Napoleon Against Britain: Europe 1809-1812 

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.

Old Britannia: “I promise I won’t get political” One drink later: “I fucking hate the Whigs”.

No honey, sorry but not today, Old Britannia has just uploaded.

That statistic about the French exporting grain to Britain is insane, never knew that was the case.

*King WIlliam III:* There's nothing we can do. *Queen Louise:* Hold my beer.

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'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!

45 minutes of Napoleon lore? Click!

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.

@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!

Napoleon is probably the most skilled general in history. Great to see a video on him!

The Napoleonic wars are probably my favourite period of European history. Keep up the good work!

i like how passive aggressively he talks about Napoleon, like if he were a British statesman in the early 19th century.

“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.

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...

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.

I love how you include your sources at the end of the video. Shows how well researched your videos are.

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.

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 👍

Excellent work! I was pleasantly surprised by the length of it!

Its always strange to me how someone can contain such contrasts of brilliance and short sightedness as Napoleon.

These videos just keep getting longer and longer and I AM HERE FOR IT!!!

I am always hoping for a new video to come out and drop everything to watch when they do release. Your content is excellent.

My favorite channel, the content is very interesting. I love that you cite the sources, sometimes I buy the books after watching the videos.

This man is Goated, love the style, presentation, and in depth knowledge, thank you

You’re an amazing content creator. The presentation, voice over, and overall aesthetic is amazing!

Thank you so much. I love your videos and seeing this one pop up was a godsend !

This is your best upload so far.

Your videos are so insanely good! Thanks for the great content

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.

Absolutely superb!. This series should be on the BBC. When i see a new Old Britannia video i genuinely get a rush of serotonin 🙏

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.

This was fascinating and very well made. I loved your scoffs at the Whigs.

Yes! I have been looking forward to this!

It is always nice when Old Britannia uploads

Bro your work is seriously so fantastic. Pro level history

I literally subscribed an hour ago. Im glad i got the notification.

Another amazing upload!

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?

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.

This is the most underrated channel on youtube.

Your videos are great, keep it up!

When you said that Saint Petersbourg was horrified when Napoleon asked for the hand of the tsar's sister, I was quite surprised. Given the current state Russia is in, it is really hard for me to accept that there was once a time when Russia was a normal European state.

Another great video, thank you.

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 video was fantastic!

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.

Love these videos!

Great 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.

another great video keep it uP!

love these videos

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!

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 ".

You inspire me and terrify me with the extent of knowledge you share about a time I find absolutely fascinating.

A new Old Britannia video… Yes please😁😁😁

Another masterpiece

This is a long one (edit: and having seen it, also a really good one)

This is the good stuff litfam

I've been waiting so long for the next Napoleonic Wars video/what each nation wanted, thank you for making this :)

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.

Great video. It always reminds that napoleon using war to pay off debts was self defeating similar to empires over the years

I love how you represent the actual reasons of the local and imperial conflicts of the age

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.

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

Old brittania being cool AF as always!

I did not expect this vid to become a hit piece against the Prince Regent.

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.

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!

You are legendary, keep up the excellent work!

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.

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?

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.

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'

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.

Who else would love to see a 19th century British political drama written by this guy

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

Perfect Valentine’s Day upload, looks like instead of a candle lit dinner, it’s old Brittania and cuddles babe.

babe wake up new old britannia video just dropped >o

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❤😂)

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

Here early in order to enjoy 45 minutes of quality content

Oh shit honey new Old Britannia video just dropped.

Great content. A small quibble though: "specie" is pronounced speeshee, not speky.

Consider doing a What If scenario regarding the Whigs signing a peace treaty with Napoleon

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.

he always makes me want to play eu4

Now I suddenly need a documentary on The Whig party during the late Georgian era from you

3:40, was Emperor Francis really loved by his subjects?

A nice subtitle could been "How napoleon finaced his empire"

“But having been afflicted with a very rare attack of common sense” HAHA, love how subtle these jokes are

Hey can you do Earl Minto and napoleon. Defending british india against the french in the napoleonic wars?

Boys old Britannia upload get the beers

Hats off. Your work is top drawer, and you’re getting better with each one. I don’t know if you accept fan requests , but would you think about a deep dive into the slow motion train crash leading to the French Revolution, the blood bath that follows and all the way to Amiens ? I know you’ve got your American independence war video already , but Britain had front row seats to the French Revolution , so surely some content there for you too ?

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.

Honey I'm leaving for work 1 hour early today. Don't ask why

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?