Search results
Nov 13, 2014 · This much misquoted line seems to sum up the popular image of Wellington, as the cold upper class General who flogged and hanged his men, while expecting them to follow his example and control themselves, fighting for nothing more than King and Country. But actually it says something very different.
May 18, 2015 · The success of the Lines of Torres Vedras and Masséna’s disastrous retreat in the spring of 1811 vindicated Wellington’s judgement in the eyes of the army and ensured that he had the complete confidence of his officers and men – and the government at home – for the rest of the war.
- Recruitment
- Equipment
- Experience
- Drill
- Discipline
- Officers
- The Regimental System
- Light Troops and Grenadiers
- Cavalry
- Artillery
Recruitment was a problem. Firstly, a huge amount of manpower was required. Wellington’s armies on campaign drew attention as they were actively fighting the French. Thousands of soldiers were also committed elsewhere; whether holding the colonies, defending the homeland, or, from 1812, fighting the Americans. Secondly, a career in the army was not...
Apart from soldiers, the other requirement of the army was equipment. Most soldiers were regular infantry. They dressed in bright uniforms earning the nickname of “redcoats.” Their primary weapon was a musket. It was not an accurate weapon and had not substantially changed in a hundred years. Prussian tests showed that, even without the pressure of...
The experience of the troops was extremely varied. Some had served in the colonies but had not been involved in any action. Others had fought under Wellington in India. Some had battled the French during Britain’s limited land interventions earlier in the war. A large number had barely been through basic training, never mind fighting in a conflict.
The key to turning all those soldiers and their limited weapons into a deadly force was to drill them. With rigorous training, repeated over and over, disparate men were transformed into deadly fighting formations. There were two critical aspects of British infantry drill. One was loading and firing – to ensure devastating volleys of lead could be ...
Wellington was regarded as a particularly hard disciplinarian. Strict control was used to achieve the desired result. Flogging was common, using the vicious cat-of-nine-tails. Hanging was also wielded on those breaking the most serious rules. It would not have been deemed excessive as many civilian crimes also led to the gallows.
Discipline was much harder to enforce among the officers. Officer ranks were bought and sold. The men occupying them were almost universally from the British upper class. They regarded their commissions as property. No court-martial was likely to deprive a man of his rank, no matter how poorly he performed. Those men had access to the best educatio...
Officers bought their way up the ranks, moving from one regiment to another as the chance for promotion arose. Privates and NCOs, on the other hand, nearly always stayed where they were. It became one of the great strengths of the British regimental system. By fighting and training together, men learned to work well in their small groups. Not wanti...
The elite troops of each infantry company were the flanking divisions – one the grenadiers and one light infantry. The grenadiers were recruited from among the most powerfully built of the experienced soldiers. Their role was no longer primarily to throw grenades. Instead, they were the hardiest fighters and shock troops. The light infantry were al...
The British cavalry was generally equipped with high-quality horses. Like the flanking companies, they divided into two types. Heavy cavalry were big men on large mounts. They were shock troops, trained to charge straight into enemy lines and break them open. The light cavalry had smaller horses. Their main roles were reconnaissance, screening, and...
Wellington never had as much artillery as he would have liked. It had a relatively short range by modern standards, reaching an extreme of 1,000 yards. It was fielded close to the fray and could strike the enemy at a greater distance than any other weapon. As well as being used to break fortifications in sieges, it was used to break up formations a...
At the Battle of Orthez in 1814, allegedly while teasing one of his men for being hit with a stray bullet, Wellington was struck in the leg by a musket ball. Luckily for him, the ball ricocheted off the sword on his hip, sparing him from serious injury.
Mar 8, 2019 · Wellesley praised the steadiness, discipline, and confidence of his men, as the British infantry squares proved impervious to French cavalry, whilst Allied cavalry performed well. Wellesley got his army safely back to Portugal, bringing the 1811 campaigning season to an end – a strategic failure.
- Military History
Mar 12, 2015 · Though he always demanded obedience, in person Wellington was reserved, raising his voice only at officers he considered pampered. As a junior officer, he often failed to punish the men who ...
People also ask
Why did Wellington hang his men?
Why was Wellington considered a pampered man?
Did Wellington know what he was talking about?
What problems did Wellington face?
Why was Wellington a pampered officer?
Why did Wellington hate cheering?
Feb 17, 2011 · As commander-in-chief of the British Army between 1827 and 1828, and from 1842 until his death in 1852, Wellington was a force for conservatism, and it has been argued that the lack of army...
