During the years 1800 to 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte was preparing a large army. His goal was to spread the idea of the French Revolution and ultimately expanded France's bountiful pride and glory. The way this was going to happen, according to Napoleon, was through expanding French territory. In order to do this he would need a large army, so that involved enlisting men by conscription. The army was filled with French men, as well as men from Germany and other surrounding areas. The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier looks first hand look at the life of an average soldier at the time, Jakob Walter. He was a nineteen year old german boy enlisted by conscription and assigned to regiment Romig, later known as Franquemont Regiment. In somewhat of a memoir, he dives into the progressive demoralization of self-preservation, pressure of attacks, and prejudice among Napoleon's troops. In the beginning, Walter was merely writing more to himself about the circumstances he went through. In the Campaign of 1806 and 1807, his writing was unemotional and non-interpretive. He did not express much about what he felt and was straightforward with his experiences. During the Campaign of 1812, in Russia, it became apparent to him that he may not survive as easily as he once thought. This was evident in his letter to his parents on 9 June 1812. Walter wrote, "how pitifully I am faring, me and my comrades, it is not to be describe. God would soon take pity and give us, poor folk, soon again rest and peace" (pg.140). His writing became much more descriptive and painted a picture of his desire to return home to his family. Early on in the book Walter expressed how important his family was to him. Every time he was reunited with his brother after a dangerous battle, it was a celebration. When Walter was sick during the Campaign of 1812, his "family and friends, greatly worried, came to