Napoleonic Wars

A series of wars from 1803 to 1815 in which Napoleonic France fought shifting coalitions of European powers. They ended with Napoleon’s defeat and the restoration of peace across much of Europe.

Battle of Austerlitz: A 1805 battle in which Napoleon’s army defeated Austrian and Russian forces decisively. Its French victory broke the Third Coalition and became Napoleon’s most celebrated battlefield success.
Coalition Wars: A sequence of European wars in which shifting alliances fought Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. The Napoleonic Wars form the later phase of this wider series of coalition conflicts.
Napoleon: A French military and political leader who ruled as emperor from 1804 until 1814 and again briefly in 1815. His ambitions, decisions, and defeats gave the wars their name and direction.
Congress of Vienna: A diplomatic congress held from 1814 to 1815 that redrew Europe’s political map after Napoleon’s defeat. Its settlement aimed to contain France and restore a balance among the great powers.
French Revolutionary Wars: A series of conflicts from 1792 to 1802 between Revolutionary France and shifting European opponents. They preceded the Napoleonic Wars and established the military and political conflicts Napoleon inherited.
Peninsular War: A 1808–1814 conflict in Spain and Portugal involving French forces, local resistance, and British troops. The prolonged Iberian struggle drained French resources and tied down troops throughout the wars.
Continental System: Napoleon’s policy of restricting European trade with Britain through a system of continental blockades. Economic warfare against Britain reshaped French diplomacy and helped provoke resistance in allied territories.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington: A British army commander and politician who led allied forces in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo. His campaigns helped sustain resistance to France in Iberia and culminated in Napoleon’s final defeat.
Napoleonic Code: The French civil code enacted in 1804, establishing uniform laws on matters including property and civil status. Napoleonic rule spread the code and related legal reforms across parts of Europe.
War of the Third Coalition: The 1805 war in which Austria, Russia, and other powers fought Napoleonic France and its allies. It was one phase within the longer wars, ending with French victories at Ulm and Austerlitz.

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