Arthur Wellesley Archives - Shannon Selin Napoleon’s Nemesis: The Duke of Wellington Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1814 Napoleon Bonaparte and Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley never met or corresponded, and they fought only one battle directly against each other, on June 18, 1815. The fact that it was the Battle of Waterloo , which resulted in Napoleon’s permanent removal from the French throne, cemented them together in history. Wellesley – better known as the Duke of Wellington, a title he was granted in 1814 – was born in Dublin on May 1, 1769, the same year as Napoleon. He joined the British Army in 1787 and served in the Netherlands, India and Denmark before rising to prominence in the Peninsular War . He led the allied forces to victory against the French in Spain, and served as Britain’s ambassador to France after Napoleon’s first abdication in 1814. Louis XVIII was very fond of him.

When the Duke of Wellington was later asked if he saw Napoleon on the opposite heights at Waterloo, he said, “No, I could not – the day was dark – there was a great deal of rain in the air.” (1) It is claimed that during the battle a British artillery officer came to Wellington to tell him that he had a clear a view of Napoleon and several guns pointing in that direction. Wellington replied, “No! I’ll not allow it. It is not the business of commanders to be firing upon one another.” (2) As Andrew Roberts notes in Napoleon and Wellington (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001), Napoleon needed to be defeated in the field. If he had been killed in an “ungentlemanly” fashion, people would always have suspected that he would have won the battle. Afterwards, Wellington refused to allow Napoleon to be handed over to the Prussians, who were keen to execute him. Wellington’s opinion of Napoleon Wellington did not consider Napoleon to be a gentleman. He commonly referred to him as “Buonaparte,” using a spelling and pronunciation that emphasized Napoleon’s non-French lineage.

In 1835 he wrote: Buonaparte’s whole life, civil, political, and military, was a fraud. There was not a transaction, great or small, in which lying and fraud were not introduced…. Of flagrant lies, the most important in the military branch of his life that I can now recollect are – first, the expedition from Egypt into Syria, which totally failed, and yet on his return to Egypt was represented to the army there as a victory…. The next was the battle of Eylau. This he represented as a great victory. It is true that the Allied army retired after the battle. So did Buonaparte. … I should think that Spain would afford you instances of fraud in his political schemes and negotiations. … Buonaparte’s foreign policy was force and menace, aided by fraud and corruption. If the fraud was discovered, force and menace succeeded; and in most cases the unfortunate victim did not dare to avow that he perceived the fraud. (3) However he later said to the same correspondent: I have seen most of the other marshals and I have no doubt that, as a general, Buonaparte was the best of them…and with his prestige worth forty thousand men.

(4) As Roberts points out, Wellington could not disparage Napoleon’s military skill without lessening his own achievements. Napoleon’s opinion of Wellington Napoleon referred to Wellington as a representative of the “English oligarchy,” and blamed him for his exile on St. Helena , even though Wellington – who had spent a month on the island in 1805 – had nothing to do with the choice of that remote location. One of Napoleon’s companions on St. Helena, the Count de Las Cases, writes that in general Napoleon disliked speaking of Wellington. “He seemed carefully to avoid pronouncing his opinion on him; feeling, no doubt, the impropriety of publicly depreciating the General who had triumphed over him.” (5) On one occasion when Napoleon did pronounce on Wellington, his remarks were not complimentary: [I]t is very certain that I gave [Wellington] a terrible quarter of an hour [at Waterloo]. This usually constitutes a claim on noble minds; his was incapable of feeling it. My fall, and the lot that might have been reserved for me, afforded him the opportunity of reaping higher glory than he has gained by all his victories. But he did not understand this.

Well, at any rate, he ought to be heartily grateful to old Blücher; had it not been for him, I know not where his Grace might have been today; but I know that I, at least, should not have been at St. Helena. Wellington’s troops were admirable, but his plans were despicable; or should I rather say, that he formed none at all. He had placed himself in a situation in which it was impossible he could form any; and by a curious chance, this very circumstance saved him. If he could have commenced a retreat, he must infallibly have been lost. He certainly remained master of the field of battle; but was his success the result of his skill? He has reaped the fruit of a brilliant victory; but did his genius prepare it for him? His glory is wholly negative. His faults were enormous. He, the European Generalissimo, to whose hands so many interests were entrusted, and having before him an enemy so prompt and daring as myself, left his forces dispersed and slumbered in a capital until he was surprised. And yet such is the power of fatality!

(6) For more of Napoleon’s thoughts regarding the Battle of Waterloo, see my post on that subject . In his will Napoleon left 10,000 francs to a former imperial army soldier named Cantillon who had been accused, and acquitted, of attempting to assassinate Wellington in Paris in 1818. Wellington after Waterloo Although best known as a military commander, the Duke of Wellington was also a Tory politician. During the time in which Napoleon in America is set, Wellington was serving in Lord Liverpool ’s cabinet as Master-General of the Ordnance. This meant he was responsible for British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, transport and field hospitals, among other things. He later served twice as Prime Minister of Great Britain, in 1828-1830 and again briefly in 1834. In his later years he was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, a post he held until his death on September 14, 1852 at the age of 83. For an image of the Duke of Wellington on his deathbed and to read his last words, see my post on the last words of famous people .

Sean Grass describes Wellington’s extravagant funeral, which was replete with commercial excess (Duke of Wellington funeral wine, anyone?), in BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History . Some 1.5 million people lined the streets and 10,000 guests packed St. Paul’s Cathedral. Every parish church in England tolled its bells. Tennyson wrote a fulsome ode to mark the occasion: For this is England’s greatest son, He that gain’d a hundred fights, Nor ever lost an English gun. For more about the Duke of Wellington, Lifeofwellington.co.uk provides an extensive free online commentary to accompany Rory Muir’s two-volume biography of Wellington, and an excellent set of links in its “further resources” section. If it’s books you’re after, Adventures in Historyland has posted a fine Duke of Wellington reading list.

You might also enjoy: Napoleon’s Nemesis: The Duke of Wellington - Shannon Selin Napoleon’s Nemesis: The Duke of Wellington Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1814 Napoleon Bonaparte and Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley never met or corresponded, and they fought only one battle directly against each other, on June 18, 1815. The fact that it was the Battle of Waterloo , which resulted in Napoleon’s permanent removal from the French throne, cemented them together in history. Wellesley – better known as the Duke of Wellington, a title he was granted in 1814 – was born in Dublin on May 1, 1769, the same year as Napoleon. He joined the British Army in 1787 and served in the Netherlands, India and Denmark before rising to prominence in the Peninsular War . He led the allied forces to victory against the French in Spain, and served as Britain’s ambassador to France after Napoleon’s first abdication in 1814. Louis XVIII was very fond of him.

When the Duke of Wellington was later asked if he saw Napoleon on the opposite heights at Waterloo, he said, “No, I could not – the day was dark – there was a great deal of rain in the air.” (1) It is claimed that during the battle a British artillery officer came to Wellington to tell him that he had a clear a view of Napoleon and several guns pointing in that direction. Wellington replied, “No! I’ll not allow it. It is not the business of commanders to be firing upon one another.” (2) As Andrew Roberts notes in Napoleon and Wellington (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001), Napoleon needed to be defeated in the field. If he had been killed in an “ungentlemanly” fashion, people would always have suspected that he would have won the battle. Afterwards, Wellington refused to allow Napoleon to be handed over to the Prussians, who were keen to execute him. Wellington’s opinion of Napoleon Wellington did not consider Napoleon to be a gentleman. He commonly referred to him as “Buonaparte,” using a spelling and pronunciation that emphasized Napoleon’s non-French lineage.

In 1835 he wrote: Buonaparte’s whole life, civil, political, and military, was a fraud. There was not a transaction, great or small, in which lying and fraud were not introduced…. Of flagrant lies, the most important in the military branch of his life that I can now recollect are – first, the expedition from Egypt into Syria, which totally failed, and yet on his return to Egypt was represented to the army there as a victory…. The next was the battle of Eylau. This he represented as a great victory. It is true that the Allied army retired after the battle. So did Buonaparte. … I should think that Spain would afford you instances of fraud in his political schemes and negotiations. … Buonaparte’s foreign policy was force and menace, aided by fraud and corruption. If the fraud was discovered, force and menace succeeded; and in most cases the unfortunate victim did not dare to avow that he perceived the fraud. (3) However he later said to the same correspondent: I have seen most of the other marshals and I have no doubt that, as a general, Buonaparte was the best of them…and with his prestige worth forty thousand men.

(4) As Roberts points out, Wellington could not disparage Napoleon’s military skill without lessening his own achievements. Napoleon’s opinion of Wellington Napoleon referred to Wellington as a representative of the “English oligarchy,” and blamed him for his exile on St. Helena , even though Wellington – who had spent a month on the island in 1805 – had nothing to do with the choice of that remote location. One of Napoleon’s companions on St. Helena, the Count de Las Cases, writes that in general Napoleon disliked speaking of Wellington. “He seemed carefully to avoid pronouncing his opinion on him; feeling, no doubt, the impropriety of publicly depreciating the General who had triumphed over him.” (5) On one occasion when Napoleon did pronounce on Wellington, his remarks were not complimentary: [I]t is very certain that I gave [Wellington] a terrible quarter of an hour [at Waterloo]. This usually constitutes a claim on noble minds; his was incapable of feeling it. My fall, and the lot that might have been reserved for me, afforded him the opportunity of reaping higher glory than he has gained by all his victories. But he did not understand this.

Well, at any rate, he ought to be heartily grateful to old Blücher; had it not been for him, I know not where his Grace might have been today; but I know that I, at least, should not have been at St. Helena. Wellington’s troops were admirable, but his plans were despicable; or should I rather say, that he formed none at all. He had placed himself in a situation in which it was impossible he could form any; and by a curious chance, this very circumstance saved him. If he could have commenced a retreat, he must infallibly have been lost. He certainly remained master of the field of battle; but was his success the result of his skill? He has reaped the fruit of a brilliant victory; but did his genius prepare it for him? His glory is wholly negative. His faults were enormous. He, the European Generalissimo, to whose hands so many interests were entrusted, and having before him an enemy so prompt and daring as myself, left his forces dispersed and slumbered in a capital until he was surprised. And yet such is the power of fatality!

(6) For more of Napoleon’s thoughts regarding the Battle of Waterloo, see my post on that subject . In his will Napoleon left 10,000 francs to a former imperial army soldier named Cantillon who had been accused, and acquitted, of attempting to assassinate Wellington in Paris in 1818. Wellington after Waterloo Although best known as a military commander, the Duke of Wellington was also a Tory politician. During the time in which Napoleon in America is set, Wellington was serving in Lord Liverpool ’s cabinet as Master-General of the Ordnance. This meant he was responsible for British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, transport and field hospitals, among other things. He later served twice as Prime Minister of Great Britain, in 1828-1830 and again briefly in 1834. In his later years he was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, a post he held until his death on September 14, 1852 at the age of 83. For an image of the Duke of Wellington on his deathbed and to read his last words, see my post on the last words of famous people .

Sean Grass describes Wellington’s extravagant funeral, which was replete with commercial excess (Duke of Wellington funeral wine, anyone?), in BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History . Some 1.5 million people lined the streets and 10,000 guests packed St. Paul’s Cathedral. Every parish church in England tolled its bells. Tennyson wrote a fulsome ode to mark the occasion: For this is England’s greatest son, He that gain’d a hundred fights, Nor ever lost an English gun. For more about the Duke of Wellington, Lifeofwellington.co.uk provides an extensive free online commentary to accompany Rory Muir’s two-volume biography of Wellington, and an excellent set of links in its “further resources” section. If it’s books you’re after, Adventures in Historyland has posted a fine Duke of Wellington reading list.

You might also enjoy: Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington ▼ Primary Sources ▼ Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, the third surviving son of the Earl of Mornington (1735–1781), and his wife, Anne (1742–1831), was born in Dublin on 1st May 1769. According to his biographer, Norman Gash : "Arthur lost his father at the age of twelve and was thought by his imperious mother to be foolish and dull in comparison with his elder brothers, Richard Wellesley, second earl of Mornington, and William Wellesley-Pole, later Baron Maryborough and third earl of Mornington. His only talents seemed to be for playing the violin (which may have come from his father, who was an accomplished amateur musician) and arithmetical calculation.

But these minor gifts were obscured by his physical indolence and social awkwardness: signs perhaps of an unhappy and lonely childhood." In 1781 he went to Eton College where he was "an unsociable and occasionally aggressive schoolboy who made little effort to learn." Arthur was removed from the college in the summer of 1784 and joined his mother in Brussels. After receiving French lessons he was sent to the Academy of Equitation at Angers in January 1786. In addition to fencing, horsemanship, and the science of fortification, there were lessons in mathematics, grammar, and dancing. In March 1787 a commission was obtained for Wellesley as ensign in the 73rd foot, a Highland regiment then in India. Family connections enabled him to be appointed as aide-de-camp to George Nugent-Temple-Grenville , the lord lieutenant of Ireland. In December he was commissioned as lieutenant in the 76th foot and by June 1789 had been transferred to the 12th light dragoons. The following year he became a member of the Irish House of Commons for the family borough of Trim .

In June 1791 he was commissioned as captain in the 58th foot, before moving to the 18th light dragoons in October 1792. Norman Gash has pointed out: "In little more than five years he had held commissions in six different regiments, though there is no evidence that he served with any of them. As aide-de-camp in Dublin, member of the Irish House of Commons, and manager of the family estate at Dangan, he had more than sufficient occupation. His leisure pursuits were more conventional: drinking, gambling, and getting into debt. But he still played his violin and was showing an interest in serious reading." After being promoted to the rank of major in 1793 he proposed to Lady Catherine Sarah Dorothea Pakenham , sister of Thomas Packenham , 2nd Duke of Longford. The offer was declined by her brother on the grounds that Arthur lacked the prospect of being able to support her properly. His response to this rejection was to set fire to his violin and to give up music.

In 1794 he was assigned to an expeditionary force under Francis Rawdon-Hastings , Earl of Moira, sent out as reinforcement for Prince Frederick , Duke of York and Albany, in the Netherlands . During the campaign he earned an official commendation for checking a French column in a minor engagement in September 1794 at Boxte. He concluded that many of the campaign's blunders were due to the faults of the leaders and the poor organisation at headquarters. According to Richard Holmes , the author of Wellington: The Iron Duke (2002), he later recalled: "At least I learned what not to do, and that is always a valuable lesson". In the autumn of 1795 his regiment joined an expeditionary force destined for the West Indies. However, ill-health meant the fleet sailed from Portsmouth without him. As Norman Gash points out: "This was good fortune for him, since it ran straight into a channel gale and seven transports were wrecked on Chesil Beach with great loss of life.

When it was sent out again in December it was once more hit by bad weather and Wesley's ship was one of the lucky ones that found their way back to England in February 1796." In June of that year he sailed with his regiment to India . With Napoleon gaining victories in Egypt , Wellesley was dispatched to deal with Tippoo Sahib of Mysore . At the Siege of Seringapatam in April 1799, Wellesley was ordered to lead a night attack on the village of Sultanpettah. Lewin Bentham Bowring later described what happened: "The Mysore troops took possession of the ground, and as it was absolutely necessary to expel them, two columns were detached at sunset for the purpose. The first of these, under Colonel Shawe, got possession of a ruined village, which it successfully held. The second column, under Colonel Wellesley, on advancing into the tope, was at once attacked in the darkness of night by a tremendous fire of musketry and rockets. The men, floundering about amidst the trees and the water-courses, at last broke, and fell back in disorder, some being killed and a few taken prisoners.

In the confusion Colonel Wellesley was himself struck on the knee by a spent ball, and narrowly escaped falling into the hands of the enemy." General George Harris was impressed with Wellesley efforts during the campaign and he was made administrator of the conquered territory. For the next 18 months he successfully stopped his men looting and was congratulated for persuading the soldiers to respect Indian customs. He was also able to deal with guerrilla leader Dhundia Wagh , who was defeated and killed in Hyderabad . Wellesley made himself responsible for the welfare and upbringing of Dhundia's four-year-old son, who was discovered among the enemy's baggage. In April 1802, Wellesley was promoted to the rank of major-general. The following year he declared war on Sindhia and Berar, the two leading Maratha states, and in a surprise attack captured almost without loss the great fortress of Ahmadnagar , regarded as one of the strongest in India . He marched his troops 120 miles north-east and came into contact with whole Maratha army of some 50,000 men.

Norman Gash has argued: "His force, reduced by his questionable decision to send Colonel Stevenson's Hyderabad contingent round by a different route, numbered only 7000. His men had already marched 20 miles that day and retreat would have been almost as hazardous as an advance. He took the bolder course. Guessing correctly that there must be a ford between two villages on opposite sides of the river, he crossed below the left flank of the Maratha position and placed his force in a narrow angle between the Kaitna and a tributary river, the Juah: a position which shortened his front and protected his flanks, but would have been a death-trap had he been beaten. The Marathas, under their French officers, skilfully changed front to meet him, and a desperate battle followed before victory was assured. Wellesley's right flank advanced too far and came under heavy artillery fire near Assaye village. Of approximately 5000 men who crossed the Kaitna over a third became casualties, a disproportionate number being among the British troops. Wellesley contributed by his personal example to the result.

In the thick of the fighting throughout, he had one horse killed under him and another wounded." Wellesley returned to England in 1805 and the following year he married Lady Catherine Sarah Dorothea Pakenham . In 1806 he was elected as the MP for Rye in Sussex. A year after entering the House of Commons , the Duke of Portland appointed Wellesley as his Irish Secretary. Although a member of the government, Arthur Wellesley remained in the army and in 1808 he was sent to aid the Portuguese against the French. After a victory at Vimeiro he returned to England but the following year he was asked to assume command of the British Army in the Peninsular War . Winston Churchill argued in The Island Race (1964): "These were testing years for Wellington. He commanded Britain's sole remaining army on the continent of Europe. The French had always bent every effort to driving the British into the sea. In 1810 they were massing for a fresh attempt. In September there was a stiff battle at Busaco.

The French were badly mauled and beaten." In 1812 the French were forced out of Spain and Wellesley reinforced his victory against the French at Toulouse . In 1814 Wellesley was granted the title, the Duke of Wellington. He was then put in command of the forces which took on Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo in June, 1815. It was a savage and bloody encounter which lasted from the opening cannonade of the French guns at 11.30 a.m. until dusk fell soon after 8 p.m. That night Wellington wrote to Thomas Creevey , "It has been a damned nice thing - the nearest run thing you ever saw... ‘I never took so much trouble about any Battle and never was so near being beat". One military historian has pointed out: "The French troops, as always, had fought with immense courage and tenacity. Now, for the first time in Wellington's experience, their morale collapsed. What started as a retreat turned into a rout....

On both sides casualties were very heavy: about 17,000 in Wellington's army, nearly 7000 among the Prussians, about 26,000 among the French, with a further 9,000 taken prisoner and up to 10,000 missing or deserted." Advancing rapidly into France, Wellington secured an armistice on 3rd July and three days later their troops entered Paris . Wellington was disturbed by the large loss of life at Waterloo. He wrote to Lady Frances Shelley saying “I hope to God that I have fought my last battle... Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained.” Parliament rewarded this military victory by granting Wellington the Hampshire estate of Stratfield Saye . Wellington purchased Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner . He then appointed the fashionable architect Benjamin Wyatt to "enlarge and reshape the appearance of the house to make it a fitting depository for all the war trophies, pictures, statues, and other immense and elaborate presents (mainly gold, silver, and porcelain) given to him by foreign governments and public authorities at home".

In 1817 parliament rewarded Wellington for his military victory by buying the Hampshire estate of Stratfield Saye for the sum of £263,000 (£18,485,712 at 2012 prices). Wellington developed a reputation as a womanizer. One of his mistresses, Harriette Wilson (1786–1845), tried to blackmail him by disclosing her intention to write about their relationship. Wellington famously replied: "publish and be damned". His most important relationship was with Harriet Arbuthnot (1793-1834), the wife of Charles Arbuthnot , a member of the House of Commons . In 1818 the Duke of Wellington returned to politics when he accepted the invitation of Lord Liverpool to join his Tory administration as master-General of the Ordnance. He also served the role of general adviser to the government on all military matters. After the suicide of Lord Castereagh in 1822 Wellington took his place at the Congress of Verona . He also played a significant role in persuading George IV to appoint George Canning as the new foreign secretary.

Over the next few years Wellington clashed with Canning over foreign policy. Wellington, as someone who disliked democracy, thought it wrong to recognise the independent republics of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies. In December 1824, he offered to resign but this was rejected by Lord Liverpool and eventually a compromise was reached. In April 1825 Sir Francis Burdett , managed to persuade the House of Commons to pass the Catholic Relief Bill . Both the prime minister, Lord Liverpool , and the home secretary, Robert Peel , threatened to resign over this issue. Wellington worked hard behind the scenes to stop this happening. Although he also disliked Burdett's bill, he believed the time had come to settle the dispute and produced a plan of his own for legalizing and endowing the Roman church in Ireland by means of a concordat with the pope. The cabinet crisis ended in May with the defeat of Burdett's bill in the House of Lords . Lord Liverpool had a stroke on 17th February 1827 and he was forced to resign from office. George IV interviewed Wellington, Robert Peel and George Canning for the post of prime minister.

Wellington advised the king that he would not be able to serve under Canning. When the king appointed Canning, Wellington, Peel and several other leading Tories resigned from the government. Canning was forced to rely on the support of the Whigs to hold on to power. Those Whigs who accepted government posts had to promise not to raise the issue of parliamentary reform . George Canning died on 8th August 1827 and he was replaced by Lord Goderich . Wellington now agreed to resume command of the army. Goderich's government collapsed on 8th January 1828, and Wellington agreed to form an administration. Although Wellington and the Home Secretary, Robert Peel , had always opposed Catholic Emancipation they began to reconsider their views after they received information on the possibility of an Irish rebellion. As Peel said to Wellington: "though emancipation was a great danger, civil strife was a greater danger". George IV was violently opposed to Catholic Emancipation but after Wellington threatened to resign, the king reluctantly agreed to a change in the law.

Robert Peel, Duke of Wellington and the Pope (1829) In 1830 unemployment in rural areas began to grow and the invention of the threshing machine posed another threat to the economic prosperity of the farm labourer. The summer and autumn of 1830 saw a wave of riots, rick-burnings and machine-breaking. In a debate in the House of Lords in November, Earl Grey , the Whig leader, suggested that the best way to reduce this violence was to introduce reform of the House of Commons . The Duke of Wellington replied that the existing constitution was so perfect that he could not imagine any possible alternative that would be an improvement on the present system. As Harold Wilson has pointed out: "Wellington was completely out of touch with the people, ignorant of matters of industry and trade and the vast social changes which had come about through the Industrial Revolution". Wellington's close friend, Harriet Arbuthnot , wrote in her diary: "The Duke is greatly affected by all this state of affairs.

He feels that beginning reform is beginning revolution, and therefore he must endeavour to stem the tide as long as possible, and that all he has to do is to see when and how it will be best for the country that he should resign. He thinks he cannot till he is beat in the House of Commons. He talked about this with me yesterday." James Grant argued: "One of the greatest defects in the character of the Duke as a statesman is, his neither anticipating public opinion, nor keeping abreast with it. He generally resists it until it has acquired an overwhelming power... The Duke of Wellington is not a good speaker. His style is rough and disjointed. His manner of speaking is much worse than his diction. He has a bad screeching sort of voice, aggravated by an awkward mode of mouthing the words. His enunciation is so bad, owing in some measure to the loss of several of his teeth, that often, when at the full stretch of his voice, you do not know what particular words he is using." In the speech on 8th November, 1830, Wellington made it clear that he had no intention of introducing parliamentary reform.

Charles Greville wrote in his journal: "The Duke of Wellington made a violent and uncalled for declaration against Reform, which has without doubt sealed his fate. Never was there an act of more egregious folly, or one so universally condemned by friends and foes." When news of what Wellington had said in Parliament was reported, his home in London was attacked by a mob. Now extremely unpopular with the public, Wellington began to consider resigning from office. Wellington's biographer, Norman Gash has argued: "The duke made his celebrated declaration, in the debate on the king's speech at the beginning of November, that the constitution needed no improvement and that he would resist any measure of parliamentary reform as long as he was in office. Couched in his usual peremptory and uncompromising style, his statement was probably intended not so much to win back the ultra-tories (the usual interpretation placed on it at the time) as to make his own attitude plain and so put a stop to all the talk of parliamentary reform which had been going on, both outside and inside the administration, for several weeks." On 15th November, 1830 Wellington's government was defeated in a vote in the House of Commons .

The new king, William IV , was more sympathetic to reform than his predecessor and two days later decided to ask Earl Grey to form a government. As soon as Grey became prime minister he formed a cabinet committee to produce a plan for parliamentary reform. Details of the proposals were announced on 3rd February 1831. The bill was passed by the Commons by a majority of 136, but despite a powerful speech by Earl Grey, the bill was defeated in the House of Lords by forty-one. Wellington attended the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway but was deeply upset by the way he was booed and hissed by the crowds as his train entered Manchester . This was a reaction to his views on the Peterloo Massacre and his opposition to the 1832 Reform Act . This experience made him hostile to the railways and he warned that cheap travel may result in revolution. However, Wellington later changed his mind about the railways after he developed a close relationship with George Hudson . Hudson helped Wellington make a great deal of money by advising him when to buy and sell railway shares.

William IV dismissed the Whigs in November 1834 and with Robert Peel absent in Italy, Wellington became temporary head of a new government until his colleague's arrival three weeks later. He then became foreign secretary. Peel immediately called a general election and during the campaign issued what became known as the Tamworth Manifesto . In his election address to his constituents in Tamworth, Peel pledged his acceptance of the 1832 Reform Act and argued for a policy of moderate reforms while preserving Britain's important traditions. The Tamworth Manifesto marked the shift from the old, repressive Toryism to a new, more enlightened Conservatism. The general election gave Peel more supporters although there were still more Whigs than Tories in the House of Commons. Despite this, the king invited Peel to form a new administration. With the support of the Whigs, Peel's government was able to pass the Dissenters' Marriage Bill and the English Tithe Bill . However, Peel was constantly being outvoted in the House of Commons and on 8th April 1835 he resigned from office. In August 1841 Robert Peel was once again invited to form a Conservative administration.

Wellington, who was now seventy-two years old, became a minister without portfolio as well as leader of the House of Lords. Over the last few years Britain had been spending more than it was earning. Peel decided the government had to increase revenue. On 11th March, 1842, he announced the introduction of income-tax at sevenpence in the pound. He added, that he hoped that this was enable the government to reduce duties on imported goods. Peel's attempts to improve the situation in Ireland was severely damaged by the 1845 potato blight. The Irish crop failed, therefore depriving the people of their staple food. Peel was informed that three million poor people in Ireland who had previously lived on potatoes would require cheap imported corn. Peel realised that they only way to avert starvation was to remove the duties on imported corn. Wellington disagreed with Peel over the issue he urged his cabinet colleagues in a memorandum of 30th November 1845 to support the prime minister since "a good Government for the country is more important than Corn Laws or any other consideration".

The Corn Laws were repealed in 1846, but the policy split the Conservative Party and Peel was forced to resign. The end of Peel's ministry, in June 1846, marked the effective end of the Wellington's political career. He now developed a close relationship with Angela Burdett-Coutts , one of the richest women in the world. At first he advised her on business matters. At the time she was in dispute with Edward Marjoribanks , who ran Coutts Bank . Burdett-Coutts wanted to raise the salaries of the clerks in the bank. Wellington helped her draft a letter to Marjoribanks that stated: "There are points connected with the management of my House upon which I cannot alter my opinions, founded as they are upon the invariable practice of my grandfather....

I am anxious to know whether you will consent to have prepared by next week our arrangement for a general rise in public salaries of the clerks of the House; which contrary to the practice of my grandfather has not taken place for some years." On 19th August 1846, the Duke of Wellington wrote: "I hope you will always write to me whenever you wish to communicate with a friend." When they were apart he wrote to her daily, sometimes twice a day. It has been estimated that during the relationship Wellington sent Miss Burdett-Coutts, over 800 letters. They often sent each other the "product of their walks", a flower, a delicate leaf, a fragrant herb. Edna Healey , the author of Lady Unknown: The Life of Angela Burdett-Coutts (1978), has speculated: "Was he her lover? Undoubtedly their relationship was very close. The tone of his letters, the winding staircase to his private rooms, the intertwined locks of hair show how close it was. But it is easier to believe that she secretly married him than that she was his mistress.

There is no proof of such a marriage, only persistent rumours in both their families." Granville Leveson-Gower recorded in his diary: "The Duke of Wellington was astonishing the world by a strange intimacy he has struck up with Miss Coutts with whom he passes his life, and all sorts of reports have been rife of his intention to marry her. Such are the lamentable appearances of decay in his vigorous mind, which are the more to be regretted because he is in most enviable circumstances, without ny political responsibility, vet associated with public affairs, and surrounded with every sort of respect and consideration on every side - at Court, in Parliament, in society, and in the country." On 7th February 1847, Angela Burdett-Coutts proposed to the Duke of Wellington, despite the age difference, he was seventy-eight and she was thirty-three. Wellington answered her in a letter the following day: "My dearest Angela, I have passed every moment of the evening and night since I quitted you in reflecting upon our conversation of yesterday, every word of which I have considered repeatedly. My first duty towards you is that of friend, guardian, protector. You are young, my dearest!

You have before you the prospect of at least twenty years of enjoyment of happiness in life. I entreat you again in this way, not to throw yourself away upon a man old enough to be your grandfather, who, however strong, hearty and healthy at present, must and will certainly in time feel the consequences and infirmities of age... My last days would be embittered by the reflection that your life was uncomfortable and hopeless." Wellington retired from public life but on 10th April 1848 he organised a military force to protect London against possible Chartist violence at the large meeting at Kennington Common . That evening Wellington wrote to Angela Burdett-Coutts : "The mobs have dispersed. There are but two or three hundred people about Palace Yard... not a shot has been fired or an individual injured - nor has a single soldier been seen." Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington died at Walmer Castle on 14th September, 1852 and was buried at St Paul's Cathedral on 18th November.

Norman Gash claims that "the occasion for probably the most ornate and spectacular funeral ever seen in England, the procession from Horse Guards via Constitution Hill to St Paul's being witnessed, it was estimated, by a million and a half people." Wellington - The Iron Duke - DocuWiki Wellington - The Iron Duke [ edit ] Information A film charting the life of Arthur Wellesley, better known as the Duke of Wellington, an extraordinary man whose thrilling life on the battlefield was just as interesting off it. Military historian and presenter Professor Richard Holmes tells the story of Britain's greatest-ever soldier. Wellington was a brilliant figure, idealistic in politics, cynical in love yet irresistible to women, a man of enormous personal courage, often sickened by the horror of war. The series charts Wellington's progress from a shy boy to commander in chief of the allied forces of Europe, victor at Waterloo and ultimately Prime Minister. [ edit ] The Making of a Man Military historian Richard Holmes tells the life story of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, one of Britain's greatest soldiers. He begins with a detailed insight into Wellesley's upbringing in Ireland where, along with his brothers, he struggled to cope with his late father's debts.

Joining the Army, the young officer eventually found his division dispatched to India - a posting said to have made a man of him. [ edit ] A Thirst for Reputation Richard Holmes investigates Arthur Wellesley's overwhelming determination to prove his military leadership skills by defeating the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte, a task that ultimately earned him the title Duke of Wellington. Also explored are two important events in British military history, the siege of the Spanish city of Badajoz, and the spectacular Battle of Salamanca, when the Duke's men reputedly defeated a 40,000-strong army in a remarkably short space of time. [ edit ] From Soldier to Statesman Historian Richard Holmes visits Waterloo to examine the strategies Wellington employed in his defeat of Napoleon, before turning his attention to the soldier's less successful political career. However, any mistakes he was to make in office were mitigated by his heroic efforts on the battlefield, and a million people lined the streets to witness his funeral procession. Audio Bitrate: 128 kb/s CBR 48000 Hz Audio Streams: 2ch RunTime Per Part: 46 mins Number Of Parts: 3 Wellington: The Iron Duke - Philip J.

Haythornthwaite - Google Books Wellington: The Iron Duke 2 Reviews One of the Duke of Wellington's officers once remarked, "We would rather see his long nose in the sight than a reinforcement of ten thousand men." Arthur Wellesley, first duke of Wellington (1769–1852), was one of the greatest military commanders in history and is best known as the successful opponent at Waterloo of arguably the leading general of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte. Although Waterloo is the battle most associated with Wellington, his career was much wider. He gained his first military experience in the Netherlands in 1793-94 in an unsuccessful campaign that taught him, as he said, "how not to do it." From there he went to India, where he conducted a number of successful campaigns and honed his military skills until he became Britain's leading general. With great strategic foresight and as master not only of the battlefield but also of organization and logistics, he helped expel the French from Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War, which materially weakened Napoleon's strategic position and led to his downfall in 1814.

After Napoleon returned from exile in 1815, Wellington was a principal leader of the coalition forces at Waterloo. In subsequent years, Wellington exerted a considerable influence on British politics, serving as prime minister and in later life as a trusted elder statesman. Upon his death, he was widely regarded as the greatest Briton of his generation and undisputedly one of the greatest British soldiers. The Duke of Wellington has been the subject of many biographies over the years but none as comprehensive yet concise as this latest addition to Potomac's Military Profiles series. Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington - AbeBooks Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington You Searched For: Results (1 - 30) of 726 1 Search Within These Results: Bookseller Image WELLINGTON, Arthur, Duke of.) GURWOOD, John (ed.) Published by London: John Murray, 1852 (1852) Used First Edition Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: London: John Murray, 1852, 1852. 8 volumes, octavo (233 x 145 mm).

Strictly contemporary full tan "Turkey" morocco by Hayday, red and green morocco labels, low gilt milled bands, compartments elaborately gilt with a panel composed of scrolled tools featuring eagle's heads, centred on a quatrefoil in black, double fillet gilt panel to the boards, dog rose corner tools, enclosing a fine dotted roll in blind, gilt milled edges, marbled edges and endpapers, turn-ins with a blind milled roll, red morocco label of John Wilson, Shirley [Hall, near Sheffield], dated 1852 to the front pastedowns. Some very minor shelf-wear, frontispiece and title page of volume I somewhat browned, but otherwise an truly excellent set. Mezzotint portrait frontispiece by Burgess after Lawrence to Volume I, general title with engraved arms of Wellington to each volume, 6 contemporary engraved folding maps, 3 of them coloured in outline - uncalled for - in an end-pocket to volume VIII. "New and Enlarged Edition", much preferred and genuinely uncommon.

A great deal of extra material has been added to the coverage of both the Wars in India and Europe, "extracts from the Instructions for the movements of the Army, and from the General Orders, circulated by the Quarter Master General and Adjutant General, in the Peninsula, France, and the Low Countries, have also been added to this edition". A substantial production, this set very little diminished in the binding having lost just a couple of millimetres in the process, remaining a handsome and imposing set, without the doubt one of the best that we have handled. William Hayday (1796ï¿½1872), was one of the foremost binders of his day, renowned for the beauty, but also the practicality of his work: "Hayday had long seen that it was desirable to make printed books open freely and lie flat he sewed the books all along every sheet, and to remedy the extra thickness that would be caused by sewing with thread, used silk, and to equalise the thickness rounded the fore edges more than was customary. To make the back tight he dispensed with the ordinary backing of paper, and fastened the leather cover down to the back.

Still the constant opening of the book disfigured the grain of the leather, and to obviate this he introduced the cross or pin-headed grain, or what is now termed Turkey morocco. Works bound by Hayday became famous, and his name attached to a book raised its value twenty-five per cent" (ODNB). Bookseller Inventory # 102185 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: London: John Murray, 1834ï¿½39, 1834. 14 volumes, octavo (214 × 125 mm). Contemporary diced calf by Henington & Galabin (with their ticket), spines gilt tooled on the raised bands, diced in the compartments, red and green morocco twin labels, two-line gilt border on sides enclosing three-line blind border, marbled edges and endpapers. All volumes carry the ownership inscription of Aubrey G.K. Davies-Cooke, Captain 10th Royal Hussars, dated March 6th 1908. Davies-Cooke served with his regiment during the Boer War and possibly when it saw action on the North-West Frontier in 1908.

Some volumes neatly rebacked with the original spines laid down, others skilfully refurbished, a few marks to covers, a little rubbing to extremities, light browning in places, but overall a very good set. First editions throughout, complete with the index, and in this case with the extremely uncommon supplemental volume relating to the India sections of volumes I, II, and III. Indispensable for the study of Wellington's campaigns, and perhaps the only source for the occasional glimpse of the man. The editor had served "in all the Peninsular engagements down to the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo on 19 January 1812, where he led the 'forlorn hope' He was concussed in the breach from a head wound, but after regaining consciousness made his way to the citadel and took prisoner the governor, General Barrié, at dinner. The governor surrendered his sword, which Gurwood presented to Wellington. It was returned to him next day when Lord Fitzroy Somerset buckled it on Gurwood in the breach where he had been wounded" (ODNB).

Gurwood was wounded three times in the Peninsula, and severely so at Waterloo, in 1837 he became one of Wellington's secretaries, "and was entrusted with the editing of the duke's general orders and selections from his dispatches. Gurwood and the duke were old friends, the duke taking care of Gurwood. He was made CB and in 1839 was appointed a deputy lieutenant of the Tower of London with a salary of £768 p.a., as well as a pension of £2000. However, Gurwood's closing years were clouded by ill health, partly as a result of his war wounds and partly because of the strain of editing the Dispatches. This resulted in a severe depressive illness, and on Christmas day 1845 Gurwood committed suicide ". With an intriguing provenance: the supplemental volume, dealing with India, is inscribed in pencil "N. B. Edmonstone Esq" and tipped-in to the Index volume is a docket (dated 15th November 1838) stating: "Wellington's Dispatches Vol 12, Neil Benjamin Edmonstone Esq, [and initialled] JG".

Edmonstone (1765-1841) had a distinguished career as an officer of the East India Company who served in India under Wellington, and has been described as "one of the most valuable officials and far-seeing statesmen which the Indian civil service has ever produced". The initials"JG" could be those of the editor John Gurwood, but in a secretarial hand, and one can speculate that the bookplate removed from volume I may have been Edmontone's. Sandler 3444. Bookseller Inventory # 104230 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: John Murray, Albemarle Street, London, 1837. Full Leather. Book Condition: Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾", up to 9¾" tall. Volume I has a 4.625" by 2.75" piece of paper pasted to its blank front flyleaf, signed by The Duke of Wellington and dated August 27, 1836.

Fourteen volumes (thirteen volumes including the index, plus "The General Orders of Field Marshal The Duke of Wellington .") rebound in luscious full calf; front and rear boards with double gilt fillet borders; gilt dentelles; each spine with "Wellington's Dispatches" in gilt on a red leather backstrip; volume number, title and years in gilt on a brown leather backstrip; five raised bands and four compartments with gilt tooling on each spine; contemporary full marbled text block and matching recent endpapers. Most volumes have slight foxing to their terminal pages and the faint imprint of a now-erased number at the head of a blank front flyleaf, otherwise the interiors are clean, unmarked and especially bright. The boards of each volume are slightly rubbed, but overall the leather is in excellent, supple condition, with no tears nor significant scuffs. Bindings are square, tight and unshaken, with sound hinges and very crisp interiors. Eight volumes have pink, white and blue headbands, but Volumes I, X through XIII and "The General Orders" have bright green and yellow handbands (the only slightly odd detail of this set!).

Volume V has a 3/8" by 1/4" lightly bumped spot to the fore-edge of its text block (not resulting in any tearing). Volume XI has several small, slightly darker spots to its boards. Volume XII has a skinny chip (1.25" by 1/16") to the fore-edge of its title page. Otherwise this set is in immaculate condition. Overall, we are grading it as near fine, and are especially impressed with its rich leather and the condition of its interior. We are happy to answer questions or take more photos upon request. Signed by Author(s). Bookseller Inventory # M0336 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: London, John Murray, 1844, 1844. 8 volumes, octavo (235 × 150 mm). Partially unopened in the original red cloth, Wellington's arms gilt to the upper boards, title gilt to spines, pale cream endpapers. Booksellers tickets for A. Holden of Exeter to the front pastedowns.

Spines a touch sunned, crumpled head and tail, and that of volume II with a couple of small repairs at the head, pale toning, occasional slight foxing, but overall a very good set, largely unopened. Mezzotint portrait frontispiece by Burgess after Lawrence to Volume I, general title with engraved arms of Wellington to each volume. "New and Enlarged Edition", much preferred and genuinely uncommon. A great deal of extra material has been added to the coverage of the wars in India and Europe, "extracts from the Instructions for the movements of the Army, and from the General Orders, circulated by the Quarter Master General and Adjutant General, in the Peninsula, France, and the Low Countries, have also been added to this edition". Fully indexed. The publisher's cloth is far from robust, consequently it is unusual to find such a excellently-preserved set. Bookseller Inventory # 112657 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: London John Murray -1839, 1837. fester Einband. Ca. 570 bis 720 S. je Band (Index: 235 S.).

8° (22 x 14,5 cm). Defektes Leder der Zeit. Grundlegende Edition, Gurwood (1790-1845) diente unter Wellington und wurde später sein Privatsekretär. - Komplett in zwölf Bänden ab 1834 erschienen, Band 13 enthält den Index zum Gesamtwerk. Die Bände 1-9 mit dem Auflagenvermerk "New edition", Bände 10-12 und der Index im Erstdruck. - Innen gering gebräunt und wenig angestaubt, sonst sauber, drei Titeleien mit Trockenstempel, die Innendeckel mit Exlibris "The United University Club Library". Die Einbände stark berieben und bestoßen, Rückenbezüge mit Fehlstellen, alle Gelenke spröde und brüchig, die Deckel teils lose oder nahezu gelöst. - Complete set, including the index volume.

Inside very good (Exlibris, three volumes with dry stamps), but bindings defective with loss to spines, all hinges broken or nearly broken. *Vgl. Lowndes 2870. 13000 gr. Bookseller Inventory # 24669 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Cambridge Library Collection, United Kingdom, 2010. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 406 x 315 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book. Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), better known as the first Duke of Wellington, was one of the most successful military figures of the early nineteenth century. After fighting in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in India, his successes during the Peninsular War (1809-1814) and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) established his reputation as a brilliant military tactician. These volumes, first published between 1834 and 1839, contain the letters, dispatches, instructions and general military orders Wellington wrote throughout his military career.

Edited by his private secretary, Colonel John Gurwood (1790-1845), they offer a wealth of fascinating details concerning Wellington s campaigns in India and Europe, from mundane administrative tasks to discussions of tactics, personnel and intelligence-gathering. These volumes are reissued from the 1844 revised edition, and provide invaluable information for the study of warfare during this period. Bookseller Inventory # AAA9781108025232 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: Cambridge Library Collection, United Kingdom, 2010. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 406 x 315 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****. Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), better known as the first Duke of Wellington, was one of the most successful military figures of the early nineteenth century. After fighting in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in India, his successes during the Peninsular War (1809-1814) and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo (1815) established his reputation as a brilliant military tactician.

These volumes, first published between 1834 and 1839, contain the letters, dispatches, instructions and general military orders Wellington wrote throughout his military career. Edited by his private secretary, Colonel John Gurwood (1790-1845), they offer a wealth of fascinating details concerning Wellington s campaigns in India and Europe, from mundane administrative tasks to discussions of tactics, personnel and intelligence-gathering. These volumes are reissued from the 1844 revised edition, and provide invaluable information for the study of warfare during this period. Bookseller Inventory # AAV9781108025232 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: John Murray, London, 1852. 1/2 Black Morocco Over Boards. Book Condition: Moderate Edge and Corner Wear. No Jacket. New and Enlarged Edition. TWO VOLUMES, Volumes 1-2 only from a set of eight. These two volumes are from the Indian Campaign. Marbled boards, edges, and endpapers. Inscription in ink on the title-page, "Colonel C. A. Denison, Wellington, April 1862".

We have compared the "Wellington" signature to others that are extant, and thought initially that this might be a true signature. (See photos). However we have received additional information from a colleague that Wellington was also an officer training academy in British India. This line of reasoning seems more correct to us. The books were owned by Charles Albert Denison (1819-1877), who progressed up through the British military ranks, became as Ensign in 1837, Captain in 1841, full Colonel in 1860. He served 5 years as Deputy Adj. General at Madras and later became Chief Commissioner of Civil Service there. The city of Wellington was in the Madras Presidency of British India and also housed a military sanitarium. He would have been under Wellington's command at that time, actually 5 months before his commander's sudden death. The Duke of Wellington (1769-14 September 1862) was a British soldier and statesman, one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. An interesting association. See if you think the signature is that of the famous military leader!!

We include several examples for comparison.1632pp. Size: Large Octavo. Bookseller Inventory # 013033 Destination, Rates & Speeds Item Description: London: John Murray, 1841., 1841. Hardcover. 1st Edition. First edition. Tall 8vo. rebound in a library leather binding (call letters in gold on the spine), xliv, (940), 1p.ads. Small library stamp on the titlepage, bookplate o/w a fine copy in a very plain library binding. First edition. Tall 8vo. rebound in a library leather binding (call letters in gold on the spine), xliv, (940), 1p.ads. Small library stamp on the titlepage, bookplate o/w a fine copy in a very plain library binding. This is not a fine binding, it is a library leatherette.

Bookseller Inventory # 27227 Project MUSE - Wellington Wellington Haythornthwaite, Philip J Publication Year: 2007 One of the Duke of Wellington's officers once remarked, We would rather see his long nose in the sight than a reinforcement of ten thousand men. Arthur Wellesley, first duke of Wellington (1769û1852), was one of the greatest military commanders in history and is best known as the successful opponent at Waterloo of arguably the leading general of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte. Although Waterloo is the battle most associated with Wellington, his career was much wider. He gained his first military experience in the Netherlands in 1793-94 in an unsuccessful campaign that taught him, as he said, how not to do it. From there he went to India, where he conducted a number of successful campaigns and honed his military skills until he became Britain's leading general. With great strategic foresight and as master not only of the battlefield but also of organization and logistics, he helped expel the French from Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War, which materially weakened Napoleon's strategic position and led to his downfall in 1814.

After Napoleon returned from exile in 1815, Wellington was a principal leader of the coalition forces at Waterloo. In subsequent years, Wellington exerted a considerable influence on British politics, serving as prime minister and in later life as a trusted elder statesman. Upon his death, he was widely regarded as the greatest Briton of his generation and undisputedly one of the greatest British soldiers. The Duke of Wellington has been the subject of many biographies over the years but none as comprehensive yet concise as this latest addition to Potomac's Military Profiles series. Download PDF pp. ix-x On the morning of June 18, 1815, the Emperor Napoleon considered the enemy army that lay a short distance to the north of his own forces. With the confidence that had sustained him for some two decades of conflict, he declared to his companions that his opponent was a bad general in command.... Chronology Download PDF pp. 3-9 I AM THINKING of the French that I am going to fight. I have not seen them since the campaign in Flanders, when they were capital soldiers, and a dozen years of victory under Buonaparte [sic] must have made them better still.

They have besides, it seems, a new system of strategy, which has out manoeuvered and overwhelmed all the armies of Europe.. Chapter 2 Sepoy General Download PDF pp. 10-18 ALTHOUGH THE first British settlement in India dated from the second decade of the seventeenth century, when Wesley arrived at Calcutta in February 1797 British rule covered only a portion of the subcontinent. Since the British presence originated from commercial motives, a mercantile organization, the Honourable East India Company, represented most of the British interest. Much more than just a trading... Chapter 3 Home, Denmark, and Portugal Download PDF pp. 19-27 SIR ARTHUR’S constitution was not the only thing enhanced by his seven years in India. He returned home with a reputation, although not one as marked as his military achievements might have justified; until the middle of the nineteenth century, commanders who had served in India––“sepoy generals”—were not regarded as highly as those who had forged a reputation in Europe. He returned to a nation still... Chapter 4 Peninsula: The Defensive Phase Download PDF pp.

28-40 BY THE time Wellesley received his vote of thanks, the situation in the Iberian Peninsula had changed markedly. Determined to secure his brother’s place on the throne of Spain, Napoleon had arrived there in person to crush Spanish resistance and had routed the Spanish armies that had opposed him. Sir John Moore led most of the British forces in Portugal in support of the Spanish but had to abandon his advance.. Chapter 5 Wellington: The Man and the General Download PDF pp. 41-55 AT THIS stage it is appropriate to consider some of the traits and abilities that defined Arthur Wellesley both as an individual and as a military commander. An early appreciation was published late in 1810: Lord Wellington is about four and forty years of age, rather tall and thin, of a fine countenance and piercing eye. He rises every morning at three o’clock, breakfasts at four, and always, before day-light, visits the grand battery... Chapter 6 Peninsula: The Offensive Phase Download PDF pp.

56-69 HAVING SECURED the frontiers of Portugal, and with the pendulum of supremacy beginning to swing away from the French, Wellington prepared to take the offensive for the campaigning year of 1812. In his way stood the great border fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, which could not be safely bypassed if his army were to enter Spain, but the military authorities at home had left him woefully.. Chapter 7 The Hundred Days Download PDF pp. 70-81 BY THE conclusion of the Peninsular War, Wellington was established as his country’s greatest soldier for some generations, and rewards were showered upon him. Most notably, on May 3, 1814, he was elevated to the highest rank of the peerage and became Duke of Wellington. When rewards had been proposed in the past, his family background had... Chapter 8 The Statesman Download PDF pp.

82-104 ON THE evening of Waterloo, Wellington remarked, “I have never fought such a battle, and I trust I shall never fight another one.”1 This hope, expressed more than once, was to be fulfilled: his battlefield career ended on the evening of June 18, 1815. For that he can have had no regrets; he seems to have been seriously affected by the carnage in. Notes Museum Feature – "Duke of Wellington" by Royal Worcester at Replacements, Ltd. (Click To Enlarge) This month’s museum feature, a "Duke of Wellington" figurine from Royal Worcester’s "Military Commanders" series , stands as a fine example of the craftsmanship, creativity, and attention to detail applied by Royal Worcester in the creation of stunning figurines. The "Military Commanders" series was created by artist Bernard Winskill, whose paintings and sculptures have been showcased at the Royal Institute Gallery in London, the Society of Portrait Painters Gallery, and the Royal Glasgow Fine Arts Society. The first subject in the series, Napoleon Bonaparte, was released in 1968.

Eight other depictions of history’s greatest military leaders followed, including: Duke of Wellington (1969), George Washington (1972), Duke of Marlborough (1973), Alexander the Great (1975), Richard Coeur de Lion (1978), Eugene de Beauharnais (1979), Simon Bolivar (1979), and William the Conqueror (1979). (Click To Enlarge) Arthur Wellesley, better known as the Duke of Wellington, is best known today for his role in defeating Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, but he is also regarded as one of Britain’s finest soldiers and commanders. Wellesley was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1769. After an inauspicious stint at Eton and some additional schooling in Brussels, Wellesley found direction after completing his education at the French military academy at Angers in 1786. Wellesley was commissioned to a British infantry regiment in 1787, and moved quickly up the ranks, gaining a promotion to lieutenant by the end of that same year.

Wellesley had become a lieutenant colonel by 1794, when he saw his first action during a campaign against the French army in the Netherlands. Although the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, Wellesley learned several valuable lessons in military strategy. When his elder brother Richard became the new Governor-General of India, Wellesley became an integral part of the campaign to extend the rule of the British East India Company, making a reputation for himself as a brilliant and meticulous commander. In 1808, Wellesley was given command of the British expeditionary force destined for Portugal to participate in the Peninsular War, a campaign to wrest Portugal and Spain away from Napoleon’s control. Wellesley spent much of the next six years trying to expel the French from the Peninsula, and succeeded when Napoleon abdicated in 1814. Following this achievement, the title "Duke of Wellington" was created for Wellesley, and the title is still held by his descendants today. After returning home, Wellington accepted a position as British ambassador to France, then served as British plenipotentiary to the Congress of Vienna.

Upon news that the ex-Emperor Napoleon had escaped from exile and was amassing forces, Wellington took up command of the Anglo-Allied army in Brussels. In June 1815, Napoleon marched north toward Brussels, and on June 16 he simultaneously attacked Wellington’s Anglo-Allied army and the Prussian army. Wellington was forced to retreat three miles south of his Waterloo headquarters. Two days later, the French attacked the ensconced Anglo-Allied army, but failed to break Wellington’s line after several attempts. By the afternoon, Prussian troops began arriving to reinforce Wellington's left flank, and Napoleon was forced to draw off many of the troops he had hoped to employ against Wellington in order to deal with the Prussian reinforcements. By the end of the day, Napoleon was defeated. A month later he had abdicated for the second time and surrendered to the British, who exiled him to the remote island of St. Helena. Wellington returned to Great Britain a hero. In 1827 he was appointed to be Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. Wellington grew to be an influential member of the Tory party, and in 1828 he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

As Prime Minister, Wellington was staunchly conservative, fearing the anarchy of the French Revolution would spread to England. The highlight of his term was the passage of the Catholic Relief Act 1829, which granted almost full civil rights to Catholics in the United Kingdom. However, Wellington’s conservative policies were widely unpopular, and after only three years in office he lost a vote of no confidence and was replaced as Prime Minister. Wellington retired from political life in 1846 and died in 1852 at the age of 83. Royal Worcester’s "Duke of Wellington" in our museum is not for sale, but we do have other "Military Commanders" figures available for purchase in our inventory; be sure to browse our web site. And remember that we always invite you to visit our facilities – here you’ll see a stunning variety of silver, china, crystal, and collectibles.

Our Retail Store is open from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm ET, Monday through Saturday and 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET, Sunday (except holidays); free tours are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm as well as Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The showroom and museum are conveniently located between Greensboro and Burlington, NC, at exit 132 off Interstate 85/40. We look forward to seeing you.

Question: Arthur Wellesley (1769-1845) is better known by what title?
Answer: The Duke of Wellington