Decline and Fall of Napoleon’s Empire: How the Emperor Self-Destructed (Napoleonic Library) - Hardcover

Smith, Digby

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848328184 ISBN 13: 9781848328181

Publisher: Greenhill Books, 2015

Synopsis

In this wide-ranging study of the Napoleonic regime, Digby Smith tracks Napoleon’s rise to power, his stewardship of France from 1804–15, and his exile. He highlights his military mistakes, such as his unwillingness to appoint an effective overall supremo in the Iberian Peninsula, and the decision to invade Russia while the Spanish situation was spiraling out of control.

Smith also scrutinizes naval mistakes – notably, Napoleon's inability to comprehend the intricacies of naval operations, his impatience with his admirals, and his failure to invest in ships and men. Smith also tracks diplomatic and political errors, highlighting his inability to conclude lasting peace and to compromise.

Smith finally addresses domestic and economic blunders, such as the establishing and maintenance of the Continental System across Europe, the imposition of a ban on direct trade with Russia (which led to France paying higher prices for naval stores of Russian origin after they passed through the hands of German middlemen), and the cost of creating various kingdoms and principalities and deposing incumbent rulers to place his relatives on their thrones.

About this title

About the Author

Digby Smith has been writing books on European military history since 1973, concentrating mainly on the armies of continental Europe and in particular the many German states. His main areas of expertise are the Seven Years` War and the Napoleonic period.

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenhill Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1848328184
• ISBN 13: 9781848328181
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240