we make it out alive
all right, all right
no church in the wild

todayinhistory:

December 14th 1812: Napoleon’s invasion of Russia ends

On this day in 1812, Napoleon’s Grand Armée was expelled from Russia when the last French troops left, thus ending the French invasion of Russia. France’s failure was a decisive turning point in the Napoleonic Wars, and turned the tide of the war against the French and in favour of the coalition against them. Napoleon had begun the invasion in June 1812, but by the end his army of around 685,000 was down to 120,000. This was partly because his tactic of getting resources by ‘living off the land’ was thwarted by the harsh Russian winter and the Russian scorched earth tactic.

distractedundergrad:

Napoleon!

beatonna:

Poor Napoleon

Oh Poleon

art-of-swords:

French 33rd Light Infantry Officer sword

Wonderful sword of a Light Infantry Officer of the 33rd regiment of the Napoléon Grande Armée circa 1807. Light Regiments ranked as senior to the Line Infantry and regarded themselves as such, an attitude of superiority reinforced by their more impressive uniforms and for this particular officer, with his beautiful sword.

The copper hilt has a single branch finishing near the pommel with a “tear”. The pommel forms an unusual rectangle. The sword has two large languets with a palm design. The grip is in ebony type wood. The hilt is very different from the ones usually carried by Infantry officers, such as the 1800 pattern sword.

Our sword has been inspired by the Presentation swords given by Bonaparte as a Consul and designed by Nicolas Boutet. The hilt design is shared with the briquet from the Grenadier of the Imperial Guard. The sword is mentioned in the book of Jean Lhoste and Jean-Jacques Buigne “Armes blanches: symbolisme, inscriptions, marquages, fourbisseurs, manufactures.”

The blade is 75cm long slightly curved, engraved on one side “33ème REGIMENT I…EGER” and on the other side engraved with military attributes. The blade remains very sharpened with some gilt and blue designs remaining at the ricasso. Leather black scabbard with a large copper chape and bouterolle.

Source & Copyright: Swords Collection 

art-of-swords:

Officer Horse Chasseur Sword Napoleon Imperial Guard

This is an Officer Horse Chasseur’s sword of Napoleon Imperial Guard. The elite imperial guard cavalry, the Emperor escort, “the Chasseur à Cheval de la Garde.”

Source & Copyright: Sword Collection 

todayinhistory:

200 years ago - June 24th 1812: Napoleon’s invasion of Russia begins

On this day in 1812, 200 years ago, Napoleon’s Grand Armee crossed the Neman River, thus beginning his invasion of Russia. This ill-planned invasion was a major turning point in the Napoleonic Wars as France’s failure weakened Napoleon’s army and his reputation. Napoleon had failed to supply his army well, and the Russian scorched earth policy didn’t allow the French to ‘live off the land’ as they previously had. Thus, the Grand Armee was poorly supplied and this was exacerbated by the onset of Russian Winter; almost 400,000 of French soldiers died. Napoleon abandoned the invasion and it ended in December 1812. This very significant event in European and world history occurred 200 years ago.

victorianclassicantique:

Brooch

• Place of origin:

  France (probably, made)

• Date:

  1800-1900 (made)

• Artist/Maker:

  unknown (production)

• Materials and Techniques:

  Enamel and gold

  François Joseph Charles Bonaparte, son of Napoleon I and his second wife, Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria, was named the ‘King of Rome’ by his father when he was born in 1811. At Napoleon’s first abdication during the downfall of the empire in 1814-15, François briefly became Emperor Napoleon II, but in name alone.

  The practice of painting portrait miniatures in enamel developed out of the decorative work of goldsmiths and watchmakers in the French cities of Blois, Châteaudun and Paris. Portrait plaques had been made in the enamelling workshops of Limoges in central France during the 16th century, but in the 1630s artist Jean Toutin adapted existing techniques to make the subtle colouring and delicate detail of enamel miniatures possible.

frenchhistory:

Mort de Napoléon Ier à Sainte-Hélène, le 5 mai 1821, Charles de Steuben

@credits

Napoléon died in Saint Helena on the 5th of May 1821, at 51.

todaysdocument:

Louisiana Purchase Treaty

In this transaction with France, signed on April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. For roughly 4 cents an acre, the United States doubled its size, expanding the nation westward.

via Our Documents »