Napoleon Episode Guide

Episode Guide

• Disaster in Russia

  The general's infamous decision to invade Russia, a move that marked the turning point of his career. The programme focuses on the lead-up to the 1812 invasion, the preparations for the campaign and why the Grande Armee failed to cope with the country's climate

• The Early Campaigns

  Exploring the French leader's earliest military campaigns, including the Italian conquest of 1796

• The End

  Napoleon's downfall, beginning with the invasion of Russia and ending at Waterloo, and the Emperor's final days in exile. Last in series

• The End

  Charting the legendary emperor's failed invasion of Russia and defeats in Europe, culminating in the Battle of Waterloo and his banishment to St Helena

• Imperial Zenith

  A look at the reforms made during the general's rule in France. Having defeated the Austrians, the Prussians and the Russians, he then moved on to the Austerlitz Campaign and war in Poland

• Mastering Luck

  Insight into the legendary military leader's rise to the self-proclaimed rank of emperor and his subsequent tyrannical rule, examining his remarkable achievements while in power, including the Napoleonic Code, the Bank of France, and innovations in road-building and canal construction

• The Spanish Ulcer

  Exploration of the general's struggles in the Peninsular War - a campaign he likened to a bleeding ulcer that weakened his armies. The programme examines why he began the conflict, and how his early successes were swept aside by the Duke of Wellington's tactics and his own bickering staff

• The Summit of Ambition

  How the legendary emperor's triumph at the Battle of Austerlitz turned sour as his depleted forces attempted to invade Spain

• Summit of Greatness

  The emperor's triumphant march through Europe, including victory at the Battle of Austerlitz

• To Destiny

  Series charting the life of the legendary French emperor, beginning with his rise from obscure Corsican origins to the Italian victories which saw him proclaimed a national hero. Historians, contemporaneous eyewitness accounts and the writings of the man himself explore his path to greatness, and his love for Josephine Beauharnais

• Waterloo - The Final Curtain

  Exploration of the general's tactics at the battle of Waterloo, examining the events on both sides of the 100 Days Campaign and asking why Napoleon returned from exile. The French were crushed in the conflict and their leader sent as a prisoner of war to the mid-Atlantic island of St Helena