This painting depicts Napoleon making his way through the Russian Empire. He is seen here in the town of Beshankovichy, in modern-day Belarus, on the 24th of July, 1812.
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Tag Archives: Napoleonic Wars
On this day: the founding of Nelson’s Column
Photograph taken by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1843.
On the 30th of September, 1840, the first stone of Nelson’s Column, the 52-metre structure in the centre of London’s Trafalgar Square, was laid.
The column was commissioned to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The first stone was laid by Charles Davison Scott, and the completed structure was opened three years later, in 1843.
On this day: the Battle of Morales
The Battle of Morales, part of the Peninsula War over the Iberian Peninsula, was fought on the 2nd of June, 1813.
Considered a victory for the British and a defeat for the French, the battle took place in the region of Toro, Zamora, Spain.
The Peninsula War was part of the larger Napoleonic Wars, and lasted a few days short of six years.
On this day: the Battle of Corunna
The death of Sir John Moore X
Part of the Peninsula War (1807-14), the Battle of Corunna took place in Spain on the 16th of January, 1809.
Fought in Galicia, the battle was between the United Kingdom and France, and concluded with a British victory. However, the battle also paved the way for French occupation of other areas.
The British lost 900 men; the French lost between 600 and 700.
Amongst the British dead was Sir John Moore, who was reassured of his victory before he died.
On this day…
Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered on the HMS Bellerophon on the 15th of July, 1815.
This image of the event was created in 1816.
200 years since the Battle of Waterloo
There will be a million or more history blogs running pieces on the two-hundredth anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat. In fact, some have been blogging about it all year.
I won’t go into details here, but here’s a depiction of the battle, which took place on the 18th of June, 1815, by Irish painter William Sadler II (1782–1839). *
On this day: The Battle of Quatre Bras in 1815
Fought two days before the Battle of Waterloo, this was one of the most significant and famous battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Between four and five thousand were lost on each side. *
Black Watch at the Battle of Quatre-Bras, 1815, by William Barnes Wollen (1857 – 1936).
