The Age of Napoleon Podcast
Arts & Culture Podcasts
The Age of Napoleon is a history podcast about the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte as well as the general context of Europe between the early eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It is about big trends and the grand sweep of history, as well as the smaller, individual stories that bring them to life.
Location:
United States
Description:
The Age of Napoleon is a history podcast about the life and career of Napoleon Bonaparte as well as the general context of Europe between the early eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It is about big trends and the grand sweep of history, as well as the smaller, individual stories that bring them to life.
Language:
English
Episodes
Episode 131: The Sacrifice
11/1/2025
Josephine was the great love of Napoleon's life, but in late 1809, he had their marriage annulled -- how had it come to this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:02:48
Episode 130: The Heart of the Empire
10/1/2025
We examine Napoleon's private life, with a special focus on the most important person in it: the charming and controversial Empress of the French, Josephine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:56:18
Episode 129: I Am Charlemagne
9/1/2025
In the summer of 1809, General Sir Arthur Wellesley led a small British army into Spain. While the war raged on, Napoleon was also picking a political fight with a powerful enemy: the Roman Catholic Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:07:05
Episode 128: To Conquer a Throne
7/31/2025
Iberia, 1809: the Aragonese capital of Zaragoza was under siege once again. To the west, the French prepared another invasion of Portugal. Meanwhile, in London, the British leadership debated a renewed commitment in this theater of the war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:09:40
Episode 127: The Liberators
7/1/2025
Throughout 1809, small groups of brave (or foolish) German patriots tried to stir up nationalist uprisings against France. Meanwhile, in Iberia, a very ugly war dragged on with no end in sight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:07:39
Episode 126: Martyrs and Scapegoats
6/1/2025
Late 1809: Napoleon negotiated a punitive peace treaty with Austria and survived a strange assassination attempt. Meanwhile, the British launched a surprise invasion of the continent and dealt with political controversies at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:08:22
Episode 125: An Age Forlorn
4/30/2025
After his victory at Wagram, Napoleon pursued the Austrians. Peace was in the air, but the war would end on an almost unbelievably dramatic note in the middle of a Bohemian thunderstorm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:02:49
Episode 124: My Blood for the Emperor
3/31/2025
In the summer of 1809, Napoleon crossed the Danube again to confront Archduke Charles and the Habsburg field army and avenge his defeat at Aspern-Essling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:16:17
Episode 123: Heroes and Rebels
3/1/2025
As the War of the Fifth Coalition raged on, anti-French rebels rose up in the Alps and a remarkable Royal Navy captain fought one of the era's strangest battles on the Atlantic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:11:26
Episode 122: The Emperor Alone
1/31/2025
Austria, 1809: Napoleon was stunned after the first defeat of his career at Aspern-Essling and the death of his best friend and closest confidant, Marshal Lannes. But all across the continent, the war raged on... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:58:14
Episode 121: The Red Danube
12/31/2024
On May 21st, 1809, the Austrians attacked the Grande Armée at the towns of Aspern and Essling. The ensuing two days were the hardest test of Napoleon's career to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:07:37
Episode 120: More Terrible than Ever
12/1/2024
In April, 1809, the Austrians finally launched their long-awaited invasion of the Napoleonic Empire. The French were taken by surprise, but Napoleon had a plan to turn the tables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:02:23
Episode 119: Setting the World Aflame
10/31/2024
French and British forces continue fighting in Spain. In Paris, Napoleon's frustrations with Talleyrand finally boil over as he prepares to face off against a renewed and reformed Habsburg army. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:59:36
Episode 118: The Hornets' Nest
10/1/2024
After taking Madrid, Napoleon chased a British army into northwestern Spain. Meanwhile, behind the lines, Spanish guerrillas waged a brutal war against the occupiers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:05:32
Episode 117: Impossible
8/31/2024
The Spanish Patriots prepared to hold off Bonaparte in a rocky mountain pass, but they didn't count on the heroism of the Polish cavalry of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:00:27
Paris Games Special
8/9/2024
I sat down with two fellow French history podcasters for a Paris Games-themed discussion of some of our favorite characters of 18th and 19th century French history. You can find Will's show, Grey History, at: https://greyhistory.com, and David's show, The Siècle, here: http://thesiecle.com/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:34:20
Episode 116: Strike Hard
8/1/2024
In early November 1808, French troops crossed the Ebro River in their second invasion of Spain, led by the Emperor himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:01:19
Episode 115: War to the Knife
6/30/2024
The summer of 1808 saw desperate fighting across Iberia as Spanish and Portuguese patriots rose up against Napoleon. France's most powerful enemy, Great Britain, sought to take advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:12:57
Episode 114: The Limits of Power
5/31/2024
The Spanish uprising was a disaster for France. Napoleon tried to shore up his diplomatic situation but found himself undermined by a surprising new enemy. Cameo appearances by José de San Martín and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:06:01
Episode 113: Victory or Death
5/1/2024
In the spring of 1808, Napoleon said he considered Spain conquered. That summer, Spanish forces dealt France its first major battlefield defeat in nearly a decade. How did Spain manage this stunning reversal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:13:19