Synopsis
The Duke of Wellington described the Battle of Waterloo as ‘the most desperate business I ever was in. I was never so near being beat’. The courage of British troops that day has been rightly praised ever since, but the fact that one-third of the forces which gave him his narrow victory were subjects, not of George III, but of the King of the Netherlands, has been almost completely ignored. This book seeks to correct a grave injustice through the study of Dutch sources – both primary and secondary – the majority of which have never been used by English-speaking historians.
The Dutch-Belgians have been variously described as inexperienced, incompetent and cowardly, a rogue element in the otherwise disciplined Allied Army. It is only now being tentatively acknowledged that they alone saved Wellington from disaster at Quatre Bras.
He had committed a strategic error in that, as Napoleon advanced, his own troops were scattered over a hundred kilometres of southern Belgium. Outnumbered three to one, the Netherlanders gave him time to concentrate his forces, and save Brussels from French occupation. At Waterloo itself, on at least three occasions when the fate of the battle ‘hung upon the cusp’ their engagement with the enemy aided British recovery. Their commander – the Prince of Orange – is viciously described as an arrogant fool, ‘a disaster waiting to happen’ and even a dangerous lunatic. According to the assessment of the Duke himself, he was a reliable and courageous subordinate.
The Dutch material in this book reveals a new dimension for familiar events in the Campaign, and includes many unseen illustrations. For the first time, a full assessment is made of the challenge which Willem I faced as King of a country hastily cobbled together by the Congress of Vienna, and of his achievement in assembling, equipping and training thirty thousand men from scratch in eighteen months. This is a timely reassessment in the two hundredth anniversary year of the battle of Waterloo. The veneration which the Duke of Wellington justifiably enjoyed after the Waterloo Campaign should not be allowed to forgive his lifelong lack of acknowledgment of the debt he owed the Netherlanders. As he once said himself, ‘there should be glory enough for all’, and it is high time that they are allowed to claim their share.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 The Netherlands
2 The Creation of the Netherlands Army
3 The Armée du Nord
4 Coalition
5 Language
6 Brussels
7 The Netherlands Commanders
8 The Prince of Orange
9 Strategies
10 The French Advance
11 The Battle of Quatre Bras
12 Preparation
13 Waterloo Acts I and II
14 Waterloo Acts III and IV
15 Waterloo Act V
16 The Pursuit
17 The Myth of Waterloo
18 Concealment
19 Aftermath – the Netherlands
Conclusion
Postscript
Notes
Bibliography
Index
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Veronica Baker-Smith lived in the Netherlands for seventeen years, and her work in the Dutch archives resulted in An Alien Patriot: the Life of Anna van Hannover, for the Thomas Browne Institute of the University of Leiden. She is also the author of Royal Discord – a study of the family of George II.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Hardcover. Condition: As New. Casemate Publishing Historical Reference Books (Casemate Publishing) Wellington's Hidden Heroes (EX/NM)Manufacturer: Casemate PublishingProduct Line: Historical Reference Books (Casemate Publishing)Type: HardcoverCopyright Date: 2015Author: Veronica Baker-SmithPage Count: 208Please review the condition and any condition notes for the exact condition of this item. All pictures are stock photos. The condition of the item you will receive is EX/NM. Our grading system is explained in the terms of sale section of our bookseller page. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Product Description:The epic and brutal battle of Waterloo was a pivotal moment in historyâ"when the events of a single day defined the course of Europe's future. In this vibrant and exhilarating hour-by-hour portrayal of the battle, a renowned historian joins his voice with the eyewitness accounts of those who fought it. For example:âOne of the lancers rode by, and stabbed me in the back with his lance. I then turned, and lay with my face upward, and a foot soldier stabbed me with his sword as he walked by. Immediately after, another, with his firelock and bayonet, gave me a terrible plunge, and while doing it with all his might, exclaimed, âSacré nom de Dieu!ââIn March 1815, the Allies declared war on Napoleon in response to his escape from exile and his renewed threat to imperial European rule. Three months later, on 18 June 1815, having suffered considerable losses at Quatre-Bras, Wellington's army fell back on Waterloo, some ten miles south of Brussels. Halting on the ridge, they awaited Napoleon's army, blocking its entry to the capital. This would become the Allies' final stand, the infamous battle of Waterloo.?In this intimate, hour-by-hour account, acclaimed military historian Robert Kershaw resurrects the human stories at the center of the fighting, creating an authoritative single-volume biography of this landmark battle. Drawing on his profound insight and a field knowledge of military strategy, Kershaw takes the reader to where the impact of the orders was felt, straight into the heart of the battle, shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers on the mud-splattered ground.Masterfully weaving together painstakingly researched eyewitness accounts, diaries and lettersâ"many never before seen or publishedâ"this gripping portrayal of Waterloo offers unparalleled authenticity. Extraordinary images of the men and women emerge in full color; the voices of the sergeants, the exhausted foot-soldiers, the boy ensigns, the captains and the cavalry troopers, from both sides, rise from the page in vivid and telling detail, as the fate of Europe hangs by a thread. Seller Inventory # 2150060100
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. The Duke of Wellington described the Battle of Waterloo as 'the most desperate business I ever was in . I was never so near being beat'. The courage of British troops that day has been rightly praised ever since, but the fact that one-third of the forces which gave him his narrow victory were subjects, not of George III, but of the King of the Netherlands, has been almost completely ignored. This book seeks to correct a grave injustice through the study of Dutch sources both primary and secondary the majority of which have never been used by English-speaking historians. The Dutch-Belgians have been variously described as inexperienced, incompetent and cowardly, a rogue element in the otherwise disciplined Allied Army. It is only now being tentatively acknowledged that they alone saved Wellington from disaster at Quatre Bras. He had committed a strategic error in that, as Napoleon advanced, his own troops were scattered over a hundred kilometres of southern Belgium. Outnumbered three to one, the Netherlanders gave him time to concentrate his forces, and save Brussels from French occupation. At Waterloo itself, on at least three occasions when the fate of the battle 'hung upon the cusp' their engagement with the enemy aided British recovery. Their commander the Prince of Orange is viciously described as an arrogant fool, 'a disaster waiting to happen' and even a dangerous lunatic. According to the assessment of the Duke himself, he was a reliable and courageous subordinate. The Dutch material in this book reveals a new dimension for familiar events in the Campaign, and includes many unseen illustrations. For the first time, a full assessment is made of the challenge which Willem I faced as King of a country hastily cobbled together by the Congress of Vienna, and of his achievement in assembling, equipping and training thirty thousand men from scratch in eighteen months. This is a timely reassessment in the two hundredth anniversary year of the battle of Waterloo. The veneration which the Duke of Wellington justifiably enjoyed after the Waterloo Campaign should not be allowed to forgive his lifelong lack of acknowledgment of the debt he owed the Netherlanders. As he once said himself, 'there should be glory enough for all', and it is high time that they are allowed to claim their share. AUTHOR: Veronica Baker-Smith lived in the Netherlands for seventeen years, and her work in the Dutch archives resulted in An Alien Patriot: the Life of Anna van Hannover, for the Thomas Browne Institute of the University of Leiden. She is also the author of 'Royal Discord' - a study of the family of George I. A highly original account of the previously unacknowledged crucial role that the Netherland forces played in averting defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and other battles in the Waterloo Campaign. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781612003320