TheNapoleonicWars.net

The Napoleonic Wars were the first truly global conflict. The titanic struggle of almost every European nation, and their empires, against France, affected every continent. In many ways, it should be described as the First World War. By the time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s final defeat on the fields of Waterloo in June 1815, Europe had been engulfed in almost continual conflict and turmoil for 25 years. Millions of people, both soldiers and civilians, had died.

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Out of the ashes of this conflict, a new world order emerged, with Great Britain rising to become the dominant world power for almost a century. The end of the Napoleonic Wars led to a peace settlement which endured for 50 years. A period of stability was ushered in, during which trade flourished, and technological progress thrived.

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Few wars have had a bigger impact on the history of our planet. This website aims to bring historians and the public together, to explore, understand, and remember this epic, worldwide war.

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"Studying the Napoleonic Wars is important for two reasons: The first is that they shaped the modern world and gave Britain a unique place amongst the Great Powers. The second, more important, reason is that studying them is that its quite simply great fun!"

Rory Muir, Research Fellow University of Adelaide.

Author of 'Britain and the Defeat of Napoleon', and 'Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon'.

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"From conditions on the gundeck of HMS Victory, to the windswept plains of Russia, from women facing renewed repression under the Code Napoleon, to the political feuds between the Whigs and Tories; the Napoleonic era is so diverse, that there is something to interest everyone. People like history because it is interesting and fun. It doesn't get more interesting and fun than the Napoleonic Wars." 

Zack White, PhD Student, University of Southampton