NAPOLEONIC WARS PART 2

Hi, I’m Chris with Mission94 Firearms Education Center. In part 1 of this episode, we learned in Europe, there wasn’t much firearms innovation. 

By the early 1800s, parts of Europe had been at war for almost 10 years. During this time, units became very effective. Due to this extensive battlefield experience, the French were able to claim a decisive victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.  

The Battle of Austerlitz took place on December 2, 1805. It’s considered Napoleon’s tactical masterpiece. Napoleon’s Grande Armée was organized into 7 corps or large field units with upwards of 40 cannons each. The units were capable of independent action and could maintain a position on their own for about a day without additional support. The Grande Armée was primarily equipped with the Charleville musket or the Musket Model 1777.  

Napoleon was able to execute a defensive-offensive battle strategy which drew the Austro-Hungarians, enabling his nimble army to transition to the offensive at a critical moment and encircling them. After heavy fighting the French victory became clear, and panic seized the Allied armies as they beat a hasty retreat towards Vienna.  

In 1807, Napoleon turned his sights to Portugal. Allied with Spain, Napoleon took control of Portugal. Then, turning on his ally, he conquered Spain, placing his brother, Joseph, on the throne. This began the Peninsular War.  

Seeing an opportunity, Britian joined the Peninsular War. In 1808, the 95th Rifles arrived on the peninsula as part of the first British troops to join the war. They brough with them the Baker Rifle.  

The Baker Rifle had a 30-inch barrel and fired a .625 caliber carbine bullet, with a greased patch to grip the seven rectangular grooves in the barrel. The rifle had a simple folding rear sight with the standard large lock mechanism. The stocks were made of walnut and had a metal locking bar to accommodate a 24-inch sword bayonet. At 45 inches from muzzle to butt, the Baker was 12 inches shorter than the infantry musket and weighed almost nine pounds. The Baker rifle also had a cleaning kit, greased linen patches and tools stored in the “butt-trap” or patch box. This was a crucial part of the firearm because, without regular cleaning, gunpowder fouling built up in the rifling grooves, and the firearm became much slower to load and less accurate. 

The 95th played a key role in the Peninsular war. They have the distinction of firing the first British shots against the French at a skirmish before the Battle of Roliça. The 95th would see action throughout the Peninsula, frequently under the command of Arthur Wellesley, later the 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellington is famous for his adaptive defensive style of warfare, resulting in several victories against larger forces while minimizing his own losses. He is regarded as one of the greatest commanders in the modern era, and many of his tactics and battle plans are still studied in military academies around the world. 

While firearms did not change significantly in Europe during the early 1800s the tactics and strategy implemented by European armies would meet with American innovation to usher in a period of brutal conflict.