really good idea for a video. Honestly its always refreshing to hear actual eyewitness accounts from war. Using different voice actors for each one was a nice touch as well.
I had always known that the peninsular war was brutal... But this was almost too much to watch. I found myself wincing at some of the recounts. I never knew of the extent of the atrocities. The viewer discretion is most certainly earned.
@@rallemeister9043Yes but even other wars from the period were less brutal, like the third and fourth coalitions, at least in what respects to civilians and prisoners
In fact in the video they really diminished the true extent of the atrocities, and did not talk of the horrible fate that many "Afrancesados" (Spanish people that supported the French) suffered. The Peninsular war is truly one of the most horrifying wars in History.
This was amazing! I’d love to see future videos like this of eyewitness accounts from Napoleon’s other campaigns! This was so eye opening and fascinating!
A fair acknowledgement of all sides contributions. Wellington's Army was always outnumbered at least 4 to 1 by the French troops in Spain. It would have been absolutely impossible for him to keep winning without the Spanish and Portuguese also tying down so many French troops.
But also at the same time, it would been impossible to drive out the french army out of the peninsula without the british support. It's also important to take in account the strategic decision of Napoleon to ignore and neglect the reality of the armee of Espagne to other endeavours. Just by the sheer numbers of the Grandee Armee by 1808 - 1810 he could've done anything he wished against all british, spanish and portuguese. But Napoleon had wrongly conceptualised the war as an inconditional surrender after the taking of Madrid (Which was the only capital during the Napoleonics who showed resistance). As had already happened on previous scenarios in Europe. It wasn't the case here. Nor later on in Russia. On this age, the net amount of population would lay on the rural areas rather than the big cities. Which explains the reasoning behind the guerrillas and their knowledge on the countryside. And also the local junta system which would swear loyalty to Ferdinand VII as it is logical.
@@adrianocarvalho1549 Anyone who didn't endorse whatever Napoleon was saying. Because he was a dictator, an utilitarian. Under the vision of enlighment and a bunch of crap he was building on the go and compel to whatever the interest had. Basically going straight up against the liberties of a given people.
True. Wellington deserves to be remembered as a great general. But one thing to remark in your comment and in most accounts i have seen. Most people call its army as the british army but it was only really an exact label when he landed and fought at roliça. Its army was a mix of british and portuguese. That remained true until the end at watterloo. The correct label would british-portuguese army. Some also use to call it anglo-portuguese army.
Excellent video. Slight clarification: the war cost 500K SPANISH lives. Probably closer to a million total lives (Spanish, French, Portuguese, British, French allied). These figures are based on the Vitoria video.
The self-hating latino wishes that it was 2 million Spanish lives lost in this war, but that was not the case, nor did Spain nor Portugal lose the war to Napoleon. Hey @Daniel_Martin777 ....forgive him, forgive your Castilian great great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather for what he did in Peru, or Mexico, Colombia, or Guatemala, or wherever the heck you come from in the Americas. Because he was your ancestor after all, his bloodline runes in you. And don't wish death on anyone, especially your own bloodline who won the war.
Good video but I wished there were more Spanish and Portugese perspectives later in the war, especially of guerrilla fighters in Cataluña or in Andalucía, I fell this war is too dominated by English and French sources even though, the war is happening in Portugal and Spain
I fully agree with you. The video was depicted as a war between the British and the French where Portuguese and Spanish only helped. The British played a key role in the independence of the peninsula, but at least he could have talked about Bailen, a key Spanish victory in the war, or about some of the peninsular heroes who led the guerrillas.
One of my pals gave them the Nassau perspective at Vitoria, we also have one from a Hessian soldier in Badajoz and a Polish soldier from Warsaw's 9th Regiment in Andalucia. None of us have really dug into Spain or Portugal though, but the problem really is Anglo dominance in current English language Napoleonic discourse.
If you guys start a series with Voices of the Napoleonic Era, that would be mind blowing. Voice actors can really take you to a different perspective, and I can tell these guys in the video loved doing this. Cannot wait to see what Epic History got in the future for us 🔥
How eye-opening it is to see a French soldier openly blaming Napoleon for defeat on the Peninsula. I've learned a great deal about Napoleon thanks to this channel, but I've learned one thing above all else beyond doubt -- a tactical and organizational genius he was, but in many, many other ways he was a consummate fool, driven by insatiable ego and ambition to his and his country's inevitable downfall.
I'll add one story that I have read from a Czech autor that writes a lot about Napoleonic wars, I don't remember the exact wording but I'll try to be as accurate as possible So there were 4 French hussars that were riding on a road and a saw a lone building, they were thristy and hungry so they tried to buy some food and drink, a lone Spanish woman opened the doors and invited them in, and plated the food and drink, the hussars by then knew about Spanish tricks and poisonings, so they told her that they will eat and drink only if she ate the same along with her children ( i think she had 3 children there, don't remember correctly), she said ok, and everybody ate and drink, after a short time she put up a glass and said something along the lines "I poisoned myself and my children, but I also killed you frenchmen and helped Spain" (like i said i don't remember the exact words), and everybody except one hussar died, and thanks to that, we know about this event, pretty hardcore
Watched on Nebula when it was an early release, watching again for algorithm. This is honestly *my favorite episode of yours to date*, with Marengo a close second.
Dang the production value on these videos just keeps getting better and better! The detail on the map is amazing and I love how they use different accents for the different soldiers who's quotes the narrators are voicing, really nice touch!
The irony is Mexico, and many South American nations used the slogans and cries of freedom used by Spain against France, in their drive for freedom against the Spanish Empire.
Это да И ещё если не ошибаюсь в той войне за Независимость Южной Америки участвовали французский генералы которые покинули страну во время белого террора
I don't think you can say nations in this case. Those "libertadores" weren't freedom fighters. They balcanized our land and sold us to the Spanish enemies.
The irony is Spain was a country long time before France was a country. The irony is México and the south americans nations cant exist without Spain. The irony is the "freedom" you talking about was made by White rich people, not by the natives. The irony is the natives dont wanted any "freedom" from those Criollos. If you want more irony I can teach you a little more.
@@jorgeguanche5327 Lol! No, Spain is a failed state, more people died in the Spanish Civil war and their GDP is a joke. Where educated??? Spain? Would you like me to educate you more?
Your series on the Napoleonic Wars has become truly one of the greatest works of historical recounting available on UA-cam. If there is one video at the top of my mind that I would yet love to see made (beyond those that are clearly coming, such as Trafalgar), it would be a biographic on the life of the Swedish Knight, Sir Sidney Smith, the man whom dogged Napoleon's steps in Toulon and Egypt, and 'made him miss his destiny'.
Your napoleon series has reignited my love for history. I am now going back to college for a degree. Thank you so much for your content, your work is inspiring and valued! ❤
The Napoleonic Wars were an era of intense strategy, shifting alliances, and dramatic battles that reshaped Europe. Watching a History Documentary on this period is like stepping back into a world dominated by ambition and warfare. From Napoleon’s rise and the sweeping reforms he brought to the brutal clashes like Austerlitz and Waterloo, it’s incredible to see how these events continue to influence modern politics and military strategies. A must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the complex roots of contemporary Europe
I think the moral of the story here in the Peninusla War is to never underestimate the "Indomitable Spanish Spirit". The Spaniards are not ones to back down from even unprecedented things. A group of guerillas who were untrained and ill disciplined emasculated the French army of Napoleon. Moroever the savage reprisals especially from the Spanish highlight their unwavering will to fight the war.These Spaniards were untrained but my god did they have the courage and sheer determination to compensate for that deficiency.
We should not forget that it’s Spain that first attacked France in 1793. A France largely weaken by the revolution, bankrupted. They were joined by Portuguese troops later. Still France managed to fight back and invade Spain itself. Spain was not a reliable ally for Napoleon. Spies confirmed the regular exchanges between the Bourbons and the British. Napoleon knew also that Godoy was hated, the country corrupted, disfunctioning.
I think is more how Napoleon conceptualised the war after taking Madrid. How then that hard clashed with how war was conceptualised by the spanish, both regular and irregular armies. And how translates to Joseph not having effective power over Spain.
@@walideg5304 It is more complicated than that. The relation Spain had with Napoleon by 1805 was the same as a bully has with a nerdge. Abuse. There were several coertions to the crown to avoid reprasials. Basically deliver money or ships. It was the norm, just like any dictator would do. So, yes, he was already well aware of the terms. Also to the comment about the Rousillon War, 1793-1795. The context is different. Spain was against the french revolution, the national convention. Now tactically, Antonio Ramón Ricardos did a really good job which was the main force. Which was also limited, about 20k ish men. Allowing him to make good manouvrers taking the french by surprise on open field but unable to break the fort at Perpignan. In 1794 Ricardos dies due to natural causes, taking The count of the Union at that very moment his command, being much less experienced and being basically the reason to give up on that front in that year. Nevertheless Spain would fix up the situation under a better command under José de Urrutia's at Pontós. In fact Urrutia was almost insuing an attack at Mont-Louis. But to avoid more money expenditure to war effort The 1795 Treaty of Basel is agreed right on that moment.
@@walideg5304The Spanish Gov was terrible and corrupt but still Spanish. The moment Napoleon put his Brother as King he automatically make every single person from Spain his enemy. I even believe his brother would be a far better King. It would change anything. Even the Romans knew you cant rule over Spain/Portugal
South African here who loves history. I want to sincerely thank you for a brilliant video. I can only imagine the massive amount of work that went into this. Your channel is amazing.
Really cool approach to showcasing the actual first hand accounts of people who bore witness to these events. The epic battle and campaign documentaries are as always excellent, however this provides a fascinating new perspective on events already discussed in previous videos. Thank you once again for bringing history to life!
I am an admirer of Napoleon Bonaparte and his military exploits, but I must say with all due respect that his biggest mistake was having invaded Spain, who was his ally, the amount of atrocities that the French committed on Spanish soil was inhuman, this without a doubt It cost Napoleon the loss of more than 200,000 men, and on top of that without even having finished the war in Spain, he decided to invade Russia with more than 600,000 men, another big mistake. Without a doubt, Spain was Napoleon Bonaparte's Vietnam, since with that war he gained more enemies and an open battle front for the attack of the British and Spanish. Only years later, in his exile on Saint Helena, did Napoleon realize that the invasion of Spain was the beginning of his misfortunes. But I have this doubt, could the French invasion of Spain have contributed to the beginning of the War of Independence of my country, Peru and other Spanish colonies in South America? What horror, so many atrocities on both sides, the French and the Spanish. This war was undoubtedly unnecessary and was the beginning of the end of Napoleon's ehegmony. Spain was the Vietnam of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French empire.
The war in Spain has no influence at all on Napoleon's destiny, he dominated it all in 1812 and they beat the British, his only clear mistake was to invade Russia because it destroyed his empire, it made no sense to invade it just for not fulfilling his blockade against the United Kingdom.
@@danielguerrero894 But Spain was the beginning of his misfortunes. According to Napoleon himself, he opened a battle front against his former allies, whom he made enemies of. And the worst thing is that he went to invade Russia without having finished the war in Spain. Basically, he had to fight a war on two fronts, which cost him his empire.
@@JgonzaloTBEJARANO21222021 No, in any case we can then go back to Trafalgar because he realized that he could never have maritime superiority against Great Britain or to the continental system itself that made it invade Portugal in the beginning (later Spain) and then declare war on Russia for a simple strategic imbalance. The reality is that the peninsular war was a conflict in itself almost apart from the Napoleonic wars, that myth of the 2 battle fronts as if it were a carbon copy of WW2 is totally a lie, if Russia had not invaded he would have continued to be the master of Europe as he was in 1812. He did not take the troops in Russia from Spain, but rather from Germany and Italy. I repeat, the Peninsular War had almost no influence on Napoleon's fall, and in fact when he was there he demonstrated his superiority by killing all resistance.
@@danielguerrero894 How is the war on two fronts a "myth"? Napoleon was fighting in Spain and in Russia at the same time between 1812-1813. That is a fact. Also, your assertion that Napoleon took no troops from Spain is demonstrably false. Between February and June of 1812, Napoleon stripped his army in Spain of nearly 60,000 troops, many of which were his best troops in the region, to be sent to Russia. The truth is that both the Invasion of Russia and the invasion of Spain played major roles in the downfall of Napoleon. It can be argued that the Invasion of Russia was of larger consequence but to say the Peninsular War "has no influence at all on Napoleon's destiny" is absurd and baseless. The French lost between 180,000 to 260,000 casualties in Spain. This is more than they lost during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Coalitions, as well as the 1814 Campaign (all separately). The only war of the time that France lost more soldiers in was the Invasion of Russia. Now imagine these two wars happening at the same time. That is the full scope of the downfall of Napoleon. Napoleon could have used those 260,000 casualties he lost in Spain at Leipzig.
@@FlippyD1998 I haven't said any influence, but almost no influence, yes. The Russian invasion was the real turning point in rejecting Napoleon's desire to put Europe under French hegemony for the rest of his life. And yes, you are right, in fact there was a withdrawal of troops and that explains that in the peninsular war itself where the resistant Spanish survived in 2 cities and the British were rejected every time they entered Spanish territory. Yes, it suffered about 200,000 casualties, but that didn't cause many problems. Why? Because in Spain the Grand Armée was only present during Napoleon's intervention in 1809, when the fifth coalition broke out the great elite army left. In Spain precisely a specialized unit of the French army intervened, much more inexperienced. And after the intervention of Napoleon and the Fifth Coalition, all of Europe was their vassal except the United Kingdom and Portugal, because Austria and Russia accepted the blockade and the resistant Spanish had 2 cities left. Finally to undermine your point, Napoleon met in his campaign. Russian the largest army assembled by him and probably up to that moment in Europe, 600,000 million men, of which after the Russian disaster only 90,000 survived, and even so in Leipzig he gathered 180,000 men compared to the 250,000 men of the anti-French coalition. ..I think that this correlation between Leipzig and Spain is somewhat forced. If you are Spanish, I am not against you friend, they were brave to rebel because they gave Napoleon pride, but it was certainly a subsidiary war, demonstrated because it only lasted 3 months in the 6 years of hard war.
Absolutely love this style of video. It’s one thing to study about these conflicts, but it’s another to hear about them from the people involved. Really puts things into perspective in a unique way.
Fascinating and high quality content as usual! Telling the "boots on the ground" experiences was also kinda depressing... but thats the reality of war. May you all live in peace!
For some more context, Sgt. William Lawrence of the 40th who was at Badajoz, fought all the way to Waterloo and survived. He later returned to his native Dorset and opened a pub. He died aged 70. His autobiography, A Dorset Soldier is a cracking read.
This is absolutely mind-blowing quality and dedication.. I just wish you could do other series.. I like the napoleonic wars.. But i think giving it the whole focus of the channel for a long time makes me happy and little bit sad that there are untouched subjects and periods that will never get this kind of coverage
Awesome! I've been waiting for firstand stories like these about the life of a ranker for so long! Best channel on UA-cam that's really entertaining! 🍻❤ Cheers
Thank you for this new format focusing on the experience of eyewitnesses! Please give us more of this so we can see the Napoleonic Wars from the perspective of the people living through it!
As a French, I know I have ancestor who fought in Central Europe during those times (Austerlitz's Campaign), but I also have full Spanish origins from my maternal side, especially from Andalucia. I often wonder how two of my ancestors could have been enemies in that war.
I love and truly appreciate your hard work and dedication to being both thorough historian and brilliant storytellers.❤❤ The background music is always captivating.
This was a really cool and insightful new way to present the history of this particular conflict. I hope Epic History continues with more videos like this in the future.
Thank you for a new exercise in Anglo-American historiography. For this documentary there were French and Spanish atrocities but not a word about the multiple rapes, looting and destruction carried out by the English army on Spanish soil, supposedly their allies!!!! The retreat from La Coruña was a disgrace to the British army. The sacking of Badajoz was another. Even the robbery of the Spanish treasury after the battle of Vitoria is treated in the video in a rude and ridiculous way. Frankly I hope they will change this trend in future documentaries.
We hope you enjoy our brand new documentary: 'Voices of the Peninsular War'. Don’t forget, if you want to watch all our videos first, and ad-free, come and join us at Nebula, with 40% off an annual subscription using our link: go.nebula.tv/EpicHistory.
A huge thank you to all our Patreon supporters. Get exclusive production updates, votes on future topics, as well as ad-free, early access to all our new videos by signing up here: www.patreon.com/EpicHistoryTV.
As always, let us know that you think and tell us what your favourite testimony was in the comments!
Thank you for watching.
Thanks For this Guys! You're the Best ❤❤❤❤❤
Another exciting video in this October ,thank you epic history love from Philippines ❤❤🎉
Is it possible to make a special with different voices from conflicts across time, from ancient Greece to the Ukrainian war? I think it would be interesting to see how the perception of war changed across the ages
Excellent video friend. Well done. Never stop your marvelous work. Keep going 😉👍👌.
Is it not ridicoulos how the French (or any nation involved in war) escape from the brand of "nazis"? They have done worse than the Germans on WW2. The difference is that the French represent socialism-atheism-christophobics ...
Using different voice actors to create historical accuracy is just a genius idea. Good work. Keep going
Its AI bro
@@napoleonbonaparte6625No it isn’t, you can tell it’s not
@@klanny22 It isnt, but the accent of the "spaniard" recounting the Siege of Zaragoza doesn't make any sense.
As a french, I prefer the usual british voice 😁
It works for this video but yeah I prefer the main narrator
BEST history channel on UA-cam!!
Historia Civitas?
Actually
Yes
Agreed
Kings & Generals is pretty dope
Very impressive and gripping accounts. Thank you, this was superb as always.
I’ve always loved how much yall as history channels support one another. Made me fans of all of yall, and I wait for every video 😊
your videos were also one of the best we could watch!
Respect to the French colonel in the Portuguese campaign. It was a pretty sober and rational assessment of the situation and the atrocities that happened without sentimentalism or propaganda and actually saw the perspective of his enemy.
because unlike the spanish, and portuguese he knew and understood how stupid this rebellion was fighting so that the nobles and clergy keep the spanish people under serfdom
@@ommsterlitz1805 I think you missed the point of his testimony. He realizes that the war was needless, immoral, born from the ego of one man and that he understands why the French were so hated in the Peninsula and probably deserve it. He sees why the Portuguese were so ruthless towards their ocupiers without defending their methods.
He also sees that fault of failure is not so much about the general who didn't move a certain division in time but Napoleon's who alone pushed for an unnecessary war that caused endless suffering and then failed to provide his generals and armies with the necessary means to finish it. As things were going south in Spain he took troops away from the theatre and moved them to Russia. You Napoleon fanboys atempting to demonize people for not wanting to be ransacked to fund his empire are always funny.😂 Sound a lot like Americans claiming they bring "freedom and democracy" to countries they invade.😂
@@ommsterlitz1805Do Bonaparte boots taste good?
@@masterplokoon8803 Napoleon didn't declare war on Spain, he didn't want war. He entered in Spain to force them to apply the blockade on UK.
Without this reason, Napoleon didn't care about Spain or Portugal. So it's ridiculous to say that Napoleon invaded the peninsula for the glory or prestige.
You should read history, and put you in french perspective.
UK paid all the European monarchies to break peace treaties and declare war again and again. Millions of young french peoples died because of that.
The only solution was to weaken UK financially to prevent them to give others european countries money.
It's why the blockade was so important for Napoleon.
So when you said it was an unnecessary war, first Napoleon didn't want a war and for Napoleon perspective the invasion was necessary to apply the blockade.
But, everything turned bad...
@@thierryfromgwada9312 The continental system didn't work. And it just turned France into Europe's policeman, since countries would try to get out of it since it was ruining their economies only for the French army to invade costing a lot more French lives than if Napoleon had just left those countries alone.
Plus British funding became a lot more appealing when Napoleon started actively destroying everyone's economies.
And invading, plundering and brutalizing Portugal (a country that was no threat whatsoever to France) because it was trading with someone he didn't like is highly immoral. It's not as if Portugal could just cut off trade with its largest trading partner without being ruined and exposing its overseas posessions to danger.
And Spain was actually allied with Napoleon and was part of the system but he backstabbed them anyway because he thought they were too incompetent and thought he would be better off running Spain by himself.
The immorality, insidious nature and uglyness behind the motivations and conduct of the Peninsular war is painfully obvious and Napoleon himself later in exile admitted it.
I find it funny that a lot of people want us to empathize and justify every bad thought or action that Napoleon made all the while seeing any other country in Europe either as cartoonish evil monarch bad guys being mean to him for no reason or as NPCs to be crushed or owned in a epic battle for his glory. They can't put themselves in the perspectives of these countries that he was bullying and abusing for power and actually look through their perspectives.
The quality of these videos is getting unbelievable, the paintings, narration and topics are amazing.
These tales remind me of the horrors inflicted during the 1798 rebellion of Ireland. Both sides took no prisoners and it was said that every tree in the South East had a "Croppy" (term for an Irish rebel) hung from every tree.
Yeah, were told here in the US that the expression "the jig is up", meant Irish patriots were being hanged by the British, their legs kicking. The Irish were the most abused in all of Europe. I always wished the North Americans and South Americans could have united to help Napoleon by attacking England and Spain, with help from the Irish.
@@chriscoll6493 The USA did - when it declared war in 1812 - and found campaigning on its own home turf enough of a handful, never mind trying to mount a naval expedition across the Atlantic. Most of the South American territories that we know as countries today were Spanish or Portuguese colonies and did not gain independence until long after Napoleon had been defeated and imprisoned on St Helene, and so were in absolutely no position to attack Britain and Spain. So, your wish is just pure fantasy.
0:27 "in 1808... ", goosebumps
I was about to say the same!! 😂
Right
As a Spaniard I am proud of our history and happy that you make it known in such a rich and entertaining way, thank you very much.
The cries and freedom used by Spain against France, where used just a few years later by Mexico and many South American countries against Spain.
And that is how history goes
What a terrible error made by the Spanish listing their priests. Fighting for the return of an evil and cruel king from a French dynasty vs a modern and wise king from another French dynasty. An historic error.
@@rodrigodiazdevivar6183 Most of those 'cries of freedom' came from Spain's descendents in the Americas who did not want to be ruled by European royal houses.
Simón Bolívar was descended from a Basque family.
@@walideg5304It would have been better to let the French loot the country as they did with the rest of Europe, right?
7:28 Just to add to this story: Harris grew quite close with Mrs. Cochan during the short while of the campaign, looked after hell well-being during the harsh marches, and in Lisbon, he asked to marry her. However, as Harris himself says:
"She had received too great a shock on the occasion of her husband's death ever to think of another soldier, she said; she therefore thanked me for my good feeling towards her, but declined my offer, and left us soon afterwards for England."
did you read The Recollections of Rifleman Harris?
Now that's soldiering!
This definetly delivered. Harrowing accounts, incredible artwork and the best narrator on the platform🙌
“I confess, without shame, that I am sick and tired of fighting - its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands, and fathers ... it is only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated ... that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation.”
-Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, U.S. Army, 1865
At least General Sherman led a brilliant campaign in 1864 that led the Union to victory, unlike Napoleon, who made massive mistakes in so many campaigns in ended in total French defeat, with a generation's worth of French boys in mass graves.
Spanish: War of Independence
British: The Peninsula War
Napoleon: The Spanish Ulcer.
No es guerra de independencia, no tomaron la península y España estaba también en América, Filipinas etc.
Nosotros no eramos un Imperio con colonias depredador como ingleses y franceses. Los españoles somos los herederos de Roma, y no colonizabamos, conquistabamos.
@@Hispano999lol sure buddy
@@kingseb2252 Well he's got a Point apart of Rome
@@nuhu784 but he's still wrong
@@Hispano999 Si bien es cierto que en el momento no se llamo guerra de independencia, lo cierto es que Napoleón sustituyo nuestro gobierno con su hermano, haciéndonos un estado satélite. No es incorrecto entonces ver que es una guerra para evitar ser gobernados por otro país.
We often hear battles and tactics but not often their voices…thank you for bringing this to our attention.
THE channel for Napoleonic War content. Best series on youtube.
Toby making his voiceover debut 😮 A decade in the making 🫡
Who's Toby?
@@Sriram-ve4geThe main guy behind the channel.
Which one was he?
@@johnnyjoestar5193 no idea, I only know the name from the Twitter/X profile of this channel.
Second Lieutenant George Wood
“THERE ARE MONEY CARTS!!!!”😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Those Portuguese soldiers counting the dollars giving our country a good name.😂🇵🇹
Bro think Napoleon out here with Zelle or some shit
18:27 really reflects the horror the soldier came through only by hearing his voice alone...
epic history really took me by surprise with this small detail... cheers to the team lads!
He actually survived and fought all the way to Waterloo. He later returned to his home county of Dorset and became a pub landlord.
Best histroy channel on youtube!!!
Best History channel on UA-cam without a shred of doubt
I'm from Mallorca Spain and this video got me unironically emotional, you did a magnificent job.
Jesus Christ, this is hands down the best narration I've ever heard on UA-cam 😭. We'd love to collaborate with you on one video only!
I bow down to you EHTV. Take some of my money!
Thank you for your very generous support!
@@EpichistoryTv Thank you for being inspirational 🥰!
This was a really good idea for a video. Honestly its always refreshing to hear actual eyewitness accounts from war. Using different voice actors for each one was a nice touch as well.
I had always known that the peninsular war was brutal... But this was almost too much to watch.
I found myself wincing at some of the recounts. I never knew of the extent of the atrocities.
The viewer discretion is most certainly earned.
I mean, most wars are this horrible. Its rather rare to find a war in which war crimes and atrocities are not comitted honestly.
@@rallemeister9043true, just the nature of humans to do violence against each other even innocents when fighting in violent conflict
@@rallemeister9043Yes but even other wars from the period were less brutal, like the third and fourth coalitions, at least in what respects to civilians and prisoners
In fact in the video they really diminished the true extent of the atrocities, and did not talk of the horrible fate that many "Afrancesados" (Spanish people that supported the French) suffered. The Peninsular war is truly one of the most horrifying wars in History.
@@alexgaelsotorodriguez3870 Yeah it was 100% an insanely brutal war.
This was amazing! I’d love to see future videos like this of eyewitness accounts from Napoleon’s other campaigns! This was so eye opening and fascinating!
This video is PHENOMENAL. Bringing history to life by voicing primary source, first-person accounts. I'm so glad another channel recommended this.
A fair acknowledgement of all sides contributions. Wellington's Army was always outnumbered at least 4 to 1 by the French troops in Spain. It would have been absolutely impossible for him to keep winning without the Spanish and Portuguese also tying down so many French troops.
It was a Spanish war with English assistance. The majority of spanish population up in arms against an invader. They would give them hell.
But also at the same time, it would been impossible to drive out the french army out of the peninsula without the british support.
It's also important to take in account the strategic decision of Napoleon to ignore and neglect the reality of the armee of Espagne to other endeavours.
Just by the sheer numbers of the Grandee Armee by 1808 - 1810 he could've done anything he wished against all british, spanish and portuguese.
But Napoleon had wrongly conceptualised the war as an inconditional surrender after the taking of Madrid (Which was the only capital during the Napoleonics who showed resistance). As had already happened on previous scenarios in Europe. It wasn't the case here. Nor later on in Russia.
On this age, the net amount of population would lay on the rural areas rather than the big cities. Which explains the reasoning behind the guerrillas and their knowledge on the countryside. And also the local junta system which would swear loyalty to Ferdinand VII as it is logical.
@@homero_con_lechuguillaCairo also resisted with violence to Napoleon. Don't forget it.
@@adrianocarvalho1549 Anyone who didn't endorse whatever Napoleon was saying. Because he was a dictator, an utilitarian. Under the vision of enlighment and a bunch of crap he was building on the go and compel to whatever the interest had. Basically going straight up against the liberties of a given people.
True. Wellington deserves to be remembered as a great general.
But one thing to remark in your comment and in most accounts i have seen. Most people call its army as the british army but it was only really an exact label when he landed and fought at roliça.
Its army was a mix of british and portuguese. That remained true until the end at watterloo.
The correct label would british-portuguese army. Some also use to call it anglo-portuguese army.
Excellent video. Slight clarification: the war cost 500K SPANISH lives. Probably closer to a million total lives (Spanish, French, Portuguese, British, French allied). These figures are based on the Vitoria video.
And during the time of the Peninsular War 1808-1814 , the French lost well over one million troops in the Peninsular War and other campaigns.
@@RidleyScottOwnsFailedDictatorsI heard the numbers as 250K losses for Napoleon and 2Million for Spain
The self-hating latino wishes that it was 2 million Spanish lives lost in this war, but that was not the case, nor did Spain nor Portugal lose the war to Napoleon. Hey @Daniel_Martin777 ....forgive him, forgive your Castilian great great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather for what he did in Peru, or Mexico, Colombia, or Guatemala, or wherever the heck you come from in the Americas. Because he was your ancestor after all, his bloodline runes in you. And don't wish death on anyone, especially your own bloodline who won the war.
Good video but I wished there were more Spanish and Portugese perspectives later in the war, especially of guerrilla fighters in Cataluña or in Andalucía, I fell this war is too dominated by English and French sources even though, the war is happening in Portugal and Spain
I fully agree with you. The video was depicted as a war between the British and the French where Portuguese and Spanish only helped. The British played a key role in the independence of the peninsula, but at least he could have talked about Bailen, a key Spanish victory in the war, or about some of the peninsular heroes who led the guerrillas.
One of my pals gave them the Nassau perspective at Vitoria, we also have one from a Hessian soldier in Badajoz and a Polish soldier from Warsaw's 9th Regiment in Andalucia. None of us have really dug into Spain or Portugal though, but the problem really is Anglo dominance in current English language Napoleonic discourse.
@@HernanHernandez-d1f it was a war between the british and the french where the iberians only helped
@@big_2361without the Portuguese and Spanish guerrillas and regular armies the British wouldn't be able to even touch Napoleon's empire.
@@masterplokoon8803 so they helped the british out, got it 👍
The narration and subject matter is always spot on with this channel. Such a pleasure to watch.
5:55 mentioned in one of the videos of EpicHistoryTV? now that's soldiering!
If you guys start a series with Voices of the Napoleonic Era, that would be mind blowing. Voice actors can really take you to a different perspective, and I can tell these guys in the video loved doing this. Cannot wait to see what Epic History got in the future for us 🔥
How eye-opening it is to see a French soldier openly blaming Napoleon for defeat on the Peninsula. I've learned a great deal about Napoleon thanks to this channel, but I've learned one thing above all else beyond doubt -- a tactical and organizational genius he was, but in many, many other ways he was a consummate fool, driven by insatiable ego and ambition to his and his country's inevitable downfall.
I have been waiting for Marengo for years. This will be an upcoming amazing video.
This war was a product of Napoleon's delusion. As great as he was he did not forsee Spain and Portugal rising against his ideas. It was his Vietnam.
I'll add one story that I have read from a Czech autor that writes a lot about Napoleonic wars, I don't remember the exact wording but I'll try to be as accurate as possible
So there were 4 French hussars that were riding on a road and a saw a lone building, they were thristy and hungry so they tried to buy some food and drink, a lone Spanish woman opened the doors and invited them in, and plated the food and drink, the hussars by then knew about Spanish tricks and poisonings, so they told her that they will eat and drink only if she ate the same along with her children ( i think she had 3 children there, don't remember correctly), she said ok, and everybody ate and drink, after a short time she put up a glass and said something along the lines "I poisoned myself and my children, but I also killed you frenchmen and helped Spain" (like i said i don't remember the exact words), and everybody except one hussar died, and thanks to that, we know about this event, pretty hardcore
Watched on Nebula when it was an early release, watching again for algorithm.
This is honestly *my favorite episode of yours to date*, with Marengo a close second.
Dang the production value on these videos just keeps getting better and better! The detail on the map is amazing and I love how they use different accents for the different soldiers who's quotes the narrators are voicing, really nice touch!
I like how the voice for the 95 Rifles sounds like Richard Sharpe ;)
The irony is Mexico, and many South American nations used the slogans and cries of freedom used by Spain against France, in their drive for freedom against the Spanish Empire.
Это да
И ещё если не ошибаюсь в той войне за Независимость Южной Америки участвовали французский генералы которые покинули страну во время белого террора
I don't think you can say nations in this case. Those "libertadores" weren't freedom fighters. They balcanized our land and sold us to the Spanish enemies.
The irony is Spain was a country long time before France was a country. The irony is México and the south americans nations cant exist without Spain. The irony is the "freedom" you talking about was made by White rich people, not by the natives. The irony is the natives dont wanted any "freedom" from those Criollos. If you want more irony I can teach you a little more.
@@jorgeguanche5327 Lol! No, Spain is a failed state, more people died in the Spanish Civil war and their GDP is a joke. Where educated??? Spain? Would you like me to educate you more?
@@jorgeguanche5327Wow, you're very angry and you don't understand irony.
Defo watching this tonight
Your series on the Napoleonic Wars has become truly one of the greatest works of historical recounting available on UA-cam.
If there is one video at the top of my mind that I would yet love to see made (beyond those that are clearly coming, such as Trafalgar), it would be a biographic on the life of the Swedish Knight, Sir Sidney Smith, the man whom dogged Napoleon's steps in Toulon and Egypt, and 'made him miss his destiny'.
Your napoleon series has reignited my love for history. I am now going back to college for a degree. Thank you so much for your content, your work is inspiring and valued! ❤
Great to hear! Good luck!
Epic history does not miss. THEY DO NOT MISS! Fantastic video, and wonderfully done.
One of the most worst wars ever. The sheer brutality of the actions on both sides is horrifying.
Nah same shit, different 'skin' / theme
Thank you epic history. Whenever I think thseries on napoleon is over, this channel surprises me with s new video
Wow what a beautiful video man Fr Epic History is really THE GOAT
The Napoleonic Wars were an era of intense strategy, shifting alliances, and dramatic battles that reshaped Europe. Watching a History Documentary on this period is like stepping back into a world dominated by ambition and warfare. From Napoleon’s rise and the sweeping reforms he brought to the brutal clashes like Austerlitz and Waterloo, it’s incredible to see how these events continue to influence modern politics and military strategies. A must-watch for anyone interested in understanding the complex roots of contemporary Europe
I think the moral of the story here in the Peninusla War is to never underestimate the "Indomitable Spanish Spirit". The Spaniards are not ones to back down from even unprecedented things. A group of guerillas who were untrained and ill disciplined emasculated the French army of Napoleon. Moroever the savage reprisals especially from the Spanish highlight their unwavering will to fight the war.These Spaniards were untrained but my god did they have the courage and sheer determination to compensate for that deficiency.
We should not forget that it’s Spain that first attacked France in 1793. A France largely weaken by the revolution, bankrupted. They were joined by Portuguese troops later. Still France managed to fight back and invade Spain itself.
Spain was not a reliable ally for Napoleon. Spies confirmed the regular exchanges between the Bourbons and the British. Napoleon knew also that Godoy was hated, the country corrupted, disfunctioning.
I think is more how Napoleon conceptualised the war after taking Madrid. How then that hard clashed with how war was conceptualised by the spanish, both regular and irregular armies. And how translates to Joseph not having effective power over Spain.
@@walideg5304 It is more complicated than that. The relation Spain had with Napoleon by 1805 was the same as a bully has with a nerdge. Abuse. There were several coertions to the crown to avoid reprasials. Basically deliver money or ships. It was the norm, just like any dictator would do. So, yes, he was already well aware of the terms.
Also to the comment about the Rousillon War, 1793-1795. The context is different. Spain was against the french revolution, the national convention. Now tactically, Antonio Ramón Ricardos did a really good job which was the main force. Which was also limited, about 20k ish men. Allowing him to make good manouvrers taking the french by surprise on open field but unable to break the fort at Perpignan. In 1794 Ricardos dies due to natural causes, taking The count of the Union at that very moment his command, being much less experienced and being basically the reason to give up on that front in that year. Nevertheless Spain would fix up the situation under a better command under José de Urrutia's at Pontós. In fact Urrutia was almost insuing an attack at Mont-Louis. But to avoid more money expenditure to war effort The 1795 Treaty of Basel is agreed right on that moment.
@@walideg5304The Spanish Gov was terrible and corrupt but still Spanish. The moment Napoleon put his Brother as King he automatically make every single person from Spain his enemy. I even believe his brother would be a far better King. It would change anything. Even the Romans knew you cant rule over Spain/Portugal
South African here who loves history. I want to sincerely thank you for a brilliant video. I can only imagine the massive amount of work that went into this. Your channel is amazing.
I love Epic History!
I would love to hear more of these. The human element of the men on the ground is so gripping and real. Please do more!
The best history channel ever
Amazing work as always. Showing everyone’s point of view and the Cruelty of both sides. It show the true Horror of Peninsular War.
The Spanish war is one of the best parts of the channel. Bravo!
Really cool approach to showcasing the actual first hand accounts of people who bore witness to these events. The epic battle and campaign documentaries are as always excellent, however this provides a fascinating new perspective on events already discussed in previous videos. Thank you once again for bringing history to life!
The war in the Iberian Peninsula was very important for Napoleon's defeat!!
Amazing. Great voice acting, visuals, and stories. This really enriches the series. Keep it up, Toby!
When Epic History releases a video, "What a wonderful day!"
I am an admirer of Napoleon Bonaparte and his military exploits, but I must say with all due respect that his biggest mistake was having invaded Spain, who was his ally, the amount of atrocities that the French committed on Spanish soil was inhuman, this without a doubt It cost Napoleon the loss of more than 200,000 men, and on top of that without even having finished the war in Spain, he decided to invade Russia with more than 600,000 men, another big mistake. Without a doubt, Spain was Napoleon Bonaparte's Vietnam, since with that war he gained more enemies and an open battle front for the attack of the British and Spanish.
Only years later, in his exile on Saint Helena, did Napoleon realize that the invasion of Spain was the beginning of his misfortunes.
But I have this doubt, could the French invasion of Spain have contributed to the beginning of the War of Independence of my country, Peru and other Spanish colonies in South America?
What horror, so many atrocities on both sides, the French and the Spanish. This war was undoubtedly unnecessary and was the beginning of the end of Napoleon's ehegmony. Spain was the Vietnam of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French empire.
The war in Spain has no influence at all on Napoleon's destiny, he dominated it all in 1812 and they beat the British, his only clear mistake was to invade Russia because it destroyed his empire, it made no sense to invade it just for not fulfilling his blockade against the United Kingdom.
@@danielguerrero894 But Spain was the beginning of his misfortunes. According to Napoleon himself, he opened a battle front against his former allies, whom he made enemies of. And the worst thing is that he went to invade Russia without having finished the war in Spain. Basically, he had to fight a war on two fronts, which cost him his empire.
@@JgonzaloTBEJARANO21222021
No, in any case we can then go back to Trafalgar because he realized that he could never have maritime superiority against Great Britain or to the continental system itself that made it invade Portugal in the beginning (later Spain) and then declare war on Russia for a simple strategic imbalance. The reality is that the peninsular war was a conflict in itself almost apart from the Napoleonic wars, that myth of the 2 battle fronts as if it were a carbon copy of WW2 is totally a lie, if Russia had not invaded he would have continued to be the master of Europe as he was in 1812. He did not take the troops in Russia from Spain, but rather from Germany and Italy. I repeat, the Peninsular War had almost no influence on Napoleon's fall, and in fact when he was there he demonstrated his superiority by killing all resistance.
@@danielguerrero894 How is the war on two fronts a "myth"? Napoleon was fighting in Spain and in Russia at the same time between 1812-1813. That is a fact. Also, your assertion that Napoleon took no troops from Spain is demonstrably false. Between February and June of 1812, Napoleon stripped his army in Spain of nearly 60,000 troops, many of which were his best troops in the region, to be sent to Russia. The truth is that both the Invasion of Russia and the invasion of Spain played major roles in the downfall of Napoleon. It can be argued that the Invasion of Russia was of larger consequence but to say the Peninsular War "has no influence at all on Napoleon's destiny" is absurd and baseless.
The French lost between 180,000 to 260,000 casualties in Spain. This is more than they lost during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Coalitions, as well as the 1814 Campaign (all separately). The only war of the time that France lost more soldiers in was the Invasion of Russia. Now imagine these two wars happening at the same time. That is the full scope of the downfall of Napoleon. Napoleon could have used those 260,000 casualties he lost in Spain at Leipzig.
@@FlippyD1998 I haven't said any influence, but almost no influence, yes. The Russian invasion was the real turning point in rejecting Napoleon's desire to put Europe under French hegemony for the rest of his life. And yes, you are right, in fact there was a withdrawal of troops and that explains that in the peninsular war itself where the resistant Spanish survived in 2 cities and the British were rejected every time they entered Spanish territory.
Yes, it suffered about 200,000 casualties, but that didn't cause many problems. Why? Because in Spain the Grand Armée was only present during Napoleon's intervention in 1809, when the fifth coalition broke out the great elite army left. In Spain precisely a specialized unit of the French army intervened, much more inexperienced. And after the intervention of Napoleon and the Fifth Coalition, all of Europe was their vassal except the United Kingdom and Portugal, because Austria and Russia accepted the blockade and the resistant Spanish had 2 cities left. Finally to undermine your point, Napoleon met in his campaign.
Russian the largest army assembled by him and probably up to that moment in Europe, 600,000 million men, of which after the Russian disaster only 90,000 survived, and even so in Leipzig he gathered 180,000 men compared to the 250,000 men of the anti-French coalition. ..I think that this correlation between Leipzig and Spain is somewhat forced.
If you are Spanish, I am not against you friend, they were brave to rebel because they gave Napoleon pride, but it was certainly a subsidiary war, demonstrated because it only lasted 3 months in the 6 years of hard war.
Love this format as an additional layer to the amazing content you already have...this is EPIC!
Greatest history channel waiting for battle of marengo part 2 tremendous work keep it up.
A guerra na península ibérica foi muito importante para a derrota de Napoleão!!
Can't imagine the horrors both sides went through. The stuff of nightmares
Absolutely love this style of video. It’s one thing to study about these conflicts, but it’s another to hear about them from the people involved. Really puts things into perspective in a unique way.
Fascinating and high quality content as usual! Telling the "boots on the ground" experiences was also kinda depressing... but thats the reality of war.
May you all live in peace!
For some more context, Sgt. William Lawrence of the 40th who was at Badajoz, fought all the way to Waterloo and survived. He later returned to his native Dorset and opened a pub. He died aged 70. His autobiography, A Dorset Soldier is a cracking read.
Love this channel! Narrator’s voice lives in my head talking about Napoleonic era
"I shall not mention his name nor his regiment,"
Absolute class.
To hear these quotes spoken aloud is much more impactful than reading them off a piece of paper. May all these poor souls rest in peace.
I hope we can see some battles that didn't appear in the other peninsular war vids
It’s amazing how you keep the voices of the past alive. Deepest reverence to you and your research
Could you please do a voices of the retreat from Moscow? Love the new vid ❤
I love this form of video, is different than other Epic history TV formats. Hearing the accounts is actually interesting and pretty horrifying.
Indubitably compelling documentary.
These are beautifully produced programmes - thank you.
Amazing video and production! Please more of these!
Another brilliant video👏👏 The map detail and quality gets better every time its amazing!!❤️
This is absolutely mind-blowing quality and dedication.. I just wish you could do other series.. I like the napoleonic wars.. But i think giving it the whole focus of the channel for a long time makes me happy and little bit sad that there are untouched subjects and periods that will never get this kind of coverage
Great video, unlike other videos it gets personal and so we really feel with the soldiers. Would love to hear more voices of different campaigns!
Outstanding first person accounts. Well done!
This documentary is fantastic! Horrifying yet fantastic. Thanks so much!
Awesome! I've been waiting for firstand stories like these about the life of a ranker for so long! Best channel on UA-cam that's really entertaining! 🍻❤ Cheers
Thank you for this new format focusing on the experience of eyewitnesses! Please give us more of this so we can see the Napoleonic Wars from the perspective of the people living through it!
I've been waiting for this masterpiece ❤❤❤😊
Damn that war was absolutely brutal
Shoot, I am not even halfway through the video and I have some tingling down my spine.
Please do more voices of the past. This is incredible!
As a French, I know I have ancestor who fought in Central Europe during those times (Austerlitz's Campaign), but I also have full Spanish origins from my maternal side, especially from Andalucia. I often wonder how two of my ancestors could have been enemies in that war.
Does not matter, we keep our hate for the French, you always have been our rivals and enemies.
@@sergius9571 Who's "We"?, nobody in Spain hates French people because of this war except no-life losers like you.
Little Epic History to start the weekend, nothing better.
I love and truly appreciate your hard work and dedication to being both thorough historian and brilliant storytellers.❤❤ The background music is always captivating.
Amazing work as always! Great voice acting! Visual and stories! Keep up the Great work Toby ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Well Sir, upon first sighting a new `Epic History` video, I naturally watched it, that's my style Sir!
This was a really cool and insightful new way to present the history of this particular conflict. I hope Epic History continues with more videos like this in the future.
i appreciate the Ancient Americas approach and having people with native accents read the quotes
Always look forward to another of your content! Epic history tv is the Best history channel 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
This video really opened my eyes! Thanks for providing such valuable information.
Thank you for a new exercise in Anglo-American historiography.
For this documentary there were French and Spanish atrocities but not a word about the multiple rapes, looting and destruction carried out by the English army on Spanish soil, supposedly their allies!!!!
The retreat from La Coruña was a disgrace to the British army. The sacking of Badajoz was another.
Even the robbery of the Spanish treasury after the battle of Vitoria is treated in the video in a rude and ridiculous way.
Frankly I hope they will change this trend in future documentaries.
Nah
Thank you for giving voices to the brave souls who suffered under the evil of vain despots like Bonaparte.
This was amazing! One of the best videos you have put out!
Epic History Channels, new Napoleon video on Friday? What a treat, truly blessed.. we are as fans. Thank you, can’t wait for the rest of the series!