The Battle of Austerlitz. 1805

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Description

The French Revolution had given birth to the first national army-composed of citizens and volunteers, not a mercenary army nor one raised by the king. Napoleon's was a democratic army, whose colonels had sprung from the ranks, and which he gradually transformed into the instrument of his own ambition. France had expanded to the Rhine, annexed Belgium and Luxembourg, established a protectorate over the Netherlands, Switzerland, and northern Italy, and threatened to invade England. But England revived the old alliance with Russia, Sweden, and Austria against France. This program details the campaign that led to Austerlitz and the battle between the three emperors-of Russia, Austria-Hungary, and of course the Emperor Napoleon-and the battle itself. Napoleon, at the height of his powers, crowed to Josephine after the battle that he was a bit tired and would sleep two or three hours that night... before proceeding to Moscow.