Lyrics of Free Toulon by HistoryMusicNerd
In the year ’93, the cannons are primed,
Napoleon steps forth, with victory in mind.
The flames of Toulon light up the sky,
The Royalists tremble, their time’s running dry.
Rise from the dust, warriors of the night,
Napoleon leads us into the relentless fight.
No retreat, no mercy, no escape from fate,
Death is the price for those who hesitate.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
Fire and steel, we storm through the night,
The harbor of Toulon will fall under might.
The British ships in cannon
sight and they must leave the fight.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
December’s chill cuts through the air,
The Revolution’s fire burns with a glare.
British ships in the harbor, their cannons roar,
But Napoleon’s strategy will settle the score.
Rise from the dust, warriors of the night,
Napoleon leads us into the relentless fight.
No retreat, no mercy, no escape from fate,
Death is the price for those who hesitate.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
Fire and steel, we storm through the night,
The harbor of Toulon will fall under might.
The British ships in cannon
sight and they must leave the fight.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
With every command, his name grows strong,
The rise of a leader, where he belongs.
Victory near, the enemy will fall,
Toulon’s surrender answers the call.
From the heights of Eguillette, he brings the fire,
Napoleon’s tactics, sharp and dire.
December 19th, the city submits,
Toulon falls, and history admits.
Rise from the dust, warriors of the night,
Napoleon leads us into the relentless fight.
No retreat, no mercy, no escape from fate,
Death is the price for those who hesitate.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
Fire and steel, we storm through the night,
The harbor of Toulon will fall under might.
The British ships in cannon
sight and they must leave the fight.
Napoleon! Lead us on, free Toulon!
As the dawn rises, the battle is done,
Toulon is fallen, and Napoleon has won.
His name etched in history, the conqueror’s fame,
In the ruins of Toulon, we remember his name.
Historical Background
In short: The song is about the Siege of Toulon 1793, where Napoleon defeated the British Forces.
Free Toulon – The Battle That Forged Napoleon
Some battles make legends. Others create emperors.
Free Toulon isn’t just about a victory—it’s about the moment Napoleon Bonaparte rose from obscurity and changed history forever. The Siege of Toulon (1793) was Napoleon’s first great triumph, where he defeated the British, drove out the Royalists, and secured his place as France’s rising star.
This is how a young artillery officer became the master of war.
1793 – France in Chaos
“In the year ’93, the cannons are primed, Napoleon steps forth, with victory in mind.”
The French Revolution had thrown France into turmoil. King Louis XVI was dead, and the Republic was fighting enemies both inside and outside its borders. One of the greatest threats? The Royalist rebellion in Toulon, a port city that had opened its gates to British and Spanish forces.
Losing Toulon meant losing France’s most important naval base in the Mediterranean. The Republic could not afford to fail.
That’s when a 24-year-old Corsican artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the scene.
Napoleon’s Plan – The Key to Victory
“From the heights of Eguillette, he brings the fire, Napoleon’s tactics, sharp and dire.”
At first, French generals had no idea how to take Toulon. The British fleet controlled the harbor, and the fortified city was nearly impossible to breach. But Napoleon saw what others didn’t:
- Instead of attacking the city directly, he focused on capturing key forts around the harbor.
- His artillery batteries bombarded the British fleet, forcing them to abandon their position.
- By seizing Fort l’Eguillette and Fort Mulgrave, he cut off the enemy’s escape route.
The result? The British fleet had no choice but to flee—and without their support, Toulon collapsed.
December 19, 1793 – Toulon Falls
“December 19th, the city submits, Toulon falls, and history admits.”
On December 19, after weeks of bombardment, the French stormed Toulon. The Royalist resistance collapsed, and the remaining British and Spanish forces evacuated.
Napoleon had won his first major battle—and he had done it with pure strategy and firepower.
Aftermath – The Rise of a Legend
“With every command, his name grows strong, the rise of a leader, where he belongs.”
Toulon wasn’t just a victory—it was the battle that launched Napoleon’s career.
- He was promoted to Brigadier General at just 24 years old.
- The French government took notice, and he quickly rose through the ranks.
- Within a few years, he was leading armies. Within a decade, he was Emperor of France.
Without Toulon, there is no Napoleon.
Why Free Toulon Still Matters
“As the dawn rises, the battle is done, Toulon is fallen, and Napoleon has won.”
The Siege of Toulon proved that:
- Artillery and strategy could change the course of a war.
- Napoleon was a military genius from the very beginning.
- A single battle can change the fate of a man—and an entire nation.
The Lesson?
Greatness doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s forged in fire.
Toulon was just the beginning.
And for Napoleon Bonaparte, it was the first step toward an empire.