Posted on 06/13/2013 7:42:48 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
Tt is often regarded as the British Army’s greatest military victory.
Led into battle by the Duke of Wellington, UK troops routed Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, a triumph ushering in almost a century of peace and stability in Europe.
But the Government is refusing to mark the battle’s 200th anniversary in 2015 amid suspicions it does not want to offend France.
SNIP
Brussels is spending at least £20million on commemorative events, including restoring the battlefield.
SNIP
James Morrow, secretary of Waterloo 200, ...said he was ‘disappointed’.
SNIP
‘The Belgian government has spent millions on events to commemorate the battle but we have been given zilch, zippo, nothing. I think it’s very disappointing.
‘The Battle of Waterloo was a milestone in European history which ended over 20 years of conflict in Europe.
‘We can’t let the 200th anniversary pass without marking it and learning lessons about why it was so important.’
SNIP
David Green, director of the Civitas think-tank, said: ...‘It appears to be ludicrous hyper-sensitivity.
‘Waterloo was a battle of the most immense importance. Britain was fighting a tyrant who had conquered Europe. It was a momentous moment that should be commemorated. We should be shouting it from the rooftops.’
In a message to Waterloo 200, the 8th Duke of Wellington said: ‘I am often asked whether we should not now, in these days of European unity, forget Waterloo and the battles of the past.
‘My reply is, history cannot be forgotten and we need to be reminded of the bravery of the thousands of men from many nations who fought and died in a few hours and why their gallantry and sacrifice ensured peace in Europe for 50 years.’
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
But Napoleon had at the Battle of Nations another army of 400,000 men in 1813 immediately after his battle in Russia.
Certainly Russia happened first. Certainly his defeat at Waterloo happened afterwards. I don’t agree that it was cause and effect. Other things happened in between that hurt him more proximately. His need to divert forces away from Waterloo to suppress a royalist insurrection were at least as important as the losses in Russia, that were, at least half of his losses were not French at all, but allied forces.
Writers take famous names and elements of stories, throw in a dash of popular sentiment and their own prejudice, and voila! Historical drama. Shakespeare knew his audience (including a certain Tudor queen) and just did his best to please them. And his best was very good (drama).
Wellington may have been born in Ireland, but he considered himself to be an Englishman. He once responded to the accusation that he was ‘Irish’, by saying that ‘Being born in a stable does not make one a horse’.
Of course, this was back in the days when being English was considered to be a good thing, nowadays English people seem to fall over themselves to declare themselves to be something else if they were were born in one of the ‘Celtic’ countries or one their parents was.
You are so right. I know several people who get their “history” from The History Channel, other TV, and movies and then refuse to believe that some other point of view based upon actual research could possibly be correct.
Slightly off topic, but I am highly offended when twits, Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee and Matt Damon as private Ryan come immediately to mind, are cast in those roles. I guess that’s why they call them actors.
Oh, I know Wellington’s dislike of Irish birth, and I quote the famous stable remark myself. I was just making a point re the ‘English’ victory at Waterloo. As an Ayrshire lad, I am acutely aware of the battle, as the legendary Charles Ewart was a Kilmarnock boy.
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