Episodes

  • Napoleon's 1797 Coup d'État: The Coup of 18 Fructidor

    Napoleon's 1797 Coup d'État: The Coup of 18 Fructidor
    Jun 28 2026
    In September 1797, the French Republic faced a constitutional crisis. Royalist factions had won elections and threatened to undo the Revolution. The Directory, with General Napoleon Bonaparte's backing, launched a military coup — the Coup of 18 Fructidor Year V. This episode explores how Napoleon, far away in Italy, sent General Augereau to Paris to purge the government, deport opposition leaders, and crush the royalist press. We examine the role of the Clichy Club, the deportation of 65 deputies to French Guiana, and how this coup set a precedent for Napoleon's later seizure of power. The episode also touches on the broader European context: the Treaty of Campo Formio, the Cisalpine Republic, and the weakening of the Directory. A pivotal moment when the army first intervened directly in French politics. #Napoleon #FrenchRevolution #Coup18Fructidor #Directory #GeneralAugereau #ClichyClub #Royalists #TreatyOfCampoFormio #CisalpineRepublic #FrenchGuiana #Barthelemy #Carnot #FructidorCoup #History #FexingoHistory #NapoleonicWars #CoupDetat #FrenchHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Napoleon's 1807 Polish Campaign: The Duchy of Warsaw

    Napoleon's 1807 Polish Campaign: The Duchy of Warsaw
    Jun 28 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Napoleon's often-overlooked Polish campaign of 1806-1807, which led to the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw. They discuss the Battle of Eylau, the bloodiest engagement of the Napoleonic Wars up to that point, and the decisive Battle of Friedland. Lucas explains Napoleon's pragmatic alliance with the Polish nobility, the establishment of the Duchy as a French satellite state, and the introduction of the Napoleonic Code and emancipation of peasants in Polish lands. The episode also covers the role of Polish lancers, the Treaty of Tilsit, and the long-term legacy of the Duchy for Polish national aspirations. Key figures include Tsar Alexander I, King Frederick William III of Prussia, General Bennigsen, and Polish leaders like Prince Józef Poniatowski. #Napoleon #PolishCampaign #DuchyOfWarsaw #BattleOfEylau #BattleOfFriedland #TreatyOfTilsit #PrincePoniatowski #PolishLancers #NapoleonicWars #Europe #Poland #1807 #GrandeArmée #Bennigsen #Emancipation #NapoleonicCode #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Napoleon's 1798 Swiss Coup: The Helvetic Republic

    Napoleon's 1798 Swiss Coup: The Helvetic Republic
    Jun 27 2026
    In January 1798, French troops marched into Switzerland, not as invaders but as 'liberators' — and within months, the centuries-old Swiss Confederacy was dissolved, replaced by the centralized Helvetic Republic. This episode of The Napoleonic Wars: How Europe Was Rewritten explores the lesser-known but pivotal Swiss campaign of 1798, a brutal occupation that sparked a peasant revolt, cost thousands of lives, and set the stage for Napoleon's later European restructuring. We follow the French invasion under General Guillaume Brune, the uprising in Nidwalden where Austrian-backed rebels fought house-to-house, and the failed experiment of the Helvetic Republic — a satellite state that would last barely five years before collapsing into civil war. Along the way, we meet figures like Frédéric-César de La Harpe, the Vaudois revolutionary who invited the French in, and Alois von Reding, the Swiss commander who led the last stand. This episode covers the contrast between Swiss cantonal independence and French revolutionary centralism, the role of the Confederacy's mercenary tradition, and how Napoleon's 'mediation' in 1803 finally gave Switzerland a constitution that actually worked. A crucial turning point in the reshaping of Europe, often overshadowed by Italy and Egypt. #NapoleonicWars #Switzerland #HelveticRepublic #FrenchInvasion #GuillaumeBrune #FrédéricCésardelaHarpe #Nidwalden #AloisvonReding #1798 #Confederacy #Canton #Centralism #SatelliteState #Mediation #EuropeanHistory #History #FexingoHistory #Napoleon Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Napoleon’s Secret Treaty: The Franco-Russian Alliance That Crashed

    Napoleon’s Secret Treaty: The Franco-Russian Alliance That Crashed
    Jun 27 2026
    Before the invasion of 1812, Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I signed the Treaty of Tilsit — a grand alliance that redrew Eastern Europe and set both empires on a collision course. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine the secret clauses, the personal chemistry between the two emperors, and the fatal miscalculations that turned allies into enemies. They explore the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, the Continental System’s chokehold on Russia, and the moment Alexander chose defiance. Specifics include the Erfurt Congress of 1808, the Finnish War, the Ottoman front, and the Tsar’s ultimatum of 1811. A story of ambition, betrayal, and the peace that guaranteed war. #Napoleon #TsarAlexanderI #TreatyOfTilsit #ErfurtCongress #ContinentalSystem #DuchyOfWarsaw #FinnishWar #FrancoRussianAlliance #1812 #NapoleonicWars #Diplomacy #History #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory #SecretTreaty #GrandeArmée #Russia #AlexanderI Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Napoleon's Russian Disaster: The Road to 1812

    Napoleon's Russian Disaster: The Road to 1812
    Jun 26 2026
    In June 1812, Napoleon launched the largest military campaign Europe had ever seen, crossing the Niemen River into Russia with over 600,000 men. By December, fewer than 30,000 would return. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the fateful decisions that led to catastrophe: the Grande Armée's reliance on forage, the Russian scorched-earth retreat, the bloody stalemate at Borodino, and the disastrous crossing of the Berezina River. They explore key figures like Tsar Alexander I, General Mikhail Kutuzov, and Marshal Ney, and examine how the campaign shattered Napoleon's aura of invincibility. From the burning of Moscow to the collapse of the Continental System, this is the story of how the Russian winter—and Russian strategy—changed the course of European history. #Napoleon #1812 #GrandeArmée #Borodino #Berezina #TsarAlexanderI #Kutuzov #ScorchedEarth #ContinentalSystem #RussianCampaign #History #FexingoHistory #NapoleonicWars #Moscow #Smolensk #MarshalNey #WinterWarfare #EuropeanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Napoleon's 1805 Ulm Campaign: The Army of England Turns East

    Napoleon's 1805 Ulm Campaign: The Army of England Turns East
    Jun 26 2026
    In the summer of 1805, Napoleon stood at Boulogne with a 200,000-strong Army of England, poised to invade Britain. Then he learned Austria and Russia were forming a new coalition. What happened next was a masterpiece of logistics and deception: the Grande Armée broke camp, marched east, and within weeks encircled General Mack's Austrian army at Ulm. This episode follows the astonishing 250-kilometre pivot from the Channel coast to the Danube, the role of Marshal Murat's cavalry screen, the ruse that convinced Mack the British were still the target, and the psychological blow of the Ulm surrender — all before a single shot at Trafalgar. We also explore the lesser-known figure of General Karl Mack von Leiberich, whose reputation was destroyed by the campaign, and the controversial decision to let the Russian army escape. A story of speed, bluff, and the terrifying efficiency of Napoleon's new army system. #UlmCampaign1805 #GrandeArmée #Napoleon #GeneralMack #ArmyOfEngland #BattleOfUlm #Murat #Danube #CoalitionWars #FriedrichSchiller #BoulogneCamp #WarOfTheThirdCoalition #Trafalgar #NapoleonicWars #MilitaryHistory #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory #Europe Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Napoleon's Egyptian Expedition: The Lost Army of the Nile

    Napoleon's Egyptian Expedition: The Lost Army of the Nile
    Jun 25 2026
    In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte sailed for Egypt not just with soldiers but with 167 scholars—scientists, artists, engineers—who would transform Egypt into a living laboratory. This episode follows the savants of the Institut d'Égypte as they mapped ancient ruins, studied mummies, and discovered the Rosetta Stone, while Napoleon's army grappled with plague, heat, and the British Royal Navy. We explore the clash between Enlightenment science and imperial ambition, the creation of the Description de l'Égypte, and the moment when a French general faced the Pyramids. With names like Gaspard Monge, Claude-Louis Berthollet, and the enigmatic Dominique-Vivant Denon, this is the story of how Napoleon's Egyptian adventure birthed modern Egyptology—and why the savants' loyalty was tested by disaster. #Napoleon #EgyptExpedition #InstitutDEgypte #RosettaStone #DescriptionDEgypte #GaspardMonge #ClaudeLouisBerthollet #DominiqueVivantDenon #BattleOfThePyramids #BattleOfTheNile #Mamluk #Antioche #MuhammadAli #Savants #Egyptology #FrenchRevolution #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • Napoleon's Code Civil: Law, Women, and the Empire

    Napoleon's Code Civil: Law, Women, and the Empire
    Jun 25 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Napoleon's most enduring domestic legacy: the Code Civil, often called the Napoleonic Code. They discuss its roots in Roman and revolutionary law, how it centralized legal authority, and its surprisingly progressive—and regressive—provisions. Lucas explains how the code defined property rights, contracts, and civil status, but also severely restricted women's rights, making them perpetual minors under the authority of their fathers or husbands. The conversation touches on the debates among the drafting commission, Napoleon's personal involvement in sessions, and how the code spread across Europe. They also consider its influence on modern civil law systems worldwide, from Quebec to Japan. Listeners will hear about key figures like Portalis, the myth of Napoleon's reactionary views, and the code's mixed legacy for gender equality. #Napoleon #CodeCivil #NapoleonicCode #Portalis #CivilLaw #WomenRights #PatriarchalLaw #FrenchRevolution #FirstEmpire #PropertyRights #Loi #Tronchet #BigotDePréameneu #Maleauville #CivilCode1804 #LegalHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins