I always knew that Napoleon was a military genius, but I was not aware of just how much of a military genius he was. Turning unwinnable situations into victories or harsh struggles is monumentally impressive. This video was quite the fascinating watch.
You may also enjoy learning about Agrippa. Agrippa was the military mind behind the rise of Octavian/Augustus Caesar and absolutely brilliant especially in that he was able to think outside the box of traditional military tactics of the time. Historia Civilis has an excellent (and entertaining, although a bit drier than this channel) chronological history of the transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire (Which features, in part, the tale of Octavian and Agrippa and the folks surrounding them. The tale of Cicero, Rome's finest and final true statesman, is also an excellent story)
@@JKa244 I am a big fan of outside of the box methods. I have heard Agrippa's name a few times, but I have not heard of his military exploits. Perhaps I will look into this channel. Thank you for the recommendation.
@@galaxy-eyesgarchomp9478 I would recommend starting with the assassination of Julius Caesar and going in chronological order - I will find and link that particular video so you can use it as a starting point, and add that link in an additional reply.
Interesting fact- I live in Florida, and I metal detect the beaches for jewelry. One day I found an old brass button with some kind of insignia on it. After a quick Google search, I saw that it was from napoleons 7th infantry. It was found around Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach. That is a very old inlet. Pretty cool to directly touch history like that. I still have it. That was over 15 years ago.
@@seanpaolacci6842 Just like a virgin who pretends that he f*cked a girl, France pretends that they won with Napoleon. Couple of losers who have to resort to pretending.
@@funckypickle77 He just used what he had better than his enemies. They had the same Artillery, but they only copied the corp system later but he was still whooping em He also had amazing men in his army, Massena held Genoa so Napleon could march through the alps and then win the Battle of Marengo. Like someone else Murat was an amazing cavarly commander and Murat's cavalry charge played a crucial role in saving Augereau and the French forces during the Battle of Eylau. Augereau had his corp ripped to pieces by artillery.
He reorganized the entire French army completely. They became so fast that it devastated every opponent. Each division would have its own artillery, cavalry, engineers etc.. Look at his Marshalls and you'll see he promoted the best not the richest.
Wrong. Berthier was the actual genius behind the administration of the French army at that point. Credit to Napoleon for allowing him to do it, but that's about as far as it goes. In fact you can almost pin-point the moment Napoleon starts losing battles is when Coalition armies start copying Berthier's ideas.
Can we have more long form history content? I know a lot of the channel is history but this was fascinating to listen to as someone whose view of history class was boring despite how much I wanted it not to be. Great video as always!
Yeah he was a great general but he was colonizing murderous barbaric POS as well. Like how he massacred my people (Egypt), even while they prayed in the safety of their holy places while bombing them and desecrating it, slaughtering innocent people and religious leaders, utterly destroying everything and failing to trick our people into believing him and his lies while also failing to bring the country under his control, only to end up running back to France with his tail between his legs abandoning his soldiers cause he failed and didn’t want to take the responsibility and be there when it was clear. Went to France and used his propaganda to convince everyone that it was some sort of epic victory. Lol
@primesspct2 Same here. My history teachers never failed to leave me bored and uninterested, as opposed to my wild science teachers that ensured I was entertained by whatever they taught.
Highly informative summary of Napoleon. The new King of France sending armies that joined Napolean was a point overlooked or at least obscured by most venues for a long time
I consider myself very well-informed about European History -but this contribution is hands down the best summary of the accomplishments and role Napelon played during his time. The researched facts are presented in a highly professional way - both voice and visuals are of the highest professional level which captured my attention from the first minute till the very last after over half an hour.
Historiography has lost it's credibility as a science long, long time ago. Especially when it comes to history of Europe and Russia. Fabrications and straight out gutting parts of it that don't fit the political agendas. For example Ancient Greece, It's entire history is based upon documents written after the 18th century, allegedly rewritings. The actual few remaining documents from that era tell quite a different story...
@@marquisdelafayette-xe1ht Yeah it's quite funny actually. It's not important what the facts say, when you have a lobby of fanatics that say what's what. You either flow with the mainstream or you are not a historian. You probably believe ancient Egypt was built with copper chisel and hammer...
He commissioned pasteurization so his troops could carry 3 days worth of food. He went to the same war colleges as all of the other European commanders and knew exactly what they would do. Not having to rely on wagon trains, his men could outflank the armies that did. He intentionally ceded the high ground, having preemptively dialed in his artillery on it knowing that enemy generals would rigidly hold to that doctrine and let their men die in neat, disciplined ranks under the ensuing bombardment.
Key point shown in Italy campaign is split a rather slow moving enemy , superiro speed of movement and independance of selfsufficient corps , to regroup in mass against an inferior force .. start over ...
Napoleon was able to move fast...because his troops robbed the poor farmers of all their food, which left them to starve to death. The opposition generals had huge slow moving support wagons to feed their troops, which gave Napoleon a huge advantage.
@@5H1N0B1 Indeed, but he commissioned a solution to feed his soldiers, and canned food was invented by the French, and the troops could feed themselves during long campaigns !
It's hard to comprehend how he could win so many battles THAT overwhelmingly. I feel like the most important part of this story - his strategies and tactics - was left out. I want the detes!
he simplified and streamlined military structure empowering subordinate generals to make decisions on the fly rather than waiting for orders from above. This made them infinitely more flexible. He also built each corps to be self sustaining, rather than interdependent on other units.
He was a military genius no doubt. I think what made him so ingenuitive is that he was an artillery officer to begin with. the French already had well established Infantry and cavalry traditions already but we was able to mix them all together to seriously strong effect.
Apparently he was a very good writer. A writer from the period even said, “it’s a shame that a mind as great as napoleons was dedicated to trivial things, like empires, conquests, and power.”
@@Unpseudopascommelesautres Book is called: “Napoleon: a very short introduction. By David Bell”. I forget the page number Edit: nvm. Page 17, the writers name was Paul Valery
Imagine what he could have done if he hadn’t been so obsessed with conquest and actually valued women as equals in everything but raw physical strength. If he’d turned his mind to science and statescraft. Or even if he’d made full use of women. Maybe he would have been another Einstein. Alas we’ll never know.
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient. Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time. The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king. The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain. Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres. Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time. Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy. It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
Really enjoyed this deep dive into Napoleon’s life and legacy! His rise from a young Corsican officer to Emperor of France is just incredible. The battles, strategies, and his impact on Europe are mind-blowing. If you’re into history or just love a good story of ambition, this is a must-watch!
Napoleons Tomb, an incredible piece of architecture, surrounded by incredible architecture, is located in the Tomb des Invalides, within the complex of the Hotel des Invalides, and absolutely worth a look if your ever in Paris. The Parisians have a bit of a cheeky joke pertaining Napoleons Tomb/how and what’s it made from; The tomb contains a nest of five coffins: one made of soft iron, another of mahogany, two others of lead, and one of ebony. THE REASON FOR THE FIVE COFFINS IS SO NAPOLEON CANT ESCAPE AGAIN…..
Supposedly, the tomb is located on the ground floor of a rotunda because anyone on the balcony above it would have to bow their heads to look at Napoleon's tomb.
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient. Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time. The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king. The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain. Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres. Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time. Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy. It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
@@podunkcitizen2562the tomb is slightly higher than the ground so everyone look up to Napoleon. The Balcony above is so everyone has to bow to Napoleon
The most astonishing fact is that he was only 51 when he died. I'm 52 and I would have to be born a million times more to achieve 1% of what he did. Incredible man.
What is incredible? he caused the deaths of millions He condoned torture Rapine and Plundering. He was a thief on a grand scale And the Lourve is full of plundered art. He was as bad as Hitler. He was a party to the executions of the aristocrats and royalty and then becomes one himself. His Hubris had no bounds
Right. No unlike Alexander the Great, whose armies conquered much of the world under his command before we was even thirty. Or like the overall Artillery commander in Lee's Army at Gettsyburg was only 28 at the time of the battle. Unreal how much these young men accomplished in their short lives. So many of today's 28-year-olds still live with their parents, aren't married, have no children. Awful.
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient. Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time. The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king. The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain. Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres. Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time. Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy. It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
they were so scared of him that even if they banish the guy to the most remote island in the world, they had 2 ships incircle the island 24/7 until he died and when he died they incase him with layers upon layers of metal caskets in case the guy would come back again to haunt Europe
well the british could have killed him.....the prussians most certainly would have that said killing him might have led to more revolution and more warfare and everybody was exhausted at that point nobody wanted another major war europe had been at war off and on for over 20 years
It's a smart move used more often. "If you surrender, we'll give you a luxury villa, a nice island to live out your years. If you don't, then heads, pikes, tar, maggots, you know the rules" If done right, it can help in the aftermath since you didn't murder everyone's favorite hero, and you effectively hold him hostage for their good behavior. If done wrong, they'll revolt anyway. If done very wrong, he builds a boat and goes in for round 2. But ultimately, ol' Nappy failed at that key role in statesmanship: making buddies. Turns out when you're only liked by your soldiers, you can only really lose one major battle.
@@sorsocksfake Well, yes and no... Two members of the 7th coalition were his marshals add in the popularity of the guy in France, they couldn't really kill him outright without facing massive retaliation ^^. Or at least without having a massive grudge of the french and yes, the 20 th century and the first world war attest it could be dangerous ^^.
Similer to how Napoleon was one of the greatest Generals ever, Thoughty2 would be the *GREATEST* history teacher ever, capable of making absolutely any subject interesting. Unfortunately that would massively limit his audience. So he made a YT channel in order to be a teacher to million's. Thank you Thoughty2😀👍
Nahh - he´s an entertaining UA-camr dabbling in exaggerated horror crime stories, Ufology and mythology internet fairytales and making occasional uninformed and overtly biased political commentary. All of which neither a teacher nor a historian should do. I like his stuff, as I said, its entertaining. But he isnt more than a often incredibly research-lazy edutainment youtuber. Dont trust what he posts as well-founded facts, please. It really isnt.
That was a great summary of Napoleon. I'm from the USA. So the only part I didn't get was the analogy to British supermarkets. I might use cars to illustrate, they're more universal. "This one's a Mercedes, that one's a Toyota". But the good part is - your videos are reaching across the Pond 😂👍
Very good video. Although he didn't invaded Russia just to add another country to his collection. Because he couldn't invade England, he imposed a European embargo supposed to prevent any UK goods to flow in or out of England. Russia didn't respect the embargo, so Napoléon thought it would be best to invade Russia as well to enforce his policy.
I think after the disaster in Russia napoleon's greatest achievement was beating army's 2 and 3 times his size in France before he lost Paris. Also you can never really discuss Napoleon without all his capable and brave Marshall's. I didn't know he did all that on the Island of Elba if nothing else you have to give him credit for being a great statesman making positive changes.
i think his greatest achievement is after losing 700k men in russia...he was still able to retreat and fight off the russians following and was able to muster a big army again and fight and win more big battles until waterloo...that was the best retreat ever in military history imo napoleon still could have beaten them all after going into russia and losing all that he did...france was still a military powerhouse the only issue was all his veterans died there...most of his army was rookies which was huge back then...whoever had the most and or better veterans usually won... people forget napoleon changed arty with interoperatibility...same spare parts for all the dif arty guns so he could keep going and going...napoleon was a logistical genius when it came to moving the army faster than anyone else...he was blitzkrieg for that time
He truely was you get it John for sure. If Napolean would have turned back from Moscow a few weeks sooner history could have been very different today. Maybe he does head Northwest toward St. Petersburg or goes south until the Spring. @@JohnSmith-pj6wb
Without a doubt. his marshals were excellent and he promoted his officers by competence not by nobility like the old monarch system with surfs and landlords. It's no wonder his men fought harder for him because they knew they could advance and not be held back by their birth status. @@raphaelprotti5536
Thank you Arran for finally uploading a terribly missed, long-duration video. Exciting and educational as always. Looking forward to more videos like this in the future
@@reallycarsonnah they made Nepoleon to be a weak loser of a man compared to what he was. When you know a truth of a matter and then someone makes a movie you expect some error but not basically the whole thing.
1) you can never be 100 percent accurate mate since sources often can lie or exaggerate themselves. 2) he isnt the greatest general, that is a hyperbole usually made by people who never rly studied history. Also he had several good generals and often times they did the work. 3) Not the most interesting, he is a very stereotypical general that wanted world domination. Not that interesting. Both Hannibal, who couldve destroyed Rome but didnt and Africanus are both more interesting than the french dictator. No i dont like the brits either. Just colonial powers fighting it off. Imo Caesar, Hannibal,Scipio and Zaka Xhulu are more interesting characters than Napoleon. @@TheRanger_
@@mustplay7212 yeah, he was just some strongman thug who had good pr and got lucky once or twice and had no other real accomplishments to his name....right and every other person who says otherwise never opened up a book unlike yourself. (end sarcasm).
I knew next to nothing about Napoleon Bonaparte until this video. I love history! You made this riveting from the start, seamlessly (as always) wove in the sponsor, and tought me more in the span of this video than a semester at university. Thank you, Thoughty2!
Honestly my favorite moment in this worlds history is that when Napoleon returned to France from exile and was met with guards who were meant to kill him they all joined his battle and helped him.
The story I heard is this: They met on the road from Marseille. In one of the most dramatic moments in history, opposing soldiers stopped & aimed their rifles. Napoleon stepped forward, opening his coat to give them a better look at their target. "Are you going to shoot your Emperor?" A momentary pause & then the royal troops broke ranks & ran to join him.
The only omission is my favorite part of the story: Napoleon's tin buttons. In Russian winter under -30°C, tin disintegrates. None of his army could keep their coats buttoned up. Back then, aluminum was a luxury item, surpassing even gold for tableware. Soldiers got tin buttons for their coats
Yet, It's still a mystery what really happened with Napoleon in Russia. I don't think it went the way some report as it was the same time of a catastrophic winter and there are many versions and stories as to what really transpired. The French barely made it out of there frost bit and in rags. I don't think Napolean truly wanted that war. It was pushed by his Rothchild banker handlers.
'Tin pest' (crumbling to dust while cold) is a real thing, but the metal has to be very, very pure and very, very cold. Tin for buttons was closer to solder in composition...lead and copper were blended in to make the tin strong enough to be buttons. Tin becomes quite brittle at temps under 55F; tin-pest phenomena starts being a real problem around -10F.
Absolutely true. The Philippine Civil Code was derived or based from the French Civil Code. Between 50-60 percent of the Civil Law Provisions are Napoleonic. Provisions on Persons and Family Relations; concepts of Property, and Modes of acquiring them, Ownership; Succession; Obligation and Contracts, etc are held intact though numerous were amended like Family Relations and Negotiable Instruments. Being the former Spanish colony in the far east, the Philippines was recipient of the Civil Law System that French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had crafted. He was not only a world military genius in war, he was a law-giver as well.
It always amazes me how Napoleon seems to see every battle in the bird's eye view. And technically, Napoleon didn't start those wars. It seems to me that he wants to finish it.
Yeah he was a great general but he was colonizing murderous barbaric POS as well. Like how he massacred my people (Egypt), even while they prayed in the safety of their holy places while bombing them and desecrating it, slaughtering innocent people and religious leaders, utterly destroying everything and failing to trick our people into believing him and his lies while also failing to bring the country under his control, only to end up running back to France with his tail between his legs abandoning his soldiers cause he failed and didn’t want to take the responsibility and be there when it was clear. Went to France and used his propaganda to convince everyone that it was some sort of epic victory. Lol
Well the Napoleonic Wars started when Britain declared war on France, but Britain did that because she didn't like France controlling Switzerland and because Napoleon declared that Britain should have no voice in Europe, even though King George III was Elector of Hanover. So, yeah, Napoleon started the war in the sense that it was his actions that led to it being declared. And, of course, the British defeated him and he died in exile on British territory on St Helena.
@adambattersby8934 let's be honest they would have found any reason to go to war with france because every nation on Europe did not like the monarchy being being executed and replaced with a republic.
@@adambattersby8934 thats not true...Actually frnace did revolution in 1789 ans stopped monarchy....but the french king was a cousin to other kings in england, germany, russia...so they declared war on france to re establish monarchy...napoleon was at first a little soldier fighting to defend the french revolution of 1789.
Rene Auborjois was not just in Aladin. He was Odo on STar Deep Space Nice. He was in Benson the spin-off 1970's sitcom Soap. He was also a guest star on Charile's Angels, Wonder Woman and on top of that He was the Original Father Mulchahey in the film version of MASH.
@@Donathon-qx8kq He perhaps the funniest line in the whole film. After Hawkeye Dresses down Hotlips for her attitude and calls her a Regular Army Clown she asks how a man like him could possibly hold a position of responsibility in the United States Army to which the Padre deadpans "He was drafted."
Napoleon had 50.000- 70.000 soldiers left when the allies invaded France with 500.000 soldiers and two main armies after the battle of Leipzig. Their tactics were "Don´t fight Napoleon directly, withdraw and focus on beating the corps of his Marshals instead" They suffered a humiliating defeat when they ignored this during the Six-days-campaing. Napoleon almost destroyed the armies of Bohemia and Prussia during that campaign ... with only 60.000 soldiers ...
So... What was the one simple reason? EDIT: I suppose this is my fault for not noting the obvious; "simple" reasons do not merit 37 minute long video explanations.
My opinion: 🧠 + Fate + 🔥Great workaholic Fate: he's the right man for the time - some say, although I might not yet agree fully to it, he is a product of the French Revolution. A genius no doubt but in a different era he might not gain as much glory as he did. Another personal opinion: Maybe he made a deal with the devil? Who knows 🤷♂️
Love him or hate him, he certainly lived his life to the full. Some people are born in a house and die in same house never leaving there street. His achievements are huge for one person. No one can change what happened in the past and should be talked about and hope the lessons are learnt but sadly not always. Ps. Enjoyed watching and miss your moustache 🤣🤣
Am Khalid son of Alwaleed did not lose at all lol. I feel that book is not othantantic and made by someone that does not know history probably or the focus was on Europe for Europe and Europe POV. But even then I would not put him second as what about Rome and Alex as will Hanbil ? This book is political or done by a very narrow minded historian or done by someone that has nothing to do with History or done with presentism. Like Han China defeating the Hun/Shanglio which caused Atilla the Hun thing is more important than Napoleon objectively. Not to mention Napoleon had a uni to teach him Khaild had no one to teach him. Also much more difficult meation with poor limited leogistics. Arabs do not fight like nomads or Empires. They where off the world almost. No arab esp at the time lead more than 10k to a battle. The way they fight was more like a Gang fight. He without even books figured everything by himself.
@@GATE12_AtemAtomic-cm3yn there is ONE thing that goes against Khalid in sheer military stuff, its that both Rome and Persia were utterly crippled by the times the Arabs striked, his victories also happened during a time where his foes were through a period of weakness. He was undoubtedly great, but i doubt the Arabs wouldve managed to win, or at least win as much if both empires were not devastated themselves. It doesnt diminishes his own feats mind you, but it puts things into perspective, its like saying Prussia sucked at military because Napoleon reached Berlin in 16 days and anihilated the prussian army in 1806, it didnt, but it fell into a state of weakness, thus Napoleons win against Prussia at Iena is not as big a masterpiece as Austerlitz, even though Austerlitz only finished off the Austrian as consequence while Prussian forces fell apart entirely due to this one battle in this coalition. But what puts Napoleon above his other great military counterparts, is not his military successes alone, id wager its the least important part of his heritage ironically, its the fact that he is singlehandedly the most important man in the XIXth century, the century where Europe ended up dominating the whole World with no competition anymore and Napoleon was the most influencial man in Europe in this century. For example his book of law was so important in the making of Constitutions all around the world that it was used for 1/4th of the whole world's constitution even today He is the one that broke the old order so hard the whole world changed from the old absolute monarchies, democracies and republicanism spread because of Napoleon even more than due to the Revolution (even if the revolutions were definitly the ideological sources). Even today we had the Arabic Spring at the start of our century, it follows the style of 1848's revolutionary revolts in Europe (even in its failures ironically and unfortunately), which only existed because Napoleon spread the revolution across Europe. Now ofc, putting Napoleon straight up at 2 i dont necessarily agree with myself, but thats solely due to the domino effect of history, the older the more influential, technically the most influential man in History is the one that invented farming first etc... etc... But yea Napoleon is definitly the most influential military commander due to the sheer effect on the whole world, because when most of the worlds modern geopolitics can at one point be tied back to Napoleon, you know he was influential
I absolutely love the Russians plan for defeating Napoleon and his massive army, especially the fact that even when he reached Moscow they just kept on ignoring him and pretending he and the city didn't exist. To then use the tactics of hit and run, hit and run then a forced battle. Did you know that despite how many people, both soldiers and the bag train, army followers etc lost on the way to Moscow and even on the trek back it was at the battle to actually get out of Russia, where they had to cross a major river, where he lost the most and it was only his cavalry basically sacrificing themselves that meant pretty much anyone got out.
Invading Russia was the downfall of Hilter and Napoleon. It is a virtually impossible task due to how Russian geography is and their weather. Just like the US could never be invaded.
Reminds me of how a Roman appointed dictator handled Hannibal’s army. The Roman dictator understood that every time Rome met Hannibal in The field they would lose entire armies. So his strategy to counter Hannibal’s genius was to not allow him the opportunity to use it. He forbid direct military engagements and simply harassed his armies and deprived them of resources where they could. It was a bold move because many saw this as cowardly during the culture at the time. But his pacient strtegy bought time until the political leaders in Carthage forced Hannibal to return when he was on the cusp of victory.
No way. Alexander the Great was a better General hands down. Never lost a battle and conquered most of the known world by the time he was 30. If he hadn't been poisoned/fell ill who knows how much Greater he'd have been.
What fascinates me as Greek, is how during 1362 to 1919 different parts of the country were occupied by Othomans. Some parts were never occupied and some were, up to 550 years. It’s really interesting, knowing what took place those years of Napoleon and the French Revolution(which inspired the Greek revolution)-to how Hellenic soil and people- were fighting against. I wish I had this curiosity when I was in school lol . But hey…! Mr.42 is here to brighten our knowledge with his perfect work. Best channel in the Tube. Cheers mate, have a good1
@@CalculusProfessor Well... if you go back far enough, you might be correct. The Greeks invaded "Greece" in stages... before Exodus was written. Meanwhile... Turkic would be the correct term. Only Turks are Turks... but LOTS of groups are Turkic. Tradition and evidence hold that the original Greeks that invaded were Celtic.
15:30 actually, the infanteri square was a standard anti-cavalry tactic at the time, but Napoleon WAS The first and ONLY One to adapt it into a combined arms formation, With artilleri at the corners, and cavalry at the center of the square
That’s not true. The British placed their 6 pound galloper guns in infantry squares since the introduction of the galloper guns in the early 18th century, so roughly since the 7 Years War
The battle of Atoleiros represents the first effective use of “square tactics” on the battleground. This tactic, in which groups of infantry armed with both missile and hand-to-hand weapons defended themselves from all directions, was so successful that it was still in use over 500 years later during the Napoleonic Wars against mass French cavalry attacks, and during the Zulu War against huge masses of predominantly spear-armed infantry. It was especially effective when the infantry had to fight against strong cavalry.
I think the difference in this battle was not the use of the square but the size. Napoleon formed his men into division sized squares which I believe was much larger than the norm.
As someone who knows the very very basics of napoleon I left the cinema feeling very confused and disappointed. As soon as I saw the cannon shot hit the pyramid I assumed every detail about the film was off. Such a waste of an opportunity
@mike9031 I didn't go expecting a biography.. I went expecting the true story being told in an accurate and entertaining way. To massively divert and change things unnecessarily ruined it for many people.
I haven’t seen the movie, but it’s a shame that mainstream media thinks that it has to change the story in order to sell it. Napoleon’s story is full of fantastic story elements that could make a really engaging movie if they would just stick to the facts.
It's not only the tactical victories that made him great, it was the fact that he had planted the seed for our modern world and a new way of thinking. He may have been the battle-hungry power-addicted ruler everyone wants him to be, but no-one can deny the fact that without him, the ideas we have build our modern world upon, would have been killed without mercy by the monarchies that had ruled Europe for more than a century. An act they still try to execute, albeit now in a more secretive manner. If anything, he bought us enough time to assimilate those ideas in a manner that could survive the next centuries as we fought step by step for every one of the rights we enjoy today. His legacy is not only that of the name Buonaparte, it is also the countless great minds throughout the ages that had partaken in these reforms. Napoleon was an avid reader and he had tremendous respect for the great minds that shaped our history and during a time that mankind in Europe was susceptible to these ideas, he was the best exponent capable of institutionalising them. Seeing as there now was a man that could bring change in the chaos that was europe, it was also a defining moment in history where men and women had to decide if it was worth fighting for. That it was indeed worth fighting for can be seen in the fact that he commanded one of the most loyal armies in modern history. As for the man as 'Emperor'; He was never respected by his peers (the monarchs) and when he reached out for peace, more often than not, he was shunned by an elite that couldn't understand the changes around them. So, simply put, he did the only thing he could. He crowned himself Emperor, outclassing all those who wouldn't take him seriously. Not just that, it was an event thorougly supported by an overwhelmingly large part of the population of France. A Belgian historian named Johan Op De Beeck wrote a fascinating book about him. It's worth a read and sheds a lot of light on some of the decisions and views he made and held.
December 12, 2023 - I think that your analysis is accurate. In particular I find your comment " but no one can deny the fact that without him, the ideas we have built our modern world upon, would have been killed without mercy by the monarchies that had ruled Europe for more than a century. An act they still try to execute, albeit now in a more secretive manner". Though it may not be your intent. Your comment reflects my own feeling that the "elites" continue to control and to empower agents that further their agendas. I refer to the current era as being the "New Middle Ages", where the world population is controlled by one percent of the population, which I call the "modern aristocracy". Many people might refer to this group as the elite class. In my opinion the current "social conflict" between people who have an idealized and unrealistic view of human nature, and the more pragmatic people who understand both the strengths and flaws in human nature. Is the result of the elite's "divide and conquer" tactics. The objective being to distract a major portion of the human population from what is basically a world that the elites envision for the human race. I believe that human nature will win out ultimately, because when things like survival, and basic freedoms are attacked, along with human biology being ignored. Someone, or a group of someones, will rise up to "right the scale". Napoleon may have had his flaws, but as was said in the video. He was a product of his time in history. I believe that certain periods in the human experience will create people like Napoleon for better or worse.
He was Evil & destroyed a lot of the natural world. He destroyed Africa the only thing he did was modernised GREED & Promoted European colonialism with pure evil. That’s why he’s remembered.
I've heard and seen it a lot before, but where is that so? If all, in his dealings with Josephine, he shows nothing but respect, while she is the one that took advantage of him and when he met with Maria Walewska, they had a most respectful relationship to the extent that he admired her intelligence as one that could rival his own. By the way, Napoleon took ideas that already existed and unified and coded them in a comprehensive guide that was clearly universal and aimed towards men as well as women. @@williamwalsh9615
This is fantastic and really well done on such a complex man and also such a military genius. He was truly something special to that degree. Trying to writer a single movie on him like they recently have done is just a bad idea. A TV Mini-series or multiple movies on parts of his life would be much better to capture the complexities and details needed.
The movie was awful. They tried to show him as a loser, which he certainly was not. Even mentioned how many people died in the wars he participated in, showed all the wars he lost but no mention of indication of how successful he was.
I read an autobiog 18:14 raphy of a Polish soldier who joined the French army under Napoleon. I was surprised how much the privates in the army were loyal to him. Very good read.😊. And reading of the Napoleon Code and how he changed much of society and how much the monarchs hated him and France.
@@movinon1242 All Soldiers are loyal when you are plundering, advancing, but most importantly win and lead by example. As emperor he did it less but at the start he was always in the thick of the fight, sure usually in the relatively safer Artillery, but its much easier to trust a leader who risks his life with you, over one that leads from the rear and sends his troops to die. It granted his men much better morale than you'd think. Hell even in France 1814 youd think that he was just plain crushed after the disastrous defeats of Leipzig, Spain and Russia, lack of plunder and they are always retreating. but even with a fraction of the soldiers, mostly conscripts barely trained to shoot, their morale was unmatched still both from defending their homes but also because Napoleon led them directly, and he still won several battles in a week before Paris was reached since he couldnt be everywhere at once. All soldiers are loyal when you are proven a legitimately good leader, yes disasters happened, but thats because he was not Perfect.
If you get a chance to, please do a part of this in the future, break down the military tactics that Napoleon used and maybe got from his fellow generals and men. Include a breakdown of his tactics which worked effectively and elaborate on how Russia was truly his greatest challenge and defeat due to mostly I feel supply chain reasons. If you make a part 2 I'm sure it'll be a hit as people love long-term content like this. I think there's a lot more to Napoleon's character than you've discussed in this video, but as always amazing video and keep up the good work may god bless you Thought2.
Russins get credit for being able to lose more than anyone and still win wars lol...idk if you wanna brag about that much...the russian army got its ass kicked by napoleon to moscow and back to france...they didnt beat napoleon...it was spain...russians get credit for being great escape artists and being a cockroach that wont fully die...if all that was left was a tiny cockroach leg russians would crawl into battle... Napoleon was also perplexed by russians decided to burn moscow to the ground themselves...he didnt understand scorched earth...one of the few things he didnt Napoleon should have attacked thier food and water and not the city or army...it would have forced russians to surrender and we would have seen russian pows marching thru paris as trophies Literally start forest fires and kill the wildlife and poison the fresh water and rivers and burn thier farms..dont let russians have time to save the food then burn it so you cant use...do pre emptive reverse scorched earth
So well done! This was a lengthy video, but you made it really interesting from beginning to end. Like probably most of us, I knew of Napoleon but not nearly this much. Thanks for the well done history lesson!
Napoleon didnt "pretend" to care about the sciences, he was an intellectual through and through. He got elected to president of the french science society for a reason. He was also fascinated by egypt and its connection to several of his greatest hero's in alexander and caeser and wanted to follow in their footsteps.
@@keendeesjarlais3636 oh really? then what opinion do you hold of the israelis today? are you proud of what they are accomplishing in gaza with us-made weapons? because the us supports what they're doing wholeheartedly... and the uk and europe do as well since they do nothing to put a stop to it when they can.
The thing about Napoleon is his defeats ultimately overshadow his victories. When I think of Napoleon I think of: Trafalgar, Russia, Leipzig, Waterloo.
None of my history classes ever mentioned Napoleon, much less the 1st thru 7th coalitions. This was because my family moved around a lot, so each time I got to a new school, I had to repeat the American Civil War. ... four frigging times. Thanks for filling in that gaping chasm in my education. Subscribed.
This is why I love Thoughty2 - not only is it well researched and presented, it is uniquely humourous. Nelson bouncing around like the DVD screensaver and Napoleon as ASDA a s Waitrose were the best 😂
During the Northern Italy campaign, Napoleon was outnumbered in every battle, but he won by causing the opposing army to divide in the field. Then he launched the whole of his army against parts of the opposing force. Decades later, Stonewall Jackson would use the same strategy in (I believe) the Wilderness Campaign, with the same results.
@@keendeesjarlais3636 OK, but not not sure he had much alternative. Leave them in the desert without food and water? And what would the Turks and Marmalukes have done with captured French?
@@AmericanActionReportyeah, they're all great because they were incredible during terrible times, but people love to compare to today's morals and call not good enough
As someone from Sweden the only thing I really know about Sweden's involvement with Napoleon is the fact that a few years before Napoleon's first major defeat the swedish royal family pretty much died out because of several reasons like diseases, few male heirs and so on. So the nobility around 1810 when deciding on the new/future king at the time both feared and adored Napoleon so they decided to adopt one of the generals under Napoleon named Jean Baptiste Bernadotte as a way both to apease Napoleon but also because they were at awe of his power. Jean later took the name Karl XIV Johan Bernadotte after his adpotive father Karl XIII and present king who died a few years later. Then when a coalition to defeat Napoleon was gathered a few years later Karl XIV supossedly was very keen on defeating Napoleon as a way both to distance himself from him but also to gain prestige. So yeah I always found it weird that if Napoleon was such a popular guy why did the "loyal" generals he sent to become kings or nobles in other countries turn their backs on him so quickly?
Especially since the British bombed Denmark, a fellow Scandinavian country, and 1812 promoted Russia as the greatest land power in Europe. Bernadotte basically did what was in Sweden's best interests - kowtow to Britain's navy and Russia's land army.
@@fatdaddy1996 Well all I remember from learning in school was that the nobility both feared and adored Napoleon which was why they took in the general as the future king so to both appease him but also to sort of gain part of his military might/knowledge.
Bernadotte was not a Bonapartist-loyalist. Napoleon was happy for him to leave France and not cause trouble from the sidelines. He also knew Bernadotte would be aware of France's power, so wouldn't be likely to cause trouble in Sweden. Only Russia changed that. Bernadotte was aware what happened to Louis and Paul, so had to keep Swedish opinion in mind.
This is so packed with information i had to watch it 3 times. Whew! What a ride. Great job! Thoughty2....one of the most trusted people on UA-cam. Thanks bro
The experience of having large French armies marching across their lands convinced the Germans that they better form into one nation and Army up. When Napoleon III decided to send another Grande Armee into Germany, the Germans won and occupied most of France. The Germany that fought WW1 under the Kaiser and fought WW2 under Hitler was a monster. The Victor Frankenstein who created that monster was Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon did NOT invent modern warfare. He was just adept at reading what those in the past did (e.g Frederick the Great) and applying those lessons well. Check out David Chandler's "The Campaigns of Napoleon" rather than the movie (which many wargamers seem to be panning and complaining about for its inaccuracies).
I like the video, especially the part about Napoloen's early career I did not know about. While some of his military innovations are mentioned, it feels like there must be more to it. To me, it seems like he must have been also quite good at listening to what other people had to say and then make their ideas reality, but this is just an assumption. I just don't think he could have possibly come up with all the stuff he did on his own. Might it be that he fully embraced science?
The things he came up with weren't out of the box. Caesar employed these tactics thousands of years ago. The problem in Europe was that aristocracies put ego-driven know-it-alls into positions of military power. When somebody who actually paid attention in classes came up against them, they lost catastrophically.
As a former educator I can tell you this. Engagement is key. Having to listen to boring lectures where facts are spit out for students to note and regurgitate back doesn't work. However, telling stories about key battles, how they were made, decisions and behind the scenes intrigue does work. Thoughty two does this so well you don't realize your learning. Now, every teacher can't have a multimedia presentation with great sound and a script. But a good story about a subject always helps. Or, you can be a chemistry teacher who gets to play with exotic chemicals. You get to burn and freeze things amd best of all blow stuff up. And, you can also make meth.
30:09 Well, everybody in Europe forgot that Napoleon came from a backwater island that he didn't really wanted to leave at first, so sending him to another backwater island nearby wouldn't falter his spirits too much.
I like your videos bro. They are always interesting to watch while I eat or just simply passing time. I subscribed since the first video I watched great channel much love keep up the good work 💪❤️
Napoleon and Julius Caesar are very similar in their ruthless wars of conquest, unprecedented mastery over the battlefield, brilliant strategy and ability to triumph over insurmountable odds, being responsible for the deaths of an uncountable number of people, and in Caesar's case the complete obliteration of some civilisations, countered by sweeping social and political reforms and scientific breakthroughs that still influence us to this day. They are both people who can be equally admired and admonished. While they both died in the early 50s, Caesar didn't live long enough to fail in the battlefield they way Napoleon did. That eternal question of what would have happened if Caesar had gone to Parthia before the conspirators assassinated him?
I can't name a single war of the Consulate-Empire (1800-1805) that actually was a planned conquest..... well, excepted the Spanish affairs that went out of hands quite shamefully (and again, most of it was because the spanish were very '''''conservatives''''''' and veryyy catholic : they hated the French and how they (shamefully, we agree) treated the clergy and then the Pope since the Revolution
@@LotterywinnerifyCaesar wasn't particularly ruthless. He offered pardons to every roman who agreed not to oppose him, which is why he got assassinated.
Overall a very good job considering time constraints. Other posters properly bring up relevant details and context that might have been included, but your job is still excellent.
@@OnMyLunchBreak07 oh stop you don’t even have an argument and I’m not saying ALL of history is fake. It the amount of people who don’t know about conspiracies that have been proven correct because it just doesn’t jive with their world view is sad and shows just how ignorant people are. I’ve seen first had how corrupt the world is and I don’t bury my head in the sand like most do to keep their opinions. I went through the same school system as all of you and did well in history. Once you realize how much the masses have been manipulated and lied to it destroys your trust in authority.
@@Dravianpn02 Nothing is wrong with it (not that I would know). I was going off on a tangent because so many people think we are told the truth about everything and there are so much proof of conspiracies that people just ignore. Sorry for going off the rails but it’s important to know why the world is the way it is and how we got to this point with control and power being in the hands of some really bad people who just want control and to manipulate society to their benefit. Google World economic forum and see what I’m talking about. There is more info but I don’t want to write a book so I’ll spare you all lol
I always knew that Napoleon was a military genius, but I was not aware of just how much of a military genius he was. Turning unwinnable situations into victories or harsh struggles is monumentally impressive. This video was quite the fascinating watch.
You may also enjoy learning about Agrippa. Agrippa was the military mind behind the rise of Octavian/Augustus Caesar and absolutely brilliant especially in that he was able to think outside the box of traditional military tactics of the time.
Historia Civilis has an excellent (and entertaining, although a bit drier than this channel) chronological history of the transition of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire
(Which features, in part, the tale of Octavian and Agrippa and the folks surrounding them. The tale of Cicero, Rome's finest and final true statesman, is also an excellent story)
@@JKa244 I am a big fan of outside of the box methods. I have heard Agrippa's name a few times, but I have not heard of his military exploits. Perhaps I will look into this channel. Thank you for the recommendation.
@@galaxy-eyesgarchomp9478 I sincerely hope you enjoy and learn as much or more than I did, should you find the time and interest to do so!
@@galaxy-eyesgarchomp9478 I would recommend starting with the assassination of Julius Caesar and going in chronological order - I will find and link that particular video so you can use it as a starting point, and add that link in an additional reply.
@@JKa244 That would be helpful. I really appreciate that
This man did a better job in 36 minutes than the entire movie
No he forgot about Spain
lol the movie should have been named the love between Josephine and Napoleon
ur super funny good joke@@azizhassen9753
@@antonyberry1632 yeah he did which was russia used that tactic in russia
so sooo true @@azizhassen9753
Interesting fact- I live in Florida, and I metal detect the beaches for jewelry. One day I found an old brass button with some kind of insignia on it. After a quick Google search, I saw that it was from napoleons 7th infantry. It was found around Hillsboro Inlet in Pompano Beach. That is a very old inlet. Pretty cool to directly touch history like that. I still have it. That was over 15 years ago.
It is not pretty cool to touch history related to a brutal and failed European military dictatorship. You are from the US, you should know better.
You must be great at parties 🙄. And please tell us which utopia you come from?
@@brady952 Americans should do better and not want part of any failed European military dictators like Napoleon.
@@RidleyScottOwnsFailedDictatorsdork
@@seanpaolacci6842 Just like a virgin who pretends that he f*cked a girl, France pretends that they won with Napoleon. Couple of losers who have to resort to pretending.
One word. Artillery. He was also a genius at maneuvering forces but artillery was the deciding factor.
Ultima Ratio Regum
So he just had more technology and weapons at his disposal?
Yes and no. The roles of infantry and, specially cavalry are often massively underated. Murat's cavalry charges saved Napoleon more than once.
@@funckypickle77 He just used what he had better than his enemies. They had the same Artillery, but they only copied the corp system later but he was still whooping em
He also had amazing men in his army, Massena held Genoa so Napleon could march through the alps and then win the Battle of Marengo. Like someone else Murat was an amazing cavarly commander and Murat's cavalry charge played a crucial role in saving Augereau and the French forces during the Battle of Eylau. Augereau had his corp ripped to pieces by artillery.
Nope, speed and relentlessness. Arty #2
He reorganized the entire French army completely. They became so fast that it devastated every opponent. Each division would have its own artillery, cavalry, engineers etc.. Look at his Marshalls and you'll see he promoted the best not the richest.
He also promoted the most avaricious of his Marshalls
Under the revolution France became a meritocracy.
Wrong. Berthier was the actual genius behind the administration of the French army at that point. Credit to Napoleon for allowing him to do it, but that's about as far as it goes. In fact you can almost pin-point the moment Napoleon starts losing battles is when Coalition armies start copying Berthier's ideas.
His army was defeated by the Haitians in 1803
It could be argued that it was disease that depleted his army.@@AppolonNoel
Can we have more long form history content? I know a lot of the channel is history but this was fascinating to listen to as someone whose view of history class was boring despite how much I wanted it not to be. Great video as always!
Yeah he was a great general but he was colonizing murderous barbaric POS as well. Like how he massacred my people (Egypt), even while they prayed in the safety of their holy places while bombing them and desecrating it, slaughtering innocent people and religious leaders, utterly destroying everything and failing to trick our people into believing him and his lies while also failing to bring the country under his control, only to end up running back to France with his tail between his legs abandoning his soldiers cause he failed and didn’t want to take the responsibility and be there when it was clear. Went to France and used his propaganda to convince everyone that it was some sort of epic victory. Lol
That sounds just like my long past history classes, if a few teachers had his ability we would all know so much more.
@primesspct2 Same here.
My history teachers never failed to leave me bored and uninterested, as opposed to my wild science teachers that ensured I was entertained by whatever they taught.
I HATED history in school. love it now. I'm convinced they don't teach the good parts
+
this really makes me think how much we underestimate the strength or radios and how communication is an integral part of warfare
The German army capitalized on this in the start of WWII.
So what is the simple reason why nobody could defeat him?
@@SportsBettingFactsHe was short so all the bullets went over his head
@@cyclonebicep2316 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
Comms is the most powerful weapon on the battlefield, next is artillery
Highly informative summary of Napoleon. The new King of France sending armies that joined Napolean was a point overlooked or at least obscured by most venues for a long time
I consider myself very well-informed about European History -but this contribution is hands down the best summary of the accomplishments and role Napelon played during his time.
The researched facts are presented in a highly professional way - both voice and visuals are of the highest professional level which captured my attention from the first minute till the very last after over half an hour.
Historiography has lost it's credibility as a science long, long time ago. Especially when it comes to history of Europe and Russia.
Fabrications and straight out gutting parts of it that don't fit the political agendas.
For example Ancient Greece, It's entire history is based upon documents written after the 18th century, allegedly rewritings.
The actual few remaining documents from that era tell quite a different story...
The man has a gift.
@@stefanfilipov7254 That’s funny. Conspiracy theorist in the comments. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about, so no need to.
@@marquisdelafayette-xe1ht Yeah it's quite funny actually. It's not important what the facts say, when you have a lobby of fanatics that say what's what.
You either flow with the mainstream or you are not a historian.
You probably believe ancient Egypt was built with copper chisel and hammer...
@Chris-hb7bl ua-cam.com/video/3A5I6A2Z1ZA/v-deo.html
He commissioned pasteurization so his troops could carry 3 days worth of food. He went to the same war colleges as all of the other European commanders and knew exactly what they would do. Not having to rely on wagon trains, his men could outflank the armies that did. He intentionally ceded the high ground, having preemptively dialed in his artillery on it knowing that enemy generals would rigidly hold to that doctrine and let their men die in neat, disciplined ranks under the ensuing bombardment.
Key point shown in Italy campaign is split a rather slow moving enemy , superiro speed of movement and independance of selfsufficient corps , to regroup in mass against an inferior force .. start over ...
Just to add a friendly precision : No he didn't commissioned pasteurization. Pasteur was born after his death in 1822. Napoleon III did it.
Napoleon was able to move fast...because his troops robbed the poor farmers of all their food, which left them to starve to death.
The opposition generals had huge slow moving support wagons to feed their troops, which gave Napoleon a huge advantage.
well that failed in the Peninsula and he ignored what his Marshals said about the British using the reverse slope to nullify his artillery
@@5H1N0B1 Indeed, but he commissioned a solution to feed his soldiers, and canned food was invented by the French, and the troops could feed themselves during long campaigns !
I like Nelson bouncing around the Mediterranean like a Windows screensaver. 🤣
So what is the simple reason why nobody could defeat him?
@@SportsBettingFacts his fleet was bigger? lol
@@TopTen-virtualvideos2 I don't know ;) Does it say that in the video? If yes, where?
@@SportsBettingFactsBritannia rules the waves
@@SportsBettingFacts Their navy has always been OP.
Probably the most comprehensive video about Napoleon's conquests I have seen so far. A very well done piece.
I swear, no one makes learning history as fun and entertaining as Thoughty2 does. Great video.
Couldn't agree with you more! This is one of my favorite videos that he's done!
if he was my history teacher id be getting straight A+
Right? Been watching this guy for years, hes really good and non bias
Have you seen 'Drunk History '?? You'll change your mind
Oversimplified is better
It's hard to comprehend how he could win so many battles THAT overwhelmingly. I feel like the most important part of this story - his strategies and tactics - was left out. I want the detes!
Agree. I kept waiting for the "one simple reason" or at the very least, a few of the reasons...
Great video but enough with the click bait...
He said that he invented the corps, and that is why he won battles effortlessly.
he simplified and streamlined military structure empowering subordinate generals to make decisions on the fly rather than waiting for orders from above. This made them infinitely more flexible. He also built each corps to be self sustaining, rather than interdependent on other units.
He was a military genius no doubt. I think what made him so ingenuitive is that he was an artillery officer to begin with.
the French already had well established Infantry and cavalry traditions already but we was able to mix them all together to seriously strong effect.
There’s a great history channel called “epic history tv” and they go into numerous battles in war depth. You should check it out
Apparently he was a very good writer. A writer from the period even said, “it’s a shame that a mind as great as napoleons was dedicated to trivial things, like empires, conquests, and power.”
source : crois moi frrr
@@Unpseudopascommelesautres
Book is called: “Napoleon: a very short introduction. By David Bell”. I forget the page number
Edit: nvm. Page 17, the writers name was Paul Valery
Imagine what he could have done if he hadn’t been so obsessed with conquest and actually valued women as equals in everything but raw physical strength.
If he’d turned his mind to science and statescraft. Or even if he’d made full use of women. Maybe he would have been another Einstein. Alas we’ll never know.
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient.
Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time.
The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king.
The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain.
Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres.
Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time.
Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy.
It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
@@mikoto7693 You lost me at Einstein. That guy was a racist and a supremacist genocider. Good at physics, but nothing else.
Really enjoyed this deep dive into Napoleon’s life and legacy! His rise from a young Corsican officer to Emperor of France is just incredible. The battles, strategies, and his impact on Europe are mind-blowing. If you’re into history or just love a good story of ambition, this is a must-watch!
Napoleons Tomb, an incredible piece of architecture, surrounded by incredible architecture, is located in the Tomb des Invalides, within the complex of the Hotel des Invalides, and absolutely worth a look if your ever in Paris.
The Parisians have a bit of a cheeky joke pertaining Napoleons Tomb/how and what’s it made from; The tomb contains a nest of five coffins: one made of soft iron, another of mahogany, two others of lead, and one of ebony. THE REASON FOR THE FIVE COFFINS IS SO NAPOLEON CANT ESCAPE AGAIN…..
Supposedly, the tomb is located on the ground floor of a rotunda because anyone on the balcony above it would have to bow their heads to look at Napoleon's tomb.
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient.
Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time.
The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king.
The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain.
Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres.
Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time.
Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy.
It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
@@podunkcitizen2562the tomb is slightly higher than the ground so everyone look up to Napoleon.
The Balcony above is so everyone has to bow to Napoleon
The most astonishing fact is that he was only 51 when he died. I'm 52 and I would have to be born a million times more to achieve 1% of what he did. Incredible man.
What is incredible? he caused the deaths of millions He condoned torture Rapine and Plundering. He was a thief on a grand scale And the Lourve is full of plundered art. He was as bad as Hitler. He was a party to the executions of the aristocrats and royalty and then becomes one himself. His Hubris had no bounds
The guy who kept beating him saw the Crimean war. & he was born the same year as Napoleon.
Right. No unlike Alexander the Great, whose armies conquered much of the world under his command before we was even thirty. Or like the overall Artillery commander in Lee's Army at Gettsyburg was only 28 at the time of the battle. Unreal how much these young men accomplished in their short lives. So many of today's 28-year-olds still live with their parents, aren't married, have no children. Awful.
How did the Congo and Chad vote?
Was Napoleon a freemason? Historians do not have a document that could confirm this, but many undeniable facts prove the extreme closeness of Napoleon to Freemasonry. Moreover, it was thanks to Napoleonб Freemasonry spread in Europe and became a mass phenomenon. He turned Freemasonry from a secret society, as it used to be, into almost an official state religion, uniting all the French lodges around the Grand Orient.
Back in Corsica, Bonaparte grew up surrounded by Freemasons - after all, his father and all three brothers were Freemasons. There is no doubt that the family spoke about Freemasonry all the time.
The youngest brother, Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860) was initiated into the Freemasons at the age of 17 in the Mir Lodge in eastern Toulon. His career has developed rapidly. A year later, in 1801, he became Grand Master of the Grand Mother′s Lodge of Westphalia, and in 1807, Napoleon made him king.
The elder brother, Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), was initiated in the Lodge La Parfaite Sincérité (Perfect sincerity) in the Orient of Marseille. In 1804, he became Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France and King of Naples, and then King of Spain.
Finally, Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), the father of the future Napoleon III, served as Deputy Grand Master from 1803 to 1806, before being succeeded by Jean-Jacques Regis Cambasseres.
Napoleon’s wife, Empress Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), was initiated into a women’s Lodge in Strasbourg and held the position of Grand Master for some time.
Eugène de Beauharnais, the only son of Josephine from her first marriage, at the age of 24, having received the title of viceroy of Italy from her stepfather, became the founder of the Grand Orient of Italy and the Supreme Council of Italy.
It is not surprising that under this leadership, both military and civilian wanted to enter the ranks of freemasons at the earliest opportunity. Masons were twenty-two of Napoleon’s thirty marshals, five of the six members of the Imperial Military Council and six of the nine ministers in the government.
I always love how they couldn't kill Napoleon, they could only "banish" him to islands. They made him out to be Godzilla.
they were so scared of him that even if they banish the guy to the most remote island in the world, they had 2 ships incircle the island 24/7 until he died and when he died they incase him with layers upon layers of metal caskets in case the guy would come back again to haunt Europe
well the british could have killed him.....the prussians most certainly would have that said killing him might have led to more revolution and more warfare and everybody was exhausted at that point nobody wanted another major war europe had been at war off and on for over 20 years
It's a smart move used more often. "If you surrender, we'll give you a luxury villa, a nice island to live out your years. If you don't, then heads, pikes, tar, maggots, you know the rules"
If done right, it can help in the aftermath since you didn't murder everyone's favorite hero, and you effectively hold him hostage for their good behavior. If done wrong, they'll revolt anyway. If done very wrong, he builds a boat and goes in for round 2.
But ultimately, ol' Nappy failed at that key role in statesmanship: making buddies. Turns out when you're only liked by your soldiers, you can only really lose one major battle.
In modern times, Napoleon would have been charged with "war crimes" and ended up like Saddam after a show trial... @@sorsocksfake
@@sorsocksfake Well, yes and no... Two members of the 7th coalition were his marshals add in the popularity of the guy in France, they couldn't really kill him outright without facing massive retaliation ^^. Or at least without having a massive grudge of the french and yes, the 20 th century and the first world war attest it could be dangerous ^^.
The idea that Napoleon undertook his first military campaign as a foetus, basically piloting his mother like a meat mech, is incredible 🤣😂
Similer to how Napoleon was one of the greatest Generals ever, Thoughty2 would be the *GREATEST* history teacher ever, capable of making absolutely any subject interesting. Unfortunately that would massively limit his audience. So he made a YT channel in order to be a teacher to million's. Thank you Thoughty2😀👍
I agree and second it !
I agree and third this.
I am still surprised that Napoleon is more influential than prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Adam should have been in the top
Nahh - he´s an entertaining UA-camr dabbling in exaggerated horror crime stories, Ufology and mythology internet fairytales and making occasional uninformed and overtly biased political commentary.
All of which neither a teacher nor a historian should do.
I like his stuff, as I said, its entertaining.
But he isnt more than a often incredibly research-lazy edutainment youtuber.
Dont trust what he posts as well-founded facts, please. It really isnt.
Credit to his team too:
Writing: Steven Rix
Editing: Jack Stevens
That was a great summary of Napoleon. I'm from the USA. So the only part I didn't get was the analogy to British supermarkets. I might use cars to illustrate, they're more universal. "This one's a Mercedes, that one's a Toyota". But the good part is - your videos are reaching across the Pond 😂👍
Or maybe Americans can stretch our vast imaginations to include British supermarkets?
Oh that was snarky. I was being honest. Sorry if I'm not up to your level of snobbery.
Try something like 7-11 and walmart idk im not from the usa but im told walmart is the biggest there so theres that
@@rainmanjr2007 I'm from Finland and have no idea what superstores are in Britain.
@@jeancorzo4755Walmart and 7-11 have pretty much nothing in common, 7-11 is just a gas station that doesn’t sell gas
*I knew almost nothing about Napoleon before this vid and wow what a ride. Someone should make a film about that bloke Napoleon*
Someone did
@@joemwangi1182 They did? 😲 No idea how I haven't heard of this indie project
F**** you troll ! there's like dozen of movies...
@@Levicandoit but the director of the new napoleon movie doesnt give a damn about historical accuracy
The Naploean movie was ASS
In 36 minutes Ive learned more about Napoleon and never been more entertained in his story than any other video on UA-cam,well done sir.🙏
What a terrific video! This MUST be the best short history of Napoleon anywhere around. I really enjoyed this. I'm ready for more . . . .
Oversimplified did it first (and better, IMO). The first five minutes or so feel like a straight rip off imo
Very good video. Although he didn't invaded Russia just to add another country to his collection. Because he couldn't invade England, he imposed a European embargo supposed to prevent any UK goods to flow in or out of England. Russia didn't respect the embargo, so Napoléon thought it would be best to invade Russia as well to enforce his policy.
Lies again? Remember The Name USD SGD
Shut it bot@@NazriB
Took that as being said facetiously not literally lol
his blunder in spain is what lead to russia getting impowered to copy cat spain gorrilla scorched earth tactics.
Right, this is the reason for his invasion of Russia. Bad luck to him!
This channel is such a blessing. There's nothing better than coming home from work, having dinner, and playing this before winding down ❤️
You know he’s the deal when everyone starts avoiding combat with him directly and won the war at last
I think after the disaster in Russia napoleon's greatest achievement was beating army's 2 and 3 times his size in France before he lost Paris. Also you can never really discuss Napoleon without all his capable and brave Marshall's. I didn't know he did all that on the Island of Elba if nothing else you have to give him credit for being a great statesman making positive changes.
i think his greatest achievement is after losing 700k men in russia...he was still able to retreat and fight off the russians following and was able to muster a big army again and fight and win more big battles until waterloo...that was the best retreat ever in military history imo
napoleon still could have beaten them all after going into russia and losing all that he did...france was still a military powerhouse the only issue was all his veterans died there...most of his army was rookies which was huge back then...whoever had the most and or better veterans usually won...
people forget napoleon changed arty with interoperatibility...same spare parts for all the dif arty guns so he could keep going and going...napoleon was a logistical genius when it came to moving the army faster than anyone else...he was blitzkrieg for that time
He truely was you get it John for sure. If Napolean would have turned back from Moscow a few weeks sooner history could have been very different today. Maybe he does head Northwest toward St. Petersburg or goes south until the Spring. @@JohnSmith-pj6wb
His top officers were all incredible men as well.
Without a doubt. his marshals were excellent and he promoted his officers by competence not by nobility like the old monarch system with surfs and landlords. It's no wonder his men fought harder for him because they knew they could advance and not be held back by their birth status. @@raphaelprotti5536
and who took Paris? the RUSSIANS!!!! They are the only ones who could beat him, and yes, they were present in Waterloo as well.
Thank you Arran for finally uploading a terribly missed, long-duration video. Exciting and educational as always. Looking forward to more videos like this in the future
This is 100% better at representing Nepoleon than the new movie
It's still an entertaining movie IMO
@@reallycarsonnah they made Nepoleon to be a weak loser of a man compared to what he was. When you know a truth of a matter and then someone makes a movie you expect some error but not basically the whole thing.
@@Barthaneous34 I agree a bit with you there, but "the whole thing" being inaccurate is a gross exaggeration.
1) you can never be 100 percent accurate mate since sources often can lie or exaggerate themselves. 2) he isnt the greatest general, that is a hyperbole usually made by people who never rly studied history. Also he had several good generals and often times they did the work. 3) Not the most interesting, he is a very stereotypical general that wanted world domination. Not that interesting. Both Hannibal, who couldve destroyed Rome but didnt and Africanus are both more interesting than the french dictator. No i dont like the brits either. Just colonial powers fighting it off. Imo Caesar, Hannibal,Scipio and Zaka Xhulu are more interesting characters than Napoleon. @@TheRanger_
@@mustplay7212 yeah, he was just some strongman thug who had good pr and got lucky once or twice and had no other real accomplishments to his name....right and every other person who says otherwise never opened up a book unlike yourself. (end sarcasm).
I knew next to nothing about Napoleon Bonaparte until this video. I love history! You made this riveting from the start, seamlessly (as always) wove in the sponsor, and tought me more in the span of this video than a semester at university. Thank you, Thoughty2!
Honestly my favorite moment in this worlds history is that when Napoleon returned to France from exile and was met with guards who were meant to kill him they all joined his battle and helped him.
The story I heard is this: They met on the road from Marseille. In one of the most dramatic moments in history, opposing soldiers stopped & aimed their rifles. Napoleon stepped forward, opening his coat to give them a better look at their target. "Are you going to shoot your Emperor?" A momentary pause & then the royal troops broke ranks & ran to join him.
“Sir, Napoleon has beat us again what do we do?” “COALITION TIME BOYS!”
The only omission is my favorite part of the story: Napoleon's tin buttons. In Russian winter under -30°C, tin disintegrates. None of his army could keep their coats buttoned up. Back then, aluminum was a luxury item, surpassing even gold for tableware. Soldiers got tin buttons for their coats
I read elsewhere that the buttons thing is not true.
Yet, It's still a mystery what really happened with Napoleon in Russia. I don't think it went the way some report as it was the same time of a catastrophic winter and there are many versions and stories as to what really transpired. The French barely made it out of there frost bit and in rags. I don't think Napolean truly wanted that war. It was pushed by his Rothchild banker handlers.
'Tin pest' (crumbling to dust while cold) is a real thing, but the metal has to be very, very pure and very, very cold.
Tin for buttons was closer to solder in composition...lead and copper were blended in to make the tin strong enough to be buttons.
Tin becomes quite brittle at temps under 55F; tin-pest phenomena starts being a real problem around -10F.
@@pirobot668beta sorry not that tin won’t become brittle in the cold, but rather that most of the soldiers’ buttons were horn.
What is aluminum?
I know only aluminium.
This was the best historic explanation I have ever seen
Absolutely true. The Philippine Civil Code was derived or based from the French Civil Code. Between 50-60 percent of the Civil Law Provisions are Napoleonic. Provisions on Persons and Family Relations; concepts of Property, and Modes of acquiring them, Ownership; Succession; Obligation and Contracts, etc are held intact though numerous were amended like Family Relations and Negotiable Instruments. Being the former Spanish colony in the far east, the Philippines was recipient of the Civil Law System that French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had crafted. He was not only a world military genius in war, he was a law-giver as well.
Maybe thats why justice system in Philippines is a big joke
And a lawbreaker
@@conradnelson5283 napoleon was not a lawbreaker.
The Filipino revolutionaries also copied the idea of French revolutionaries and the ideas of liberties
It always amazes me how Napoleon seems to see every battle in the bird's eye view.
And technically, Napoleon didn't start those wars. It seems to me that he wants to finish it.
Yeah he was a great general but he was colonizing murderous barbaric POS as well. Like how he massacred my people (Egypt), even while they prayed in the safety of their holy places while bombing them and desecrating it, slaughtering innocent people and religious leaders, utterly destroying everything and failing to trick our people into believing him and his lies while also failing to bring the country under his control, only to end up running back to France with his tail between his legs abandoning his soldiers cause he failed and didn’t want to take the responsibility and be there when it was clear. Went to France and used his propaganda to convince everyone that it was some sort of epic victory. Lol
Well the Napoleonic Wars started when Britain declared war on France, but Britain did that because she didn't like France controlling Switzerland and because Napoleon declared that Britain should have no voice in Europe, even though King George III was Elector of Hanover.
So, yeah, Napoleon started the war in the sense that it was his actions that led to it being declared.
And, of course, the British defeated him and he died in exile on British territory on St Helena.
@adambattersby8934 let's be honest they would have found any reason to go to war with france because every nation on Europe did not like the monarchy being being executed and replaced with a republic.
@@adambattersby8934 thats not true...Actually frnace did revolution in 1789 ans stopped monarchy....but the french king was a cousin to other kings in england, germany, russia...so they declared war on france to re establish monarchy...napoleon was at first a little soldier fighting to defend the french revolution of 1789.
He found the third person glitch.
Rene Auborjois was not just in Aladin. He was Odo on STar Deep Space Nice. He was in Benson the spin-off 1970's sitcom Soap. He was also a guest star on Charile's Angels, Wonder Woman and on top of that He was the Original Father Mulchahey in the film version of MASH.
Paul Lewiston in Boston Legal!
@josephcooter5763
Auberjonois.
Fantastic actor....the original Dago Red ,
@@Donathon-qx8kq He perhaps the funniest line in the whole film. After Hawkeye Dresses down Hotlips for her attitude and calls her a Regular Army Clown she asks how a man like him could possibly hold a position of responsibility in the United States Army to which the Padre deadpans "He was drafted."
Also played Mr. House in Fallout : New Vegas
Great work on connecting Napoleon’s legacy with modern-day issues; it makes history feel so relevant
I'm not a history professor (as some say) but Ive read enough books to be pretty positive the Scott film is a Big bucket of MANURE
Napoleon had 50.000- 70.000 soldiers left when the allies invaded France with 500.000 soldiers and two main armies after the battle of Leipzig.
Their tactics were "Don´t fight Napoleon directly, withdraw and focus on beating the corps of his Marshals instead"
They suffered a humiliating defeat when they ignored this during the Six-days-campaing.
Napoleon almost destroyed the armies of Bohemia and Prussia during that campaign ... with only 60.000 soldiers ...
This is simply not true
@@bob69458elaborate
@@bob69458why not
Do you know the difference between a period and comma?
@@Eramidas yes, do you? You think its 60,000? xD
I’ve read three books on Napoleon and this short
Video made more sense and understanding than all my wrestling with French history! Wow, thank you!!!!
These videos are so exceptional and funny ! We are lucky to have you. Your sense of humour adds a lot to the subject.
Napoleon prob won so much because he was annoyed they stopped him from writing his novels 😂
I once heard a similar story about a guy who failed to get in to art school.
So... What was the one simple reason?
EDIT: I suppose this is my fault for not noting the obvious; "simple" reasons do not merit 37 minute long video explanations.
Because he said, _"No take backsies!"_
But, in French...
My opinion:
🧠 + Fate + 🔥Great workaholic
Fate: he's the right man for the time - some say, although I might not yet agree fully to it, he is a product of the French Revolution. A genius no doubt but in a different era he might not gain as much glory as he did.
Another personal opinion:
Maybe he made a deal with the devil? Who knows 🤷♂️
Napoleon was "him"
Didn't encountered the Russian
@@00rajanlol
Just wanna say I stumbled across your channel almost 8 years ago and I love what you’re doing glad you are still creating content
Love him or hate him, he certainly lived his life to the full. Some people are born in a house and die in same house never leaving there street. His achievements are huge for one person. No one can change what happened in the past and should be talked about and hope the lessons are learnt but sadly not always.
Ps. Enjoyed watching and miss your moustache 🤣🤣
Same here with the stache 😊
Okay, I knew Napoleon was legendary, but never knew how. Dude is definitely a legend
Am Khalid son of Alwaleed did not lose at all lol. I feel that book is not othantantic and made by someone that does not know history probably or the focus was on Europe for Europe and Europe POV. But even then I would not put him second as what about Rome and Alex as will Hanbil ? This book is political or done by a very narrow minded historian or done by someone that has nothing to do with History or done with presentism. Like Han China defeating the Hun/Shanglio which caused Atilla the Hun thing is more important than Napoleon objectively.
Not to mention Napoleon had a uni to teach him Khaild had no one to teach him. Also much more difficult meation with poor limited leogistics. Arabs do not fight like nomads or Empires. They where off the world almost. No arab esp at the time lead more than 10k to a battle. The way they fight was more like a Gang fight. He without even books figured everything by himself.
@@GATE12_AtemAtomic-cm3yn there is ONE thing that goes against Khalid in sheer military stuff, its that both Rome and Persia were utterly crippled by the times the Arabs striked, his victories also happened during a time where his foes were through a period of weakness. He was undoubtedly great, but i doubt the Arabs wouldve managed to win, or at least win as much if both empires were not devastated themselves. It doesnt diminishes his own feats mind you, but it puts things into perspective, its like saying Prussia sucked at military because Napoleon reached Berlin in 16 days and anihilated the prussian army in 1806, it didnt, but it fell into a state of weakness, thus Napoleons win against Prussia at Iena is not as big a masterpiece as Austerlitz, even though Austerlitz only finished off the Austrian as consequence while Prussian forces fell apart entirely due to this one battle in this coalition.
But what puts Napoleon above his other great military counterparts, is not his military successes alone, id wager its the least important part of his heritage ironically, its the fact that he is singlehandedly the most important man in the XIXth century, the century where Europe ended up dominating the whole World with no competition anymore and Napoleon was the most influencial man in Europe in this century.
For example his book of law was so important in the making of Constitutions all around the world that it was used for 1/4th of the whole world's constitution even today
He is the one that broke the old order so hard the whole world changed from the old absolute monarchies, democracies and republicanism spread because of Napoleon even more than due to the Revolution (even if the revolutions were definitly the ideological sources).
Even today we had the Arabic Spring at the start of our century, it follows the style of 1848's revolutionary revolts in Europe (even in its failures ironically and unfortunately), which only existed because Napoleon spread the revolution across Europe.
Now ofc, putting Napoleon straight up at 2 i dont necessarily agree with myself, but thats solely due to the domino effect of history, the older the more influential, technically the most influential man in History is the one that invented farming first etc... etc...
But yea Napoleon is definitly the most influential military commander due to the sheer effect on the whole world, because when most of the worlds modern geopolitics can at one point be tied back to Napoleon, you know he was influential
Wow, that was really great. I didn't realize how complicated Napolean's life was. Amazing.
I absolutely love the Russians plan for defeating Napoleon and his massive army, especially the fact that even when he reached Moscow they just kept on ignoring him and pretending he and the city didn't exist. To then use the tactics of hit and run, hit and run then a forced battle. Did you know that despite how many people, both soldiers and the bag train, army followers etc lost on the way to Moscow and even on the trek back it was at the battle to actually get out of Russia, where they had to cross a major river, where he lost the most and it was only his cavalry basically sacrificing themselves that meant pretty much anyone got out.
Kind of reminds me Afghanistan post 9/11 but with way worse supply lines
"Ignoring" Napoléon means burning their capital city and the whole region around it
Although I think he had already lost more than half his troops from the heat.
Invading Russia was the downfall of Hilter and Napoleon. It is a virtually impossible task due to how Russian geography is and their weather. Just like the US could never be invaded.
Reminds me of how a Roman appointed dictator handled Hannibal’s army.
The Roman dictator understood that every time Rome met Hannibal in The field they would lose entire armies. So his strategy to counter Hannibal’s genius was to not allow him the opportunity to use it.
He forbid direct military engagements and simply harassed his armies and deprived them of resources where they could. It was a bold move because many saw this as cowardly during the culture at the time. But his pacient strtegy bought time until the political leaders in Carthage forced Hannibal to return when he was on the cusp of victory.
No way. Alexander the Great was a better General hands down. Never lost a battle and conquered most of the known world by the time he was 30. If he hadn't been poisoned/fell ill who knows how much Greater he'd have been.
What fascinates me as Greek, is how during 1362 to 1919 different parts of the country were occupied by Othomans. Some parts were never occupied and some were, up to 550 years. It’s really interesting, knowing what took place those years of Napoleon and the French Revolution(which inspired the Greek revolution)-to how Hellenic soil and people- were fighting against. I wish I had this curiosity when I was in school lol . But hey…! Mr.42 is here to brighten our knowledge with his perfect work. Best channel in the Tube. Cheers mate, have a good1
Greeks are Turks.
@@CalculusProfessor You got that reversed
@@CalculusProfessor If you would have even one functioning braincell, you would know that it is the other way around. Lmao
@@CalculusProfessor Well... if you go back far enough, you might be correct. The Greeks invaded "Greece" in stages... before Exodus was written. Meanwhile... Turkic would be the correct term. Only Turks are Turks... but LOTS of groups are Turkic. Tradition and evidence hold that the original Greeks that invaded were Celtic.
15:30 actually, the infanteri square was a standard anti-cavalry tactic at the time, but Napoleon WAS The first and ONLY One to adapt it into a combined arms formation, With artilleri at the corners, and cavalry at the center of the square
That’s not true. The British placed their 6 pound galloper guns in infantry squares since the introduction of the galloper guns in the early 18th century, so roughly since the 7 Years War
The battle of Atoleiros represents the first effective use of “square tactics” on the battleground. This tactic, in which groups of infantry armed with both missile and hand-to-hand weapons defended themselves from all directions, was so successful that it was still in use over 500 years later during the Napoleonic Wars against mass French cavalry attacks, and during the Zulu War against huge masses of predominantly spear-armed infantry. It was especially effective when the infantry had to fight against strong cavalry.
@@grimfrostoreson5800 sorry, my sources WERE wrong, thanks for the information!😁👉
🧔♀️ 😂😂🤣
I think the difference in this battle was not the use of the square but the size. Napoleon formed his men into division sized squares which I believe was much larger than the norm.
This youtube video is about 1,000 times better than that poorly made movie that just came out. What a crapfest that thing was...
As someone who knows the very very basics of napoleon I left the cinema feeling very confused and disappointed. As soon as I saw the cannon shot hit the pyramid I assumed every detail about the film was off. Such a waste of an opportunity
Why would you go to a movie expecting a biography? That doesn't sell
@mike9031 I didn't go expecting a biography.. I went expecting the true story being told in an accurate and entertaining way. To massively divert and change things unnecessarily ruined it for many people.
I haven’t seen the movie, but it’s a shame that mainstream media thinks that it has to change the story in order to sell it. Napoleon’s story is full of fantastic story elements that could make a really engaging movie if they would just stick to the facts.
I’ve seen many ancient history documentaries, but this one takes storytelling to the next level.
Only half an hour, but still this is one of the best summaries of Napoleon's life I've ever watched. Thank you.
Wow!! This is by far my favourite thoughty 2 episode ever!! Well put together! Keep it up.
Yes please? You are a wizard at it.
It's not only the tactical victories that made him great, it was the fact that he had planted the seed for our modern world and a new way of thinking. He may have been the battle-hungry power-addicted ruler everyone wants him to be, but no-one can deny the fact that without him, the ideas we have build our modern world upon, would have been killed without mercy by the monarchies that had ruled Europe for more than a century. An act they still try to execute, albeit now in a more secretive manner. If anything, he bought us enough time to assimilate those ideas in a manner that could survive the next centuries as we fought step by step for every one of the rights we enjoy today. His legacy is not only that of the name Buonaparte, it is also the countless great minds throughout the ages that had partaken in these reforms. Napoleon was an avid reader and he had tremendous respect for the great minds that shaped our history and during a time that mankind in Europe was susceptible to these ideas, he was the best exponent capable of institutionalising them. Seeing as there now was a man that could bring change in the chaos that was europe, it was also a defining moment in history where men and women had to decide if it was worth fighting for. That it was indeed worth fighting for can be seen in the fact that he commanded one of the most loyal armies in modern history. As for the man as 'Emperor'; He was never respected by his peers (the monarchs) and when he reached out for peace, more often than not, he was shunned by an elite that couldn't understand the changes around them. So, simply put, he did the only thing he could. He crowned himself Emperor, outclassing all those who wouldn't take him seriously. Not just that, it was an event thorougly supported by an overwhelmingly large part of the population of France. A Belgian historian named Johan Op De Beeck wrote a fascinating book about him. It's worth a read and sheds a lot of light on some of the decisions and views he made and held.
December 12, 2023 - I think that your analysis is accurate. In particular I find your comment " but no one can deny the fact that without him, the ideas we have built our modern world upon, would have been killed without mercy by the monarchies that had ruled Europe for more than a century. An act they still try to execute, albeit now in a more secretive manner". Though it may not be your intent. Your comment reflects my own feeling that the "elites" continue to control and to empower agents that further their agendas. I refer to the current era as being the "New Middle Ages", where the world population is controlled by one percent of the population, which I call the "modern aristocracy". Many people might refer to this
group as the elite class. In my opinion the current "social conflict" between people who have an idealized and unrealistic view of human nature, and the more pragmatic people who understand both the strengths and flaws in human nature. Is the result of the elite's "divide and conquer" tactics. The objective being to distract a major portion of the human population from what is basically a world that the elites envision for the human race. I believe that human nature will win out ultimately, because when things like survival, and basic freedoms are attacked, along with human biology being ignored. Someone, or a group of someones, will rise up to "right the scale". Napoleon may have had his flaws, but as was said in the video. He was a product of his time in history. I believe that certain periods in the human experience will create people like Napoleon for better or worse.
He was Evil & destroyed a lot of the natural world. He destroyed Africa the only thing he did was modernised GREED & Promoted European colonialism with pure evil. That’s why he’s remembered.
There be truth in that indeed.
He also stripped women of many rights they had before. They were just above slaves in his society
I've heard and seen it a lot before, but where is that so? If all, in his dealings with Josephine, he shows nothing but respect, while she is the one that took advantage of him and when he met with Maria Walewska, they had a most respectful relationship to the extent that he admired her intelligence as one that could rival his own. By the way, Napoleon took ideas that already existed and unified and coded them in a comprehensive guide that was clearly universal and aimed towards men as well as women. @@williamwalsh9615
Imagine searching throughout eternity, in perdition, for your Willie. All the time, it's on the shelf over someone's fireplace in Prauge.
WOW Thoughtly2 this video is exceptionally well made! It's one of best videos on UA-cam I've ever watched. Outstanding!
This is fantastic and really well done on such a complex man and also such a military genius. He was truly something special to that degree. Trying to writer a single movie on him like they recently have done is just a bad idea. A TV Mini-series or multiple movies on parts of his life would be much better to capture the complexities and details needed.
I fully agree.
The movie was awful. They tried to show him as a loser, which he certainly was not. Even mentioned how many people died in the wars he participated in, showed all the wars he lost but no mention of indication of how successful he was.
@@madlad4206it had a modern sort of spin, emphasising his weakness with Josephine and women generally.
Of course he was a loser as he ended up in exile @@madlad4206
I’m sad we never got Kubrick’s Napoleon 😢
Barry Lyndon will do tho 🕯
I read an autobiog 18:14 raphy of a Polish soldier who joined the French army under Napoleon. I was surprised how much the privates in the army were loyal to him. Very good read.😊. And reading of the Napoleon Code and how he changed much of society and how much the monarchs hated him and France.
All soldiers are loyal when you're advancing and plundering
@@movinon1242 All Soldiers are loyal when you are plundering, advancing, but most importantly win and lead by example. As emperor he did it less but at the start he was always in the thick of the fight, sure usually in the relatively safer Artillery, but its much easier to trust a leader who risks his life with you, over one that leads from the rear and sends his troops to die. It granted his men much better morale than you'd think. Hell even in France 1814 youd think that he was just plain crushed after the disastrous defeats of Leipzig, Spain and Russia, lack of plunder and they are always retreating. but even with a fraction of the soldiers, mostly conscripts barely trained to shoot, their morale was unmatched still both from defending their homes but also because Napoleon led them directly, and he still won several battles in a week before Paris was reached since he couldnt be everywhere at once.
All soldiers are loyal when you are proven a legitimately good leader, yes disasters happened, but thats because he was not Perfect.
Cant get enough of good Napoleonic documentaries, yours reawakened my fascination with this divisive, mercurial genius. Many thanks.
If you get a chance to, please do a part of this in the future, break down the military tactics that Napoleon used and maybe got from his fellow generals and men. Include a breakdown of his tactics which worked effectively and elaborate on how Russia was truly his greatest challenge and defeat due to mostly I feel supply chain reasons. If you make a part 2 I'm sure it'll be a hit as people love long-term content like this. I think there's a lot more to Napoleon's character than you've discussed in this video, but as always amazing video and keep up the good work may god bless you Thought2.
One of the best infographics in the world shows Napoleon's march on Russia, and the devastating result.
Are u planning to go against the system with the tactics ?
Naaaah, the Russians beat him again, when they took Paris.
Russins get credit for being able to lose more than anyone and still win wars lol...idk if you wanna brag about that much...the russian army got its ass kicked by napoleon to moscow and back to france...they didnt beat napoleon...it was spain...russians get credit for being great escape artists and being a cockroach that wont fully die...if all that was left was a tiny cockroach leg russians would crawl into battle...
Napoleon was also perplexed by russians decided to burn moscow to the ground themselves...he didnt understand scorched earth...one of the few things he didnt
Napoleon should have attacked thier food and water and not the city or army...it would have forced russians to surrender and we would have seen russian pows marching thru paris as trophies
Literally start forest fires and kill the wildlife and poison the fresh water and rivers and burn thier farms..dont let russians have time to save the food then burn it so you cant use...do pre emptive reverse scorched earth
Yup
So well done! This was a lengthy video, but you made it really interesting from beginning to end. Like probably most of us, I knew of Napoleon but not nearly this much. Thanks for the well done history lesson!
Napoleon didnt "pretend" to care about the sciences, he was an intellectual through and through. He got elected to president of the french science society for a reason. He was also fascinated by egypt and its connection to several of his greatest hero's in alexander and caeser and wanted to follow in their footsteps.
ill never aggrandize him...his decision to slaughter old and young by the blade in Joppa 2 centuries ago makes me sick-
@@keendeesjarlais3636 you probs dont want to read about the mongols then 😂
@@keendeesjarlais3636 oh really? then what opinion do you hold of the israelis today? are you proud of what they are accomplishing in gaza with us-made weapons? because the us supports what they're doing wholeheartedly... and the uk and europe do as well since they do nothing to put a stop to it when they can.
The thing about Napoleon is his defeats ultimately overshadow his victories.
When I think of Napoleon I think of: Trafalgar, Russia, Leipzig, Waterloo.
None of my history classes ever mentioned Napoleon, much less the 1st thru 7th coalitions.
This was because my family moved around a lot, so each time I got to a new school, I had to repeat the American Civil War.
... four frigging times.
Thanks for filling in that gaping chasm in my education. Subscribed.
I had to take a class dedicated to the history of France in order to learn about Napoleon. And I didn't move around.
learning about Napoleon was really interesting… But having it being taught by you was brilliant !
This man's K/D/A is worth bragging about
This is why I love Thoughty2 - not only is it well researched and presented, it is uniquely humourous. Nelson bouncing around like the DVD screensaver and Napoleon as ASDA a s Waitrose were the best 😂
5:01 This painting of Delacroix has been inspired by the revolution of 1830, not by the first one of 1789.
During the Northern Italy campaign, Napoleon was outnumbered in every battle, but he won by causing the opposing army to divide in the field. Then he launched the whole of his army against parts of the opposing force. Decades later, Stonewall Jackson would use the same strategy in (I believe) the Wilderness Campaign, with the same results.
ill never aggrandize him...his decision to slaughter old and young by the blade in Joppa 2 centuries ago makes me sick-
@@keendeesjarlais3636 OK, but not not sure he had much alternative. Leave them in the desert without food and water? And what would the Turks and Marmalukes have done with captured French?
@@keendeesjarlais3636 There's an adage, "All great men are bad men." Reasoning from that adage, we can learn some uncomfortable truths.
@@AmericanActionReportyeah, they're all great because they were incredible during terrible times, but people love to compare to today's morals and call not good enough
@@yellowblobby Yeah, especially when we're largely ignorant of the myriad conditions that constrained the options of far-off people in earlier times.
As someone from Sweden the only thing I really know about Sweden's involvement with Napoleon is the fact that a few years before Napoleon's first major defeat the swedish royal family pretty much died out because of several reasons like diseases, few male heirs and so on. So the nobility around 1810 when deciding on the new/future king at the time both feared and adored Napoleon so they decided to adopt one of the generals under Napoleon named Jean Baptiste Bernadotte as a way both to apease Napoleon but also because they were at awe of his power. Jean later took the name Karl XIV Johan Bernadotte after his adpotive father Karl XIII and present king who died a few years later. Then when a coalition to defeat Napoleon was gathered a few years later Karl XIV supossedly was very keen on defeating Napoleon as a way both to distance himself from him but also to gain prestige. So yeah I always found it weird that if Napoleon was such a popular guy why did the "loyal" generals he sent to become kings or nobles in other countries turn their backs on him so quickly?
Especially since the British bombed Denmark, a fellow Scandinavian country, and 1812 promoted Russia as the greatest land power in Europe. Bernadotte basically did what was in Sweden's best interests - kowtow to Britain's navy and Russia's land army.
Bernadette and Napoleon did not have a good relationship. I think Napoleon wanted to fire him over some error he made in the Prussian campaign.
@@fatdaddy1996 Well all I remember from learning in school was that the nobility both feared and adored Napoleon which was why they took in the general as the future king so to both appease him but also to sort of gain part of his military might/knowledge.
@@johnmoreno9636 right, his job then was to do what was best for Sweden, not for Napoleon.
Bernadotte was not a Bonapartist-loyalist. Napoleon was happy for him to leave France and not cause trouble from the sidelines. He also knew Bernadotte would be aware of France's power, so wouldn't be likely to cause trouble in Sweden. Only Russia changed that. Bernadotte was aware what happened to Louis and Paul, so had to keep Swedish opinion in mind.
The visuals in this ancient history documentary are stunning! Combined with the expert commentary, it really brings the ancient world to life
What an amazing telling of an, obviously, legendary person. Thank you.
This is so packed with information i had to watch it 3 times. Whew! What a ride. Great job! Thoughty2....one of the most trusted people on UA-cam. Thanks bro
Big fan of Thoughty2's content - the research, the concise points, excellent vocals and then delivery!
The experience of having large French armies marching across their lands convinced the Germans that they better form into one nation and Army up. When Napoleon III decided to send another Grande Armee into Germany, the Germans won and occupied most of France. The Germany that fought WW1 under the Kaiser and fought WW2 under Hitler was a monster. The Victor Frankenstein who created that monster was Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon did NOT invent modern warfare. He was just adept at reading what those in the past did (e.g Frederick the Great) and applying those lessons well. Check out David Chandler's "The Campaigns of Napoleon" rather than the movie (which many wargamers seem to be panning and complaining about for its inaccuracies).
Prussian army followed Frederick the great doctrine and Napoleon took them apart
As always, phenomenal video🔥Just curious if we're ever going to get another RIF episode anytime soon?
Didn't he stop at episode 100?
He has a RIF podcast
What does RIF mean?
@@Vee_of_the_Weald Random interesting facts
I like the video, especially the part about Napoloen's early career I did not know about. While some of his military innovations are mentioned, it feels like there must be more to it. To me, it seems like he must have been also quite good at listening to what other people had to say and then make their ideas reality, but this is just an assumption. I just don't think he could have possibly come up with all the stuff he did on his own. Might it be that he fully embraced science?
That's probably it.
As is the case with all great men. The subordinates who supply many ideas are left behind in the dust bowl of history.
The things he came up with weren't out of the box. Caesar employed these tactics thousands of years ago. The problem in Europe was that aristocracies put ego-driven know-it-alls into positions of military power. When somebody who actually paid attention in classes came up against them, they lost catastrophically.
Yet another brilliantly presented lesson. Thoughty2 never disappoints.
The subtle throwback to the RIF series. Good times man, how far you've come
As a former educator I can tell you this. Engagement is key. Having to listen to boring lectures where facts are spit out for students to note and regurgitate back doesn't work. However, telling stories about key battles, how they were made, decisions and behind the scenes intrigue does work. Thoughty two does this so well you don't realize your learning. Now, every teacher can't have a multimedia presentation with great sound and a script. But a good story about a subject always helps. Or, you can be a chemistry teacher who gets to play with exotic chemicals. You get to burn and freeze things amd best of all blow stuff up. And, you can also make meth.
😂
*you're
@@USMC0352 OK. That was unintelligible. But thank you for sharing.
30:09 Well, everybody in Europe forgot that Napoleon came from a backwater island that he didn't really wanted to leave at first, so sending him to another backwater island nearby wouldn't falter his spirits too much.
Magnificently presented. Congratulations on a job well done.
I like your videos bro. They are always interesting to watch while I eat or just simply passing time. I subscribed since the first video I watched great channel much love keep up the good work 💪❤️
Please do more long videos like these, absolutely love your channel and was completely glued to this video from start to finish.
Napoleon and Julius Caesar are very similar in their ruthless wars of conquest, unprecedented mastery over the battlefield, brilliant strategy and ability to triumph over insurmountable odds, being responsible for the deaths of an uncountable number of people, and in Caesar's case the complete obliteration of some civilisations, countered by sweeping social and political reforms and scientific breakthroughs that still influence us to this day. They are both people who can be equally admired and admonished. While they both died in the early 50s, Caesar didn't live long enough to fail in the battlefield they way Napoleon did. That eternal question of what would have happened if Caesar had gone to Parthia before the conspirators assassinated him?
I can't name a single war of the Consulate-Empire (1800-1805) that actually was a planned conquest..... well, excepted the Spanish affairs that went out of hands quite shamefully
(and again, most of it was because the spanish were very '''''conservatives''''''' and veryyy catholic : they hated the French and how they (shamefully, we agree) treated the clergy and then the Pope since the Revolution
Napoleon was not nearly as ruthless as Caesar. Though I agree an apt comparison in many ways
@@LotterywinnerifyCaesar wasn't particularly ruthless. He offered pardons to every roman who agreed not to oppose him, which is why he got assassinated.
Far more ruthless to his enemies the Gauls than Napoleon ever was to the Austrians, Prussians, Russians, or Brits. @@johnv6806
Napoleon was one of the agenda boys club sons of bitch's.
Awesome my guy, thanks from the states
Fantastic video by far the best i have watched about Napoleon and your narrative skills are sensational.
Overall a very good job considering time constraints. Other posters properly bring up relevant details and context that might have been included, but your job is still excellent.
I learned/retained so little from school regarding history. Thanks for teaching me some really cool facts!
You should forget. Most of it is lies and half truths. People need to work on their critical thinking skills and be less gullible
@@Windbend3rhow is this innacurate??
@@Windbend3rIronic.
@@OnMyLunchBreak07 oh stop you don’t even have an argument and I’m not saying ALL of history is fake. It the amount of people who don’t know about conspiracies that have been proven correct because it just doesn’t jive with their world view is sad and shows just how ignorant people are. I’ve seen first had how corrupt the world is and I don’t bury my head in the sand like most do to keep their opinions. I went through the same school system as all of you and did well in history. Once you realize how much the masses have been manipulated and lied to it destroys your trust in authority.
@@Dravianpn02 Nothing is wrong with it (not that I would know). I was going off on a tangent because so many people think we are told the truth about everything and there are so much proof of conspiracies that people just ignore. Sorry for going off the rails but it’s important to know why the world is the way it is and how we got to this point with control and power being in the hands of some really bad people who just want control and to manipulate society to their benefit. Google World economic forum and see what I’m talking about. There is more info but I don’t want to write a book so I’ll spare you all lol
The visuals in this ancient history documentary are stunning. It really enhances the experience!
You did such a nice, nice job. Thank you so much. I have learnt a lot!!!
I loved this so much. Please do more long form content! It's a delight to listen to you while doing chores around the house.
Perfect timing! Just recently watched the new Napoleon movie and have done plenty of research about him.
The new napoleon move you can't call historical accurate nor good, nor about napoleon xD
@@artje90 Thats true lol
Great video and love that you use your platform to advocate for our beautiful planet. As a Corsican I enjoyed this video about Napoleon. Thank you.