The Napoleonic Quarterly

11/05/2025

The Napoleonic Quarterly will return in June.

Here's a post for Quartermasters, on Patreon but available to all, with a few more details.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/production-in-128669886?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

16/04/2025

Production update: NQ suspended for a month :(

After a fortnight-long migraine I'm going to have to take some time off from the podcast for health reasons - hopefully just a month, but let's see how things go. In the meantime I've suspended payments on Patreon.

All being well, Patreon content will resume on Saturday May 10th and there will then be three bonus episodes starting on Wednesday May 14th, before the next main episode comes out on Wednesday June 4th. If I'm able to do this I'll resume Patreon payments one month today, on May 16th.

Here's a brief summary of the medical position:
1 - Doctor suggested I could come off anti-migraine medication.
2 - I came off anti-migraine medication.
3 - I started having migraines again.
4 - Doctor put me on other anti-migraine medication.
5 - The migraines have stopped and I'm now in recovery mode.

Although the episodes are pausing, most production has continued and will continue. There are bonus episodes to be edited and recorded which don't feature me; interviews to be transcribed; future interviews to be arranged and future recordings to be scheduled and diarised. What hasn't been able to continue for the past month are recordings featuring me. That may be about to change, though, and if I make good progress I'll try recording episode 47 with Charles and Alex before the end of this month.

My morale remains remains relatively high. There is such an obvious cause for this setback and the solution is so straightforward that I do not have the same despairing dismay I felt in previous relapses. This is hopefully just a blip in the road back to better health.

I'm really proud that I've been able to keep the Napoleonic Quarterly going since catching covid in October 2021. This was only possible by broadening the project out to include an ever-expanding cast list of fellow contributors, each equally fascinated by the Napoleonic period and willing to give a little of their time or money. I am incredibly grateful to all of those making a difference. However, it doesn't feel right to keep taking money from Quartermasters in months when there is no output to offer them in return. So I have suspended payments on Patreon today. These will resume on the 16th day of whichever month the podcast gets going again. Again, a massive thank you to all those who do contribute. About three-quarters of the money goes to paying for an editor, with the remainder being spent on subscriptions and equipment, so there really is no need for this revenue to continue right now when I'm not incurring the cost of paying the excellent Sam for his audio wizardry.

Finally, I'm really excited about where the Napoleonic Quarterly has got to. We now have a settled monthly package of content to offer Patreon, with at least one quarterly live event (the next one, by the way, will be a live recording of episode 48 which wraps up season six.) We're building up to a fantastic relaunch of the podcast once we hit the imperial era and then it will be on to 1805 and beyond, which is when this podcast really will move up to another level.
Having to delay the build-up to all this is frustrating, but is all part of the process I suppose. I remember when I first discussed this project with Charles he told me it was a journey and that I could never know where it would take me, but could only start by making the first step. Now we are nearly halfway through and the time has come for a pause by the roadside for a restorative breather. But we will resume the march towards Waterloo before not too long.

23/03/2025

War once again. A uniquely mind-boggling territorial acqusition. And the writing is on the wall for the French in Haiti. Ep46, 'The Napoleonic Wars', will be out on all platforms on Weds Apr 2nd - but it's available on Patreon right now:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/advance-access-125005481?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

20/03/2025

Q2-1803 bonus episode: The Louisiana Purchase was the most significant development for world history in this 3 months. Prof Peter Kastor describes the lead-up to the sale itself, which we'll cover in ep46, exploring what all those involved were thinking:

- Were the Spanish just under the sway of the French when it came to this enormous chunk of their colonial territory?
- Was the United States really willing to go to war if things hadn't worked out the way they did?
- How much influence did bad news from Saint-Domingue play in Bonaparte's thinking?
- What could the British do to make things difficult if things didn't go their way?
- And... what about those actually living in the Louisana Purchase area?

Prof Kastor takes us through it all, have a listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/what-led-to-the-louisiana-purchase-w-peter-kastor/id1547058446?i=1000700098842

06/03/2025

Here's episode 45, aptly titled 'The dying peace', looking at the first three months of 1803. Listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-45-q1-1803-the-dying-peace/id1547058446?i=1000697922901

Having not looked at anything European in the last episode's main interviews, this time around we have a redrawing of the map in modern-day Germany and a new constitution for Switzerland. Both are seen by the British as unacceptable meddling by the French; both are viewed by Bonaparte as legitimate, reasonable extensions of a pragmatic French policy towards the rest of Europe in the context of what had come before. Michael Rowe looks at the Reichsdeputationhauptschluss - maybe that single word should just be what the episode is called - and then Biancamaria Fontana returns to discuss the Swiss Act of Mediation. We also have another sub-continental segment, this time with Josh Provan on the British attack into the Kingdom of Kandy (their standard pictured) in the interior of modern-day Sri Lanka. But the heart of this episode is once again Europe - amid the buildup to a renewed war which, Charles claims, is already "inevitable". Gulp.

19/02/2025

Q4-1802: In November French forces under Ney enter the Helvetic Republic. This intervention is widely praised on the continent, opening the way for talks to restore Switzerland’s heavily decentralised form of government.

Biancamaria Fontana of the University of Lausanne returns for a full bonus episode discussing the background, the motives of all those involved, and the historical significance of what followed for Switzerland. Full bonus episode here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/alexander-stevenson/episodes/Napoleons-Switzerland-triumph--1802-3-e2v3pom

02/01/2025

Episode 43: Q3-1802 - Pushing The Boundaries.. out now!

One of the great surprises about doing this project has been the ostensibly quieter period between the fall of the Directory and the start of the imperial period. The transition towards Empire in France is fascinating because the story of the revolution didn't just stop overnight - rather it continued to evolve, the politics of the unbelievably turbulent 1790s always threatening to boil over if not handled carefully and correctly. As his biographer Philip Dwyer describes, there was some pretty nifty handling of the Senate by Napoleon and his team. This all concluded with him being given his latest upgrade, amounting to what Philip describes as another of the many coups which punctuated the last decade. The difference here is we now have a series of constitutional tweaks all pulling France in a consistent direction - toward something which looks, feels, smells… like monarchy.

Both Charles and Alex felt that was the most significant development of this quarter, but for me the rapidly unravelling Peace of Amiens is just as important. You can work your way down France's western border on a grand tour of sore spots: the French refusing to withdraw from the Batavian Republic; question-marks over how they would handle continuing political instability in Switzerland; Bonaparte positively lording it over north Italy; and in the Mediterranean, France looking to get the British out of Malta to re-establish reliable trading links with places like the Ottoman Empire. Add to that the shocking brutality of the French expedition to Haiti and the notion of Napoleon Bonaparte as a man of peace becomes thoroughly debatable. Or is it as simple as that? Graeme Callister does a great job of describing the growing tensions, and he will return in due course for more updates on how things are (not) going well…

This episode also sees us take a look at developments in St Petersburg, where the young Alexander is getting to grips with the levers of power. But as Elise Wirtschafter described, making changes across such a vast state takes decades, not years, and certainly not months. At least there is no sign he is going to be on the receiving end of the treatment doled out to his predecessor Paul.

This episode came out on New Year's Day, which happens to be the fourth birthday of this podcast. After a brief hiatus over the festive break we are all set to bring you lots more Napoleonic content in 2025, our fifth calendar year. We'll be posting updates much more regularly on here, so brace yourselves! And happy New Year!
-Alex S

30/12/2024

Ep44 is out on New Year's Day. It covers July/Aug/Sept 1802 - three months in which France moves closer to what many fear looks, feels, smells… like MONARCHY. Here's our headline developments for the episode to whet your appetite:

Josh tells us about Napoleon's political moves, more rebellions on Saint-Domingue, a plebiscite and potential grudge...

24/11/2024

The Ottomans played a critical role in the 1792-1815 period, but we haven't been paying too much attention to them - until now. The signing of a peace treaty with France is the hook for this bonus episode which introduces us to the Ottomans and the challenges facing their reforming leader, Sultan Selim III. He faces a tough challenge in shaking up what is, after all, "an Empire besieged", and the tensions his policy agenda creates against entrenched forces of conservatism will come to a head in the most jaw-dropping fashion. That's still to come on the Napoleonic Quarterly - for now, Dr Michael Talbot, Associate Professor of History at the University of Greenwich here in the UK, gives us a guided tour of the Ottoman Empire - and sets ourselves up for the dramas to come.

Podcast Episode · The Napoleonic Quarterly · 23/11/2024 · 47m

15/11/2024

Episode 42: Q2-1802, 'The plot against Toussaint', is now available for your consideration. Listen here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-42-q2-1802-the-plot-against-toussaint/id1547058446?i=1000676845617

It seems fitting that, for the first episode since the French Revolutionary Wars officially concluded, we find ourselves looking at three segments in which France continues to improve its position through various non-military means, some more underhand than others. That's reflected in our three interview segments for Q2-1802…

Firstly, Marlene Daut is back to explain what exactly led to the end of effective resistance to the Leclerc expedition. Also, as befitting his extraordinary status, the dirty tricks against Toussaint Louverture which see him end this quarter in captivity on board a ship heading east across the Atlantic are given their full due. As things stand by the middle of 1802, things are looking pretty good for France on Saint-Domingue. This was always their most profitable colony and so it makes sense that top of their list would be reasserting control. They are making the most of the breathing space afforded by peace in Europe. Brutal it might be, but in the long 19th century mindset it makes ruthless sense. So 1-0 to France in this episode.

In the Mediterranean, France has taken another significant step forwards in this episode with its conclusion of a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire. Having rather put their collective foot in it with Sultan Selim III - this is what happens when you decide to, er, invaded Egypt - patching things up with Turkey is great news for trade in the eastern Mediterranean and once again improve France's position. Michael Talbot did a great job of summing this up in ten minutes and he will be back for the first bonus episode after this for an in-depth assessment of how things looked from Constantinople in 1802.

Finally, France's internal strength has been improved by Napoleon Bonaparte through the agreement of the Organic Articles. These, of course, are the fine print to the Concordat which had been such an important moment in 1801 in helping end the French Revolution by sorting things out with the Catholic Church. Mary Robinson returns once again to explain how this all worked out. Meanwhile, Bonaparte and co are busy implementing some really significant civic reforms in addition to this which will be exploring in a further bonus episode.

For now, though, it's 3-0 to France in this episode. What was always an uncertain foundation for peace is going to be put under further strain in the months ahead… Still to come on the Napoleonic Quarterly!

01/11/2024

Are we getting Napoleonic battles all wrong? Of all the podcast's episodes to date, our latest bonus episode might just be the one which changes perspectives more than any other. It certainly provides what was to us an entirely new point of view about such a fundamental part of the 1792-1815 story. Thanks to Dr Graeme Callister, Senior Lecturer in History and War Studies at York St John University, who joined Clemens and Alex S to explore the nature and character of battle during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/are-we-getting-battles-all-wrong/id1547058446?i=1000675273286

20/10/2024

**Episode 41: Q1-1802 - Saint-Domingue burns**

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-41-q1-1802-saint-domingue-burns/id1547058446?i=1000673621632

Time for the start of season six! This episode features an extended introduction - we seem to be making a habit of those - in which, for the first time, we try some quickfire summaries of the situations in all the various countries we've been following in the Napoleonic Quarterly. I thought it might be a good idea to do a bit of a 'previously on the podcast', but this ended up being more of a 'what's the situation right now?' from lots of different national perspectives. It felt like a really good thing to do at the time. But, for shame, let me be clear: the United States definitely should have been included! We will rectify that...

It is editorially excellent that the Saint-Domingue story bookends season six of the Napoleonic Quarterly; this three months sees the (French) Empire strike back, whilst we'll have to wait until the final episode of the season, Q4-1803, for the return of the rebels. I suppose that makes Toussaint Obi-Wan... Thanks to Marlene Daut for talking us through developments in the Caribbean.

Back in western Europe, peace talks between Britain and France finally come to a close with the Peace of Amiens, another big moment. Maybe this episode should have been called 'Half Time'. Graeme Callister continues where he left off in the last episode, and I'm really happy to say he's confirmed he'll be back a couple of times more in this season to cover off Britain getting increasingly grumpy with France and then the declaration of war itself later on.

And then we have the French domestic story of the Revolution and its aftermath, which is now increasingly vesting its hopes in the fate of one man. That process of transferring the political chaos of the 1790s into the stability of one-man rule is yet another of our storylines for season six, and in this episode William Doyle continues his description of the process.

Meanwhile, this episode concludes with an outbreak of disagreement between Charles and Alex. Charles can't help but say something controversial about Bonaparte which Alex disagrees with; it's one of those situations where I just let them carry on with it for ten minutes or so, because I know it's Napoleonic podcasting gold! There will be much, much more of this to come... as I say - 'still to come on the Napoleonic Quarterly...'