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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 21h

Wonderful start to the weekend - author copies have arrived! The book is the story of those who made Napoleon's campaigns possible - the 2 million or so conscripts who marched in his regiments, and the system that brought them into the French army. Helion have done a great job putting it together!

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Exciting news! 🎉 "Napoleon's Conscripts" is available TODAY to order from Helion - & for the next week, it comes with a £5 discount! The book tells the story of conscription in Napoleon's army - the system, the law, and most crucially how ordinary men navigated through it all. 1/3

Book cover showing some French conscripts of the Napoleonic era, the title "Napoleon's Conscripts: Conscription and the French Army, 1798-1815" and author name Graeme Callister

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A man who lived through the Restoration, Glorious Revolution, Anglo-Scottish Union, Hanoverian succession & Jacobite uprisings, in a period when patronage & social reputation were vital, would probably have dealt quite well with saying the right things, showing prudence, and asking for funding money

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Ever wondered how Napoleon used conscription law to push his social agenda in France? Some thoughts in my latest article 'Every Frenchman is a Soldier: Conscription & Social Distinction in Napoleonic France' in Atenea, the Journal of the Spanish Association of Military History Link in reply

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Dr Zack White @zwhitehistory.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Law Race and Empire 1750-1850 Conference 17-18 July 2026 University of Southampton A great opportunity to hear new research on the way in which legal, military, empire and race history in the age of revolution. Online and in person ticket options: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/law-race-e...

eventbrite.co.uk

Law, Race & Empire Conference, 1750-1850

An academic conference examining the ways in which law, race and empire interacted in the 18th and 19th century

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Dr Matthew Taylor, author of "Black Redcoats" @blackredcoats.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

A magic day at Apsley House talking #Waterloo thank you to all who came to listen & thank you to our amazing presenters @zwhitehistory.bsky.social @graemecallister.bsky.social @lureynol.bsky.social & Michael Rayner for bringing their knowledge! #History #Napoleonic

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

If you're in London on 20 June, come along to Apsley House to hear historians talk all things Waterloo! Hear about the battle, the combatants, memory and commemoration - in the house of Waterloo's famous victor! All included in entry ticket - FREE to English Heritage members

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

With the hardback sold out, 'Waterloo: the Attack of I Corps' is now out in paperback - just in time for the 211th anniversary of the Hundred Days! There are genuinely new insights here into the French army & the first major attack of the day at Waterloo. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Waterloo-The...

pen-and-sword.co.uk

Waterloo: The Attack of I Corps

This book provides a detailed analysis of the attack of the Comte d’Erlon’s French I Corps, and the subsequent allied counterattack, at the Battle of…

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The History Syndicate Podcast @historysyndicate.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Did you know there were four Egyptians serving in the French Line infantry of 1st Corps at Waterloo? @graemecallister.bsky.social expertly discussed this with us on the pod on today’s episode…

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Dr Will Butler @wbutlerhistory.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

My team are looking for a new team leader and Modern Britain (post-1782) specialist. Closes 22nd February and do get in touch if you have any questions www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQJ050/t...

jobs.ac.uk

Team Leader Modern Britain at The National Archives

Start your UK & international job search for academic jobs, research jobs, science jobs and managerial jobs in leading universities and top...

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Exciting news - 'Waterloo: the Attack of I Corps' is now available as an e-book! Read all about the first major attack of the battle - and why it ultimately failed - from your favourite e-reader! Perfect to settle in and read in the long, cold nights in the run-up to Christmas

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Elisabeth Piller @elisabeth-piller.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

I m advertising a PhD position as part of our ERC project BLOCKADE. The PhD cand. should focus on myth/narratives of the hunger blockade in Germany, Austria in the era of the World Wars. 4 years of funding, wonderful team, amazing city (evidence attached)! Pls share! www.hsozkult.de/opportunity/...

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Ruth Taylor, Enthusiast @13-taylor.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

What a spectacular day of Black history revealing, Waterloo historian nerding and Hyde Park tourist herding 😁 Big thank you to @graemecallister.bsky.social @blackredcoats.bsky.social Mike Rayner, the 44th East Essex and the lovely staff at Aspley House! #BlackHistory #Waterloo #Napoleonic

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Napoleon is sometimes accused of not committing his Guard to battle soon enough - but the Guard cavalry saw frequent and bloody action. Meet Etienne Rougé of the Chasseurs of the Guard - wounded in just about every manner in battles across Europe and North Africa. 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

What were the chances of promotion in Napoleon's army? From tracing the career history of every man who served in the 33e Ligne and didn't transfer to another unit (13,494 soldiers), it looks like 10.5% were promoted at some point. Some stats...1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

From around 1811, Napoleon wanted to introduce the Roman punishment of 'decimation' in his military. Groups he wished to punish - mutinous regiments, gangs of deserters etc. - would draw lots, & one in ten would be executed. It isn't clear whether it was ever actually carried out.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

How far did Napoleon rule through fear? His response to disorder was often extreme violence 1806 Italy: "My intention is that the village that rose up...should be burned. The priest...should be shot. 3-400 guilty should be sent to the galleys...Waves of blood are needed to assure calm in Italy." 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

The impact of the Russian campaign in 1812 on the French army - stats compiled for the 33e Ligne regiment.

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Dr Matthew Taylor, author of "Black Redcoats" @blackredcoats.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Nearly done with #Waterloo for 11 Oct at Apsley House. Now i know how big the table needs to be. #history #wargaming #blackhistory @zwhitehistory.bsky.social @graemecallister.bsky.social

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The History Syndicate Podcast @historysyndicate.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

👋 #OTD was the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a major moment of the #FrenchRevolution 🇫🇷 💬Previously we’ve done an ep with @graemecallister.bsky.social about the 🇫🇷 Revolutionary and #NapoleonicArmies, how they were raised and fought ⚔️ Check it out 👉 bit.ly/4lCI5gg 🎧

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Jean-Marie Vassals from Montbrun, Haute-Garonne. Joined the French army in 1782. Fought in every campaign of the Revolutionary Wars. Fought in every campaign of the Napoleonic Wars 1805-9. Returned to service in 1814. Killed at Wavre on 18 June 1815, in one of the very last battles of the wars.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Public service announcement! All 12 episodes of series one and two of War Walks with Richard Holmes are available on BBC iPlayer for the next week. Brilliant half-hour intros to some of Britain's most famous battles. Don't miss out! www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

bbc.co.uk

War Walks

Richard Holmes goes on a journey through time to visit battlefields throughout Britain, northern France and Belgium that mark crucial moments in Britain's bloody and turbulent history

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Tom Fournier @tom4141tom.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

We seemed to gather historians today! @graemecallister.bsky.social and Gareth Glover.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Brilliant weekend at Waterloo! The reenactors (and organisers!) did a fantastic job!

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The History Syndicate Podcast @historysyndicate.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

🚨 With #Waterloo 210 yesterday, don’t forget recent #napoleonic eps: 13. Re-evaluating the 🇳🇱 🇧🇪 Comtingent at Quatre-Bras with Andre Dellevoet 14. The 🇫🇷 Napoleonic Armies with @graemecallister.bsky.social 15. The 🇬🇧 Napoleonic Staff College with @1815fletcher.bsky.social 👉 bit.ly/43uWDsj

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Dr Matthew Taylor, author of "Black Redcoats" @blackredcoats.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

@zwhitehistory.bsky.social @graemecallister.bsky.social & other fine historical minds will be joining me here, in the Waterloo Gallery at Apsley House, London, on 11 October 2025 for a Black History Month event "The Black Soldiers of Waterloo". Put us in your calendar! #history #blackhistory #London

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Join us at York St John University (and online) for a fascinating FREE talk by Dr James Hurst based on his new research into the British heavy cavalry at Waterloo. Wed 28 May, 5:30pm, all are welcome! More info and tickets (completely free!) here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/waterloo-t...

eventbrite.co.uk

Waterloo: the Great Charge of the British Cavalry

This event will be taking place in person and online

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

The French army of 1815 had many problems. One of the least discussed is that there weren't enough NCOs for frontline battalions. In May, hundreds of men were promoted to fill vacancies. Fortunately, some already had leadership experience - including Pierre Valette & Benoit Jomain of the 28e. 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Join the NRWGC for its next online event on Sunday 25 May! Templer medal winner Prof Kevin Linch will talk about his fascinating recent project "Georgian Army Officers: Digitising the Careers of British Army Officers" FREE to members! More info & tickets below: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/georgian-a...

eventbrite.co.uk

Georgian Army Officers: Digitising the Careers of British Army Officers

Digitising the Careers of British Army Officers, 1790-1820

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

On 10 May 1809 Napoleon's army appeared before Vienna. Austrian Archduke Charles withdrew across the Danube, allowing the French to seize the city but keeping his army intact to contest any river crossing. The scene was being set for two of the most brutal but lesser-studied battles of the wars.

Statue of Archduke Charles carrying an Austrian battle flag, silhouetted by the setting sun.

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Heritage 1815 @heritage1815.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Our work is making headlines. We are now the focus of a national news article in the UK, featuring in today’s Daily Express. Thank you to everyone who is supporting our efforts by following us on social media, or signing up to our mailing list on our website www.express.co.uk/news/world/2...

express.co.uk

Historic farm where Napoleon suffered key defeat for sale for £1.6 million

EXCLUSIVE: Historians fear developers could turn the site into modern flats erasing the legacy of a battle that shaped the history of Britain and Europe.

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Heritage 1815 @heritage1815.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Heritage 1815: a committee of Napoleonic historians working to safeguard the future of sites from the Waterloo campaign. Following news of the planned sale of Gemioncourt Farm & 8.5 hectares of land on the Quatre Bras battlefield, the committee has issued a statement 🧵1/

Gemioncourt farm on the Quatre Bras battlefield viewed from the air

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A quick thought on Napoleon's conscription efforts: A man could get deferral from conscription if he had a brother in service (or who'd died/been wounded in the army). One deferral was allowed per man in service. In 1807 in Vendée, 2.6% of conscripts applied. In 1809: 3.8% In 1811 it was 11.1%. 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

It's fair to say that conscription in Napoleonic France caused problems. But what we often forget is the problems that it caused between ordinary people - people who were desperate for themselves or their family not to be conscripted. A quick story from the archives. 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Britain’s Second Napoleonic Army Join @zwhitehistory.bsky.social for a FREE talk on the East India Company army - key to Britain’s imperial ambitions in Asia, it receives less attention than it should. Tues 11 March, 6pm, online & at York St John University www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/britains-s...

eventbrite.co.uk

Britain's Second Napoleonic Army: The East India Company, Sepoys and Race

Dr Zack White discusses issues of identity, motivation and discipline in Britain’s East India Company army.

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Prof. Elaine Chalus @profelainechalus.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

For anyone interested in #c18th political or electoral history & for students researching EPQs, special subjects &/or final year dissertations, do check out the wealth of data & information available on our Political Participation & Electoral Culture (ECPPEC) website #skystorians 🗃️ecppec.ncl.ac.uk

ecppec.ncl.ac.uk

Eighteenth-Century Political Participation & Electoral Culture

18th-century Britain is notorious for corrupt and restrictive politics, when few could vote, bribery and debauchery were commonplace. But it was also an age when modern democracy was being shaped.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

A graph based on analysis of individual soldiers' entries in the registers of Napoleon's 33e Ligne - recruitment vs loss. The scale of the graph doesn't allow much nuance, but it does show the intensity and scale of both recruitment and loss in the campaigns of 1812-1813.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Quick follow up on this thread about losses in Napoleon's 33e. I've crunched a few numbers on monthly losses, and have a few quick results. 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Ever wondered what actually happened to most soldiers in Napoleon's army? I've just finished going through the individual service records for the hard-fighting 33e Ligne regiment (14,829 entries) through a decade of warfare. Here are the headlines: 1/

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Did Napoleon care about veterans? Found a note from 1807: 'The intention of the Emperor is that every soldier discharged from long service or wounds can return home with decent clothing, and should in consequence be provided with a uniform coat in good state.' Small reward, or better than nothing?

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

During the Napoleonic Wars, the French army frequently issued amnesties to allow deserters or draft-dodgers to re-join without punishment. In response to one such amnesty in 1810, eleven men recorded as 'deserting to the enemy' returned to France and were assigned to the 33e Ligne. A quick 🧵1/

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 15/01/2025

We are delighted to be @yorkstjohn.bsky.social today for ‘Humanities Now: Research and Teaching in Post-92 Universities’. Today’s event is supported by the Society with an RHS Workshop Grant. We’re also speaking today about our current advocacy work for #History in the Post-92 sector. #Skystorians

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Rob Coughlan 🇦🇺🇺🇦🇲🇫🇪🇺🇱🇦🇬🇪 @landofrob.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

The sad tale of the Caudron brothers. Both born in Cambrai, Jean Baptiste in 1771 and Louis Joseph in 1772. Both called up in the Levee of 1793, they were enlisted on the same day, 23 Nivose, Year 2 (12 Jan 1794) in the same battalion as grenadiers. Eventually this unit became 2nd Btn 21st Ligne.

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Good news to start the New Year - my article on Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo for 'War on the Rocks' was one of their top-ten most read for 2024! If you want to start 2025 with a little Napoleonic content, you can read it here: warontherocks.com/2024/06/why-...

warontherocks.com

Why Napoleon’s Makeshift Army Ultimately Lost the Most Famous Battle in European History - War on the Rocks

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Waterloo army was the last he would ever lead into combat. Returning from exile in March 1815 to a country riven by factionalism and

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Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

There's still time to order books for Christmas! And if you're looking for a gift for the history enthusiast in your life, look no further than the hottest new Waterloo book in town - with a special 25% off from the publisher! (Also available on Amazon etc. of course)

Book cover for 'Waterloo: the Attack of First Corps', featuring a painting of the charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo. Men in red coats on grey horses hold their swords high as they attack blue-coated French infantrymen.

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Henry Hyde @battlegames.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Battlechat #114 featuring @graemecallister.bsky.social is now available to all for your listening pleasure. Still time to order his fantastic book in time for Christmas! www.patreon.com/posts/117628...

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History Symposium @historysymposium.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Today! You can find us live on our YouTube channel (link below) at 14:00 eastern or watch the recording afterwards. We have received @graemecallister.bsky.social's slides and they look amazing! While on our channel, please do subscribe. It means a lot to us. www.youtube.com/@HeritageDay...

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Henry Hyde @battlegames.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Battlechat 114 with Dr Graeme Callister @graemecallister.bsky.social is out now for patrons. We discuss his new book “Waterloo: the Attack of I Corps” in some detail – Graeme’s fascination & passion for the subject shines through! Get early access at www.patreon.com/battlegames?...

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