The Napoleonic Wars Podcast

Dr Graeme Callister joins us to discuss how Napoleon conscripted the soldiers who would be so integral to his success on the battlefields of Europe, exploring how people were conscripted, how they evaded conscription, the political dangers of conscription, and the impact on both France and the men themselves.
Buy Graeme's books: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/napoleons-conscripts-conscription-and-the-french-army-1798-1815.php
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction to French Conscription and Napoleon's Army
04:32 Origins of Conscription: From Levy to Formal System
12:40 Transition from Levy to Conscription System
16:24 Selling Conscription: Propaganda and Public Sentiment
20:55 Administrative Framework of Conscription
26:26 Evasion, Corruption, and Enforcement Challenges
35:46 Community Involvement and Resistance Tactics
43:12 The Conscription Process for Young Men
50:57 Resistance, Riots, and Policing of Drafts
56:26 Corruption and Abuse in the System
01:00:53 Summary and Future Episodes

On the 27th September 1810, British and Portuguese forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington defeated a French army under Marshal Massena. Dr Graeme Callister joins us for this latest instalment of our Peninsular War saga to talk through how Wellington's men fended off French attacks, discuss whether this was a battle that Wellington couldn't lose, and what this meant for the wider context of the Peninsular War.
Buy Graeme's books:
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546
https://www.helion.co.uk/people/graeme-callister.php
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

The Peninsular War series meets our battle series as we deep dive the Battle of Bussaco in the first of a two-parter on Wellington and Massena's duel in the Portuguese mountains. Graeme Callister joins us to talk about the French plan of operations, why their reconnaissance was so poor, and why Massena was so desperate to attack Wellington on his mountaintop position.
Get Graeme's books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dr-Graeme-Callister/a/4546
https://www.helion.co.uk/people/graeme-callister.php
Support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Battle of Basarco
01:47 Strategic context of the Peninsular War in 1810
03:50 French and Allied army conditions and morale
06:49 Terrain features and geographic challenges
11:12 French plans and reconnaissance errors
15:06 Wellington's defensive strategy and troop deployment
20:11 French misconceptions and attack plans
25:00 Terrain's impact on the battle's outcome
29:56 French troop conditions and leadership issues
34:59 The importance of terrain in 1810 warfare
39:54 French tactical errors and missed opportunities
45:07 The aftermath and significance of Basarco

Josh Provan returns for another instalment of our blow by blow retelling of the Peninsular War, which this episode being the first in a triple bill of Peninsular-focused episodes. We cover the Combat at the Coa, the combobulation of Black Bob Craufurd, and 'the big bang' that ended the siege of Almeida.
Buy Josh's books: https://www.helion.co.uk/people/joshua-provan.php
Support the show at: https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Wellington famously dismissed his rank and file as a band of criminals, rogues and reprobates who were hammered into a fine fighting force by the British military establishment. His infamous 'scum of the earth' comment has cast a long shadow over the reputation of the British soldiers who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. In this wide-ranging discussion, Liam Telfer and Dr Luke Reynolds dissect the reputation of soldiers during this period, separating myth and reality.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/cw/thenapoleonicwarspod