Defying Napoleon

Book excerpt: The events surrounding the British bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807 are an engrossing story full of high drama. They involve some of the most fascinating military and political personalities of the period, including the future Duke of Wellington. In the three weeks between 16 August and 5 September 1807, the British landed, assaulted and captured the city of Copenhagen before making off with the Danish fleet. The expedition to Zealand in 1807 to seize the Danish Navy must rank as one of the most successful combined military operations in history - swift, ruthless and effective. It is also the first example in modern history of terror bombardment used against a major European city. The expedition was prompted by fears that Napolean would seize the Danish fleet and turn it against Britain, since although Denmark was neutral, she was thought to be susceptible to pressure from a new alliance between France and Russia. Britain's decision to launch her pre-emptive attack was based largely on inaccurate intelligence reports, and some parallels can be drawn with the American-led Coalition's invasion of Iraq in 2003. Show More Show Less