About Napoleonic-Officers.net
Updates
Updates, status of the site, and Napoleonic thoughts can be found on the official Napoleonic-Officers.net Blog.Architect
Combining passion for Napoleonic military history with technical skills and a desire for a better encyclopedia of French officers, Nathan D. Jensen designed and built this entire site as the sole architect and writer. You can email me at
Site Inspiration and Purpose
The inspiration for Napoleonic-Officers.net originally came from my frustration at not having a similar resource. While reading through numerous books on the Napoleonic Era, I would find myself coming across names that I recognized, but could not place. Had I seen that name attached to a division in a battle, or had this individual done something remarkable that made a good story? After obtaining some biographical dictionaries, my troubles were lessened, but it still wasn't enough. Such dictionaries are often limited in pictures and scope, only offering pictures of the most famous individuals, and usually covering only the most significant facts and events about an individual's life, which are oftentimes not the most interesting.On my most recent trip to France, my two primary destinations were Paris and the rural countryside. During my Paris stay, of course I visited the Arc de Triomphe. At the Arc de Triomphe, I was surprised by how little information was presented about the individuals and battles it commemorates. Sadly, I suspect the heroic names and bloody battles inscribed upon it are scarcely understood by the monument's many visitors. While a quick internet search will turn up the marshals and some of the more famous generals, there are far more individuals who cannot be found on the internet easily.
While traveling through the more rural regions of France, I stopped at the town hall of one small town. An entire room of the town hall was dedicated to Revolutionary and Imperial heroes of this small town, complete with a life-size portrait of each individual adorning the walls. That got me wondering, how many of these individuals knew each other? Were some of similar age, and perhaps grew up together? How many other towns did I drive through and not know that I was driving through a place of historical significance as the hometown of a Napoleonic general?
No other resource seemed to fit what I was looking for, and thus, the inspiration for this site was born. Originally in my mind it was an encyclopedia of generals, containing not only their facts of life, like their birthdates, but more, such as the interesting facts and stories that really make an individual come alive. Putting a face and a personality to a name wherever possible, keeping track of the extraordinary events of an individual's life.
Special Thanks
Special thanks goes to Tarah Luke for assisting with locations on the Paris Sites map.Site copyright Nathan D. Jensen 2005-2008.