This military study sheds new light on the significance of Copenhagen in the Napoleonic Wars through primary source accounts of two major battles. In 1801 and 1807, British forces clashed with Napoleon and his allies in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Yet the significance of those battles, and the key role the country played in the conflict in northern Europe, has rarely been examined in detail. In The Two Battles of Copenhagen, Gareth Glover uses original source material to describe these events from the British and Danish perspectives. In the process, he reveals new insights into the politics of this region during this turbulent phase of European history. The first Battle of Copenhagen was a naval battle celebrated in Britain as one of Nelson’s great victories. The second was an assault on the city by the British army in which Wellington played a prominent part. These episodes in the continental struggle to resist the French are described in vivid detail, with extensive quotes from the recollections of eyewitnesses on both sides.

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.