Jakob Walter, German draftee

In the Napoleonic wars that followed the French revolution, the young men of Europe served as the soldiers - and the cannon fodder - in years of brutal fighting. One such soldier was the Rhinelander Jakob Walter, who found himself in Napoleon's army just in time for the ill-fated invasion of Russia. A participant in historic battles, including Borodino, Walter survived not only fighting, but wounds, the threat of starvation, and brigands. A survival almost as remarkable is that of the diary of his experiences, which gives us unparalleled insights into the life of a common soldier in the Napoleonic army.

1. For a description of and paintings illustrating the life of a soldier, with reference to Jakob Walter's diary, visit
   http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_war/soldier/page_1.html
2. Although Walter did not fight at Waterloo, many common footsoldiers like him did. PBS offers an interactive game of the battle at
   http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_war/ibs/index.html
3. Napoleon's costly retreat from Russia, in which Walter was caught up, was the subject of many artistic treatments, some designed to glorify Napoleon rather than to show accurately the terrible toll on his soldiers. See some examples at
   http://www.napoleon.org/en/essential_napoleon/key_painting/premier_empire.asp#452717
4. Read and view interesting primary sources, including excerpts from letters and memoirs, about Napoleon and his campaigns at
   http://europeanhistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wtj.com%2Fwars%2Fnapoleonic%2F