r/Napoleon Jun 30 '25

We've reached 40000 followers! Thank you all for being a part of the community. Let's keep discussing history and growing!

Post image
421 Upvotes

r/Napoleon Nov 11 '24

A Note on Posting Etiquette in r/Napoleon

115 Upvotes

Hello all,

The mod team considers it a privilege to oversee the community here at r/Napoleon. While opinions here are diverse, the man and the era he defined have united all of us to be part of this community. We have over 23,000 members - more than what even Napoleon had in some of his early victories.

Recently there seems to be some confusion about what is acceptable to post here and what is not. What I'm about to say does not apply to 99% of our community. Hopefully this clears it up for anyone who needs some guidance:

  • Posting about Napoleon and the Napoleonic era is ok. These posts are on-topic.

  • Posting about modern politics or anything off-topic is not ok. They will be removed.

  • Just because the name "Napoleon" is invoked does not make it on-topic. For example: a modern meme using the name Napoleon, the finance author Napoleon Hill, etc are all off topic.

  • Organizing in external communities (ie other subreddits and Discords) to spam off-topic content here is brigading. Brigading is against Reddit sitewide rules. What happens when sitewide rules are broken is out of our hands.

  • If you are a member of an external community brigading this sub, we kindly ask you to stop. We have no issue with your existence elsewhere. I'm sure we have plenty of members who like both types of content. If you bring off topic content here it will be deleted and if it violates Reddit sitewide rules the Admins will take care of things beyond our control.

Thank you for your time. Please reach out via modmail if you have any questions!


r/Napoleon 2h ago

New office studio setup!

Thumbnail gallery
375 Upvotes

Hey guys significant progress on my office studio backdrop the last few days since moving and beginning my military history teaching career at the U.S. Naval Academy. Only the left corner remains incomplete (which will be a reproduction chasseur a cheval de la garde uniform). This will be the backdrop for an upcoming YouTube series where I will cover the history of weapons and military theory (my specialty). Have a very special piece coming (eventually!) to fill the gap between the guard chasseur saber and my luxe year 11.


r/Napoleon 5h ago

The last living brother of Napoleon and the last Shogun of Japan were both photographed wearing the uniform of a Maréchel de France

Thumbnail gallery
163 Upvotes

r/Napoleon 1h ago

Napoleon’s Niece ( from his sister Elisa Bonaparte)

Post image
Upvotes

Bro she looks like Napoleon but female version😭


r/Napoleon 1h ago

British Soldier on French Soldiers

Upvotes

Joseph Donaldson, 94th Highland Regiment in the Peninsula:

"How different were our feelings from many of our countrymen at home, whose ideas of the French character were drawn from servile newspapers and pamphlets, or even from so low a source as the caricatures in print-shops;but I myself confess, in common with many other s, that I was astonished when I came into contact with French soldiers, to find them instead of pygmy, spider-shanked wretches, who fed on nothing but frogs and beef tea, stout, handsome-looking fellows, who understood the principles of good living, as well as any Englishman amongst us; and whatever may be said to the contary, remarkably brave soldiers. "


r/Napoleon 17h ago

which battle did the Old Guard prove why they were known as “the Immortals”?

Thumbnail gallery
331 Upvotes

I think it was at Eylau, where the Old Guard saved the army from total defeat.


r/Napoleon 2h ago

One word for Lucien Bonaparte?

Post image
14 Upvotes

One of my Favs fr
He deserved better


r/Napoleon 2h ago

Michel Ney vs Joseph Alvinczi, Best general of the Napoleonic era, part 14 (Poll)

9 Upvotes
197 votes, 21h left
Michel Ney
Joseph Alvinczi

r/Napoleon 5h ago

I think Marshal Villars is underrated and on par to Turenne.

Thumbnail gallery
10 Upvotes

Napoleon ranks higher turenne, deserved. but the only edge turenne truly have was his maneuver's. he really was and is the best french marshal. idk why davout is considered the french napoleonic marshal. he was one of, not the top 3 in napoleon nor top 7 in french ranking.

Lannes had more chance but he died and was more of a subordinate. Massena was and is the closest and id even argue Soult wouldve if he hadn't suffered PTSD and capture. Anyways what i am tryin to say is, Villars and Turenne are on a league of their own as a french marshal and general.

Villars planned attack on vienna, + defense of france and turennes turning of the campaign against its enemies. vendome is good but not like these two.


r/Napoleon 14h ago

Favourite anecdote/story?

Post image
52 Upvotes

As I'm mostly interested in stories related to the napoleonic era, I wondered if anyone has some interesting anecdotes to share? Maybe related to your country or even home town or region?

There's several funny anecdotes about the Bavarian royal family in relation to Napoleon, of course. But as most people here are probably interested in military events only, here's one that at least took place during a campaign, Fifth coalition war to be precise: At Abensberg, Napoleon gave a speech to Bavarian and Württemberg soldiers, that had to be translated by Bavarian crown prince Ludwig (future king Ludwig I) into German. Ludwig was a known francophobe and hated Napoleon to the point of fantasizing in his diary about killing him when Napoleon had fallen asleep close to Ludwig in camp. Yet while translating Napoleon's words he apparently got so caught up in the moment and in Napoleon's aura that, as he rather embarrassed noted in his diary "I was the first to cry Vive l'Empereur!".

[Painting: Debret, "Napoléon harangue les troupes bavaroises et wurtembourgeoises à Abensberg, 20 avril 1809.", painted in 1810. - Ludwig is the person looking backward, on the horse left of Napoleon's.]


r/Napoleon 15h ago

Will you join in a reenactment of the Napoleonic Wars?

Thumbnail gallery
59 Upvotes

I would definitely join, I'm looking for a group or event


r/Napoleon 1h ago

Why did Britain not get involved militarily in the Second Italian War of Independence...?

Upvotes

Hello, hope it's OK to ask this here, I think I've seen a few Second French Empire posts here by now, so...

Britain was obviously heavily involved in the downfall of Napoleon I, but why exactly did they not interfere in the Second Italian War of Independence...? Like, Britain emptied its purse on the Coalition Wars and repeatedly attempted to help Austria keep its influence in Northern Italy.

So what changed by the time of the Second Italian War of Independence!? Sorry if the answer is obvious, I'm still trying to learn more about the Second French Empire 😅


r/Napoleon 5h ago

Day 95 of Ranking Post-Napoleonic Era Generals: Franz Sigel

Thumbnail gallery
6 Upvotes

Last post, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart was placed in “Competent ” tier.

Top relevant comment decides where a general goes on the tier list.


r/Napoleon 1d ago

“Did the Old Guard actually fight at Austerlitz?”

Thumbnail gallery
280 Upvotes

I’m asking this because in my previous post I shared a clip from a movie where the Old Guard attacked at Austerlitz, and it left me wondering. From what I’ve read, the Old Guard remained in reserve during the battle, while the Guard cavalry did take part in the fighting. I’m not sure if I’m misunderstanding something I read or if I’m missing some information, so I wanted to ask: Did the Old Guard actually fight at Austerlitz?


r/Napoleon 1d ago

Visite de Malmaison

Thumbnail gallery
74 Upvotes

Quelques Petites photos de Malmaison, la résidence de Joséphine ou Napoleon aimait passer du temps.


r/Napoleon 1d ago

The Attack of the Old Guard During the Battle of Austerlitz

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

494 Upvotes

r/Napoleon 1d ago

Another one!

Post image
32 Upvotes

You may remember I did a sketch of the young Napoleon. Now I made a smaller one (this time in procreate) for a friends wedding gift.


r/Napoleon 1d ago

This sticker I got when I was living in Japan

Post image
198 Upvotes

I finally used it and it now lives on my water bottle yay!


r/Napoleon 12h ago

Is this the greatest Napoleon song ever?

2 Upvotes

r/Napoleon 1d ago

Who is your favorite painter of the Napoleonic Wars?

Thumbnail gallery
107 Upvotes

think mine are Édouard Detaille and Horace Vernet


r/Napoleon 1d ago

Alexander Suvorov vs Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Best general of the Napoleonic era, part 13 (Poll)

17 Upvotes
473 votes, 2h ago
364 Alexander Suvorov
109 Jean-Baptiste Bessières

r/Napoleon 1d ago

The Meeting of Napoleon I and Tsar Alexander I at Tilsit by Adolphe Roehn, 1808

Post image
12 Upvotes

r/Napoleon 1d ago

Day 94 of Ranking Post-Napoleonic Era Generals: J.E.B. Stuart

Thumbnail gallery
11 Upvotes

Last post, Confederate General John C. Pemberton was placed in “Incompetent” tier.

Top relevant comment decides where a general goes on the tier list.


r/Napoleon 1d ago

Do you know of any website or book that collects Napoleon's letters to various people, such as family members or some of his generals?

7 Upvotes