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What book are you reading ...

geoffwp

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You do realise dont you stuffy that most of those success were down to Major Richard Sharpe?
 

Stuffy

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You do realise dont you stuffy that most of those success were down to Major Richard Sharpe?
I've just thumbed through the book's index Geoff and there's no mention of Major Sharpe. Perhaps Wellington subsidised the Major with a massive wedge to keep schtum about his exploits. The greater the glory and all that. ;)
 

iscalad

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You do realise dont you stuffy that most of those success were down to Major Richard Sharpe?
I have just finished watching the box set of DVD'S of Sharpe.
 

Banksy

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I have just finished watching the box set of DVD'S of Sharpe.
Whew , quite a marathon.Must be twenty years since I watched them completely but do dip into the odd one now and again.Always looked forward to the new episodes when they came on the tele. But you can pick them all up dirt cheap in the charity shops these days of course.
 

Rosencrantz

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The Peninsular War (1807 - 1814) Michael Glover

After Trafalgar, Bonaparte was not only short of ships of the line of ships but was determined to continue with his 'Continental System' that was designed to stop Great Britain from trading with Europe and thus bring us to our knees. The 2 countries that were to defy the Emperor were Russia and Portugal. The Emperor's Russian adventure was a fiasco that brought about the destruction of "La Grande Armee" and caused de Talleyrand to remark; "It is the beginning of the end."

The Peninsular war helped knobble Bonaparte because it tied down upwards of 300,000 soldiers badly needed on other fronts. Wellington's aim as C in C of the British Army in Portugal was obviously to beat the French and thereby safeguard British interests by keeping the large Portuguese fleet of warships/transports out of French hands. The army of Portugal was at that time was pretty indifferent but with British training later performed exceptionally well. The few Spanish units under his command fought with various degrees of success. Wellington defeated every Marshal of the Empire that Napoleon sent against him.
Also to remember the Spanish partisans who helped to tie down the French troops in other areas of the peninsula than where the British and Portuguese armies were operating. They arguably held more trust with Wellington than the Spanish armies. They also made sure no French detachments moved around at less than company numbers, even when delivering messages.
 

Stuffy

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Also to remember the Spanish partisans who helped to tie down the French troops in other areas of the peninsula than where the British and Portuguese armies were operating. They also arguably held more trust with Wellington than the Spanish armies. They also made sure no French detachments moved around at less than company numbers, even when delivering messages.
That's correct. The spanish "Guerrillas" came about because the invading French rarely supplied their men with food and so simply help themselves to the stores and livestock from the civil population leaving many in a state of near starvation. French commanders demanded and expected the leading citizens of towns and cities to meet their demands or else. The guerrillas in turn hunted down and killed stragglers, the wounded, messengers, deserters or any French unit they felt the could defeat.

Wellington had trouble with Spanish general Miguel de Alava who was smarting over the fact the the Spanish Cortes made Wellington the Supreme Allied Commander and who consequently only grudgingly followed orders. Also a problem was that the Spanish troops rarely got paid and so never passed up the chance to stop everything and indulge in a spot of looting. When Wellington crossed into France he feared that the anti Napoleon citizens would lose respect for the British invaders should the Spaniards continue in that manner and so he made sure they got a wage thanks to the British taxpayers.

Take that out of the £29bn ;)
 

Rosencrantz

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That's correct. The spanish "Guerrillas" came about because the invading French rarely supplied their men with food and so simply help themselves to the stores and livestock from the civil population leaving many in a state of near starvation. French commanders demanded and expected the leading citizens of towns and cities to meet their demands or else. The guerrillas in turn hunted down and killed stragglers, the wounded, messengers, deserters or any French unit they felt the could defeat.

Wellington had trouble with Spanish general Miguel de Alava who was smarting over the fact the the Spanish Cortes made Wellington the Supreme Allied Commander and who consequently only grudgingly followed orders. Also a problem was that the Spanish troops rarely got paid and so never passed up the chance to stop everything and indulge in a spot of looting. When Wellington crossed into France he feared that the anti Napoleon citizens would lose respect for the British invaders should the Spaniards continue in that manner and so he made sure they got a wage thanks to the British taxpayers.

Take that out of the £29bn ;)
Hearts and Minds not a very recent tactic 🤫. I've always thought Wellington's logistics and value of intelligence (through exploring officers and use of guerillas) made him the successful general.
 

Stuffy

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Hearts and Minds not a very recent tactic 🤫. I've always thought Wellington's logistics and value of intelligence (through exploring officers and use of guerillas) made him the successful general.
Hearts and Minds used successfully in Malaya during the communist uprising during the 50's. I was in Labuan/Kuching during the mid 60's when the Indonesians were acting up and Hearts and Minds was used yet again chiefly among the indigenous people like the Iban people.

Wellington's men were always well supplied with food, ammo and new uniforms and therefore were little or no threat to the civil population. He was a very successful general, particularly good at maneuvering his troops into favourable positions although this did not stop Bonaparte disparagingly calling him the "Sepoy General." During his exile on St. Helena the ex emperor did say that the French soldier was worth 2 Prussians, 2 Austrians but only the 1 Englishman.
 

Rosencrantz

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Hearts and Minds used successfully in Malaya during the communist uprising during the 50's. I was in Labuan/Kuching during the mid 60's when the Indonesians were acting up and Hearts and Minds was used yet again chiefly among the indigenous people like the Iban people.

Wellington's men were always well supplied with food, ammo and new uniforms and therefore were little or no threat to the civil population. He was a very successful general, particularly good at maneuvering his troops into favourable positions although this did not stop Bonaparte disparagingly calling him the "Sepoy General." During his exile on St. Helena the ex emperor did say that the French soldier was worth 2 Prussians, 2 Austrians but only the 1 Englishman.
Wellington was always seen as a defensive General but Assaye, Salamanca and Vitoria showed different. Salamanca was a lesson in opportunism.
 

Billy The Fish

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Hearts and Minds used successfully in Malaya during the communist uprising during the 50's. I was in Labuan/Kuching during the mid 60's when the Indonesians were acting up and Hearts and Minds was used yet again chiefly among the indigenous people like the Iban people.

Wellington's men were always well supplied with food, ammo and new uniforms and therefore were little or no threat to the civil population. He was a very successful general, particularly good at maneuvering his troops into favourable positions although this did not stop Bonaparte disparagingly calling him the "Sepoy General." During his exile on St. Helena the ex emperor did say that the French soldier was worth 2 Prussians, 2 Austrians but only the 1 Englishman.
I don't know if you are familiar with "A Dorset Rifleman" - Benjamin Harris but he had precious little food, ammo or uniform during the retreat to Corunna. The book is an amazing account of the Peninsula War from an ordinary foot soldier's point of view. The same is true of Edward Costello's account of the same and if any of you chaps with an interest in the subject haven't read these you are in for a real treat.

I'm told there's another by an Ensign Bell but I haven't managed to track this down yet.
 
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