The limits of conflict in napoleonic Europe – and their transgression

Like all wars, the Napoleonic Wars were anything but a uniform experience. Their character varied over time, and from place to place. Some elements of the conflicts looked back to the past, while others seemed to foreshadow the practices of later years. The opposing powers operated in different ways and even articulated different sets of rules for themselves. And of course all these differences subsequently informed a wide range of writing about the wars. The challenge for historians, then, is twofold: first, to give as complete a description as possible of the range of experiences, highlighting their differences, nuances and complexities; but secondly, to venture the best possible generalisations about the experiences as a whole, trying to discern overall patterns and tendencies.