The Most Monstrous of War

by Milton Finley

Reviewed by Russell Tomlinson


The Most Monstrous of War
by Milton Finley
Published by The University of South Carolina (1994)
Price 22.50 pounds
ISBN 1-57003-006-5

Napoleon orders his armies into a neighbouring country. The army of that country is corrupt and poorly led and soon faces defeat in the field. Napoleon then makes his brother, Joseph, king of that country and French troops keep him on the throne. The peasant population inspired by religious fervour and a hatred of foreigners rise up against French military rule. The French military is sucked into a vicious guerrilla war but have insufficient men and a lack of supplies to resolve the conflict. Perfidious Albion see an opportunity to strike at Bonaparte; lands on expeditionary force and through the control of the seas supplies the guerrilla cause. The main French field army is defeated and the entire war degenerates into a protracted guerrilla struggle.

You may be forgiven for assuming that I have just offered a brief resume of the war in Spain 1808-13. However, this was the situation which occurred in the Kingdom of Naples between 1806-l l .

'The Most Monstrous of Wars' is the title of the book by American historian Milton Finley which deals with the little known guerrilla war in the Neopolitan province of Calabria. I have to admit that I am fairly widely read on the English language publication the Napoleonic Wars but very little reference is made to the guerilla war in Calabria with the exception of the British victory at Maida. Finley has done his research well drawing on French, Italian and British sources.

This slim volume (161 pages) is intended as a serious academic work but this does not detract from it's readability. It contains a wealth of data on the conflict giving a good background to the Bourbon Kingdom of Naples. The book then details the French invasion of 1806, the British response and invasion under Sir John Stuart, the French defeat at Maida and the reasons for the loss of British interest in the region. All this set against the background of a vicious guerrilla war raging throughout Calabria until it was finally suppressed in 1811.

The war was also one of personalities ranging from the inept scheming Bourbon monarchy of King Ferdinand IV and his wife Queen Marie Caroline, the energetic British admiral Sir Sidney Smith and the chivalrous Sir John Stuart. The Calabrian guerrilla leaders include the colourful Parafante, Giuseppi Rotella 'The Executioner', Fra Diavolo (Brother Devil) and the unforgetful Francesco Muscato "il Bizzarro". The chief French players include Jean Louis Reynier, a Swiss Calvinist whose humane disposition was transformed by the war; who understood the nature of the conflict and how to suppress it but was constantly denied the resources. General Charles Antoine Manhes who together with the Calabrian Bonapartist, Ridolfo Ianelli, finally crushed the rebellion.

For the French the story was ultimately different to Spain, albeit at the cost of 20,000 lives. Milton takes the view that Napoleon knew by his early experiences in Calabria what he was letting himself in for in Spain. French policy in Calabria could also have achieved a victory against the guerrillas in Spain.

To sum up. The book is a well researched and written account of the war in Calabria. The war and the characters who shaped it are brought to life. I for one shall be looking forward to future offerings by Dr. Finley. A highly recommended addition to any Napoleonic library if your interest in the period 1792-1815 extends to more than just another account of Waterloo.

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