Home
Creators
Search Recent Missing Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Dispatch #26 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-08-20 23:33:14
Imported:
2026-06
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Downloads

  • Dispatch 26.mp3

Missing 1 file, as this post has not yet been imported.

Content

Here is the twenty-sixth patrons-only Dispatch. Topics include: the end of Napoleonic warfare, the French education system, and how to cover America and the War of 1812.

Don't forget to leave any questions for the next dispatch below. And once again: thank you for your support!

Comments

Kerry Spray

Loved the collaboration. If you do more, there's lots of things you could do, broader themes across the time periods - thoughts on different topics. I quite like the more unstructured discussions where you pick each other's brains and perspectives. Two episodes sounds about right for 1812.

Tom

People often say Waterloo is over exaggerated because Bonaparte was doomed from the start of the campaign. Can you think of any count example from the period that if the events didn’t turn out the way they did. It would have been impossible to conceive them happening the way they did?

Daniel Viesta-Devlin

LOVED the cohosted episode. Always happy to hear educated conversation and debate on this stuff. I hadn't heard of either of their work before, so it's also fun to expand my podcast diet. I saw a video one time that was a tier list of Napoleon's generals. Maybe something like that could be fun? Though it was hours long. Still, I think there's something fun about applying sports talk-radio methodology to military history.

R.E. Vanella

Re: War of 1812. I live on the Delmarva peninsula. Delaware and Chesapeake Bay towns saw cannon fire! The more the better for me.

Mark Murphy

I have no ideas or themes, but I really enjoyed the Olympics collaboration episode.

Christoher Argo

I would prefer separate episodes like the ones on Haiti. As indicated, probably not as many. Similar to Mark, I am from Annapolis, MD, close to many 1812 clash locations. Keep up the great effort.

Smooth Shrek

I trust you’ll make the right call re:1812. Like you say, you can’t derail the narrative for everything but it does seem too big to ignore. Maybe a separate episode or two would be enough. Whatever you decide, I’ll listen to!

Brendan Moriarty

Hey, thanks for the question about the war of 1812/North America. I’m also a social studies teacher (done both middle and high school) and I think for me, dedicated episodes would be better. If in the future I wanted to go back to what you said, a dedicated episode makes it so much easier to find info rather than jumping from episode to episode, trying to recall which one it was that had the story I was trying to remember

Smooth Shrek

I trust you’ll make the right call re:1812. Like you say, you can’t derail the narrative for everything but it does seem too big to ignore. Maybe a separate episode or two would be enough. Whatever you decide, I’ll listen to!

Louis Fantini

Big fan! Been thinking about this question for some time: By this point in the narrative the national legislature could not serve as any meaningful check on Napoleon’s power, so what were those guys up to? Presumably there were still elections—were they ever contentious? Or were the nominations just bestowed as political patronage by Napoleon’s administration? Were there factions? Did they even bother meeting all that often, and did anyone in France pay attention to them? From our historical perspective, it’s obvious that Napoleon was a dictator, but I wonder how effective the constitutional stage dressing was at hiding that fact to the average citizen. Thank you for creating such a wonderful thing here!

James

The collaboration was great! I think you could do an episode that is a similar format but with different questions/caegories.

Jeff Barton

Enjoyed the special episode with your fellow podcasters, offering different perspectives and “medals.” I’d like to hear more. A focus on the Americas from the three perspectives would interesting, as would an episode on colonial India and/or Africa — how the stage was set, how early plans emerged in one era and were executed (or altered) in another.

Jeff Barton
>>147143960

Another interesting focus might be movies and books depicting French power, from John Ford and Guns Along The Mohawk to Last of Mohicans, Napoleon, Les Mis, etc.

Jeff Barton
>>147129384

That might be off topic but I agree it would be fun and sure to stir good conversation and debate.

Ville Hoikkala

I think you guys had a good dynamic on the collaboration – so if you all find the time then why not push out more content! As a Finn, I got a bone to pick with Napoleon. Or do I? Napoleon pushed Alexander to invade Finland in 1808 to put pressure on the Swedes. As a result we were under Russian regime for the next +100 years. But, would we have gained our independence in 1917 without the Russian influence and Bolsheviks revolution? Who knows? Maybe we would have gained it earlier – or maybe we would still be chomping on kötbullars and praising the king across the bay. I heard you mention the Finnish war on this Dispatch, so I'll be excited to hear your take on it. Thanks!

Ale

Love the collaboration! How would you feel about doing the Women's Olympics, i.e. the same categories, but with female contenders? I imagine you would have to dig pretty deep in some categories, but between the royalty, mistresses, intellectuals and women in the armed forces, you guys could manage. It would be highly enlightening!

Ale

I will say though that the War of 1812 being of greater consequence than the Finnish War might be correct, but that's at least worth a conversation. One essentially cut a nation in half, greatly empowered Russian imperial prospects and has cultural implications to this day, the other one was more or less a draw.

John McCormick

I’m finding your points about the legacy of the period most fascinating. I guess that’s because you’re making what happened over 200 years ago tie up with life as it is lived now and that has to be interesting. My ear caught your use of the word ‘forward’ when describing how guns became ever more deadly and I know you’ve spoken many times about the horrors of these developments; you’ve painted a coherent picture of all these developments culminating in the gross horrors of 1914. Rather than the war of 1812 I think it’s more worth looking at how Waterloo leads to 1870 and the western front of 1914. More than anything else, ww1 destroyed the world order and put America top of the new world order. I think it’s worth examining how we got there

Dick Wolf

I think a single episode covering America would be cool, a general summary of events and how they influenced opinions of Napoleon within the US government and among the people.

Steve Verdoliva

I think 2-3 episodes max would cover the War of 1812. My thinking is do it more as an appendices after the main narrative. You could include the other campaigns/wars that you mentioned.

Mark Singer

My ancestors in Niagara County experienced the War of 1812 as internecine guerrilla warfare, a continuation of the War for Independence, and a resolution to border disputes with both Canada and several First Nations. So, yes multiple dedicated episodes are warranted, with particular attention to the maritime battles that Teddy Roosevelt wrote so eloquently about in his first book “”The Naval War of 1812” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naval_War_of_1812

Tristan Bavol

Are there any good English-language books on Józef Poniatowski?

Tyler

This may not warrant a full discussion, but I’d be very curious to hear the different books/sources you like. I’ve read several of Michael Broers books after your recommendation on the podcast and loved them! So I’d definitely be interested in getting a longer list of books and material and to check out

Alasdair Forrest

How do you choose what questions to answer in the dispatches?

Owen Krewson

Great Episode! I have a question regarding the kinds of drills Napoleon was putting the Grande Armee through that set then so far ahead of their peers. We hear a lot about “Prussian Discipline” established by Frederick, was there any special drills or exercises French soldiers went through that distinguished them from other armies?

Adam H

Thanks as always for the Dispatch! As far as coverage of the War of 1812 goes, I think dedicated episodes would be better than asides dispersed into the main narrative. The events are a whole ocean away and the day to day happenings are almost certainly unaffected by the events in Europe at the time, so I think splitting it up too much would make it too disconnected and somewhat hard to follow. That said, you're probably right that it doesn't need more than a couple of episodes to cover to an adequate degree. If you were to start writing those episodes and then decide that the story needs more time to cover it properly though, I doubt anyone here would be complaining about more episodes :) Now on to my question: Say I'm a teenager in Napoleonic France. I just turned 16, or 18, or whatever the minimum age to serve is, and I want to join the army. Where do I go in my local village? Who do I talk to? Is there any paperwork I need to fill out or any tests I need to pass, or are they taking anyone with a pulse? Once I'm signed up, where am I first sent off to? What equipment am I given and how much time do I get to train with it? Do I get any say in what unit I'm assigned to?

Michael Turner

You mentioned Napoleon “checking his watch” in this Dispatch, and its horological lore that the brand Vacheron Constantin is so old that Bonaparte had one - have you run into this fact in your research and can you share any background on his timepiece preferences? What role did these tools play at the time?

Willie Reavis

Would love two or three episodes on the war of 1812. Empire of Liberty by Gordon Wood is a great book about the USA from 1789-1815.

Gabe MacKinney

Loved the Paris Games, and would love to hear you guys collaborate more! I would also like to learn about the different style of warfare practiced in America that you mentioned, hopefully there is room for that in your 1812 coverage

Argyletraveller

I really enjoyed the Paris Games. The selection of some of the personalities was surprising at times, always very interesting and amusing at the same time. I would be keen for some thematic comparison episodes across the three areas.

Dan McLain

I enjoyed the Paris Games episode and imagine the format of each podcast making picks in specific categories, or making a rankings list, could be replicated I would also welcome 2-3 episodes on the War of 1812

Trevor Elkins

Really enjoyed the collaboration episode. Good fun. As for the 1812/US subject, I feel asides in the main episodes would likely be sufficient provided they offer some relevant context or color to the main narrative. That said, I too remember learning in school the LA purchase was from Napoleon and feeling like a world history puzzle piece just fell into place. I think historical events get discussed or taught in silos a bit and there is value in keeping an eye on the world-shaping events that unfolded simultaneously or in close proximity the events discussed in the main narrative.

Jeff Gillooly

The podcaster collaboration was amazing. So fun. I would like to know how you all do disagree with various interpretations of historical moments. How your reading of history may differ from each other. As far as the War of 1812, a Haiti like dedication would be welcome. My beef with how history is taught is that it is regional. US History, European History, Eastern (non-western) history. I wish it was taught by time. Everything that happened in a century everywhere. Or a decade. Or half century. If it was taught this way I think maybe we’d all relate with each other on Earth better. As common citizens. Not as our world vs theirs.

Dylan McCoy

Amazing as always! One comment however, it would be great if in the future if you could mention the ages of people when talking about schooling. For most people outside of the United States we have very little context for terms like “middle school” - I for one was a bit lost as to how old the children you were speaking about were, thanks for another great dispatch ❤️

David Malinsky

For War of 1812 stuff, Alan Taylor’s Civil War of 1812 and Troy Bickham’s Weight of Vengeance as well as anything by Donald Hickey are great choices! From an American history perspective, the War of 1812 pierces the idea of American Exceptionalism: better to think of the US as an expansion of the European state system on a new continent—in international relations terms if not in governance terms

Alex Gould

In response to your question at the beginning, yes I would definitely appreciate more crossover episodes! It's good to hear from other learned voices on the topic & also to cover other time periods for additional context.

Alex Gould

I was wondering if you could go more in-depth on the rise of nationalism in the Napoleonic era after you mentioned it last dispatch: what technologies (including other social technologies) led to its rise? How did it affect the life of the everyday person, in the empire or on its war-torn fringes? And how stark of a contrast was it from the previous era? I think back to the very first episode when you said half of French people in the pre-revolutionary era lived in villages of 13 or less people, and that culture, language & even currency varied regionally.

Jackson Underwood

Yes, please do more crossover episodes! I don’t have any great ideas for formats but maybe starting with people who spanned all 3 eras (easy example being Lafayette) could be fun

Vincent Verzumo

I’d like full, detailed episodes on the War of 1812 if possible. Thanks.

Geoffrey Dellar
>>147231899

Not An American so someone please correct me if I’m wrong. I believe middle school is years 7-9. Hope this helps

Nigel Burke

I really enjoyed the Olympics special, I’d definitely like more crossover episodes please

Rodrigo Palacios

I’d more interested in how the napoleonic wars influenced and brought about changes in the Spanish Colonies of North and South America

Tommy Weigle

I’m in favor of an episode or two on the war of 1812, just enough to get into some of the fun details but hopefully not so much that it derails the main story. Also, it sounds like those third grade students had more fun in one class period than I did throughout my entire public-school adolescence.

monti

"Do you want to hear more of me talking about this stuff?" don't ask silly questions

Bill Humphrey

Do you see parallels between the early disorganized American war of Independence and the early phases of the Spanish attempts to organize junta armies to kick out the French? Seems like the American provinces figured out a way to eventually organize a coherent military plan including guerilla war, but the Spanish seemed to struggle to agree on unity of command or strategy and tactics

Zane

Hey Everett, what the hell was going on in Sardinia this whole time?

Luke Francl
>>147278615

And Talleyrand! It would be really interesting to hear about his story across these eras since he played a big part in all of them.

Tristan Bavol

What is your top recommendation for books on the First Italian Campaign?

Ri Hand

Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead. But regarding the America question and our current spot on the timeline, I'd actually prefer you keep an era you're interested in your back pocket for a second podcast (or rebrand) after the restoration gets nice and settled.

Christopher Jacques

I would love a 2 or 3 episode arc on North America in the years around the War of 1812

Philipp Kohl

As a western European I would prefer to hear dedicated episodes about the wag of 1812. I don't know much about it as books about are sometimes hard to get here.

Casey Morris

For mostly solipsistic reasons as an American I’d love to hear separate episodes about the War of 1812.

Aviv tal

hi! A dedicated fan of your show from Israel here, and as someone who learned a lot of Jewish history in school, this period is often overlooked in our books. since we know what happened to the Jews in that generation, like many of the pogroms that were taking part. I was wondering what the Jewish communities felt about the New Franch empire? were they as passionate about being a part of that new regime as the people of Poland? do we know any special reforms that helped the Jewish community? what do we know about their part in the Grande Armee? And lastly, do we know what were Napoleon's views on those subjects? Thanks a lot for all the hard work!

James Watters

I enjoyed the 3 way show very much. It’s good to hear each of you a bit more relaxed than in solo pod delivery mode!

Nissan Al Gaib

Plenty of podcasts on the history around the war of 1812. If it’s not relevant to the narrative I’d pass on those episodes. At most one episode on relevant points.

Danny Blinderman

Collaboration was great. I'd think I'd like a mix of overarching biographical episodes (on Bernodotte and Talleyrand, for example) and episodes that depart from the main narrative (perhaps after you finish the war of the 5th coalition) looking at, for example, Jews in Napoleonic Europe

thehauntedfish

As a Brit I wouldn't mind a little bit about this conflict, but not too much. Maybe just one episode? Once you get to the Treaty of Ghent though I think you should stop - I'm sure nothing much happened after that anyway.

Roy Park

A couple of my opinions: 1. Finish the show as you described with just 2-3 episodes on USA 1812. If when it’s all done, you feel there is still some “meat on the bone” then a deeper dive into that would make a great spin off miniseries. 2. More collaborations with those two hosts would be great! One idea I have is in November when Americans are in “election mode” the three of you could get together for a dive into some of the very interesting elections that occurred in the 3 periods you cover.

James Biddle

I really love how the show has narrative arcs, so I reckon a short 3-part series would be nice.

historically inaccurate

The Nelson mini arc is phenomenal and what I always suggest to people who want to try the pod but are intimidated by the length. I’d suggest thinking about where you see the pod going long term after you finish the main narrative in ~5years. Full retirement, other important events of the era, deeper looks at the Marshals, Wellington, Pitt, tsar Alexander etc

Rhett Campbell

Yes. More collaborative efforts would be great

Cleeeo

Question: I recently started reading the historical novel Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier (by coincidence, I didn't realize when it was set when I decided to read it) A big part of the novel covers a scandalous trial which took place in 1809 about the selling of army commissions. At one point she claims that the newspapers in England stopped covering the war in Spain because the story was so hot. My question is whether this scandal is even on your radar, and if corruption in the British army, or in general even seems relevant to the historical events at all.

Baran Nohutcuoglu

Dedicated mini series on war of 1812 would be interesting for me! I like going deep

Jack Lawless

I would prefer less time spent on the War of 1812 because I want the invasion of Russia to be as in depth and well done as the rest of the podcast so far. I think the dispatches are the perfect place to talk about the war in America if we want to.

Sheldon Sandbekkhaug

How did Napoleon’s soldiers and officers feel about invading Spain?

Nikhil Vyas

Another excellent episode! Question: was there a relationship between Napoleonic France and Qing dynasty China? Or the wider region of Southeast Asia, generally?

Ford Cooper

may as well make a short arc on the war of 1812, it is interesting to see what britain was doing outside of its war(s) directly with france , and i know everyone who listens would not mind more content

Mikolaj

I love this show, but never finish any colab episode. They're too chaotic, incoherent. I am sure fun to do, less fun to listen to.

Carnadean

I started listening to the siecle after that collab episode! I would definitely support making it recurring.

Doug
>>147231899

That would be grades 6-8 or 7-9 in an American middle school or junior high. An American student typically turns 12 in the sixth grade.