I hope you enjoy the next part in this series focusing on Europe from 1807-1914. Theoretically it's only really supposed to look at international relations, but I think some context of the domestic situation, as focused on here, is important. Hopefully some parts are of interest to you. Thank you for watching, and to Patrons for reviewing the video earlier.
@oldBritannia I love, like and react to all your videos yet I'm alway reluctant to patron creators because of my finances Please someday shine a light on the many Dutch-English wars alliances and trade relations. Wars on the seas new York, colony fights, alliances against Spain and France. Well worth an overview. And I'd be forced to join your patron once and for all 😂
Just like the Hundred Years War and the Seven Years War. When the Angevin twins argue each other again Afterall, both UK and France are Historic Colonial Rival fought each other for a Thousand years 🇬🇧🟥👑💂⚔️🇲🇫🟦⚜️🐓
I'm literally gonna cry... seeing the title of this video is like when I woke up for Christmas morning as a kid and saw all the gifts... thank you for covering this with your expertise and unique style of entertainingly relaying dense historical information.
Man, your videos are just spectacular! In the US, the French Revolution and Napoleon (and other European events that don't involve the US) are covered in school obviously, but never in the amazing detail you do. I have learned more about US/UK relations, for example, from your series on the "Other Great Game" than I ever learned in school. Please keep them coming. It is much appreciated!
The Prussian bit just feels depressing to watch, especially the part about how the civilians got basically robbed by a country who they thought were now their ally.
I was feeling the same way while watching the segment play out. Napoleon's treatment of Prussia was just plain on bullying, and would ensure he would have a new advisory in the coming years once the opportunity arose. Their hardly seems much justification for it either. For all the credit Napoleon gets for his leadership of the army and affairs of state, he seemed awful in how to treat his defeated opposition and ensure a lasting peace. Honestly, Napoleon was asking for defeat and he had yet to even realise it.
@@SS_Atlantic_Greyhound1119 am I saying he’s pure evil? No, but is in this weird grey area. Overall I’d say at a certain point he has an ego that becomes his undoing. The Poland being independent I can get, but the requisition of supplies from a country that already got beat down I agree is too much. If Napoleon offered at least some compensation for the supplies like agreeing to pay a fair price or something else I feel could’ve helped levitate the situation. Instead he basically acted as a bandit robbing them.
@@ryanelliott71698 Oh no I'm not saying he was pure evil either. Just that he didn't have as much tact for long term diplomacy that any great leader needs to ensure lasting peace. I do agree with you though.
Tbf what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger and thanks to Napoleon's sometimes questionable diplomacy, he inadvertently emboldened the Prussians to the point they were inevitably going to become France's worst enemy in the future. Special mention to the Poles who turned their back on Napoleon after being sent to Haiti.
@@SS_Atlantic_Greyhound1119 agreed. The peace deal of any war is just as if not more important than winning the conflict. How many interstate, civil wars, rebellions happen where a side may win, but the peace terms just basically become a temporary ceasefire till the next conflict arrives? Some ideas of Napoleon post wars weren’t bad. Bring back Poland, abolish the Holly Roman Empire, reorganize some areas like the Italian and German states so the make more sense were good ideas. But putting a Napoleon on every throne, annexing the Netherlands, Rhineland, turning Austria into a rump state, pissing off the Prussians, invading Spain his ally was probably the biggest “wtf do you think your doing” moment of the Napoleonic wars.
finances are so fascinating. It's amazing how little it ever gets explained. You and TIK History have ignited a new passion in me for numbers and policy.
All the more interesting to get some information on his shortcomings as a diplomat and administrator. These subjects are often ignored because of his flashy successes on the battlefield.
I agree that he is a skilled General but he isn't one of the best. Napoleon lost 500,000 men in Russia due to his blunders, the most out of any generals since WW1. That's not really someone befitting the title of greatest. Caesar, Suvurov, and Frederick are better suited for the title
@OldBritannia Another brilliant video. Big fan. I'm a financial/economic historian, so find this particular episode interesting. Just one minor criticism: the term for the hard currency is pronounced "Spee-she", as if you were dropping the "s" off the word Species. A minor thing. I look forward to your continued uploads!
Ah, apologies. If there’s one thing making these videos has taught me it’s that I have been pronouncing more words than I thought incorrectly throughout my life. Haha, knowing there is an economic historian checking my homework is going to make me nervous in future. Thank you for the kind words.
@@OldBritannia if I were to check your homework, you'd be getting high marks. Pronunciation is a small thing, in the great scheme of things. Keep up the good work, thoroughly enjoy it.
I credit you and your channel with helping to inspire a new, profound interest in diplomacy, as well as diplomatic history. These videos are music to my ears, I will always be back for more.
Great video. For all that the Napoleonic period is talked about, the content you provide goes to show how little is actually studied, and fills many gaps that we didn't know we had. Keep up the good work 👍
Great to see more videos, and looking forward to you continuing this into the 19th century. In the longer term I'd like to see you bring your style of analysis to the 18th century wars like the Seven Years' War (I think you have done one shorter video on that) though I know you said your expertise is more in the 19th.
didn't realize France was such dire financial situation at the time... even if they had defeated Britain it seems like the empire was unsustainable anyways...
It was. The empire was born out of wars in defense. It wasn't built out of an imperialist nature but rather in defense of the republic and the need to punish and build up a wall of protection against enemies.
This channel is fantastic and I hope its subscribee count can breach into 6 digits. As an aside, I've wondered if you and Strategy Stuff could do a collab of some sort, perhaps a thought exercise on what would’ve been the most optimal British strategy for WWI?
Your content is of fantastic visual and narrative quality. I would love to see on-screen citations and a full list of sources to take this channel to the next level.
New to this channel but loving the content! Can I suggest you create a playlist with all of your Europe videos in chronological order? Would be great to move through history one video at a time! Keep up the good work.
The details are of course impeccable and this channel presents them splendidly as always. You can always tell when proper research has been done and this video is proof of it being done well.
The delving into more financial/ trade details is fascinating. Once only the sweeping campaigns would have focused one's interest, but without the cash flow there are no battles. An interesting and accurate comment on George !!! the best English/British monarch since Queen Bess. Plus Pinney. actually did something. strategically good in his "rare outbreak of common sense ".
Simply fascinating, took me till today to finish but I've already found myself talking about Spencer Perceval to my rather bemused partner. Keep up the fantastic work!
Great video m8. Thank you for the upload. I love your content. And always learn something new about periods of history I didn't learn before. After playing through map games on discord and having to roleplay as Eugene. I've done my fair share of research on him. And he wasn't passed over. He declined to be the heir. This happened especially, after Napoleon left Josephine he felt obligated to say no after everything that went down with his mother. He also, didn't join Napoleon during his return for the hundred days. Also, idk how the whig's winning in Britain would mean "enslavement for Britain." But I'm sure there is a good reason why you put it in the video itself.
Today is the day I realized only 20 miles separate France and the UK. I have run that distance in 2.5 hours. Yet that gap has shaped so much of history. I've commuted 30 miles each way
Once again, a fascinating political insight from a time when the military history is entirely dominant and in my time at school only touched upon, when presented with British social and economic history.
Wonderful production. The biggest takeaway I have after watching this is that many assumptions that are often made regarding the overall strategic situation are probably incorrect. The truth is more complex. I would add that the First Empire was never at any real risk until after the Russian cataclysm, and even then only in addiction to the ongoing disaster in Spain. Even after the retreat from the East, it required an even larger war in Germany to seal the fate of Napoleon.
I’m always blown away by how much detail you go into when breaking down the positions of the various countries. It’s almost ironic that France was war to fuel the economy when costly wars helped lead to the French revolution.
Wow how amazing state of the art videos you create! Will you also talk about the Scandinavian Monarchies specially Sweden During the GNW and the 2 wars it had with Russia after?!! It will be amazing to get a video from those 2 overlook states!
27:35 "The loss of the finest British Monarch since the Great Queen" Okay, evidently I'm going to need to rewatch some prior videos because to my American ears, hearing Georgie 3 being referred to as such made me double take.
He saw his nation through almost continual wars with Spain, The Kingdom of France, The 13 Colonies, Revolutionary and Napoleonic France with a steady hand. By the end his reign he’d laid the foundations for a century of British supremacy. That being said I can totally see why Americans don’t have such a favorable view 😂
45:38 "He who looks to fight first then afterwards for victory, shall be defeated. He who secures victory first then looks to fight, shall be victorious" - Sun Tzu 'The Art of War'
Amazing video as always. It really makes you realise how the Napoleonic Wars streched all parties to their breaking points. Could you explain the Whig Party ideology duting this period as opposed to the Tory one?
It's fascinating howin the later years Napoleon keeps on making ennemies out of possible allies. Was the blockade really a good idea instead of just letting trade flow? He was a good general with a terrible strategic view and bad diplomacy.
I really really enjoy your videos! I would have love to have seen this when I was at school and uni, all I had was Norman Davies' "Europe: A History"! It would have been funny if the pope had to do his ruling and pontification from London - such a lark that would have been! Also, I have kindly asked before and I will ask again - Can you do something on British and French diplomacy post-Napoleon to WWI. Pretty please! I have always found our poor relations pretty childish - we had both giving up on seizing each other territory and were no-longer religious rivals nor really rivals yet we seemed to have squabbled ever since the end of Napoleon!
Excuse me, what does he say at 23:13 and at 23:27? Sounds like "specky" It's really hard to understand his accent for me (where is it from?) Thanks in advance
Very interesting analysis about the inner machinations in Europe and England post Tilsit to an American like me. I can’t help but come away with the notion that if Napoleon actually allowed free trade instead of embargo, he could have weakened the case for war by British hawks, increased France’s revenues, and reduce the need for war with Russia. Did anyone else come away thinking this too?
The viscount castlereigh and the junior finance minister are the reasons Britain pulled through along with the military victories of wellington and Nelson. seriously the main reason
Also, the Dutch as a French ally, lost Cape Colony & Ceylon to Britain & Spain as a French ally defeated the British trying to seize Rio de la Plata twice in 1806 & 1807.
I do not think that the strategic argument in favour of perpetual war to sustain the army is valid. It is obvious that the French army could have downsized considerably and still been better off than the Russian campaign left it; but more to the point, France defeated several coalitions before the conquest of the Empire; it follows that the resources of the Empire were probably sufficient to defeat more coalitions in the long run, so long as those resources were not squandered. Napoleon's hubris cannot be so easily excused.
Imagine being so powerful you accidentally kidnap the Pope. 16:30 I've always been sympathetic to the argument that Napoleonic France and indeed Europe was actually much more stable than Napoleon realised. I know Andrew Roberts made that argument in his biography of Napoleon. It's impossible to prove a counter factual obviously but there's every chance that Napoleonic Europe stabilises and continues to exist if Napoleon doesn't go to war with Russia As someone who only has a basic understanding of British politics in the early 19th century I found the section on British politics to be a bit confusing. Perhaps a more thorough explanation of the different whig factions and their leaders might have been needed What exactly was the status of Prussia after the 4th coalition and their defeat? Are they a full French vassal state? Based on the demands of Napoleon and the Prussian compliance it seems like they're acting as a vassal state as opposed to a sovereign state in a forced alliance with the French
Prussia was technically sovereign still, but French troops occupied its forts until the very large indemnity was paid - so in effect they were helpless to resist any of Napoleon's demands. Yes you're probably right on the early 19th century political scene, I think one of the problems I have is wanting to pack these videos full of detail, but consequently basic information can get lost in the weeds. As to the Napoleonic Empire - I agree to an extent. Though, I suspect Napoleon's desire for total hegemony was always going to be a stumbling block to any peace that was not a permanent crushing victory (something that was not impossible it must be said).
@OldBritannia I'm much more sympathetic to Napoleon than you to be fair but I've always thought after the 5th Coalition he basically had things under control both domestically and internationally and could have let things settle and keep the new status qou going indefinitely.
“Greatest empire since Charlemagne” aren’t you forgetting Charles V and the kings of the Iberian union? All of which with more influence and power than Europe bound napoleon.
Charles V had to seriously contend with France, the Ottoman Empire, and his own Protestant vassals. He never seriously came close to achieving hegemony over the entire continent.
@@astoller6386To be fair he came extremely close to it when capturing Francis I, if he had been more Machiavellian and not released him just based on promises he could have gained as much power and influence as Napoleon.
@@astoller6386Ye but tbf he had to contend with the Ottomans at their peak, which was already extremely hard on its own, and the Protestant reformation didn’t help. Considering his circumstances, I’d say he did do a good job, although the HRE was extremely poor by the end of his reign due to foreign circumstances.
14:00 Map nitpick: by 1810, all of Galicia, Asturias and part of León (the Northwestern regions) were controlled by the Spanish patriots, not just the small pocket shown. This is the most accurate Peninsular War map I' ve found on the internet, except for 1812-13 where it fails to show the French reconquering Madrid and most of central Spain after the Allied failure at Burgos: ua-cam.com/video/ZIVz8e2owTc/v-deo.htmlsi=LaGuGR6g2OuGOSnG
I think what would benefit Napoleon is that instead of using his family to rule satellite states, he should had used competent generals who would marry into the Napoleon family, thereby making Napoleon needed to have as many children and nephews and nieces as possible as a daughter, niece or sister could guarantee an alliance between the Emperor and his Generals-turn-Kings. Another possible means to maintain good control is to adopt the Rhine Confederate system into other lands, effectively dividing them up into smaller domains which owe their allegiance to him and him alone. This is what I would had done to Italy and the Dalmatian coast, while integrating Switzerland and the Netherlands into the Confederation of the Rhine as fellow kingdoms of that domain. I would had outright conquered Prussia and Austria and make them similar confederations with myself as the overlord of each. Spain is unique because I really just needed to side with the heir, but in that process I would had conscripted him as a general to make him ultimately of similar yoke. He would already be seen as legitimate to many Spaniards and wedding a female relative of mine would increase such opulence as far as the French Empire was concerned as a whole. But he would control part of Spain, not its whole. Would be like Italy and Germany and the Wendish realm (which consists of Prussia and Warsaw) as well as the Carpathian Realm (which consisted of what remained of Austria) divided into smaller Kingdoms as was the case with the Castilian and Aragonese crowns that prior existed. Portugal would be seized and made another proper extension of the Iberian Confederation. I would seize Ottoman lands to develop a Balkan Confederation and acclaim myself to the defender of Christ. To get around the whole debacle of needing children, I would legitimize the use of mistresses as concubines which would belong to myself and my wife who would be encouraged to live liberally as a bisexual woman. Any child between myself, my wife and my concubines would belong to myself and my wife with our concubines richly compensated and allowed to be involved in the lives of their offspring, but not in the same capacity as a parent. I would also use some common sense and lived the same diet as a Somali men which are tremendously fertile to better guarantee maximum gamete production on my own part so I have babies constantly popping out of women I had inseminated. Money is different matter altogether. I would delve into Keynesian economics and rely more heavily on trade with the United States, supporting a strong positive relationship with both planters and bankers in the New World which would facilitate a bipartisan level of support from that two-party dictatorship, which is what America actually is. As for Britain and Russia... I would let them go their own course and bump heads. If Britain is too busy taking India and Russia is taking Central Asia, they will eventually become adversaries and I would play them off until one was easy enough to conquer and then the other in due time. As for fellow Bonapartes, I would make my male relatives part of a peer system in which each was the master of a certain contributing facility within France Proper and the best Bonapartes would belong to my Small Council to oversee the others. The best at War would become my Supreme Marshal and oversee not just the Bonapartes who contribute to war but my Marshals who have yet become Kings and in-laws in their own right. The best at Diplomacy would become my Supreme Chancellor and would oversee domestic and foreign diplomacy actions besides the Bonapartes that contributed. Often these two would work together to secure peace with a country that we were at war with once terms were deemed favorable. The best at stewardship (money and management) would come next and would be in charge of all royal construction and facilitation projects and properties as well as any Bonapartes who would or could contribute. Next is my spymaster or spymistress depending on whether a woman would prove better than a man and would control an expansive network of spyrings that provided insight, opportunity and intelligence that I could use one way or another. Last would be my Grand Minister who would be my deputy and represented before the Reformed Catholic Church which would be my endeavor to bring back the Protestants into the fold and altered Catholicism to not only make this happen but also have the changes I needed to better govern my empire and my dynastic needs as previously mentioned.
I hope you enjoy the next part in this series focusing on Europe from 1807-1914. Theoretically it's only really supposed to look at international relations, but I think some context of the domestic situation, as focused on here, is important. Hopefully some parts are of interest to you. Thank you for watching, and to Patrons for reviewing the video earlier.
Your work is amazing thank you very much
Fantastic video, really happy you included domestic issues as well, gives a more complete view and answers questions I'd always wondered about
@oldBritannia I love, like and react to all your videos yet I'm alway reluctant to patron creators because of my finances
Please someday shine a light on the many Dutch-English wars alliances and trade relations. Wars on the seas new York, colony fights, alliances against Spain and France. Well worth an overview.
And I'd be forced to join your patron once and for all 😂
Note to self: Don't vote Whig
Just like the Hundred Years War and the Seven Years War.
When the Angevin twins argue each other again
Afterall, both UK and France are Historic Colonial Rival fought each other for a Thousand years
🇬🇧🟥👑💂⚔️🇲🇫🟦⚜️🐓
Old Britannia: “I promise I won’t get political”
One drink later: “I fucking hate the Whigs”.
The Whigs are liberal correct?
That was unexpected lmao
He's right about Fox though.
Caught me off-guard tbh, his videos are typically not like this lol.
@@OrionTails fr. It also felt so biased
No honey, sorry but not today, Old Britannia has just uploaded.
Reject Women, Embrace Diplomacy.
Why not both
@@dapperbunch5029Truly gigachad
@@dapperbunch5029sigma
@@dapperbunch5029 Guess what I did last night lol
That statistic about the French exporting grain to Britain is insane, never knew that was the case.
The Agricultural Revolution occurred a few years after this, perhaps it's related 🤔
Yes, it's pretty mad, just goes to show how desperate the French were for income.
@@merocaineI think it has more to do with the local farmers, the geography and practicality then the French government search for revenue
soon:
US and China continue to trade with each other even though hot war has started over Taiwan LOL
@@therearenoshortcuts9868 Ah yes, the wonders of capitalism.
*King WIlliam III:* There's nothing we can do.
*Queen Louise:* Hold my beer.
She was his best minister!
Frederick William III
I'm literally gonna cry... seeing the title of this video is like when I woke up for Christmas morning as a kid and saw all the gifts... thank you for covering this with your expertise and unique style of entertainingly relaying dense historical information.
Man, your videos are just spectacular!
In the US, the French Revolution and Napoleon (and other European events that don't involve the US) are covered in school obviously, but never in the amazing detail you do. I have learned more about US/UK relations, for example, from your series on the "Other Great Game" than I ever learned in school.
Please keep them coming. It is much appreciated!
Yanky
@@Er1qiaxdas yankee
@@Er1qiaxdas I think that's obvious?
The Prussian bit just feels depressing to watch, especially the part about how the civilians got basically robbed by a country who they thought were now their ally.
I was feeling the same way while watching the segment play out. Napoleon's treatment of Prussia was just plain on bullying, and would ensure he would have a new advisory in the coming years once the opportunity arose. Their hardly seems much justification for it either.
For all the credit Napoleon gets for his leadership of the army and affairs of state, he seemed awful in how to treat his defeated opposition and ensure a lasting peace.
Honestly, Napoleon was asking for defeat and he had yet to even realise it.
@@SS_Atlantic_Greyhound1119 am I saying he’s pure evil? No, but is in this weird grey area. Overall I’d say at a certain point he has an ego that becomes his undoing. The Poland being independent I can get, but the requisition of supplies from a country that already got beat down I agree is too much.
If Napoleon offered at least some compensation for the supplies like agreeing to pay a fair price or something else I feel could’ve helped levitate the situation. Instead he basically acted as a bandit robbing them.
@@ryanelliott71698 Oh no I'm not saying he was pure evil either. Just that he didn't have as much tact for long term diplomacy that any great leader needs to ensure lasting peace. I do agree with you though.
Tbf what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger and thanks to Napoleon's sometimes questionable diplomacy, he inadvertently emboldened the Prussians to the point they were inevitably going to become France's worst enemy in the future. Special mention to the Poles who turned their back on Napoleon after being sent to Haiti.
@@SS_Atlantic_Greyhound1119 agreed. The peace deal of any war is just as if not more important than winning the conflict. How many interstate, civil wars, rebellions happen where a side may win, but the peace terms just basically become a temporary ceasefire till the next conflict arrives?
Some ideas of Napoleon post wars weren’t bad. Bring back Poland, abolish the Holly Roman Empire, reorganize some areas like the Italian and German states so the make more sense were good ideas. But putting a Napoleon on every throne, annexing the Netherlands, Rhineland, turning Austria into a rump state, pissing off the Prussians, invading Spain his ally was probably the biggest “wtf do you think your doing” moment of the Napoleonic wars.
finances are so fascinating. It's amazing how little it ever gets explained. You and TIK History have ignited a new passion in me for numbers and policy.
Doesn’t TIK believe the ”Clean Wehrmacht” myth?
You should take whatever TIK History is saying with a grain of salt. After all, he believes Hitler was a socialist
@maximilianbeyer5642 luckily TIK makes it very easy to check as he cites his sources
@@maximilianbeyer5642You say it like it's not true.
@@rhs5683 It is not true. The put the "Socialist" into the Partys name to appeal more to the workers.
The Napoleonic wars are probably my favourite period of European history. Keep up the good work!
Napoleon is probably the most skilled general in history. Great to see a video on him!
All the more interesting to get some information on his shortcomings as a diplomat and administrator. These subjects are often ignored because of his flashy successes on the battlefield.
by far the best*
@@Barwasser That's true. Stuff like the Continental system was a real blunder on his part.
I agree that he is a skilled General but he isn't one of the best. Napoleon lost 500,000 men in Russia due to his blunders, the most out of any generals since WW1. That's not really someone befitting the title of greatest. Caesar, Suvurov, and Frederick are better suited for the title
@@GoodmanEldwin He also fought most of Europe at once and won a good few times.
I love how you include your sources at the end of the video. Shows how well researched your videos are.
@OldBritannia
Another brilliant video. Big fan.
I'm a financial/economic historian, so find this particular episode interesting.
Just one minor criticism: the term for the hard currency is pronounced "Spee-she", as if you were dropping the "s" off the word Species.
A minor thing. I look forward to your continued uploads!
Ah, apologies. If there’s one thing making these videos has taught me it’s that I have been pronouncing more words than I thought incorrectly throughout my life.
Haha, knowing there is an economic historian checking my homework is going to make me nervous in future. Thank you for the kind words.
@@OldBritannia if I were to check your homework, you'd be getting high marks. Pronunciation is a small thing, in the great scheme of things.
Keep up the good work, thoroughly enjoy it.
i like how passive aggressively he talks about Napoleon, like if he were a British statesman in the early 19th century.
I credit you and your channel with helping to inspire a new, profound interest in diplomacy, as well as diplomatic history. These videos are music to my ears, I will always be back for more.
These videos just keep getting longer and longer and I AM HERE FOR IT!!!
45 minutes of Napoleon lore? Click!
Great video. For all that the Napoleonic period is talked about, the content you provide goes to show how little is actually studied, and fills many gaps that we didn't know we had. Keep up the good work 👍
This was fascinating and very well made. I loved your scoffs at the Whigs.
Great to see more videos, and looking forward to you continuing this into the 19th century. In the longer term I'd like to see you bring your style of analysis to the 18th century wars like the Seven Years' War (I think you have done one shorter video on that) though I know you said your expertise is more in the 19th.
This man is Goated, love the style, presentation, and in depth knowledge, thank you
didn't realize France was such dire financial situation at the time...
even if they had defeated Britain it seems like the empire was unsustainable anyways...
It was. The empire was born out of wars in defense. It wasn't built out of an imperialist nature but rather in defense of the republic and the need to punish and build up a wall of protection against enemies.
It sure was.
Excellent work! I was pleasantly surprised by the length of it!
This channel is fantastic and I hope its subscribee count can breach into 6 digits. As an aside, I've wondered if you and Strategy Stuff could do a collab of some sort, perhaps a thought exercise on what would’ve been the most optimal British strategy for WWI?
Your content is of fantastic visual and narrative quality. I would love to see on-screen citations and a full list of sources to take this channel to the next level.
Absolutely superb!. This series should be on the BBC. When i see a new Old Britannia video i genuinely get a rush of serotonin 🙏
I am always hoping for a new video to come out and drop everything to watch when they do release. Your content is excellent.
You’re an amazing content creator. The presentation, voice over, and overall aesthetic is amazing!
New to this channel but loving the content! Can I suggest you create a playlist with all of your Europe videos in chronological order? Would be great to move through history one video at a time! Keep up the good work.
Your videos are so insanely good! Thanks for the great content
The details are of course impeccable and this channel presents them splendidly as always.
You can always tell when proper research has been done and this video is proof of it being done well.
46 minute video hasn't been up for 10 minutes. And you are already commenting on its overall quality? Stfu
This is the most underrated channel on youtube.
Man, this video exceeded my every expectation
I literally subscribed an hour ago. Im glad i got the notification.
It is always nice when Old Britannia uploads
My favorite channel, the content is very interesting. I love that you cite the sources, sometimes I buy the books after watching the videos.
You inspire me and terrify me with the extent of knowledge you share about a time I find absolutely fascinating.
The delving into more financial/ trade details is fascinating. Once only the sweeping campaigns would have focused one's interest, but without the cash flow there are no battles. An interesting and accurate comment on George !!! the best English/British monarch since Queen Bess. Plus Pinney. actually did something. strategically good in his "rare outbreak of common sense ".
Simply fascinating, took me till today to finish but I've already found myself talking about Spencer Perceval to my rather bemused partner. Keep up the fantastic work!
This is your best upload so far.
Great video m8. Thank you for the upload. I love your content. And always learn something new about periods of history I didn't learn before.
After playing through map games on discord and having to roleplay as Eugene.
I've done my fair share of research on him.
And he wasn't passed over. He declined to be the heir.
This happened especially, after Napoleon left Josephine he felt obligated to say no after everything that went down with his mother. He also, didn't join Napoleon during his return for the hundred days.
Also, idk how the whig's winning in Britain would mean "enslavement for Britain."
But I'm sure there is a good reason why you put it in the video itself.
Today is the day I realized only 20 miles separate France and the UK. I have run that distance in 2.5 hours. Yet that gap has shaped so much of history. I've commuted 30 miles each way
Bro your work is seriously so fantastic. Pro level history
Its always strange to me how someone can contain such contrasts of brilliance and short sightedness as Napoleon.
Another great video
Once again, a fascinating political insight from a time when the military history is entirely dominant and in my time at school only touched upon, when presented with British social and economic history.
Fantastic video.
Wonderful production. The biggest takeaway I have after watching this is that many assumptions that are often made regarding the overall strategic situation are probably incorrect. The truth is more complex. I would add that the First Empire was never at any real risk until after the Russian cataclysm, and even then only in addiction to the ongoing disaster in Spain. Even after the retreat from the East, it required an even larger war in Germany to seal the fate of Napoleon.
I’m always blown away by how much detail you go into when breaking down the positions of the various countries. It’s almost ironic that France was war to fuel the economy when costly wars helped lead to the French revolution.
Thank you so much. I love your videos and seeing this one pop up was a godsend !
Wow how amazing state of the art videos you create! Will you also talk about the Scandinavian Monarchies specially Sweden During the GNW and the 2 wars it had with Russia after?!! It will be amazing to get a video from those 2 overlook states!
Another amazing upload!
Your videos are great, keep it up!
Yes! I have been looking forward to this!
I love how you represent the actual reasons of the local and imperial conflicts of the age
This video was fantastic!
27:35 "The loss of the finest British Monarch since the Great Queen"
Okay, evidently I'm going to need to rewatch some prior videos because to my American ears, hearing Georgie 3 being referred to as such made me double take.
George III was surprisedly one of the best king of Britain
He saw his nation through almost continual wars with Spain, The Kingdom of France, The 13 Colonies, Revolutionary and Napoleonic France with a steady hand.
By the end his reign he’d laid the foundations for a century of British supremacy.
That being said I can totally see why Americans don’t have such a favorable view 😂
Another great video, thank you.
For the first time I have a tacit understanding of why Napoleon felt forced to invade Russia. Thank you for being so in-depth.
Great video. It always reminds that napoleon using war to pay off debts was self defeating similar to empires over the years
Man, I can't wait for this series to end, we get to the best part. A good laugh over a cup of tea, another front put away.
Great video!!
This is a long one (edit: and having seen it, also a really good one)
Love these videos!
3:40, was Emperor Francis really loved by his subjects?
another great video keep it uP!
45:38
"He who looks to fight first then afterwards for victory, shall be defeated. He who secures victory first then looks to fight, shall be victorious" - Sun Tzu 'The Art of War'
Amazing video as always. It really makes you realise how the Napoleonic Wars streched all parties to their breaking points.
Could you explain the Whig Party ideology duting this period as opposed to the Tory one?
It's fascinating howin the later years Napoleon keeps on making ennemies out of possible allies. Was the blockade really a good idea instead of just letting trade flow? He was a good general with a terrible strategic view and bad diplomacy.
I love the video but I wish you added a bibliography to the description so we can dive deeper into the subject after watching your videos.
there's a source list at the end, no?
I've been waiting so long for the next Napoleonic Wars video/what each nation wanted, thank you for making this :)
love these videos
Old brittania being cool AF as always!
I really really enjoy your videos! I would have love to have seen this when I was at school and uni, all I had was Norman Davies' "Europe: A History"!
It would have been funny if the pope had to do his ruling and pontification from London - such a lark that would have been!
Also, I have kindly asked before and I will ask again - Can you do something on British and French diplomacy post-Napoleon to WWI. Pretty please!
I have always found our poor relations pretty childish - we had both giving up on seizing each other territory and were no-longer religious rivals nor really rivals yet we seemed to have squabbled ever since the end of Napoleon!
Fun fact: the only remaining Coat of Arms belonging to Pepe Botella (Joseph I) in Spain can be found in the monastery of San Benito in Valladolid
Who else would love to see a 19th century British political drama written by this guy
This is the good stuff litfam
Now I suddenly need a documentary on The Whig party during the late Georgian era from you
I did not expect this vid to become a hit piece against the Prince Regent.
A new Old Britannia video… Yes please😁😁😁
Perfect Valentine’s Day upload, looks like instead of a candle lit dinner, it’s old Brittania and cuddles babe.
Excuse me, what does he say at 23:13 and at 23:27? Sounds like "specky"
It's really hard to understand his accent for me (where is it from?)
Thanks in advance
Specie, as in hard currency
@@brentonchen4206 Thanks! Do you know where is the accent from?
Another masterpiece
You are legendary, keep up the excellent work!
Very interesting analysis about the inner machinations in Europe and England post Tilsit to an American like me. I can’t help but come away with the notion that if Napoleon actually allowed free trade instead of embargo, he could have weakened the case for war by British hawks, increased France’s revenues, and reduce the need for war with Russia. Did anyone else come away thinking this too?
The viscount castlereigh and the junior finance minister are the reasons Britain pulled through along with the military victories of wellington and Nelson. seriously the main reason
Also, the Dutch as a French ally, lost Cape Colony & Ceylon to Britain & Spain as a French ally defeated the British trying to seize Rio de la Plata twice in 1806 & 1807.
babe wake up new old britannia video just dropped >o
Great content. A small quibble though: "specie" is pronounced speeshee, not speky.
I do not think that the strategic argument in favour of perpetual war to sustain the army is valid. It is obvious that the French army could have downsized considerably and still been better off than the Russian campaign left it; but more to the point, France defeated several coalitions before the conquest of the Empire; it follows that the resources of the Empire were probably sufficient to defeat more coalitions in the long run, so long as those resources were not squandered. Napoleon's hubris cannot be so easily excused.
Imagine being so powerful you accidentally kidnap the Pope.
16:30 I've always been sympathetic to the argument that Napoleonic France and indeed Europe was actually much more stable than Napoleon realised. I know Andrew Roberts made that argument in his biography of Napoleon. It's impossible to prove a counter factual obviously but there's every chance that Napoleonic Europe stabilises and continues to exist if Napoleon doesn't go to war with Russia
As someone who only has a basic understanding of British politics in the early 19th century I found the section on British politics to be a bit confusing. Perhaps a more thorough explanation of the different whig factions and their leaders might have been needed
What exactly was the status of Prussia after the 4th coalition and their defeat? Are they a full French vassal state? Based on the demands of Napoleon and the Prussian compliance it seems like they're acting as a vassal state as opposed to a sovereign state in a forced alliance with the French
Prussia was technically sovereign still, but French troops occupied its forts until the very large indemnity was paid - so in effect they were helpless to resist any of Napoleon's demands. Yes you're probably right on the early 19th century political scene, I think one of the problems I have is wanting to pack these videos full of detail, but consequently basic information can get lost in the weeds.
As to the Napoleonic Empire - I agree to an extent. Though, I suspect Napoleon's desire for total hegemony was always going to be a stumbling block to any peace that was not a permanent crushing victory (something that was not impossible it must be said).
@OldBritannia I'm much more sympathetic to Napoleon than you to be fair but I've always thought after the 5th Coalition he basically had things under control both domestically and internationally and could have let things settle and keep the new status qou going indefinitely.
“Greatest empire since Charlemagne” aren’t you forgetting Charles V and the kings of the Iberian union? All of which with more influence and power than Europe bound napoleon.
Charles V had to seriously contend with France, the Ottoman Empire, and his own Protestant vassals. He never seriously came close to achieving hegemony over the entire continent.
@@astoller6386To be fair he came extremely close to it when capturing Francis I, if he had been more Machiavellian and not released him just based on promises he could have gained as much power and influence as Napoleon.
@@astoller6386Ye but tbf he had to contend with the Ottomans at their peak, which was already extremely hard on its own, and the Protestant reformation didn’t help. Considering his circumstances, I’d say he did do a good job, although the HRE was extremely poor by the end of his reign due to foreign circumstances.
Oh shit honey new Old Britannia video just dropped.
Consider doing a What If scenario regarding the Whigs signing a peace treaty with Napoleon
I adore your channel and narrator is the best ❤ Napoleon fan (Honey❤ I know you know that I know what nobody does or I'm wrong, m'a ami❤😂)
14:00 Map nitpick: by 1810, all of Galicia, Asturias and part of León (the Northwestern regions) were controlled by the Spanish patriots, not just the small pocket shown.
This is the most accurate Peninsular War map I' ve found on the internet, except for 1812-13 where it fails to show the French reconquering Madrid and most of central Spain after the Allied failure at Burgos:
ua-cam.com/video/ZIVz8e2owTc/v-deo.htmlsi=LaGuGR6g2OuGOSnG
Here early in order to enjoy 45 minutes of quality content
“But having been afflicted with a very rare attack of common sense” HAHA, love how subtle these jokes are
I think what would benefit Napoleon is that instead of using his family to rule satellite states, he should had used competent generals who would marry into the Napoleon family, thereby making Napoleon needed to have as many children and nephews and nieces as possible as a daughter, niece or sister could guarantee an alliance between the Emperor and his Generals-turn-Kings. Another possible means to maintain good control is to adopt the Rhine Confederate system into other lands, effectively dividing them up into smaller domains which owe their allegiance to him and him alone. This is what I would had done to Italy and the Dalmatian coast, while integrating Switzerland and the Netherlands into the Confederation of the Rhine as fellow kingdoms of that domain. I would had outright conquered Prussia and Austria and make them similar confederations with myself as the overlord of each. Spain is unique because I really just needed to side with the heir, but in that process I would had conscripted him as a general to make him ultimately of similar yoke. He would already be seen as legitimate to many Spaniards and wedding a female relative of mine would increase such opulence as far as the French Empire was concerned as a whole. But he would control part of Spain, not its whole. Would be like Italy and Germany and the Wendish realm (which consists of Prussia and Warsaw) as well as the Carpathian Realm (which consisted of what remained of Austria) divided into smaller Kingdoms as was the case with the Castilian and Aragonese crowns that prior existed. Portugal would be seized and made another proper extension of the Iberian Confederation. I would seize Ottoman lands to develop a Balkan Confederation and acclaim myself to the defender of Christ.
To get around the whole debacle of needing children, I would legitimize the use of mistresses as concubines which would belong to myself and my wife who would be encouraged to live liberally as a bisexual woman. Any child between myself, my wife and my concubines would belong to myself and my wife with our concubines richly compensated and allowed to be involved in the lives of their offspring, but not in the same capacity as a parent. I would also use some common sense and lived the same diet as a Somali men which are tremendously fertile to better guarantee maximum gamete production on my own part so I have babies constantly popping out of women I had inseminated.
Money is different matter altogether. I would delve into Keynesian economics and rely more heavily on trade with the United States, supporting a strong positive relationship with both planters and bankers in the New World which would facilitate a bipartisan level of support from that two-party dictatorship, which is what America actually is.
As for Britain and Russia... I would let them go their own course and bump heads. If Britain is too busy taking India and Russia is taking Central Asia, they will eventually become adversaries and I would play them off until one was easy enough to conquer and then the other in due time.
As for fellow Bonapartes, I would make my male relatives part of a peer system in which each was the master of a certain contributing facility within France Proper and the best Bonapartes would belong to my Small Council to oversee the others. The best at War would become my Supreme Marshal and oversee not just the Bonapartes who contribute to war but my Marshals who have yet become Kings and in-laws in their own right. The best at Diplomacy would become my Supreme Chancellor and would oversee domestic and foreign diplomacy actions besides the Bonapartes that contributed. Often these two would work together to secure peace with a country that we were at war with once terms were deemed favorable. The best at stewardship (money and management) would come next and would be in charge of all royal construction and facilitation projects and properties as well as any Bonapartes who would or could contribute. Next is my spymaster or spymistress depending on whether a woman would prove better than a man and would control an expansive network of spyrings that provided insight, opportunity and intelligence that I could use one way or another. Last would be my Grand Minister who would be my deputy and represented before the Reformed Catholic Church which would be my endeavor to bring back the Protestants into the fold and altered Catholicism to not only make this happen but also have the changes I needed to better govern my empire and my dynastic needs as previously mentioned.
Fascinating!!!