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- Indeed, Waterloo has left us with the wrong legacy: that Wellington was a defensive general famous for his “reverse slope” tactics, which effectively shielded his men from enemy fire.
militaryhistorynow.com/2020/09/27/the-best-of-wellington-five-of-the-iron-dukes-victories-that-surpass-waterloo/The Best of Wellington – Five of the Iron Duke's Victories ...
A leading political and military figure of the 19th century, the Duke of Wellington is best remembered for his defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo in 1815. As a general, he was renowned for his stunning defensive skills. His battle plans are still studied in military academies today. 5 min read.
Feb 26, 2021 · Many people accuse of Wellington of being a defensive general – a soldier who was only in his element when defending steep ridges. But how true is that opinion?
Wellington was a single British commander, who was constrained by what men and equipment the British government chose to give him. He couldn't even pick the officers he wanted, with many imposed on him by Horse Guards. That is why he has a reputation as a defensive general, he had to be because he simply couldn't afford to lose large numbers of ...
At the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington occupied a ridge astride the road to Brussels and invited Napoleon Bonaparte to attack. A master of the tactical defensive posture, the Duke of Wellington, later known as the “Iron Duke” for his military prowess, chose his ground well at Waterloo.
- Overview
- You say Wellington was “possessed of a keen eye for ground.” How did landscape and geography affect the battle?
On a horrible day 200 years ago, two great commanders, Napoleon and Wellington, fought a decisive battle and the world turned upside down.
Two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte and The Duke of Wellington met at Waterloo, in what is now Belgium. At stake was world dominance.
Many books have been written about this epic battle but most have concentrated on military tactics and strategy. In Waterloo: The History of Four Days, Three Armies, and Three Battles, Bernard Cornwell, author of the best-selling Sharpe series of historical novels, has made his first foray into non-fiction to tell the story of ordinary soldiers caught up in the chaos and terror of the battle.
Talking from his home on Cape Cod, he explains why Waterloo made Great Britain the dominant, global power for the next 100 years; how Wellington’s keen eye for geography was a decisive factor in the battle; and recalls his strange childhood in Britain with a fundamentalist sect known as the “Peculiar People.”
It affected it hugely, as I imagine it affects all battles and always has. Wellington was a superb attacking general, and unmatched as a defensive general. He had been appointed British Ambassador to Paris in 1814, when Napoleon first abdicated and was sent to Elba. On his way to Paris he did a tour of Holland.
At that time Belgium was part of Holland and its existence was guaranteed by British troops. Wellington toured the French border to see whether the defences were adequate. I don’t think he ever thought he’d have to fight again. Napoleon had been defeated and sent to Elba. I’m sure Wellington thought that was the end of him. But he traveled up to Brussels and made a note of the ridge of Waterloo. He even had a map made of it. We still have the map with his notes on it.
What he always looked for, if he was going to fight a defensive battle, was a ridge. It didn’t have to be a very high ridge, and the one at Waterloo at Mont St. Jean is actually a very low ridge. The ridge is the line you’re going to defend. But he doesn’t post his troops on top of the ridge, and he certainly doesn’t put them in front of the ridge where they’re exposed to enemy cannon fire. He puts them behind, on the reverse slope. That’s what he looked for.
The French, who are staring at his ridge, can see his cannons, because obviously they have to be on the front side of the ridge. And they can see various horsemen and people on top of the ridge. What they can’t see is what’s behind the ridge, where his main force is.
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was in Vienna when the news arrived in early March 1815 that Napoleon had escaped from exile on Elba and returned to France.
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Apr 3, 2016 · Wellington's lines of Torres Vedras are one of the greatest defensive tactical manoeuvres of all time.
