OTD, 1799, the Coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799).

TL:DR - in a military coup, Napoleon Bomaparte takes over the French Revolutionary government that will eventually morph into a dictatorship & the First French Empire. Thread to follow: Context: Austria had resumed the war against revolutionary France in the spring of 1799 and the war had gone well for them. They were soon joined by Russia. Throughout the summer/early fall the allied armies completely rolled back French gains in Italy & threatened to invade

On this day in 1792 French Revolutionary armies halted a Prussian advance on Paris at the Battle of Valmy.

TL:DR - the French victory at Valmy emboldened the revolutionary govt in Paris & they rejected the constitutional monarchy they'd created and declared France a republic. The situation in France looked bleak as Fall 1792 approached. After 2.5 years of profound social & political change, French revolutionaries came up with a written constitution that created a constitutional monarchy. However, it was soon clear to everyone that it was unworkable.

The Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment), a black regiment, fought with great distinction in WWI. No American unit spent more time in front line trenches & no American unit took more casualties. Initially, like most black units, it was assigned labor duties... White American soldiers/officers refused to serve in combat roles with the 369th so they were transferred to the French army for the rest of the war. They were issued French weapons, belts and helmets but retained their American uniforms. The French welcomed the 369th warmly.

Three years ago we played the Battle of Borodino using 15mm miniatures using Napoleon's Battles. It was an epic endeavor. The slides below are adapted from a powerpoint presentation I made to memorialize the event.

@Napoleonic_Imp @AgeofNapoleon

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