1 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,640 In the opening years of the 19th century, 2 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,440 across the battlefields and capital cities of Europe, 3 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,120 the Government of France and her leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, 4 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:25,600 reigned supreme. 5 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,600 In 1804, at the age of just 35, 6 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,440 Napoleon had been crowned Emperor of the French. 7 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,920 And within a year, astride a white stallion, 8 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,760 he entered the city of Milan in Italy in triumph 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,800 to add yet another title to his name. 10 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,520 On 26th May 1805, 11 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:01,320 Napoleon was crowned King of Italy here at Milan Cathedral. 12 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,720 He wore no fewer than four crowns on that occasion, 13 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,880 including the Iron Crown of the Emperor Charlemagne, 14 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,280 said to be made from nails from the Crucifixion. 15 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,120 Raising it up, Napoleon declared, 16 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,040 "God has given me this. 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,040 "Beware, any man who touches it." 18 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,040 GUNFIRE 19 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,680 To the sovereign nations of Europe, 20 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,640 such a powerful defender of revolution as Napoleon 21 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,720 posed a very grave threat. 22 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,040 They had turned hostile 23 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,840 and engulfed France in little short of a world war. 24 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,520 A decade of epic, relentless warfare 25 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,800 would challenge all of the Emperor's skills. 26 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,520 For all the majesty and power of the coronation in Italy, 27 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,680 the security of France 28 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,160 and French Revolutionary ideas remained fragile. 29 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,920 The great European monarchies 30 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:14,880 remained committed to turning the clock back, 31 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,960 so, for the next five years, 32 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,400 France was subjected to a series of debilitating attacks 33 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,200 from European coalitions. 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,760 Five years which, to my mind, mark the genius of Napoleon 35 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,560 as one of the greatest generals of all time. 36 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,320 It was in the rebuilding of Paris 37 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:58,520 that all of the idealism of a new, Napoleonic France was expressed. 38 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,000 The commissioning of an Arc de Triomphe... 39 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,840 ..the construction of a Roman column at the Place Vendome... 40 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,520 splendid new bridges across the River Seine... 41 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,040 These projects heralded France 42 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,520 as home to a new Napoleonic civilisation, 43 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,720 led by a man of astonishing ambition. 44 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,240 Napoleon's decision to become 45 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:31,280 an emperor rather than a king 46 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,320 underlined the fact 47 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,080 that he intended to extend the ideas of the French Revolution 48 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,240 far beyond the borders of France. 49 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:45,000 It also underlined the fact that he had made, through his victories, 50 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,560 France into an empire the equal of Austria and Russia. 51 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:52,360 But above all, 52 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,840 it referenced the last great French Emperor, 53 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,080 Charlemagne. 54 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,120 Viewed through the prism of the 20th century, 55 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,520 historians have chosen to take that ambition 56 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,760 and turn Napoleon into a vain, despotic madman - 57 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,480 a Hitler or Stalin. 58 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,960 In his own age, he was attacked with cheap abuse, 59 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,640 denigrated as "the Corsican Ogre", 60 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,400 "the great despoiler", 61 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,880 "the Antichrist personified". 62 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,920 Napoleon's achievements as leader 63 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,120 of one of the most progressive nations on earth 64 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,640 have been marginalised. 65 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,320 I believe this to be little more than slander. 66 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,760 People think of Napoleon as an egocentric megalomaniac - 67 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:42,720 yet it was he who said 68 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,240 that "A throne is nothing more than a piece of wood covered in velvet." 69 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,560 He believed in rights - in property rights, 70 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:52,880 in equality before the law, 71 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,720 in religious toleration. 72 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,920 "Every trace of serfdom must be done away with," he ordered. 73 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,040 Hardly the remark of a megalomaniac. 74 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,280 In support of his new regime, 75 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:28,000 Napoleon exploited one of the most powerful 76 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,440 and commendable qualities of the human psyche - 77 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,960 the aspiration to better oneself. 78 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:38,440 In the Emperor's time, 79 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,960 this beautiful chateau just outside Paris 80 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,000 was home to Marshal Jean Lannes. 81 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,640 Lannes, the son of a commoner, 82 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,040 had served France with distinction 83 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,040 in military campaigns in Italy and Egypt. 84 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,320 When Napoleon became Emperor in 1804, 85 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,600 he named Lannes and a larger group of army officers 86 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,640 "Marshals of the Empire", who came to be known as 87 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,440 "Les Gros Bonnets", or "The Big Hats" 88 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:13,360 Berthier, Murat, Soult, Ney, Davout, 89 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,600 Oudinot, Augereau, Bernadotte, 90 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:18,680 Massena and Lannes. 91 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,280 These were just some of the soldiers who became marshals, 92 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:24,480 appointed through their talent, 93 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,400 utterly regardless of who their fathers were. 94 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,240 Granted titles and cash by Napoleon, 95 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,680 they were able to live a life of luxury. 96 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:35,840 Under the old regime, 97 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:40,000 the French Army was commanded by a small group of generals 98 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,200 who came almost exclusively from the aristocracy and the gentry. 99 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,640 When Napoleon became Emperor, he created 26 marshals, 100 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,640 some of whom came from very different social backgrounds. 101 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,680 There was the son of an innkeeper, 102 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,720 a bailiff, a tanner, a miller, 103 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,200 a barber and a barrel-cooper. 104 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,880 It was the first genuine meritocracy for 1,000 years. 105 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,600 Of those 26 marshals, 18 became dukes, 106 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,200 six became princes, and two even became kings. 107 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,560 Imagine the dynamism unleashed in Napoleonic France 108 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,680 when the son of an innkeeper can become a king. 109 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:39,040 Here was an ethos utterly at odds with the days of monarchy, 110 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,760 when the vast majority of people in France 111 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,400 were promoted either by parentage or patronage by the nobility. 112 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,320 Through the power of meritocracy, 113 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,120 Napoleon sought to unify the nation 114 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,000 and transform the effectiveness of his government. 115 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,600 His honouring of civilians for their service to the nation, 116 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,680 the Order of the Legion d'honneur, 117 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,560 remains the country's principal civil award. 118 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,640 Lannes and his fellow marshals 119 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,440 weren't part of some kind of a military dictatorship - 120 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,040 the civil administration of France ran the country - 121 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,920 but rather, they were the elite 122 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,200 of a much larger programme for a new nobility, 123 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,440 one that was based on merit and service to the State, 124 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,000 rather than on birth. 125 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:34,880 The new order in France 126 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,160 was galvanised by the driving ambition of her leader. 127 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,400 It had taken 18 years 128 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,720 for a commissioned artilleryman in the French Army, 129 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,240 born a Corsican, an outsider, 130 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,040 to become Consul for Life in France - 131 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,040 in effect, the nation's dictator. 132 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,320 Napoleon had risen fast through the ranks of the military, 133 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,080 due to his brilliant leadership in the first Italian campaign, 134 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,960 against the most aggressive antirevolutionary nation in Europe, 135 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,840 and his careful cultivation of a personal mythology. 136 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:20,280 Supported by his wife Josephine, 137 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:25,560 Napoleon had been part of a successful military coup in 1799, 138 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,600 bringing order to a country 139 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:31,200 that for a decade had only known political chaos. 140 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,360 Napoleon had banished the mob and the guillotine from French politics. 141 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,960 His conviction was stunning - 142 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,640 a feature of the man that I find inspirational. 143 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:52,880 In a world where leadership is so circumscribed today 144 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:57,160 by opinion polls and interest groups 145 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,480 and focus groups, 146 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:04,040 there is something liberating in seeing the example of a man 147 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:08,240 who followed his own beliefs, his own destiny, 148 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,120 who explained to his people what he wanted to do - 149 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,160 not what they wanted him to say, 150 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,400 but what he truly believed himself. 151 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,160 And that, it seems to me, 152 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:24,160 is something that is worthwhile and liberating and admirable. 153 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,160 A key to that conviction can be found in images of the Emperor. 154 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,240 In a painting that he commissioned of himself in his coronation costume 155 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,760 by the celebrated painter Gerard, 156 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,960 Napoleon is pictured adorned with a golden laurel crown... 157 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,080 ..a symbol of victory similar to that worn 158 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,080 by the great Roman General and Consul, Julius Caesar. 159 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:02,040 Napoleon was near-obsessed with antiquity. 160 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,080 He drew on it for political precedent 161 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,920 and idolised the exploits of its heroes. 162 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:15,240 Throughout his life, 163 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,120 Napoleon took his inspiration from ancient history. 164 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,120 He called himself "Consul", 165 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,080 the title given in Ancient Rome to the Heads of State. 166 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,840 He chose the eagle as the symbol of Imperial France. 167 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,880 The Code Napoleon was strongly influenced by Roman Law. 168 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,200 This influence and this inspiration became so profound 169 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,440 that it became behavioural. 170 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,480 He actually put his hand inside his waistcoat, 171 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,440 in conscious imitation of the statues of the Caesars. 172 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,880 At school, Napoleon had read many books 173 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,480 about Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, 174 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,240 and his palaces were decorated with busts of them both. 175 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,960 Their narrative was so compelling 176 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,280 that by the early 1800s, 177 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,360 he even referred to himself, without irony, 178 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,120 as "the new Caesar". 179 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,640 It's only when one gets really close to ancient artefacts 180 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,320 that one can appreciate 181 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,080 the tremendous power they had over Napoleon. 182 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:39,720 This is a glass token that was given by Germanicus to his soldiers, 183 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:44,800 and this was given out to connect the Emperor with the army, 184 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,760 something which was tremendously important also to Napoleon. 185 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,040 Both in Napoleon's case and the Roman case, 186 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,680 the soldier actually gave his oath of allegiance to the Emperor, 187 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:55,800 rather than to the Empire. 188 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,800 And here, a beautiful cameo of the Emperor Claudius. 189 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,960 Now, this would only go to the top people in the Empire, 190 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,960 and this would be the kind of thing 191 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,400 that Napoleon would have given to his top marshals, 192 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,920 like he gave land and cash. 193 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:13,480 In the Roman times, 194 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,320 you got this stunning representation of the Emperor. 195 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,000 Here is discharge papers, effectively, 196 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:23,640 of a member of the Praetorian Guard, the Emperor's close bodyguard. 197 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,920 After 25 years, this man would have got citizenship 198 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:29,840 and a land donation. 199 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:34,200 These artefacts remind me very powerfully of the interaction 200 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,040 that Napoleon wanted to encourage between him and his army. 201 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:42,720 He's demanding from them loyalty and, to an extent, obedience, 202 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,880 but certainly a sense of willingness to fight and die for him. 203 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:03,240 In the minds of the old monarchist nations of Europe, 204 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:07,640 and Britain in particular, such ancient allusions triggered fear. 205 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:15,920 For over 100 years, France had harboured plans to invade Britain - 206 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,560 and in the Revolutionary era, those plans had progressed with intent. 207 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,280 France feared the threat that Britain's naval mastery of the world 208 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,880 posed to her trade and colonies. 209 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,680 Britain was committed to defending her interests 210 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,480 against the bravura of the new Napoleonic regime, 211 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:47,840 come what may. 212 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,240 She distrusted Napoleon intensely, 213 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,760 blaming him for the collapse of a peace treaty between the two nations 214 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,680 that lasted for just over one year. 215 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:10,440 Britain was implacably opposed to the French Revolution, 216 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:12,440 and here in Downing Street, 217 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:16,560 William Pitt the Younger fought tirelessly to defeat it. 218 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:21,240 Tens of millions of pounds were spent on new warships, weapons 219 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:25,840 and subsidies for any country willing to fight against France. 220 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,320 "Never fear. Depend upon it," 221 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,920 Pitt told the political philosopher Edmund Burke, 222 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,840 "we shall carry on as we are, even until the Day of Judgment." 223 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,840 In 1797, the French Government had appointed General Bonaparte 224 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,200 Commander in Chief of the Army of England. 225 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,880 When he became First Consul two years later, 226 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,200 he worked actively on plans 227 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,600 for the largest possible invasion of Britain. 228 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,560 His commitment to the cause was resolute, 229 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,240 later telling a general 230 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,880 who doubted the possibility of a speedy invasion... 231 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:13,600 "'Impossible', sir? 232 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:15,640 "I am not acquainted with the word. 233 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,720 "It is not in the French language. 234 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:19,120 "Erase it from your dictionary." 235 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,000 As ever with Napoleon, 236 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,680 ancient history granted him instructive precedent. 237 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,800 As he wrote later of his hero Julius Caesar's attempt 238 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,400 to invade Britain in 55 and 54 BC... 239 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,640 "Caesar failed in his foray into England. 240 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,920 "Two legions were not enough. He needed at least four 241 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:46,960 "and he did not have any cavalry - 242 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,800 "an indispensable weapon in a country like England. 243 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,880 "He did not make enough preparations for an expedition of this importance. 244 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,440 "It turned to confusion and it was considered good fortune 245 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:00,800 "that he was able to withdraw without loss." 246 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:04,120 By July 1804, 247 00:17:04,120 --> 00:17:07,480 a huge armada of boats had been mustered 248 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,960 and a massive invasion force was in training along the Channel coast. 249 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,760 Napoleon was palpably excited by the prospect of invasion. 250 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,440 As he wrote to Second Consul Cambaceres... 251 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,280 "I have seen the English coast 252 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,920 "as clearly as one can see the wayside cross from the Tuileries. 253 00:17:27,120 --> 00:17:29,160 "One could pick out the houses." 254 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:31,840 In response, 255 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:36,000 Britain fortified her coastal defences as much as possible. 256 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,480 In time, she would build a chain of Martello towers, 257 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,880 even a Grand Shaft in Dover 258 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,720 to allow soldiers to descend the cliffs under cover. 259 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,720 Together, they might have stopped Napoleon's armies 260 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,200 for about half an hour. 261 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,120 For eight years, Napoleon had dreamt of invading Britain. 262 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:05,160 "The death knell of England has sounded", he said. 263 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,960 "We must avenge the defeats of Poitiers, Crecy and Agincourt." 264 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,000 It was no idle threat, 265 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,160 for Napoleon was now in possession 266 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:18,280 of a highly-trained army of 350,000 men, 267 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,640 one of the great military phenomena in history. 268 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,040 In 1805, he named it "La Grande Armee". 269 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,040 As with every other institution of French life, 270 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:41,440 the Revolution had radically altered the organisation of the French Army. 271 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:46,760 Historically, the tactics of the old, aristocrat-led French Army 272 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:51,440 were rigid, with troops arrayed in two or sometimes three lines, 273 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:52,760 shoulder-to-shoulder, 274 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:57,160 exchanging volleys of fire with the enemy at close range. 275 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,400 However, with the introduction of universal conscription, 276 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:06,280 a much larger Revolutionary Army had to change its strategy. 277 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,560 Napoleon instituted the corps system, 278 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:14,240 turning the army into mini-armies with their own infantry, 279 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,720 cavalry, artillery and staff sections. 280 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,120 It was a masterstroke. 281 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:23,120 The army could now separate when marching, 282 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:25,520 but also concentrate for fighting. 283 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,840 The corps could move within a day's march, or 15 miles of each other, 284 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,680 each capable of becoming rearguard, 285 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,560 vanguard or reserve at a moment's notice. 286 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:41,840 What's more, once one corps "fixed" the enemy into battle position, 287 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,480 Napoleon could summon the others to reinforce, 288 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:50,000 outflank and occasionally completely envelop the enemy. 289 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:54,560 Here was a powerful new operational level of warfare 290 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:58,280 that would be adopted by every European army by 1812 291 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,400 and would last until 1945. 292 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,400 The dexterity of manoeuvre of the Grande Armee 293 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,880 was matched by the suavity of its appearance. 294 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:15,560 Decked out in scarlet, purple, yellow, blue, gold and silver, 295 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:19,720 with fringes, buttons, epaulettes, braids and leather, 296 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,920 the exotic look was all part of the strategy. 297 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:24,480 ALL: Vive la France! 298 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:25,480 Vive la France! 299 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,120 ALL: Vive la France! 300 00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:28,200 Vive la France! 301 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,080 ALL: Vive la France! 302 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:35,080 The uniform of the Grand Armee was absolutely splendid. 303 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:40,960 This leopard skin-trimmed helmet belonged to a Captain of Dragoons. 304 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:46,240 Here was a pageantry that was intended to create esprit de corps, 305 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:50,480 a pride that would light what was called "the sacred fire" 306 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,600 under the men in battle. 307 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:57,600 It was a magnificence that would draw the attention of posterity. 308 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,440 It was also thought to pull the girls. 309 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,800 With the Grande Armee threatening to invade Britain, 310 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,760 the antirevolutionary monarchies of Europe 311 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:17,680 now mobilised for war against France, sweetened by British cash. 312 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,600 Austria formed an alliance with Britain and Russia, 313 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,560 and despatched a large force of troops westwards, 314 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:27,640 led by three archdukes. 315 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:34,120 Tsar Alexander I of Russia had expanded his army 316 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:36,640 and sent them to support Austria. 317 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,520 Sweden, Naples and several German principalities 318 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,320 joined the anti-French coalition. 319 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,960 The Allied strategy - advance towards France, 320 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,400 and destroy the French Imperial Army in Italy. 321 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,960 By 1805, simmering tensions had turned to direct threat. 322 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:02,600 No fewer than half a million Allied troops 323 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:07,080 were being mobilised against Napoleon in yet another coalition. 324 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,320 So Napoleon had to postpone the invasion of Britain, 325 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:14,000 and instead marched 600 miles to the east, 326 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:18,200 to confront the Austrian and Russian empires on the Danube. 327 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,480 The movement by the Grande Armee to meet the enemy 328 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,800 was one of the most brilliant, 329 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,080 speedily executed mass military manoeuvres of all time, 330 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,880 as well as the finest expression of the military power 331 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:34,720 of Imperial France. 332 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,040 Over 170,000 infantry 333 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,520 and 29,000 cavalry 334 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:43,880 raced eastwards across the continent of Europe. 335 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:48,440 They marched in support of a commander set upon a swift victory. 336 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,120 Napoleon's plan - 337 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:55,400 gain two weeks on the enemy and crush Austria 338 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,680 before the Russians could arrive in support. 339 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,960 "Soldiers! Your Emperor is in the midst of you. 340 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,200 "You are only the advance guard of a great people. 341 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,920 "No matter what obstacles are thrown in our way, 342 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,280 "we shall overcome them, and we shall only rest 343 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,320 "after having planted our flags on the territory of the enemy." 344 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,200 They advanced beneath regimental banners 345 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:24,840 that represented not just an army, 346 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,880 but a civilisation on the march. 347 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:37,680 Easily the most prized possession in the ranks of the Grand Armee 348 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,320 was the regimental eagle, the regimental rallying point. 349 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,920 Here are three of these magnificent creatures 350 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,200 that were captured in battle. 351 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,880 They are made up of six pieces of bronze 352 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,520 that were welded together and then gilded - 353 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,760 and there's the number of the demi-brigade 354 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:56,600 that this one belonged to - 355 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:00,440 and they were attached to eight-foot-long staffs, 356 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:05,840 which had the regimental silken colour hanging from them. 357 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,360 And, in essence, 358 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:11,600 they represented the honour of the regiment. 359 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,520 In one battle, a man actually had his hand chopped off 360 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:16,760 sooner than release it. 361 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,320 Napoleon said that 362 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,560 "The loss of an eagle was an affront to national honour," 363 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:29,800 that "Neither victory nor the glory of 100 battles could make amends." 364 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,800 Napoleon's army was drawn from forces from the Atlantic coast 365 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,520 and across the continent of Europe. 366 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,480 The strategy was that they would converge on the River Rhine 367 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,360 and defeat the Austrian Army in Bavaria. 368 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,680 Troops stationed in Italy 369 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,720 would attack and frustrate the Austrians there, too, 370 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,280 under the leadership of Marshal Massena - 371 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,360 yet another soldier of humble birth 372 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:05,600 who'd been orphaned at an early age. 373 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,120 Napoleon wrote to Massena on the 18th of September, 1805 - 374 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:14,160 as ever, using the imperative case. 375 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,280 "You have nearly 60,000 men under your orders - 376 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,960 "that is one third more than ever I had. 377 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,120 "I have full confidence in your courage and ability. 378 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:28,760 "Win me some victories." 379 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,280 Minute planning, highly efficient marching, 380 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:38,960 secret manoeuvres 381 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,200 and an ingenious campaign of disinformation 382 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,880 enabled the French Army to cross the Rhine unopposed 383 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,080 and reach the River Danube by early October 1805. 384 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,680 After Marshal Ney routed an Austrian Army in the town of Elchingen, 385 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,840 the Grande Armee reached the city of Ulm, 386 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,720 an Austrian stronghold in Bavaria. 387 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,440 Utterly surprised by the speed of the French advance 388 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,400 and many miles from any relief force, 389 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,240 over 30,000 Austrians were forced to surrender. 390 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,360 Napoleon was delighted - 391 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:18,520 and, in a proclamation, made his troops a promise. 392 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,400 "Your progeny, 500 years hence, 393 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:25,680 "who may place themselves under those eagles which you rally, 394 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,720 "will know in detail everything 395 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,120 "that your respective corps shall achieve tomorrow. 396 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:34,360 "Your courage shall confer on them eternal celebrity." 397 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:41,640 However, the Grande Armee was now in an exceedingly perilous situation. 398 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,960 Over 500 miles from France, 399 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:49,400 it was at the very extremity of extended lines of communication 400 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,200 and open to encirclement. 401 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,720 After Napoleon had captured Vienna, 402 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:00,800 the main Russian Army now joined forces with the Austrians. 403 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:05,720 Napoleon knew that a decisive battle now had to be fought, 404 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:10,480 and he found an appropriate site - north of Vienna, in Moravia, 405 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,400 in today's Czech Republic. 406 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,440 Napoleon hadn't fought a battle for five and a half years. 407 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,040 He'd brought the Grande Armee, in that time, 408 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,280 up to a pitch of training and professionalism 409 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:35,520 that made it the most formidable fighting force in Europe. 410 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,440 He had a sixth sense, both for what his army was capable of, 411 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,920 but also for what his enemy's intentions were going to be. 412 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:49,080 He also had a lust for the decisive battle. 413 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,000 He had not started this war himself, but he meant to end it. 414 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,120 And he was going to do it here, on the battlefield of Austerlitz. 415 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,560 Napoleon's battle plan hinged upon the power of manoeuvre 416 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,040 that the corps system afforded him. 417 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:12,800 To feign weakness on one flank, lure the enemy, pin him down 418 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,920 and then follow up with a massive central counterattack. 419 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:21,000 It was clear in advance of the battle that the Allied forces, 420 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,880 spearheaded by the Russians, 421 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,840 would attack from a hill in the centre of the battlefield - 422 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:27,760 the Pratzen Heights. 423 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:29,960 So, to draw them into his trap, 424 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:33,440 Napoleon simply did nothing to discourage them. 425 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,120 He appeared to concentrate his troops to the north, 426 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:38,800 under Marshals Lannes and Bernadotte, 427 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,120 and leave his forces to the south relatively light, 428 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:43,360 under Marshal Davout. 429 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,040 The hope was that the enemy would underestimate the chances 430 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,320 of a frontal attack from the centre 431 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,720 and an enveloping attack from the south. 432 00:28:55,160 --> 00:28:57,000 Battle was set to take place 433 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,040 on the first anniversary of Napoleon's coronation. 434 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,920 The night before, in a famous moment in military history, 435 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,760 the Emperor reviewed his troops in a torchlight procession 436 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,120 and issued a celebrated proclamation. 437 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,000 "Soldiers! 438 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:18,680 "The Russian Army is before you. 439 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,960 "I shall myself direct all your battalions. 440 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,680 "If victory be for a moment doubtful, 441 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,920 "you shall see your Emperor expose himself the first blows. 442 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:36,000 "We must conquer these hirelings of England, 443 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,840 "who are animated with so great a hatred against our nation. 444 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,720 "This victory will finish our campaign 445 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,760 "and the peace that I will make will be worthy of my people - 446 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,200 "of you and of me. 447 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:57,520 "Before tomorrow night, that army will be destroyed." 448 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,600 On the morning of the Battle of Austerlitz, 449 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,960 something extraordinary happened. 450 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:07,480 When the sun came up, 451 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:09,920 it burnt off the mists on the upper ground 452 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,040 where the Russians and Austrians were, 453 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,280 but not on the lower ground, where the French were. 454 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:18,440 So when, at nine o'clock, Napoleon organised his attack, 455 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,000 it was a surprise attack. 456 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,120 It came straight out of the mist. 457 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,800 Forever thereafter, the sun of Austerlitz 458 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,320 occupied a central role in the Napoleonic myth. 459 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:31,440 And one can see why. 460 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,400 Napoleon watched as columns of enemy troops 461 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:44,440 streamed down off the Pratzen Heights, 462 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,520 intent on carrying out an elaborate scheme to turn the French flank 463 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,720 and get astride the road to France. 464 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,640 Working from a vantage point to the south of the battlefield, 465 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:00,000 the Emperor first ensured that both his flanks were secure, 466 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:05,280 and then massed a central striking force of 35,000 soldiers, 467 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,800 focusing them upon the enemy centre, 468 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,400 which was becoming steadily weaker. 469 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,800 Here I am, on the Zuran - Napoleon's headquarters 470 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,120 for the opening stages of the Battle of Austerlitz. 471 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,520 It was here that he met his marshals and generals 472 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:27,080 and told them exactly what he wanted them to do. 473 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:32,880 Up here, too, would have been well over 100 other staff officers 474 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,760 and they were under the overall command 475 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,280 of Marshal Alexander Berthier. 476 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:40,520 Now, he was an organisational genius. 477 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,560 He was able to dictate for 12 hours a day. 478 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,200 He had a filing system that allowed him to know 479 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,200 where every single unit of the French Army was, 480 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:52,240 and he had a photographic memory. 481 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,760 He was also something of a diplomat - and he had to be. 482 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:59,000 He somehow managed to persuade his mistress 483 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,400 to share a chateau with his wife, 484 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:02,800 and vice versa. 485 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,200 At 9am, some two hours into the battle, 486 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,880 the enemy centre on the Pratzen Heights was sufficiently weak 487 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,520 for Marshal Soult to attempt to carry out 488 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:20,880 a classic Napoleonic manoeuvre. 489 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:26,560 Napoleon had seven marshals at the Battle of Austerlitz, 490 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,240 six of whom had their own corps. 491 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,920 He used some to fix the enemy into position 492 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:36,040 and others to fight that war of manoeuvre at which he so excelled. 493 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,080 With split-second timing, 494 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:42,400 he sent Soult's division of 16,000 men to attack the Russians, 495 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,000 up there on the Pratzen Heights. 496 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,920 The Russians did what they could. 497 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,440 They sent in reinforcements, but it was too late. 498 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,240 Every general dreams about the chance 499 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,400 of smashing through the enemy centre - 500 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,320 and here, at Austerlitz, Napoleon did just that. 501 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:24,920 As his assault intensified, 502 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,160 the Russians could no longer hold their position. 503 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,240 Here was a decisive moment of the battle - 504 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,760 a tactic worthy of Julius Caesar. 505 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,120 As Napoleon later wrote of Julius Caesar's attack 506 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,920 on the enemy centre in a battle in 45 BC... 507 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,600 "There is a moment in combat 508 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:48,480 "when the slightest manoeuvre is decisive and gives superiority. 509 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,280 "It is the drop of water that starts the overflow." 510 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:55,960 This was that moment. 511 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,520 In a desperate attempt to stave off catastrophe, 512 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,400 the Russians mounted a powerful counterattack 513 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:07,960 with their Imperial Guard. 514 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:11,800 But it was to no avail. 515 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,560 Napoleon's Imperial Guard was sent in 516 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,400 and the Russians were defeated decisively. 517 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:27,440 More fighting broke out in villages across the battlefield 518 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,040 and the close combat was brutal. 519 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,040 The woods here at Sokolnice 520 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:41,880 saw some of the most violent clashes of the entire battle. 521 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,360 There was a lot of bayonet work. 522 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,480 The village changed hands nine times. 523 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:51,560 In one regiment alone, 11 out of the 12 company commanders 524 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:53,720 were either killed or wounded - 525 00:34:53,720 --> 00:34:57,040 and one general had four horses shot from under him. 526 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,960 It was a brutal, vicious, bloody form of warfare, 527 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:03,120 but it changed the odds for Napoleon. 528 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,720 By mid-afternoon, Napoleon sensed the coming victory 529 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:13,800 and rode up to the Pratzen Heights 530 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:16,560 to oversee the final destruction of the enemy. 531 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,880 By five o'clock, the Battle of Austerlitz was over. 532 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,560 27,000 Russians and Austrians 533 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,000 were either dead, wounded or taken prisoner - 534 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,440 for French losses of fewer than 8,000. 535 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,720 A great victory had been won. 536 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:48,120 Enemy standards were laid at Napoleon's feet. 537 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:52,080 All around, the regimental bands played martial hymns. 538 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,360 The following day, 539 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:59,280 the sons of the innkeepers, barrel-coopers and flower-sellers - 540 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:00,920 Napoleon's marshals - 541 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:05,560 had every right to swagger through the corridors of Slavkov Castle. 542 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:14,880 Austerlitz was a decisive victory. 543 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:20,640 It completely vindicated Napoleon's creation of the Grande Armee. 544 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,000 It was his jackpot - not least in the financial sense. 545 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:29,560 He imposed swingeing reparations on the Austrians of 40 million francs. 546 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,800 The day after the battle, he put out an order of the day, saying, 547 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:35,400 "Soldiers, I am pleased with you" - 548 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,880 and well he might have been. 549 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:45,400 "Soldiers - 550 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,640 "you have decorated your eagles with an immortal glory. 551 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:52,920 "My people will see you again with joy 552 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,480 "and it will be enough for you to say, 553 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:58,320 "'I was at the Battle of Austerlitz,' 554 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,760 "for them to reply, 'There is a brave man!'" 555 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:09,360 Austerlitz was the finest victory of Napoleon's career 556 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:12,840 and a moment of personal affirmation. 557 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:16,200 The ascendancy of the new meritocracy of France 558 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:20,120 over the old aristocracy of Europe had been confirmed. 559 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:26,840 No less a person than the Emperor of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire, 560 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:31,200 Francis II, now asked to meet Napoleon in person. 561 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:36,080 A great moment, described by one of those present as... 562 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,480 "An Emperor of Germany come to humble himself 563 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:44,120 "by suing for peace to the son of a small Corsican family, 564 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,720 "made arbiter of the destinies of Europe." 565 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,800 Napoleon returned to France, feted by the people, 566 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:08,240 and the mayors of Paris erected this magnificent arch to his glory. 567 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:13,360 Yet he knew that the security of his Empire 568 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,760 and the security of the French Revolution itself 569 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:18,200 were still at stake. 570 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,240 The British had not made peace. 571 00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:22,400 They'd financed the Third Coalition 572 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,760 and there was a chance that they would finance more. 573 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:27,960 In a bulletin after the Battle of Austerlitz, 574 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,040 he described the British as 575 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,840 "perfidious islanders and cowardly oligarchs". 576 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:40,680 To me, the Arc du Carrousel 577 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:45,840 represents France's return to its global superpower status. 578 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,080 But it's also a symbol of the triumph, 579 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:50,920 under Napoleon's rule, of the self-made man. 580 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,200 For the Emperor had done everything in his power 581 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,160 to protect the interests of the richer peasantry, 582 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,520 the small businesses, the strivers of France 583 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,600 against the monarchists and aristocrats. 584 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:12,480 Yet the new values were anathema to the old nations of Europe - 585 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:13,880 the Europe of kings. 586 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:20,440 They accused Napoleon of vanity and belligerence, 587 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,760 but this was simply untrue. 588 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:30,760 Although Napoleon has been constantly attacked as a warmonger, 589 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:35,360 in fact, most of the wars were caused by a series of coalitions - 590 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:39,080 seven in all - that were formed against the French Revolution 591 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,120 and subsequently, against him. 592 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:45,400 The ideas of the French Revolution were what the great powers, 593 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,200 the coalition powers, hated and feared, 594 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,040 especially when personified by this man, 595 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,080 who was not one of them - 596 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,640 who was not a king from hundreds of years back, 597 00:39:56,640 --> 00:39:59,480 like the Austrians and the Russians were. 598 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:03,840 So they totally felt that he threatened - his very existence - 599 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:07,040 threatened them, and in a sense, it did. 600 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:17,280 The confidence of the antirevolutionary powers 601 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,040 had been emboldened by the victory of the British 602 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:21,920 at the Battle of Trafalgar. 603 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:28,840 While Napoleon and his army were advancing to Austerlitz, 604 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,680 Admiral Nelson had resoundingly defeated 605 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,080 the combined French and Spanish navies. 606 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:37,560 Towards the end of the battle, 607 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,880 Nelson was shot dead by a French marksman. 608 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:50,000 As a trigger for national emotion in Britain, 609 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,600 Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson 610 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,240 are up there with victory in the Battle of Britain, 611 00:40:55,240 --> 00:40:58,480 winning the World Cup and the death of Lady Di - 612 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:00,600 but all taking place on the same day. 613 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:06,000 At the time, Napoleon wasn't overly concerned. 614 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,840 He had half a million Austrian and Russian troops on his mind. 615 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:12,720 Trafalgar simply reinforced 616 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:16,040 the immovable, aggressive power of Britain. 617 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:30,160 Within just a year, a new Fourth Coalition of powers, 618 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,720 encouraged and paid for by Britain, 619 00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:35,920 formed to attack Napoleon once again. 620 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,480 This time, Prussia led the offensive, 621 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:42,760 in alliance with Russia, Saxony, Sweden and Britain 622 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:45,840 and she declared war in October 1806. 623 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:50,520 The counterattack of Marshal Davout at the Battle of Auerstadt, 624 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,760 defeating a force nearly thrice his number, 625 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:57,200 the cavalry charge of Marshal Murat at Eylau, 626 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,360 the Charge of the Cuirassiers at the Battle of Friedland, 627 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:05,440 this war was the crowning glory of the Marshalate. 628 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,120 The pace of French victory was astonishing 629 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:09,960 and in the peace that followed, 630 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,240 the defeat of Prussia, Russia 631 00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:15,480 and the capture of prized assets such as Berlin, 632 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,720 the marshals reaped fine reward. 633 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:22,400 Lannes became the Duke of Montebello, in Italy. 634 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,480 Marshal Ney, the Duke of Elchingen, in Bavaria. 635 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,880 Davout, the Duke of Auerstadt, in Thuringia. 636 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,120 And Soult, the Duke of Dalmatia. 637 00:42:38,240 --> 00:42:41,800 To all appearances, the French Empire was all-powerful. 638 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,720 Yet the way in which Napoleon now chose to run his Empire 639 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:48,720 was inherently weak. 640 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,720 Because the French Revolution 641 00:42:56,720 --> 00:43:00,360 had not spawned sister revolutions across Europe, 642 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:04,160 Napoleon was obliged to rule as a monarch, 643 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:08,480 embracing all the old politics of dynasties and treaties 644 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:09,880 and marriage alliances. 645 00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:14,560 He sent his brother Joseph 646 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:17,080 to become King of Naples, there, 647 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:19,000 and, after that, King of Spain. 648 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,240 He sent Louis to become King of Holland, 649 00:43:23,240 --> 00:43:27,000 and his brother Jerome to become King of Westphalia. 650 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,040 Now, this policy of ruling Europe through his family 651 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,640 proved to be a terrible Achilles heel 652 00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:37,600 and a source of awful frustration for him - 653 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:39,600 because they weren't any good. 654 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,800 "You can play the fool in your own country," 655 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:45,240 he said to Louis in 1807, "..but you can't play it in mine." 656 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,960 With monarchies, dynastic legacy is all. 657 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:05,800 At her palace at Malmaison, 658 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:09,760 his wife, the Empress Josephine, was living life to the full. 659 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,320 She had commissioned leading architects to decorate the interior, 660 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,960 and expenditure on her lifestyle, especially her clothes, 661 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,480 had ratcheted up to an estimated - and astonishing - 662 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:22,640 one million francs a year. 663 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:28,320 However, the Empress was now infertile. 664 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:31,320 Her children were ineligible to succeed Napoleon, 665 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:32,920 because they didn't have his blood - 666 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:35,760 and Napoleon knew that he wasn't infertile, 667 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,960 since he had a baby by a previous mistress. 668 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,160 The favourite of his 22 mistresses 669 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:48,600 was the beautiful, blue-eyed Countess Maria Walewska, 670 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:51,840 the 20-year-old wife of an elderly Polish noble. 671 00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:58,600 Napoleon had met her in January 1807, near Warsaw 672 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:02,240 and immediately afterwards put a cloying pen to paper. 673 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:09,160 "Marie, my sweet Marie, my first thought is of you. 674 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:11,560 "My first desire is to see you again." 675 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:16,680 Feminine, soft, bookish and frugal, 676 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:19,680 Marie was the polar opposite to Josephine. 677 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:21,920 Josephine brought in bills. 678 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:26,120 As the libertine and revolutionary Marquis de Sade once said... 679 00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:29,680 "The money she gets, she spends with a gambler's fervour - 680 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:34,440 "her unbridled luxury would swallow up the income of many provinces." 681 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:39,040 She loved pearls and elaborate sets of gems with diamonds, 682 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:42,480 and had a wardrobe of astonishing extravagance, 683 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:46,720 with one gown decorated with real rose petals, 684 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:50,560 another made from toucan feathers, each tipped with a pearl. 685 00:45:53,040 --> 00:45:57,040 There were spectacular rows over Josephine's spending, 686 00:45:57,040 --> 00:46:00,760 and Napoleon thought her disloyal in her self-interest. 687 00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:03,160 As he wrote to her in February 1807... 688 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:08,080 "You tell me that your glory consists in your happiness. 689 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:12,920 "That is not what one says in marriage. 690 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:17,480 "One should say, "My glory consists in the happiness of my husband." 691 00:46:25,920 --> 00:46:27,800 As the child of a revolution 692 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:31,360 that had replaced primogeniture and blood inheritance 693 00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:33,120 with the will of the people, 694 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:36,160 Napoleon knew that without a son by Josephine, 695 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:39,640 he lacked the legitimacy of kings. 696 00:46:39,640 --> 00:46:43,760 As he would tell his Minister of the Interior, Jean-Antoine Chaptal... 697 00:46:45,040 --> 00:46:48,560 "Five or six families share the thrones of Europe 698 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:50,160 "and it pains them to see that 699 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:52,720 "a Corsican has come to sit on one of them. 700 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:57,520 "I can only keep myself there by force. 701 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:01,680 "My Empire would be destroyed if I stopped being intimidating." 702 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:06,120 So now, in the absence of an heir 703 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:07,880 and in order to neutralise 704 00:47:07,880 --> 00:47:10,520 the threat to France of the European powers, 705 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,320 Napoleon went on the offensive. 706 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,080 From 1793 onwards, the British Government had bankrolled 707 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:27,160 global aggression against France. 708 00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:33,120 Buoyed by the dramatic growth of her economy between 1799 and 1804, 709 00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:38,640 Britain had poured some 14% of her annual tax yield into the effort. 710 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:44,720 Britain could afford this, since she dominated world trade 711 00:47:44,720 --> 00:47:49,000 and, in particular, the markets in cotton, iron and steel. 712 00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:56,320 It was the command of the oceans 713 00:47:56,320 --> 00:47:59,800 that allowed Britain to exploit to the full 714 00:47:59,800 --> 00:48:03,840 the promise of the Industrial Revolution. 715 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:07,120 So Napoleon decided to leverage 716 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:11,160 the immense scope and power of his Empire 717 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:14,760 to fight a war of economic blockade against Britain. 718 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:20,680 He instituted a Europe-wide blockade. 719 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:23,160 "I will conquer the sea," he said, 720 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:25,440 "through the power of the land." 721 00:48:32,040 --> 00:48:34,560 In a decree published in Berlin, 722 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:37,800 Napoleon prohibited all trade with Britain, 723 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:41,840 declared all British subjects on the Continent to be prisoners of war 724 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:45,040 and ordered the seizure of all merchandise 725 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:47,080 from Britain and her colonies, 726 00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:49,280 much of which was publicly burnt. 727 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,840 Any country that refused to participate in the blockade 728 00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:59,520 was assumed to be an enemy of France, and treated as such. 729 00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:10,880 Napoleon knew that the British political class 730 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:14,280 were dead set on destroying him and the Revolution. 731 00:49:16,160 --> 00:49:18,920 Now, the idea of an economic blockade 732 00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:21,960 against the most powerful trading nation in the world 733 00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:25,720 might sound like an incredibly ambitious project, 734 00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:30,520 but to my mind, it actually betrays a lack of confidence. 735 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:32,840 Yes, France was the most powerful 736 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,280 trading nation in Europe at the time, 737 00:49:35,280 --> 00:49:39,880 but it was miles behind the Britain of the Industrial Revolution. 738 00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:42,760 Napoleon knew he couldn't compete, 739 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:44,760 so he changed the rules of the game. 740 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:53,520 To reinforce the isolation of Britain, 741 00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:57,960 Napoleon now sought to divide the Coalition politically. 742 00:49:57,960 --> 00:49:59,840 Russia had been a cornerstone 743 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,880 of the force for counter-revolution in the world - 744 00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,160 a country that was so antithetical to the principles of revolution 745 00:50:07,160 --> 00:50:12,200 that it even retained serfdom, a feudal form of human bondage. 746 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:16,400 But in July 1807, 747 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:19,520 Napoleon agreed a peace agreement with Russia. 748 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:22,200 In a no-expense-spared event, 749 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:26,440 to all intents and purposes, the first modern superpower summit, 750 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:29,280 the Emperor met Tsar Alexander I 751 00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:34,760 on a huge, specially-constructed and rather lavish raft 752 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:37,200 on the River Niemen at Tilsit, 753 00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:40,400 close to the modern border of Lithuania and Russia. 754 00:50:43,360 --> 00:50:46,200 Rounds of meetings, state dinners 755 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:48,760 and the exchange of sumptuous gifts 756 00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:51,240 concluded with the agreement of Russia 757 00:50:51,240 --> 00:50:53,240 to join the blockade against Britain. 758 00:51:00,080 --> 00:51:02,800 In the words of Napoleon's private secretary at the time, 759 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:05,120 Louis Antoine Bourrienne, 760 00:51:05,120 --> 00:51:09,360 "Tilsit was one of the culminating points of modern history." 761 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:14,600 Writing enthusiastically to the Empress Josephine, 762 00:51:14,600 --> 00:51:17,560 Napoleon shared news of the deal, and teased her... 763 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:22,160 "The Queen of Prussia is really charming. 764 00:51:22,160 --> 00:51:26,360 "She flirts a lot with me, but don't be jealous. 765 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:31,240 "I am a waterproof cloth and all that just slides off. 766 00:51:31,240 --> 00:51:33,600 "It would cost me too much to play the lover." 767 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,920 The deal with Russia was risky, 768 00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:42,600 because it relied upon Napoleon's trust and Tsar Alexander's goodwill. 769 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:54,160 Napoleon's new ally was a complicated, occasionally mystical 770 00:51:54,160 --> 00:51:57,160 and deeply conflicted personality. 771 00:51:57,160 --> 00:52:00,360 He had assumed power after effectively turning a blind eye 772 00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:02,680 to the assassination of his own father. 773 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:07,000 And he'd only agreed to peace with Napoleon 774 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,760 because the alternative was another battle with the French, 775 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:11,600 which he would surely lose. 776 00:52:13,720 --> 00:52:16,840 Yet Napoleon chose to trust Alexander. 777 00:52:16,840 --> 00:52:19,600 A fault of nature, but also of necessity - 778 00:52:19,600 --> 00:52:24,040 to enforce the blockade of England and legitimise his political power - 779 00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,680 legitimacy that could be conferred by the Romanovs, 780 00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:30,520 rulers of Russia since 1613. 781 00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:38,720 Much of what Napoleon does after Tilsit 782 00:52:38,720 --> 00:52:43,000 betrays a sensitivity to humiliation 783 00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:47,360 that might seem incongruous in such a self-confident man. 784 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:49,240 But he was sensitive. 785 00:52:49,240 --> 00:52:53,320 He was sensitive to the fact that unlike the monarchs of Austria 786 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:56,360 and Russia and Prussia and various other monarchies, 787 00:52:56,360 --> 00:52:59,640 who had been there for generations, 788 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:03,280 Napoleon was the first of his royal house 789 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:07,520 and so, a humiliation of France would cost him his place 790 00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:10,480 in a way that it simply wouldn't with all of those other monarchs. 791 00:53:18,280 --> 00:53:20,040 To secure his legacy, 792 00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:23,840 Napoleon now addressed the problem of the lack of an heir 793 00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:27,040 in the very way in which monarchs of Old Europe 794 00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:29,120 had secured their legacies 795 00:53:29,120 --> 00:53:32,680 and decided on an arranged, political marriage. 796 00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:39,720 By 1809, the Emperor had tired of Josephine, 797 00:53:39,720 --> 00:53:42,320 his expensive sweetheart from the Revolutionary era. 798 00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:47,240 In April, Austria had broken her agreement with France, 799 00:53:47,240 --> 00:53:49,440 struck after the Battle of Austerlitz, 800 00:53:49,440 --> 00:53:51,320 and with the support of Britain, 801 00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:55,920 declared war on Napoleon in yet another Coalition - a fifth. 802 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:00,960 The campaign was not an easy one for the French. 803 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,640 They suffered a rare defeat at the Battle of Aspern-Essling - 804 00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:09,160 but, after regrouping, they defeated the Austrians resoundingly 805 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:11,720 at the two-day Battle of Wagram, 806 00:54:11,720 --> 00:54:14,800 the largest battle in the history of Europe up to that time. 807 00:54:18,600 --> 00:54:20,440 Returning from the campaign, 808 00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:24,920 Napoleon embarked on an affair with his sister's lady-in-waiting, 809 00:54:24,920 --> 00:54:29,800 and ordered that the door connecting Josephine's and his bedrooms 810 00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:32,200 at the Palace of Fontainebleau be bricked up. 811 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:37,640 Soon afterwards, he sought an end to their marriage. 812 00:54:41,160 --> 00:54:43,800 On 30th November 1809, 813 00:54:43,800 --> 00:54:47,960 the final icy scenes of the melodrama took place. 814 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:50,640 Napoleon and Josephine had dinner together. 815 00:54:50,640 --> 00:54:52,360 She was fighting back the tears. 816 00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:55,960 He said nothing, except to ask what time it was. 817 00:54:55,960 --> 00:54:59,000 When coffee was brought in, which she usually poured, 818 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:01,160 he poured it himself... 819 00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:06,280 and as the granules of sugar slowly dissolved, he just gazed at her. 820 00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:08,760 And then, finally, he made a gesture, 821 00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:10,920 asking her to leave the room. 822 00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:13,680 She left for an adjacent drawing room. 823 00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:18,400 Through the door, Napoleon heard a shrieking wail from Josephine, 824 00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:22,840 who had flung herself on the floor and was crying and moaning. 825 00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:26,240 A palace chamberlain helped Napoleon carry her down 826 00:55:26,240 --> 00:55:29,320 a narrow staircase to her apartments. 827 00:55:29,320 --> 00:55:31,440 Divorce proceedings soon followed. 828 00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:38,240 For some time, the Austrian Foreign Ministry 829 00:55:38,240 --> 00:55:42,720 had been scheming for Napoleon to marry the Archduchess Marie Louise, 830 00:55:42,720 --> 00:55:45,520 the eldest child of the Emperor Francis. 831 00:55:45,520 --> 00:55:47,440 It was a coupling they hoped 832 00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:50,000 would salvage Austria's position in Europe. 833 00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,520 As a personality, 834 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:59,360 Marie Louise could not have been more different from Josephine - 835 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:02,520 not least because she was the gentle, naive daughter 836 00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:04,280 of an emperor. 837 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:08,080 "So long as she is kind", Napoleon is quoted as saying 838 00:56:08,080 --> 00:56:09,920 "and gives me a healthy son, 839 00:56:09,920 --> 00:56:11,720 "I will love her as though 840 00:56:11,720 --> 00:56:15,000 "she were the most beautiful woman in the world." 841 00:56:15,000 --> 00:56:17,640 Within just four months of his divorce, 842 00:56:17,640 --> 00:56:20,080 Napoleon and Marie Louise were married. 843 00:56:22,720 --> 00:56:26,600 The relationship between the two turned out surprisingly well, 844 00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:29,680 not least because she quickly kept her side of the bargain. 845 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:35,480 At 9:20 on the morning of Wednesday the 20th March 1811, 846 00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:37,160 in the Tuileries Palace, 847 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:40,800 Marie Louise gave birth to a 9lb baby boy. 848 00:56:45,040 --> 00:56:47,320 Napoleon was delighted. 849 00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:50,360 At the baptism ceremony at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, 850 00:56:50,360 --> 00:56:52,800 he took the infant from the arms of his mother 851 00:56:52,800 --> 00:56:55,800 and raised him up twice, to show him to the public. 852 00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:02,200 Marriage had won for Napoleon a legacy for his work 853 00:57:02,200 --> 00:57:05,280 and a legitimacy to his rule. 854 00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:08,840 His military skill had won him glory on the battlefield. 855 00:57:08,840 --> 00:57:10,840 His political action - 856 00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:13,440 aggressive, pragmatic, 857 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:16,120 but potentially over-trusting. 858 00:57:20,360 --> 00:57:23,280 Napoleon's marriage to Marie Louise 859 00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:25,720 turned him from the Corsican adventurer 860 00:57:25,720 --> 00:57:29,760 into an in-law of the grandest dynasty of Europe. 861 00:57:29,760 --> 00:57:34,120 The birth of the King of Rome secured his own dynasty. 862 00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:37,720 Equally secure were the benefits of the French Revolution. 863 00:57:37,720 --> 00:57:40,720 No-one could turn the clock back now. 864 00:57:40,720 --> 00:57:44,960 Napoleon was at the zenith of his power. 865 00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:47,240 But his very success 866 00:57:47,240 --> 00:57:50,480 had consolidated his enemies' opposition to him. 867 00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:54,400 He was about to play directly into their hands. 868 00:57:54,400 --> 00:57:56,960 Therein lay his downfall.