the sense of -- napoleon has a calling her liking to napoleon early in his career. he had times strikes the napoleonic pos and its people reading kind of popular history books that glorified napoleon because there are worse where of course the irony loses but there are these battles where he has these crushing decisive victories where at least that segment of the napoleonic war is in many ways the model of what most west point journalists were hoping to achieve leader in the war becomes increasingly problematic and you have people like sherman who come up with interesting alternatives but for much of the public and the army's officer corps there is the desire the you can get that's what you want. you want to completely destroy your opponents in the field, not just make them retreat or just inflict more casualties but to actually crushed them as a organization. >> so what about counterinsurgency and insurgency methods? for those adopted during the civil war? those that may be broke out of the mold on the training on west point. >> there are definitely guerrillas espe

the desire comes from a cultural affinity he is like 10 to napoleon and people reading popular history books there are wars there are battles with crash came decisive victory is. that is the model of what most hope to achieve. later it becomes increasingly problematic but for much of the public there is the desire if you can get to completely destroy your opponents not to inflict more casualties. >> host: what about counter insurgency? who are some of those that broke out of the mold? >> there are gorillas. for union military logistics. but the problem really some of that comes from issues overseas. it is a mistake to overstate the guerrillas because they can deny a traditional forces, they cannot physically control that terrain. the confederacy does not want to something like syria. that is not what thereafter. there are a variety of reasons for that. some involve slavery as you can see because slaves our property but they are human beings and people to a vague restriction in the way the property can. it really read does not rely on guerrillas because the end point* is to have the env

parliament in both cases indorse the new government that's the case with every dictatorship starting from napoleon they always manage to get the parliamentary vote in their favor the reality is that we're dealing with administrations that have been imposed on countries because keeping those countries in new york was thought to be more important than allowing them to vote for the policies they want we do appear to be drawing nearer to a referendum on whether the u.k. should stay in the european union what would it take do you think for the government to take that final step well politicians in my experience feel the heat before they see the light i don't think any political party likes referendums to be honest because politicians are instinctively mistrustful of a process whose outcome they can't control nonetheless they all see that there is big public demand people want to be consulted they feel that it's a huge issue what country they want to put on to and that it's insulting and wrong not to allow people the referendum which all three parties were recently promising and all three have managed t

that's quite a significant reduction is going to mean the smallest british army since before the napoleonic wars eight thousand u.k. troops face christmas as unemployed civilians defense secretary philip pam and insists the cuts a necessary to balance the defense budget yet at the same time the u.k. is committed to remaining one of the biggest military spending is in the world well any modern army even if it cuts its troops needs up to date equipment but take a look at these the british government has spent some two billion pounds on developing remote control attack drones since two thousand and seven but homegrown u.k. drones don't have a good track record how about the watch keeper drone this nifty piece of military equipment has already cost the u.k. taxpayers are about eight hundred million pounds it was meant to be up and flying by now it isn't yet ready and now running two under half years late the watch keep its predecessor was a drone called the phoenix that proved so unreliable that an army suckles it became known as the bugger off because it often left on missions never to return

but a lot of times in military history when you see the big attack like napoleon where he destroys the entire pressure army in one blow you have to have not just superior, you also have to have superior organizational institutions. during the civil war you have clearly better you do become better generals. the institutions are similar at each engagement at of chancellorsville. that is a great example. and we have a question for the chancellor's but he can't quite truly destroy the entire federal army. partly because these armies are so similar come at such a similar level of competence and proficiency. >> was one of the goals of the big battles was one of the goals and end all types of focus we are going to end of the war? >> that really is the hope. >> was that taught at west point? >> one of the curious ironies about this is west point -- and this is part of the problem because west point is because of the influence by the french

>> no hagas caso, la gente se burlaba de napoleÓn cuando descubriÓ amÉrica. >> Él no descubriÓ amÉrica el jefe no vino a trabajar. >> que estÁs en lo cierto alguien debe ir a esa trinchera a averiguar cuÁntos son y que arma tienen. >> estas en lo cierto... >> necesito un voluntario... >> no vino. >> el que se ofrezca de voluntario que de dos pasos al frente, ya. te felicito, siempre supe que era su valiente, si pierdes la vida en esta misiÓn prometo que todos los dÍas llevarÉ flores a tu sepultura. >> claveles? >> no, estÁn muy caros. ademÁs sabes en quÉ calidad debe ser un soldado para ser enterrado con honores? >> sÍ en calidad de difunto. >> anda ve... otra vez? permÍteme... >> gracias. >> por nada... ♪ >> permÍtanme uno, dos, Únicamente dos... >> ya sabemos que los otros dos somos los Únicos, se nos hizo tarde... >> traigo un ultimÁtum. >> no, le prometemos que nunca vuelve a suceder. >> estÁ bien. >> quiÉn es el tipo ese? >> no lo conozco, debe ser el sustituto del ingeniero que estÁ enfermo. >> Únicamente dos, uno de ellos se parece al pelotÓn que capturaste puede estar disfrazad

probably do to sheridan's evidents, and also due to events in europe, france's emperor, napoleon iii, withdrew his support of maximilian. maximilian's regime collapsed and the mexican insurgents that sheridan had supported, took control of their country. sheridan was a military governor of texas and louisiana during the early phases of reconstruction. the army commanders in the south were caught between congress' harsh reconstruction policies and president andrew johnson's opposition to them. most of them kept a low profile. sheridan did not. urged on by grant, he alone removed elected officials who defied congress' policies. fired scores of them. from city alderman to the governors of louisiana and texas. consequently, president johnson removed sheridan as military governor. he was commanded to lead the troops on the plains. it was here that sheridan began prosecuting with brutal effectiveness, the strategy that he implemented in the shenandoah valley. one of total war. the work the shenandoah valley was a milder form of an older warfare that did not distinguish between soldiers and

there hands were tied with napoleon and financially and logistically will not interested in another conflict. they did not have the goal to take the united states. negotiations started from the beginning. . . >> thank you very much. a very interesting talk. i'm wondering, the 50th anniversary of the war of 1812 was in 1862 at the beginning of the civil war. i'm wondering the way the united states remembered the war of 1812 was in any way affected i the carnage that you pointed out? >> was it affected by the carnage that i pointed out? no, just to clarify there wasn't much carnage in the war of 1812. >> the carnage of the civil war. >> that is a fascinating question. i feel like he you just gave me a new look topic. the answer is i don't know but it would be really interesting to go back and look. i have to think they made been too preoccupied. in fact i think that they were much more prominent at the 75th anniversary band at the 50th. so that is what i would say quickly but i think it's a really interesting question. >> thank you. [inaudible] >> we had a very small at the outset of the war a

partly due to sheridan zephyrs, but also events in europe, the emperor, napoleon the third cam withdrew his support of maximilian. maximilian's regime collapsed and the mexican insurgents that sheridan has ordered took control of their country. sheridan was a military governor of texas and louisiana during the early phases of reconstruction. the army commanders in the south were caught between congresses harsh reconstruction policies and president andrew johnson's opposition to them. most of them kept a low profile. sheridan did not. urged on by grant, he alone removed the light at officials who defied congress' policies, fired scores of them to the governors of louisiana and is. consequently, president johnson remove sheridan as military governor. he was transferred to the west to command the district encompassing the southern great plains. they are indeed were your plans for slaughtering settlers in western kansas in eastern colorado. and it was here that sheridan began prosecuting with brutal effectiveness strategy yet implemented in the shenandoah valley, one of total war. as ration

as i said, for most of it they really had their hands tied with napoleon and even once he was defeated, they still were financially and logistically not interested in this conflict. .. >> wanted action on. so really the british were never committed to this war, but, you know, when the u.s. declared war, they had to respond. so if anything, probably the peace treaty wasn't abrupt, it was a very long time coming. oh, hi. >> thank you very much. it was a very interesting talk. i'm wondering, the 50th anniversary of the war of 1812, of course, was 1862 right at the beginning of the civil war. i'm wondering if way the united states remembered the war of 1812, um, was in any way affected by the carnage that you pointed out? >> um, was it affected by the carnage that i pointed out. no. just to clarify, there wasn't much carnage in the war of 1812, so the question would be -- >> well, the carnage of the civil war. >> the civil war. that is such a fascinating question, i feel like you just gave me a new book project. [laughter] the answer is, i don't know. but it would be really interesting to

for the british it, this was just one small, kind of sideshow in the midst of a global war with napoleon. so for them the war of 1812 is the one happening on the european continent and around the globe. not the one happening in north america. that might have something to do with what is taught in australia. the fact of the matter it was not taught very much here either i think for some of the reasons that i outlined. if you look at this in military and diplomatic terms it didn't change very much for the united states. but i think it is worth taking a new look at it from a cultural perspective and thinking about what it means to declare war in a democracy and how you use popular culture to mobile public opinion. >> thank you. >> yes? >> seems to me the war came to an end rather abruptly even after the defeat of hull and before new orleans, the peace treaty having been signed before the battle of new orleans. the british were winning. why was it ended so abruptly? . . one of the declared reasons for the war were the so-called british orders in council which had to do with interfering with

he said if you were sitting between jesus christ and napoleon, you wouldn't be able to get much donearter would do it, right? >> they should bring carter back. i'm sure he would do it, go off with people. >> special envoy carter. >> this is possible. it's not impossible. >> sure it is. >> but people are going to have to be -- go to a level of honesty that is not in our political campaign, and that's, you know, that's appalling and upsetting. >> all right. we're going to do the polls in the next block because chuck todd will be joining us. >> great statewide polls that actually show trends going mitt romney's way in a couple of key swing states. >> fascinating times. >>> next, obama deputy campaign manager stephanie cutter joins us live from denver. also joining us from denver, nbc news political director chuck todd. you're watching "morning joe" brewed by starbucks. welcome aboard! [ chuckles ] ♪ [ honk! ] ♪ [ honk! ] ♪ [ honk! ] ♪ [ male announcer ] now you'll know when to stop. [ honk! ] the all-new nissan altima with easy fill tire alert. [ honk! ] it's our most innovative altima

she's 35, about five feet two and a thick collar in the book, she's napoleon without the complex.these are remarkable people really take incredible risk, but they do it wisely. that's the thing that's so incredible if they're actually very pragmatic and looking at the risk and they take chances when they fail, but the mistake we made do in their struggle from afar as we think the story ends with their failure. even when they are failing, they're going back at reviving the notes. they're looking at what they did and say okay, what did we do wrong here? how we do it differently next time? it's that type of learning. my book is called "the dictator's learning curve." it could also be called democracies advocate warning rule. but it did are scarier that makes you want to buy the book him as we focus on that, but the struggle between both. >> you talked about russia and the books first chapters about russia and vladimir putin's regime. i found another silly fascinating. i don't follow russian affairs particularly closely know is regarded putin is an autocratic thug with unusual flair f