Napoleon

SYNOPSIS

Andrew Roberts' definitive account of Napoleon Bonaparte's life continues, with an insight into the French political leader's transformation into an emperor and a global statesman. Picking up his story in 1805, a year after Napoleon has been crowned King of Italy, Andrew visits the site of the Battle of Austerlitz, widely considered to be one of the most important engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. There, on the plains of Moravia, Bonaparte's Grande Armee defeated the combined forces of Russia's Tsar Alexander I and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II - despite commanding a much smaller force. The victory marked the beginning of the rise of the Napoleonic Empire, but Andrew reveals that securing his place on the global stage came with a price, as Napoleon made compromises that relied on his trusting nature - a personality trait that would play a part in his ultimate downfall.

Host: Andrew Roberts