WARS AGAINST NAPOLEON, THE: Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars | 
 enlarge | Authors: General Michel Franceschi, Ben Weider
Publisher: Savas Beatie
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 62222
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 248
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.5 x 1
ISBN: 1932714375
Dewey Decimal Number: 909
EAN: 9781932714371
ASIN: 1932714375
Publication Date: December 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: bk condition - NEW; dj - EX; not a remainder; not ExLib
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Product Description
Popular and scholarly history presents a one-dimensional image of Napoleon as an inveterate instigator of war who repeatedly sought large-scale military conquests. General Franceschi and Ben Weider dismantle this false conclusion in The Wars Against Napoleon, a brilliantly written and researched study that turns our understanding of the French emperor on its head. Avoiding the simplistic cliche's and rudimentary caricatures many historians use when discussing Napoleon, Franceschi and Weider argue persuasively that the caricature of the megalomaniac conqueror who bled Europe white to satisfy his delirious ambitions and insatiable love for war is groundless. By carefully scrutinizing the facts of the period and scrupulously avoiding the sometimes confusing cause and effect of major historical events, they paint a compelling portrait of a fundamentally pacifist Napoleon, one completely at odds with modern scholarly thought. This rigorous intellectual presentation is based upon three principal themes. The first explains how an unavoidable belligerent situation existed after the French Revolution of 1789. The new France inherited by Napoleon was faced with the implacable hatred of reactionary European monarchies determined to restore the ancient regime. All-out war was therefore inevitable unless France renounced the modern world to which it had just painfully given birth. The second theme emphasizes Napoleon's determined efforts ("bordering on an obsession," argue the authors) to avoid this inevitable conflict. The political strategy of the Consulate and the Empire was based on the intangible principle of preventing or avoiding these wars, not on conquering territory. Finally, the authors examine, conflict by conflict, the evidence that Napoleon never declared war. As he later explained at Saint Helena, it was he who was always attacked-not the other way around. His adversaries pressured and even forced the Emperor to employ his unequalled military genius. After each of his memorable victories Napoleon offered concessions, often extravagant ones, to the defeated enemy for the sole purpose of avoiding another war. Lavishly illustrated, persuasively argued, and carefully illustrated with original maps and battle diagrams, The Wars Against Napoleon presents a courageous and uniquely accurate historical idea that will surely arouse vigorous debate within the international historical community. REVIEWS "Weider and Franceschi's outstanding new "must read" book shatters the myth of the so-called "Napoleonic Wars" and compels a long-overdue reevaluation of the image of Napoleon as simply a "war loving conqueror." Jerry D. Morelock, PhD, ARMCHAIR GENERAL Editor in Chief (May 2008 issue) "... the authors argue strongly, persuasively, and intellectually for what is, essentially, the other side of the usual story. They will surely provoke debate within the historical community wherever there is interest in this period. Recommended for all libraries adding to their Napoleonic collections."D. Poremba, Library Journal, 01/2008 "supported with maps and diagrams, this courageous book is a very intriguing read." Skirmish Magazine 04/08
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Can't Argue with the Facts... June 5, 2008
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Like it or not, Napoleon has been the victim of a 200 year old smear campaign that still exists today. For the simple reason that if Napoleon was right, then they must've been wrong, Britain (and to a lesser extent the rest of the Allied countries) have made it a top priority throughout the years to make sure people think it was all Napoleons fault for the violence of the early 1800's. And they are good at it. The Britons are nothing if not brilliant diplomats and their rhetoric and version of events have become the commonly held views of Napoloeon for the rest of us who don't really study the man. Even the fact that Napoleon was uncommonly short is British propaganda made to trivialize the man. For the record, Napoleon was 5'6" which was average to even slightly above average height for the day. The Brits used a different system of measurements for measuring Napoleon and even though the truth is right their for anyone who cares to find it, people still believe Napoleon was an uncommonly short man. Gotta give props to British propaganda.
The thing about Napoleon is that one has to get a number of different viewpoints in order to get a good impression of the man. If you mainly read books from the British perspective, you will have a mostly negative view of him. If you only read books from the French perspective, you will have a mostly positive view of him. But again, the facts are out their for those who care to know and this book brings together the facts about Napoleons role in the wars he was involved in and the type of government he instituted. You can't argue with these facts, whether its in your best interest to positively or negatively portray Napoleon. This book clearly shows that the commonly held view of Napoleon as the main cause of the wars he was in is FALSE. Again, the reason why we all think that is because the British have basically dominated our views on history, especially concerning this time period. As stated above, if Napoleon was right in his endeavors, then the British would have to be wrong, and there's no way they can accept that. The armies of the Allied countries on mainland Europe were basically mercenary armies for England and one could say that it was the English who were beaten at Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, and Wagram.
Read this book if you want to add to your understanding of Napoleon. If you are comfortable with the easy view of Napoleon as the person in the wrong, then consider yourself another paid mercenary of George III.
 Not Convinced! June 4, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
As a Napoleonic enthusiast, I was very excited about this book. I was expecting some new insights and a balanced and well researched argument that would leave me convinced as to Napoleon's innocence for the wars of 1799-1815. The argument was certainly logically presented and cited the continued aggression and total military aims of Great Britain as the root cause of Napoleons' dilemma. There are however, too many historical contradictions and too many issues that have been ignored by this work to accept it as a full and just presentation of Napoleon as the 'man of peace.' Numerous typographical or translational errors detract from the flow. Finally, the assumption that France had the right to protect itself from Britain is not in dispute, however the assumption that all of the nations about France (Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and the Confederation of the Rhine) could be used as protection and as buffers against Britain, without any discussion or consideration for those nations needs or desires, was an arrogance that epitomised the weaknesses of this book
THE ENGLISH COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY WAR May 29, 2008
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
The greatest threat to peace in Europe in the early nineteenth century was the British Cabinet. With its millions in subsidies it fought a mainly proxy war against France before Napoleon, and France under Napoleon. It was other countries that basically did the dying for British ends. England had been fighting France for decades and, still smarting over the loss of the American colonies, who won their freedom with crucial French backing, the last thing it wanted was for ideas of freedom and equality to spread amongst its own down-trodden people. The British population was held in contempt by its autocratic, aristocratic, oligarchic masters. The French Revolution was a match hovering over the keg of liberty and the British Cabinet was determined to put it out.
Napoleon solidified the gains of the Revolution. He was the only one strong enough and pragmatic enough to heal the wounds of French society and under him France became a serious player in the field of international relations once again. The ancient monarchies were terrified that under his leadership, the liberalisation fostered by revolutionary ideas would spread to their own realms. Hence they pocketed the English bribes and fostered a series of coalitions that were to expunge the French leader and all he stood for from the map of Europe.
In their excellent book Franceschi and Weider raise dozens of points, particularly in regard to the diplomacy of the time, that will be a real eye-opener to British readers. Especially telling are the references to the British press and Opposition in 1815 who said then, that the war of that year against Napoleon was totally unjustified. And Marie-Louise's letter to her father, expressing her anguish that he could be contemplating war against his own son-in-law is very revealing - especially as she says the English were probably behind it.
One reviewer above states sneeringly that the authors blame the loss at Waterloo on a bad thunderstorm. They do not say that, they rightly comment that the French were outnumbered. In fact, although Wellington hung on grimly, it was the arrival of 45,000 Prussians, 7,000 of whom died at the hands of the Young Guard at Placenoit, that sealed the Emperor's fate. Not many of those Prussians went to Eton by the way.
As a reader of dozens of books on this period, I can honestly say that this is the first one I have come across that looks at things from Napoleon's perspective. Far from being called The Napoleonic Wars, the period 1799-1815 would be better dubbed, The English Mercenary Wars.
A Must Read, review by Thomas Zakharis April 25, 2008
4 out of 10 found this review helpful
Napoleon remains one of those personalities who a history enthusiast either loves or hates. In The Wars Against Napoleon: Debunking the myth of the Napoleonic Wars, two authors and friends, by French retired four-star General Michel Franceschi and Ben Weider, President of INS, describe Napoleon's foreign and military policies, centering their narration around the French emperor's desire for peace and explaining that he was forced to fight in order to defend revolutionary France from the perpetual threats posed from abroad. Their assertion is that all of the French government's efforts for negotiation and peace failed primarily because of the reaction of Britain, which saw in France's progress under Napoleon's leadership a formidable rival for its own global ambitions. For that reason--in Napoleon's case at least--Mr. Weider contradicts Henry Kissinger's axiom that "Revolutionary governments could not accept the principles of loyalty."
To the 21st century Western World, terms such as constitution, civil rights, freedom of the press, liberty to vote and elect public officials are commonplace, but they were struggling for existence in a much more hostile environment in the 19th century. To the monarchs of Europe, Napoleon was little more than a common thief, even as they privately harbored admiration and jealously for his abilities. In any case, the authors believe Napoleon to have conducted his campaigns against the rest of Europe's powers because he had no choice--and on the rationale that the best defense is a good offense.
The Wars Against Napoleon includes maps with the emperor's main battles up to his last campaign in 1815, culminating in the battle of Waterloo. For that battle I would like to mention to General Franceschi the role of the 3nd Dutch-Belgian Division, which--once again--he omits from the day's events. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington had put that division in his rear because he did not trust its mainly Belgian personnel. However, when the 3nd and 4th Grenadiers of Napoleon's Old Guard were ready to give what they hoped would be the coup de grace to the exhausted British regiments, it was that Dutch-Belgian division that suddenly counterattacked and threw the Guard back in panic. It remains a overlooked incident begging for a historian to put it in its proper perspective.
Another item of interest is that in both 1814 and 1815 Napoleon threatened the bourgeois Senate and Parliament by a call in arms of laborers for the II and III corps of the National Guard. He ended up doing so on neither occasion to avoid the sort of communal revolution that finally occurred in 1870. Not quite the revolutionary that his predecessors had been, Napoleon pursued a policy intended to smooth class differences and avert a civil war in France. Indeed, he created a new aristocracy, which finally died in the trenches a hundred years after, as the Soviet writer Elia Ehrenburg wrote.
Whether The Wars Against Napoleon will truly "debunk" the conventional wisdom about the Napoleonic Wars will probably depend on the reader. In any case, General Franceschi and Mr. Weider had written a "labor of love" that historians who share their admiration of the late emperor will want to put on their "must read" list.
- Thomas Zacharis
(Note: This review was written by Thomas Zakharis and posted on Amazon by The Wars Against Napoleon publisher Savas Beatie LLC at his request.)
LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW February 10, 2008
7 out of 14 found this review helpful
"According to these authors, it is a myth of the Napoleonic wars that Napoleon was a megalomaniacal conqueror who bled Europe dry in order to satisfy his insatiable love for war. Certainly, such is the most widely printed and accepted description of Napoleon's motive. After all, history is written by the victors. In this book, however, retired French general Franceschi and Weider (coauthor with Sten Forshufvud, Assassination at St. Helena Revisited) present a compelling revisionist portrait of Napoleon as fundamentally pacifist. They base this on three sound themes: first, that the European monarchies were thoroughly opposed to the continuance of revolutionary France; second, that Napoleon made constant determined efforts to avoid the inevitable conflicts; and third, that Napoleon never declared war, as he himself stated in exile on St. Helena. In each of these areas the authors argue strongly, persuasively, and intellectually for what is, essentially, the other side of the usual story. They will surely provoke debate within the historical community wherever there is interest in this period. Recommended for all libraries adding to their Napoleonic collections. (Illustrations not seen.)"
- David Lee Poremba, Keiser Univ., Orlando, FL, Library Journal
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