Battlefield despatches: Castiglione, Q3-1796

Alex Stevenson is joined by Rick Schneid, John Gill and Graeme Callister for the latest in our 1796 battles series, this time looking at Castiglione when for the first time Napoleon Bonaparte found himself on the strategic defensive.

You'll find all the pictures and maps mentioned in this episode here: https://x.com/napoleonic_q/status/2013017694077911143

Expect “on the battlefield” atmosphere, expert analysis, maps you can almost see, and a riveting blend of strategy and storytelling:

A Walkthrough of the Battlefield and Its Geography
Listeners will be expertly guided through the geography of Castiglione and its surrounding landmarks—hills, rivers, villages—painting a vivid operational map crucial to understanding the movements and intentions of both armies.
The Austrian and French Perspectives
The panel adopts the roles of staff officers and commanders in both the Austrian and French camps, offering both granular and big-picture views on morale, strategy, and the unique challenges faced by each side.
Command Decisions and Tactics Unpacked
Explore why Austrian commander Wurmser and his French counterpart Bonaparte made the decisions they did, how logistical issues, communication breakdowns, and battlefield improvisation altered the course of operations.
Dramatic Near-Misses and Shifting Momentum
Experience the near-encirclement of the French, the Austrian attempts at pincer movement, and how crucial moments and battlefield heroics (like the timely arrival of French reinforcements) flipped the campaign’s momentum.
Aftermath, Analysis, and Why Castiglione Mattered
The episode delves into the outcomes of the battle: the relief and renewed siege of Mantua, troop exhaustion, command changes, loss of crucial siege artillery, and how Castiglione marked a turning point in Napoleon’s operational approach—and for the wider Napoleonic Wars.

Help us produce more episodes by joining the Napoleonic Quarterly community on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(193)

1804 recap: Imperial tensions

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1804 - the year in which France gets an emperor once again, and Europe gets an imperial-sized pro...

7 Sep 53min

Scenes from a Napoleon movie (screenplay wrap-up, pt2/2)

It is with a mixture of great embarrassment at my own over-acting and guilt at such outrageous self-indulgence that I, Alex Stevenson, presenter of the Napoleonic Quarterly, provide you, the poor suff...

29 Aug 1h 20min

We wrote a Napoleon movie! (screenplay wrap-up pt1/2)

This mini-episode unveils the end product from our Napoleon movie discussions: an actual first draft of a screenplay which tells the story of Bonaparte's rise to power. It's now available on Patreon, ...

22 Aug 14min

1803 recap: Against the odds

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1803 - a year in which peace between France and Britain collapses, and the cause of Haitian indep...

12 Aug 53min

1802 recap: Haiti's fight for freedom

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1802 - a year in which the French mission to recapture Saint-Domingue combines deception and brut...

6 Aug 59min

1801 recap: Making war and making peace

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1801 - a year in which Britain and France make peace, despite a widening canvas of war spreading ...

30 Jul 48min

Power without dignity: Napoleon's Brumaire sacrifice (screenplay plotting, mins 105-120)

In the eighth and final 15 minutes of our screenplay treatment, Napoleon really is trying to get this one last job done by completing the Brumaire coup. But his bid for his ultimate goal requires an u...

22 Jul 1h 1min

1800 recap: From Marengo to Moreau

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1800 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte achieves one of his greatest victories to consolidate h...

18 Jul 38min