The book addresses all relevant political and military aspects necessary for understanding the revolutionary era. It spans from the modernization pushes of the late 18th century and the time of Napoleon I, through the course of the Wars of Liberation, to the decisive Battle of Waterloo/Belle Alliance. It discusses the weapons, their use, and tactics during the Napoleonic era, the evolving laws of war, and the new peace order represented by the Congress of Vienna, as well as the place of the Wars of Liberation in cultural memory. Additional chapters focus on two often-overlooked aspects: the systematic art theft carried out on Napoleon's orders, and the war atrocities during the Wars of Liberation, which are evidenced by the fact that few prisoners were taken.