June 18, 2020
Anniversary of Waterloo
Timothy Birdnow
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. On this day in 1815 the British along with a number of allies defeated the Emperor Napoleon in a desperately close fought battle for control of Europe.
Napoleon had been exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba but he escaped and returned to France for one final push to dominate Europe. The Duke of Wellington assumed command of a multi-national army that included the Prussians in the East (reminscent of the American/British/Russian alliance against the Nazis a hundred and thirty years later.)
According to the
Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, oil on canvas by Sir Thomas Lawrence.The Granger Collection, New York
Wellington's victory meant the final end of Napoleon. He would be exiled again - this time to a more secure island in the middle of the Atlantic named St. Helena. He would live ten more years before dying of a dubious ailment; many suspect he was poisoned (the commandant of the British post hated him.)
This was one of history's great turning points.
It is often forgotten how terrible Napoleon was in his day. He changed the rules of war, which had become quite gentlemanly and solicitous of non-combatants. Napoleon wouldn't play that game; he often divided his opponents and destroyed them, rather than simply outmanuever them. He was the first modern "victory at any cost" warlord. The title hostis humani generis "enemy of all Mankind" because of his ruthlessness (a title previously only applied to pirates and other stateless peoples.)
At any rate, this was a major turning point in history.
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. On this day in 1815 the British along with a number of allies defeated the Emperor Napoleon in a desperately close fought battle for control of Europe.
Napoleon had been exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba but he escaped and returned to France for one final push to dominate Europe. The Duke of Wellington assumed command of a multi-national army that included the Prussians in the East (reminscent of the American/British/Russian alliance against the Nazis a hundred and thirty years later.)
According to the
It was fought during the Hundred Days of Napoleon’s restoration, 3 miles (5 km) south of Waterloo village (which is 9 miles [14.5 km] south of Brussels), between Napoleon’s 72,000 troops and the combined forces of the duke of Wellington’sPrussians, the main force of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher’s command.
[...]
The allied campaign against Napoleon began in earnest in early June, but the armies that had assembled in BelgiumWilliam II), were unreliable, having served under Napoleon little more than a year before. The remainder of that polyglot army was made up of some 16,000 Hanoverians, roughly 6,800 Brunswickers, and the 6,300 men of George III’s German Legion. Only the last contingent, veterans of the Peninsular War, could be safely trusted in a crisis. Thus, the majority of the troops arrayed against Napoleon were no match for the highly enthusiastic and largely veteran French force. Wellington and Blücher had agreed to come to each other’s assistance should either be attacked, but the lack of any real preparation prior to June 15 shows that little serious attention had been given to such a possibility.
[...]
The allied campaign against Napoleon began in earnest in early June, but the armies that had assembled in BelgiumWilliam II), were unreliable, having served under Napoleon little more than a year before. The remainder of that polyglot army was made up of some 16,000 Hanoverians, roughly 6,800 Brunswickers, and the 6,300 men of George III’s German Legion. Only the last contingent, veterans of the Peninsular War, could be safely trusted in a crisis. Thus, the majority of the troops arrayed against Napoleon were no match for the highly enthusiastic and largely veteran French force. Wellington and Blücher had agreed to come to each other’s assistance should either be attacked, but the lack of any real preparation prior to June 15 shows that little serious attention had been given to such a possibility.
allied army of 68,000 (with British, Dutch, Belgian, and German units) and about 45,000
were of dubious quality. Blücher’s four corps included many
inexperienced conscripts among their 120,000 men. Wellington, whose
forces numbered more than 93,000 before the campaign began,
characterized his own army as "infamous.†Of the 31,000 British troops
under his command, most had never been under fire. Many of the 29,000
Netherlanders under William, Prince of Orange (later
Wellington's victory meant the final end of Napoleon. He would be exiled again - this time to a more secure island in the middle of the Atlantic named St. Helena. He would live ten more years before dying of a dubious ailment; many suspect he was poisoned (the commandant of the British post hated him.)
This was one of history's great turning points.
It is often forgotten how terrible Napoleon was in his day. He changed the rules of war, which had become quite gentlemanly and solicitous of non-combatants. Napoleon wouldn't play that game; he often divided his opponents and destroyed them, rather than simply outmanuever them. He was the first modern "victory at any cost" warlord. The title hostis humani generis "enemy of all Mankind" because of his ruthlessness (a title previously only applied to pirates and other stateless peoples.)
At any rate, this was a major turning point in history.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
09:24 AM
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