The Duke of Wellington

Alexandria: Redcoats in the Land of the Pharaohs

It was a spectacle never to be forgotten by those few who were lucky enough to witness it. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Henry Shrapnel & The Battle of Waterloo

“And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air …”

That, as most people know, is a line from the American national anthem, words by Francis Scott Key, to the tune of Anacreon in Heaven by John Stafford Smith. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington in Assaye in India

Years after he had saved the world from the ambitions of Napoleon, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was asked by his friend, George William Chad, to recall the “best thing” he had ever done as a soldier. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Napoleon’s Last Victory

At 2:30 am on June 15, 1815, tens of thousands of French soldiers around the town of Beaumont, France, were roused from their bivouacs. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Masterstroke at the Battle of Salamanca

Marshal Auguste Marmont watched intently as the left wing of his French army maneuvered against the Anglo-Portuguese army during the Battle of Salamanca at mid-afternoon on July 22, 1812. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Streets Sewn with Bodies: Wellington at Fuentes de Onoro

It had been a brutal winter for the French Army of Portugal. War and hunger had haunted the occupiers, causing their number to dwindle by the thousands. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Quatre Bras: First Blood at Waterloo

In the face of disaster, few military commanders in history maintained the British stiff upper lip as well as Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Adolf Hitler’s Brush with Death in World War I

Private Henry Tandey had a clear shot at the German soldier. He was so close that he could look his enemy in the eyes. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Failing Health at Dresden

Napoleon had occasional health problems before 1810. He seems to have experienced seizures one or two times, episodes that resembled epilepsy, although most medical historians feel that he did not have the disease—at least not a classic version of it. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

The Prussian Army at the Battle of Waterloo

Two centuries after his catastrophic defeat, historians may well point to Napoleon Bonaparte’s supreme self-confidence as his worst enemy at the Battle of Waterloo, fought June 18, 1815. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Marshal Ney and His Biggest Mistake at the Battle of Waterloo

Known as the “bravest of the brave” to the soldiers of the French Army, Marshal Ney was one of the original 18 Marshals of the French Empire. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Surveying the Ground at the Battle of Waterloo

A master of the tactical defensive posture, the Duke of Wellington, later known as the “Iron Duke” for his military prowess, chose his ground well at Waterloo. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Waterloo: Napoleon Strikes the Duke of Wellington at the Center

An artillery officer early in his military career, Napoleon Bonaparte understood the potential for big guns to influence the outcome of a major battle. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Defending Hougoumont During the Battle of Waterloo

While the Battle of Waterloo is remembered as one of the most pivotal in history and its date of June 18, 1815, is well known, the actual hour it began is strangely uncertain. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Old Guard at the Battle of Waterloo

As the afternoon of June 18, 1815, waned at Waterloo, thousands of men and horses lay dead and dying. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Prelude to the Battle of Waterloo

Political unrest in France and public disenchantment with King Louis XVIII prompted exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to return to his country from the island of Elba in the spring of 1815. Read more

The Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington’s Preparations for the Battle of Waterloo

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, was in Vienna when the news arrived in early March 1815 that Napoleon had escaped from exile on Elba and returned to France. Read more