Shadowing Practice: The Napoleonic Wars - OverSimplified (Part 1) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Okay, Mrs. Bonaparte, this is it.
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One last push and we're done.
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Hing!
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Congratulations!
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It's a general!
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Oh, and here comes the rest of the army now.
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Uh, did you just say the rest of the army?
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History is full of great conquerors, many with very impressive origin stories.
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For example, Alexander the Great was the son of a king.
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Julius Caesar came from an aristocratic family that descended from a goddess.
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Great conquerors don't usually come from relatively insignificant families living on impoverished islands.
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But as it just so happens, that is where our story begins.
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In the early 18th century, the island of Corsica was a part of the Republic of Genoa until So one day Corsica said, hey, we're declaring independence and it's probably not worth your time to try and stop us.
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So Genoa said, you're right, it isn't worth our time.
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Hey France, you wanna buy this island?
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And France said, sure thing.
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And thus, Corsica became France, just in time for Napoleon to be born French.
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Many Corsicans didn't appreciate their new conquerors however, and from an early age, Napoleon developed some fairly anti-French sentiments.
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Napoleon's dad however, quickly embraced his new French overlords, which created some tension between dad and son.
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Ooh, look at me, I'm dad.
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I wear powdered wigs and silver buckled shoes and I'm a traitor to the Corsican people.
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Go to your room, Napoleon.
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No, you go to your room, dad.
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Okay.
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On the other hand, Napoleon adored his mother who was definitely the disciplinarian of the family.
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And even though she would punish Napoleon severely, he kind of respected that.
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But Napoleon's parents wanted the best for their family.
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And since they were a very minor nobility, they were able to have Napoleon sent off to the shining lights and rat infested sewage puddles of the big city.
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Napoleon went to military school in France.
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Okay, Napoleon, why don't you introduce yourself to your new classmates?
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Well, I'm Napoleon, and I hate all of you.
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Your farts smell like cheese, you can't pronounce the letter R, all you do is go on strike, and you call eggs oofs, like a bunch of big, dumb, idiot dingleberries.
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Okay.
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Thanks, Napoleon.
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I hope you like being bullied.
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And bullied he was.
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They picked on him for his Corsican accent, his family's lack of wealth, and it probably didn't help
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that he also had a bit of a chip on his shoulder but he could hold his own, and on an average day, might be found dishing out ratatouille sandwiches for breakfast.
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He spent much of his time alone, and he loved reading about the great conquerors of history.
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He learned about Julius Caesar, and he wondered if one day he too might have a pizza franchise named after him.
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He excelled at math and geography, and when he graduated at the age of 16, he was made second lieutenant in an artillery regiment.
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Now, second lieutenant might sound pretty sweet to a screw-up like you, But Napoleon had a little something called ambition.
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Stonks of it.
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And he wasn't content being just some junior officer.
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He wanted to rise the ranks.
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Unfortunately for him, that would be a little difficult.
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Well, Napoleon, I've reviewed your application.
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It's clear you're very skilled and would be a perfect fit for the promotion.
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And Simeon, you're just about the biggest idiot I've ever seen.
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Your test results suggest you have the mental aptitude of a senile earthworm.
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And in the part of the form where you list your experience, you seem to have drawn a picture of a gerbil giving birth to a shoe.
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But your dad is the Marquis de la Fouffaillette, so you get the job.
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French society was just too closed off.
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Positions were handed out based on nobility, not talent, and the young Napoleon probably felt stuck.
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Wouldn't it be nice if, say, a revolution came along and changed all of that?
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Well, what are the chances?
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The French Revolution is here.
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Bastille toppling, head chopping, king popping.
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The revolution promised to do away with the old social hierarchy and make everyone a little more equal.
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Napoleon may not have cared much for the violent mobs, but if it meant he could rise the ranks, he was in.
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He began fighting to defend the revolution.
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He put down a British-sponsored counter-revolution in Toulon and got promoted.
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He put down a royalist uprising in Paris and got promoted.
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And as his military prowess became more recognized, he was even given his very own army.
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It was astonishing progress for such a young man of humble origins, and Napoleon's wildest dreams were coming true.
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But Napoleon also believed he could increase his social status if he married an older rich lady.
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And so around this time, Napoleon went on the prowl.
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However, if some sources are to be believed, he was a verified creep.
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He reportedly had terrible luck with women, and most wanted nothing to do with him.
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Fortunately, he eventually met Josephine, an aging single mother who was deeply in debt and needed stability.
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So she agreed to marry him, despite finding him intensely disgusting.
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Napoleon, you dirty dog.
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You've done it.
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Unbeknownst to Napoleon, however, Josephine had a bit of a promiscuous reputation.
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Hey Napoleon, I hear you're marrying Josephine.
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Boy, she sure is a great kisser.
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That's right.
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Hey, wait, what do you mean she's a great kisser?
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Hey Hugo, you hear Napoleon's marrying Josephine?
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Wow, she sure is a great kisser.
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Now hang on just a minute.
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Hey everyone, Napoleon's marrying Josephine.
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Oh yeah, she's really good at kissing.
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I'm pretty sure I kissed her just yesterday.
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Oh for goodness sake, is there anyone here who hasn't kissed my wife?
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Yeah.
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You.
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As Napoleon fell madly in love with his new wife, she fell madly in love with a man named Hippolyte.
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It wouldn't be long, however, before Napoleon would leave home and go to war.
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Because while France was having its revolution, tensions in Europe were rising.
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Hey Austria, you'll never guess what we just did.
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What's that, France?
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I got two words for you.
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Revo-lution.
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We totally just socked it to our monarchy.
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What?
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Dude!
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The rest of us are monarchies!
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You've just totally threatened the balance of power in Europe!
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Now we have to worry about our stinky peasants rising up against us!
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I mean holy hell, your queen is...
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Okay friends, this is pretty awkward, and the rest of Europe is probably itching to give you a wedgie.
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But you're not ready for a war yet.
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So you gotta be cool man.
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It's absolutely crucial that you say something to defuse the situation right now.
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Preposterous!
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I declare war.
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Sacre bleu!
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So France ended up at war with basically the rest of Europe, and the War of the First Coalition began.
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At first, France struggled, but then they started to do surprisingly well, and in many conquered territories, they began to establish sister republics,
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exporting their revolutionary ideas across Europe.
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In 1796, they planned a three-pronged attack to take Vienna and knock Austria out of the war, with two magnificent armies in the north to kick ass,
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and Napoleon in the south as a bit of a diversion.
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For the first time, Napoleon would lead a military campaign.
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This was his chance to prove himself, to be somebody.
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And what a general he proved to be.
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The army he was given were demoralized, lacking equipment, and underpaid.
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But Napoleon galvanized them with inspirational speeches, and he took them into Italy.
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He was outnumbered, and his campaign was partially meant to be a sideshow, but he made it the main show.
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While the two northern armies were being held back, Napoleon made staggering progress.
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In a signature Napoleon move, he masterfully split his enemies into two and took them on separately, knocking Sardinia out of the war and putting the Austrians on the run.
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At the famous Battle of Lodi, he was in the fray, aiming the cannons himself, getting covered in mud, and earning the total respect of his men.
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They respected him so much that when he ordered an almost suicidal assault on the only bridge in town, his men threw themselves at it and took it despite fierce Austrian resistance.
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For Napoleon, it was all he needed to confirm that he was the greatest human who had ever existed.
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Wow Napoleon, you're pretty great at this military stuff.
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Just be careful your head doesn't get too big.
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What did you just say to me, you little prick?
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And as Napoleon swept through northern Italy, the Italians cheered his arrival.
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Yes, I'm here to liberate you from your cruel Austrian oppressors, and replace them with French ones.
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Napoleon plundered as he went, sending riches back to France to help its economy, but also paying his men the first real money that's seen in years.
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The Pope had been supporting the Austrians, so Napoleon briefly went to go give him a slap.
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And as he began to approach Vienna, the exhausted Austrians were forced to make peace, with Napoleon overseeing negotiations himself.
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He had just single-handedly knocked Austria out of the war.
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And by the way, he was only 28, so maybe it's about time you moved out of your dad's attic.
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In the Italian territories he had conquered, Napoleon established new French sister republics, even writing constitutions and organizing governments himself.
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Not something a general generally does.
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When he got back to France, he was hailed as a hero, and the extremely unpopular government were concerned he might get some power-hungry ideas.
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So they agreed he should go far away from France to Egypt, where he could maybe undermine British access to India.
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Napoleon was eager to win more glory, so he brought with him a team of scholars, and he was like, whoa, it's a freaky man-cat.
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Whoa, it's a big stick.
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Whoa, it's an ugly horse.
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Whoa, it's a stumpy little manlet.
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Hey, I'm actually average height for the time.
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But then British Admiral Nelson came down and wrecked his fleet, and an Anglo-Ottoman force defeated him at Acre, so Napoleon abandoned his men and went back to France.
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His campaign in Egypt hadn't gone quite as planned, but one thing you should know about Napoleon was that he was a skilled propagandist.
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He published his own newspapers that sometimes exaggerated his achievements, and even commissioned paintings that generally made him look cool.
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So when he returned to Paris, he was yet again hailed as a hero, and he began to get some power-hungry ideas.
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However, he had a bit of a problem to deal with.
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See, he had learned something shocking about his dear wife.
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Really, Josephine?
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This guy?
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I'm just as tall as him.
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I'm sorry.
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I swear.
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Now that you're becoming famous, I'll never do it again.
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Make sure you don't.
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I've never stooped so low as to cheat on you.
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Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in this room consulting my generals for the next 30 minutes.
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And by consulting, I mean boinking.
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By my generals, I mean this woman.
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And by 30 minutes, I mean two seconds.
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Having dealt with his wife, Napoleon was then approached by a very influential politician who said he had an idea.
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He wanted to stage a coup against the deeply unpopular government and needed the extremely popular Napoleon's help.
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And Napoleon thought that was just the darn Tutanist idea.
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The plan was to trap the government and convince them to voluntarily give up their power.
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And here's how they did it.
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Hey guys, oh my gosh, quick!
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There's a dangerous Jacobin plot to overthrow you which we definitely aren't just making up.
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this cage so we can protect you.
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Okay.
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Gentlemen, we got him.
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In this case, the cage was an isolated palace outside of Paris with no one around but Napoleon and his army.
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With the government inside, Napoleon then entered and a pretty chaotic event ensued during
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which the government didn't seem entirely sure what was going on, Napoleon's men didn't seem entirely sure what was going on, and Napoleon himself didn't seem entirely sure what was going on.
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But thankfully, Napoleon's brother Lucien, president of the lower house, managed to regain control, and the remaining councilmen were intimidated into creating a new constitution.
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And thus, a new government was formed, this time with three consuls in charge.
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But after Napoleon did some rewriting, in the end, there was really only one man in charge, the first consul, him.
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And over the next few years, he worked to consolidate even more power, and essentially became a dictator in total control of France.
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And by the way, he was only 30, So maybe it's about time you washed your disgusting bedsheets.
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France was now ruled by possibly the greatest military leader of the time.
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Possibly the greatest? Or definitely?
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Well, now is his chance to prove it.
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See, back when Napoleon was still in Egypt being Indiana Jones, back home, France was in France being France.
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They had conquered even more territory, and they were like, hey Piedmont, you get revolutionary ideals.
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Hey Switzerland, you get revolutionary ideals.
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And Rome, you get revolutionary ideals.
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Everybody gets revolutionary- oh hey guys, nice sledgehammers and Naples.
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Very cool nail gun.
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You guys here to get some revolutionary ideas?
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As France was still spreading the revolution and with Napoleon busy in Egypt, the European powers felt the time was right for round two.
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And the war of the second coalition began.
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And this time, their big bad boy buddy Russia was here to bang some French boys back to Bordeaux.
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And bang them, they did.
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France got blasted.
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But then Russia pulled out after stolen in Switzerland.
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And now that Napoleon was in charge of the country, he was ready to start blasting right back.
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He took command of the army of the reserve, and he brought the fight to the Austrians.
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Now, there are many traits that made Napoleon a great military leader.
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I already mentioned one of them, how he was one of the boys and commanded the total loyalty of his men.
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But now we see a second reason, the element of surprise.
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In 1800, Napoleon moved to Geneva, and it looked like he was probably going to take on the Austrian forces in Germany.
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There's no way he'd be crazy enough to move his entire
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army south through the Alps as a surprise attack on the Austrians besieging Genoa.
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Oh!
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Napoleon's moving his entire army south through the Alps as a surprise attack on the Austrians besieging Genoa.
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Napoleon's crossing of the Alps is legendary, and you may have seen one of the most famous paintings of the general, popping a sick wheelie on his majestic stallion surrounded by dangerous mountain terrain.
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Of course, in real life, he made the crossing on a depressed mule.
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But that's not as cool.
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When he emerged in Italy, the Austrians expected him to come break their siege, but Napoleon went for their supply line near Milan,
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forcing the Austrians to meet Napoleon head on at the famous Battle of Marengo.
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The Austrians initially clobbered the outnumbered French, and they were like, hooray, we won.
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But then a few hours later, Napoleon showed up again with an even bigger army, and he clobbered them right back.
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Holy cow, this tiny little fun-sized French guy is running rings around us.
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Hey, I'm average height for the time, you jerk!
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Then, after General Moreau's victory at Hohenlinden, Vienna was exposed, and the Austrians again sued for peace.
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Just like the War of the First Coalition, the Second Coalition ended in another French victory.
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But in many ways, they both felt more like Napoleon victories.
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Only the UK remained at war with Napoleon, and they were using their powerful navy to blockade French ports and were even seizing the cargoes of neutral ships.
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Obviously, everyone else got pretty pissed that the British were interfering with their trade.
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So in response, they formed a league and they embargoed the UK right back.
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Neutral countries protecting their own interests?
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That's offensive.
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So Britain went to Copenhagen and blew a bunch of stuff up and the league disbanded.
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But because the UK's economy was pretty bust, they decided to sign a treaty with France in 1802.
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For the first time in a long time, Europe was at peace.
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Congratulations, sire.
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You've achieved peace.
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Yes, Pierre, but not for long.
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I still don't trust those dirty Brits.
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Did you hear they've been calling me the bony man?
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What does that even mean?
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Keep an eye on them, would you?
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So thank you.
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Now where were we?
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Oh yeah.
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Crossing the Alps.
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Defeating the Austrians.
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And Europe at peace.
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What a meteoric rise it had been for the young Corsican.
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He had just taken charge of a nation that appeared to be losing a war and turned it all around, securing French gains in Europe.
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But there was now a big question.
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You see, throughout the chaotic French Revolution, French governments had struggled to keep the economy afloat.
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They often didn't have a whole lot of support and they frequently came and went.
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Would Napoleon finally be the man who could stick around?
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Military victories were one thing, because the general also governed.
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Spoiler alert, yes.
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The economy's crumbling?
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Well then why don't you have yourself a new national bank, currency reform, and improved taxation and welfare systems?
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The legal system is an incoherent mess?
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Well then why don't we nicely wrap all those civil laws up into one new centralized legal code?
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Corrupt government officials?
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Throw them in the trash.
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Bad infrastructure?
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Throw it in the trash.
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Woman's rights?
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Throw them in the trash.
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Wait, really?
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Well, yeah, unfortunately, while Napoleon was building on the equality of the revolution, He also largely scaled back rights for certain groups,
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and husbands had full legal control over their wives.
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But, come on ladies, maybe let men have a slice of the pie for once, m'kay?
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Napoleon further reformed education, ensuring a system based on individual ability, meaning now Simeon had to compete with everyone else,
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and Napoleon could get the cream of the crop to help him run the Republic.
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But he wasn't just building on the ideas of the revolution.
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The revolution had led to a lot of chaos, and Napoleon needed stability.
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So he rolled back a couple things, most notably with religion.
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The revolution had pretty much kicked the Catholic Church to the curb, but Napoleon understood that since many French citizens still considered themselves Catholic, that could be a problem.
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So he came to an agreement with the Pope and brought back the church, only this time with some pretty hefty power limitations.
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He also ensured freedom for other religions, and is often noted for his positive treatment of Jewish people at a time of widespread anti-Semitism.
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But while all of this may make Napoleon sound like a pretty stand-up dude, It's good to note that he believed in religious freedom
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because he thought it was a powerful tool to keep the poor from eating the rich.
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Or something like that.
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Overall, Napoleon's aim was to end the chaos of the revolution and finally create a stable and prospering French Republic.
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And in that aim, he seemed to be largely successful and generally popular with the people of France.
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He officially declared that the revolution is over, adding, I am the revolution.
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Napoleon's head could be seen for miles.
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Of course, not everyone was happy with Napoleon's reforms.
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Conservatives felt he was too radical, Radicals felt he was too conservative.
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But since Napoleon was a dictator, opposition could usually be stamped out with some good old-fashioned iron fisting.
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In 1804, Napoleon took one last major step.
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After some failed attempts were made to assassinate him, he wanted to strengthen his position and ensure his dynasty could live on after him.
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And so he decided being first consul for life simply wasn't quite enough.
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He decided he should become emperor.
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He held a vote, asking the French people if they were cool with the idea, and they returned a definitely not rigged 99.9% in favor.
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The balls on this man.
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And so on the 2nd of December, 1804, in an elaborate ceremony at Notre Dame, Napoleon was made emperor.
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The Pope was even invited to attend, and normally he would crown an emperor.
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But to make sure everyone knew this wasn't some Charlemagne-style circular power division, Napoleon lifted the crown and placed it on his own head.
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Like I said, the balls on this man.
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He was now emperor of the French.
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Well, Napoleon, you were a general.
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Then he became first consul for life.
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And now you're an emperor.
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Is it enough yet?
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Is your ambition finally satisfied?
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Hmm, I don't know, Pierre.
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What comes after emperor?
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I would say god, sire.
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You want to be a god?
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Yes.
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I'll put it down under maybe.
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Okay, everyone.
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What the hell is going on?
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This coarse-skinned guy showed up out of nowhere and he's kicking our ass!
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He's exporting the ideas of the French Revolution wherever he goes and he just declared himself King of Italy and Emperor.
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He can't do that!
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I'm the Emperor!
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Oh, hey fellow monarchs.
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I see you're having a monarch party.
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My invite must have got lost in the mail.
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I'll just set up a spot right here.
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Wow, you don't belong here Napoleon.
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We're coming to take you down.
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I'd like to see you try.
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Oh, I'm so scared I just pooed my pants.
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Hey everyone, I just pooed my pants!
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No, but I did just poo my pants.
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Before Napoleon had even declared himself Emperor, the British had already re-declared war on France because both sides had been violating their previous treaty.
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Napoleon immediately occupied Hanover
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and then began making plans for a great British invasion partially
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paid for by selling a huge chunk of land to the United States.
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Napoleon gathered his army along the English Channel.
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But here was the problem.
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While Napoleon's powerful army would almost certainly obliterate the British on land, there was very little chance he'd actually make it across the Channel.
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Because Britannia ruled the waves.
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This power dynamic would keep the two traditional enemies from engaging in much real direct combat throughout the Napoleonic Wars.
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However, the British had something else up their sleeve.
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Copious amounts of money.
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They were willing to throw cash at anyone who would go to war against Napoleon, and there were plenty of takers.
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Austria, Russia, Naples, and Sweden, hoping to put Napoleon's France back in its place, formed a third coalition against France.
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The coalition forces probably thought that this time they stood a chance.
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They weren't prepared for the total humiliation they were about to suffer.
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The war of the third coalition was Napoleon at his best.
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We've already learned two ways in which Napoleon was a great military commander, but here comes one of the biggest reasons.
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Speed.
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He had reorganized his army into corps, which were themselves, basically, small armies.
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Each had their own infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and as a result, was able to act more independently.
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They spread out through the countryside, and by living off the land, rather than relying on heavy supply trains, they were able to move extremely quickly.
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Napoleon would traverse massive distances, outmaneuver his enemies, isolate them, and then move in for the kill, before they even knew what was going on.
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Lightning warfare leading to total destruction.
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Would you like to see him do it?
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Here we go.
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Part of the coalition's plan was for the Russians to meet up with the Austrians and take on Napoleon together.
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Combined, they could turn the tide against him, so Napoleon needed to stop them from ever meeting.
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But he's all the way over in Boulogne.
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No problem.
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In a matter of weeks, Napoleon marched 200,000 men in secret, encircling Austrian General Mack and capturing his entire army.
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A devastating blow.
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Napoleon later remarked, I have destroyed the Austrian army by simply marching.
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Next, he turned to face the approaching Russians.
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Okay, it looks like the French are coming for us, but check this out, I've got an amazing idea.
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When they approach, we run away.
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Sir, you're a genius.
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The Russians began to retreat with Napoleon giving chase, and since his tactics relied on quick victories, this could be a problem.
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Especially because the longer the war went on, the more likely it looked other countries may join the coalition against him.
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But Napoleon knew the Russian Tsar, Alexander I, was young and seeking glory.
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So he came up with an idea to lure him in.
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He sent him a message.
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What does it say?
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Um, it says, hello, I'm just a little baby boy, and I'm very scared.
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Are you talking like that, or is he?
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He is, sir.
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Why is he doing that?
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I don't know, but it's very cute, helpless, and vulnerable.
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Hmm, a little baby boy, eh?
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Very scared, eh?
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Cute, eh?
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Boris, get my crossbow.
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We're going hunting.
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The Allied forces turned to face Napoleon, who they now believed was in a vulnerable position.
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He was set up at Austerlitz, and to make it look like he was retreating, he had even evacuated the high ground.
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A thick fog set in, obscuring Napoleon's center as the Allies took the bait and set up on the heights.
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From there, they spotted Napoleon's very weak-looking right flank, and they descended the heights to go get it.
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Little did they know, it was exactly what Napoleon was hoping they'd do.
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The next thing they knew, a large French force was emerging from the fog, launching a huge central assault up the hill.
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They swung around, crushing the Allies, and as men attempted to flee across the frozen lakes, Napoleon ordered his artillery to fire on the ice,
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causing an unknown number to drown.
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But he told me he was just a little baby boy.
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What happened?
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He tricked you sir.
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You mean, I was the little baby boy all along.
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It was Napoleon's masterpiece, and Austria were once again forced to make peace with France.
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Then, with the French conquest of Naples in 1806, the War of the Third Coalition ended as yet another Napoleon victory.
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This was the third time Napoleon had had to give Austrian Emperor Francis a good spanking.
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And so, with the peace treaty in 1805, Napoleon was determined to punish him.
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He was forced to give up territory, hand over significant compensation, and promised never to fight Napoleon again.
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For now, Russia, Sweden, and the UK remained at war with France, but none were able to offer much of a threat.
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And so, Napoleon got to work strengthening his grip over Europe.
410
He gave out rule of captured territories to his family and friends, and most notably, he established a new confederation in Germany with himself as its protector.
411
Seeing his influence in Germany being wiped away, Emperor Francis acknowledged reality and officially dissolved the Holy Roman Empire,
412
an entity that had existed for over a thousand years.
413
But it wasn't all good news for Napoleon.
414
For one thing, Spain had earlier allied with France in 1804
415
because the British just couldn't help themselves from blowing up Spanish ships, and Napoleon hoped a combined French-Spanish fleet would eventually be able to invade England.
416
Unfortunately, he received word that British Admiral Nelson had engaged his fleet at Trafalgar.
417
Normally, naval battles looked like this, but in this case, Nelson did this.
418
Was it because he was an idiot?
419
No, it's because he was a genius.
420
He successfully punched through the Franco-Spanish line and unleashed hell.
421
His victory ensured British control of the sea and his death during the battle made him a legend.
422
Napoleon's hopes for a future British invasion were gone.
423
But not just that, Napoleon was also hoping to secure peace on the continent, but that wasn't looking likely because the Prussian king was under pressure from his wife, Frederick.
424
He's established a confederation in our turf and he told us he'd give us Hanover, but then offered it to the British.
425
You have to declare war on him.
426
What is it with you and war?
427
What is it with you and being a cupcake?
428
Go to war!
429
Okay.
430
In October 1806, Prussia, with its famed military tradition, joined the coalition and declared war, beginning the war of the Fourth Coalition.
431
Unfortunately, Prussian King Frederick William III wasn't the smartest tool in the shed.
432
Look at him over there, being all French.
433
Makes me sick.
434
Boys, we'll get him this time.
435
But here's the thing.
436
This time, we have to stick together.
437
Do not under any circumstances face Napoleon by yourself.
438
You all saw what happened to Austri- Hey, where'd Fred go?
439
Hey, you jerk.
440
Think you're some kind of big shot?
441
Huh?
442
Want to tangle with Fred?
443
You don't got the cojones.
444
We're screwed.
445
Without consulting its allies, Prussia had gone ahead and sent Napoleon an ultimatum, demanding he move all his forces out of Germany.
446
Now, some of you watching this video probably can't even wipe your own bum bum yet, but even you know you don't just send Napoleon an ultimatum.
447
Obviously, Napoleon went in for the kill.
448
Prussia's army was quite outdated, so when they met Napoleon at the twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt, it wasn't even close.
449
Even Marshal Davout's heavily outnumbered corps at Auerstedt sent the Prussians running, and Napoleon carried out a ruthless pursuit of his fleeing enemy,
450
taking Berlin and within a single month decimating the Prussian forces.
451
Frederick William and the remnants of his army moved to the east.
452
At this point, Napoleon's forces were pretty tired.
453
Winter had come and conditions were miserable.
454
He anticipated both sides would settle into winter quarters, but Russia decided to try their hand at an unexpected winter attack.
455
A series of brutal battles followed that took a heavy toll on both sides, including the vicious Battle of Aylac, fought in blizzard conditions.
456
Men froze to death, and many deserted.
457
The Russian artillery tore the French to shreds, and Napoleon himself was momentarily under risk of being captured.
458
In the end, the French army was saved thanks to a legendary cavalry charge by Napoleon's flamboyant cavalry commander, Murat.
459
After the horror inflicted on both sides, they decided it might be a good idea not to do any more fighting until after winter.
460
Then, after winter came, and the fighting continued.
461
The Russians were pushed back to Friedland, where Russian General Benigsen made a bit of a blunder by positioning himself with the Aloe River to his back.
462
The French artillery were able to pin the Russians between the river and their concentrated gunfire, a major element in Napoleon's fighting style,
463
and many Russians drowned as they tried to escape.
464
War of the Fourth Coalition.
465
Napoleon.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 465 sentences and 5454 words to shadow. The speech runs for 29:28. The speaker talks fast, about 185 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| coalition noun | /koʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/ | A temporary group or union of organizations, usually formed for a particular advantage. |
| emperor noun | /ˈɛmp(ə)ɹə/ | The male monarch or ruler of an empire. |
| revolutionary noun | /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/ | A revolutionist; a person who revolts. |
| ally noun | /ˈæl.aɪ/ | A person who co-operates with or helps another; an associate; a friend. |
| artillery noun | /ɑɹˈtɪləɹi/ | Large projectile weapons, in modern usage usually large guns, but also rocket artillery. |
| marry verb | /ˈmæɹi/ | To enter into the conjugal or connubial state; to take a husband or a wife. |
| whoa | /woʊ/ | Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down. |
| pants noun | /pænts/ | An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers. |
| ideal adjective | /aɪˈdi(ə)l/ | Pertaining to ideas, or to a given idea. |
| trash noun | /tɹæʃ/ | Useless physical things to be discarded; rubbish; refuse. |
| fleet noun | /ˈfliːt/ | A group of vessels or vehicles. |
| treaty noun | /ˈtɹiti/ | A formal binding agreement concluded by subjects of international law, namely, states and international organizations; a convention, a pact. |
| consult verb | /ˈkɑnsʌlt/ | To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take counsel; to deliberate together; to confer; to advise. |
| cavalry noun | /ˈkæ.vəl.ɹi/ | An individual unit of this arm of service. |
| conquer verb | /ˈkɑŋkɚ/ | To defeat in combat; to subjugate. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). | |
| put down verb | To insult, belittle, or demean. | |
| blow up verb | To explode or be destroyed by explosion. | |
| bring back verb | /ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/ | To fetch something. |
| carry out verb | /ˈkæ.ɹi aʊt/ | To hold while moving it out. |
| close off verb | To seal or block the entrance to a road, an area, or a building so that people cannot enter. | |
| come along verb | To accompany. | |
| come down verb | To descend, fall down, collapse. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was made · be born · being bullied |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've reviewed · I've ever seen · You've done |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | man who could · anyone who would · corps, which were |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 92 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: thick /θɪk/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: coalition /koʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/, revolutionary /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/, trash /tɹæʃ/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/
- Long words — get the stress right: coalition /koʊ.əˈlɪʃ.ən/, revolutionary /ˌɹɛvəˈluʃənɛɹi/, artillery /ɑɹˈtɪləɹi/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, stability /stəˈbɪlɪti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like coalition, emperor, revolutionary.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.