The Rise of Napoleon: Collecting Armies of the Revolution

By Guy Bowers

The Révolution française shook the world. The French executed their king and established a Republic, tearing up the old autocratic order that had governed European nations since the fall of the Roman Empire. The new Republic was viewed as a dangerous pariah, and a coalition of European states came together to defeat this radical menace and douse the fires of revolution.


The First Coalition failed to destroy France, if anything it was left stronger and more emboldened. The new Revolutionary armies were inspired by Nationalist fervour and beat the armies of the old powers of Austria, Britian, Prussia, and later Russia time and again. Many minor states were also involved. Moreover, it set the stage for one man to rise to power in France. With guile, charisma, and force, Napoleon became First Consul and was then crowned Emperor. 


This review looks at suitable models for the French Revolutionary armies and its enemies. What follows is a brief guide to the models available. As usual, space and time prohibits us from covering every single manufacturer, and we are using what has been kindly supplied in time for our deadline. We have included the Magister Militum range, as we understand this is changing hands and will be back in production. I also wanted to include Kozak miniatures and other 3D sculptors, but this was not possible this time. Both Eagle and Pendraken were unable to get us samples in time, so do check out their ranges. The ranges are classified as follows: Basic: basic infantry only; Standard: has the essential infantry and command; Comprehensive: as Standard, but with support and other options; and Complete: you would have to think hard to come up with units they do not have. WS&S

This article was featured in Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy Magazine 128. Discover this issue, and others, in our webshop: