Napoleon and Wellington Read online

  1769 MAY I

  circa Born

  1781 MAY Father dies

  OCT Enters Eton

  1784 Leaves Eton and goes to Brighton for tutoring

  1785 Goes to Brussels with his mother

  1786 JAN 16 Enters School of Equitation, Angers, Anjou (until the end of the year)

  1787 MAR 17 Gazetted ensign in the 73rd Highland Regiment

  DEC 25 Promoted lieutenant

  1788 FEB Arrives in Dublin as aide-de-camp to the viceroy

  1790 APR Elected MP for Trim in Ireland

  1791 JUN 30 Promoted captain

  1793 JAN 21 Execution of King Louis XVI

  FEB I Convention declares war on Britain and Holland

  MAR 3 Breaks with Paoli

  MAY 31 Reign of Terror starts in Paris under the Committee of Public Safety

  JUN 13 Arrives with family in Toulon from Corsica

  AUG 27 Toulon handed over to British by Royalists

  SEP 16 Given command of artillery besieging Toulon

  OCT 18 Promoted chef de battailon

  DEC 17–19 Toulon recaptured

  DEC 22 Promoted général de brigade

  1794 FEB 6 Given command of the artillery of the Army of Italy

  JUL 27 Coup d’état of 9 Thermidor, Year II

  JUL 28 Execution of Robespierre ends the Terror

  AUG 9–2O Imprisoned at Antibes on treachery charges

  1795 MAY 2 Leaves Italy for Paris

  OCT 5 Day of the Sections insurrection put down by ‘whiff of grapeshot’

  OCT 16 Promoted général de division

  OCT 26 Appointed to command the Army of the Interior

  OCT 30 Directory replaces the Convention as government of France

  1796 MAR 2 Appointed to command the Army of Italy

  MAR 9 Marries Josephine de Beauharnais

  MAR 26 Assumes command of the Army of Italy

  APR 12 Defeats Austrians at Montenotte

  APR 13 Defeats Sardinians at Millésimo

  APR 14–15 Defeats Austrians at Dego

  MAY 10 Defeats Austrians at Lodi

  MAY 15 Enters Milan

  AUG 2–3 Defeats Austrians at Lonato

  AUG 5 Defeats Austrians at Castiglione

  NOV 15–17 Defeats Austrians at Arcole

  1797 JAN 14 Defeats Austrians at Rivoli

  FEB 19 Signs the treaty of Tolentino with the pope

  MAY 16 Occupies Venice

  1793 APR 30 Promoted major

  SEP 30 Promoted lieutenant-colonel

  1794 JUNE Commands a brigade in Flanders

  SEP 15 Fights first engagement at Boxtel

  1795 MAR Returns home

  1796 MAY 3 Promoted colonel

  JUN Sails to India in command of the 33rd Regiment of Foot

  1797 FRB Arrives in Calcutta

  SEP 14 Coup d’état of 18 Fructidor, Year V

  OCT 17 Peace treaty of Campo Formio between France and Austria

  OCT 27 Appointed to command the Army of England

  1798 FEB 23 Advises Directory against invading England

  APR 12 Appointed to command the Army of the Orient

  JUNE 12 Annexes Malta

  JUL 1 Disembarks at Alexandria

  JUL 21 Defeats Mamelukes at the battle of the Pyramids

  AUG 1 French naval squadron destroyed by Nelson at the battle of the Nile

  DEC 2 Second Coalition formed against France

  1799 FEB 20 Advances into Palestine

  MAR 7 Captures Jaffa and massacres Turkish prisoners

  MAR 18 Besieges Acre

  MAY 17 Abandons the siege of Acre, returns to Cairo (on Jun 14)

  AUG 23 Leaves Egypt for France (landing, Oct 9)

  NOV 9–10 Becomes consul after the 18th Brumaire Year VIII coup d’état

  DEC 12 Constitution of the Year VIII; first consul for ten years

  1800 FEB 19 Takes up residence in the Tuileries Palace

  MAR 14 Pius VII elected pope

  MAY 15–20 Crosses the Great St Bernard Pass

  JUNE 14 Defeats the Austrians at Marengo

  DEC 24 Survives assassination attempt in Paris

  1801 FEB 9 Peace of Lunéville between France and Austria

  APR Establishes invasion camp at Boulogne

  APR 2 Nelson destroys the Danish fleet at Copenhagen

  OCT 1 Preliminary Anglo-French peace treaty

  1802 JAN 26 Becomes president of the Italian Republic

  MAR 25 Peace of Amiens between France and Britain

  MAY 19 Institutes the légion d’honneur

  1799 MAY 4 Seringapatam stormed and Tippoo Sultan killed. Becomes governor of Mysore

  1800 SEP 10 Defeats Dhoondiah Waugh

  1802 APR 29 Promoted major-general

  AUG 2 Proclaimed first consul for life Annexes Elba

  SEP 2 Annexes Piedmont

  OCT 15 France invades Switzerland

  1803 MAR 11 Orders two flotillas for invasion of Britain

  MAY 16 Britain declares war on France

  AUG 23 Invasion camps and flotillas assembled

  1804 FEB Generals Moreau and Pichegru arrested

  MAR 21 Duc d’Enghien kidnapped and executed

  MAR 24 Promulgation of the Code Civil (also known as the Code Napoléon)

  MAY 18 Proclaimed emperor of the French

  MAY 19 Eighteen marshals of the Empire created

  DEC 2 Crowned emperor at Notre Dame in presence of Pope Pius VII

  1805 MAY 26 Crowns himself King of Italy in Milan Cathedral

  AUG 3 At Boulogne, waiting to invade Britain

  AUG 9 Austria joins Britain and Russia in the War of the Third Coalition

  AUG 23 Breaks camp at Boulogne to march east

  OCT 20 Defeats the Austrians at Ulm

  OCT 21 Battle of Trafalgar

  NOV 14 Enters Vienna

  DEC 2 Defeats the Austrians and Russians at Austerlitz

  DEC 15 Convention of Schönbrunn between France and Prussia

  DEC 27 Treaty of Pressburg between France and Austria

  1806 JAN 23 Death of William Pitt the Younger

  JUL 12 Becomes ‘Protector’ of the newly created Confederation of the Rhine

  AUG 6 Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire

  OCT 7 Invades Saxony and Prussia

  OCT 14 Defeats Prussians and Saxons at Jena

  OCT 27 Enters Berlin

  1803 AUG 3 Second Mahratta War against Scindia of Gwalior and allies

  SEP 23 Victory at Assaye

  NOV 29 Victory at Argaum

  DEC 15 Surrender of Gawilghur

  1804 SEP Knighted

  1805 MAR 10 Returns home, calling at St Helena on the way

  SEP 10 Reaches England

  DEC Takes a brigade to the Elbe

  1806 JAN 30 Succeeds Lord Cornwallis as colonel of the 33 rd Regiment

  FEB Returns from the continent. Posted to Hastings

  APR 1 Elected MP for Rye

  APR 10 Marries Kitty Pakenham in Dublin

  NOV 21 Berlin Decrees create the Continental System

  DEC l8 Enters Warsaw

  1807 FEB 8 Indecisive battle against the Russians and Prussians at Eylau

  JUN 14 Defeats Russians and Prussians at Friedland

  JUN 24 Confers with Alexander I and Frederick William II on a raft on the River Niemen

  JULY 7–9 Treaty of Tilsit between France, Russia and Prussia

  NOV 19 France invades Portugal

  NOV 30 Junot occupies Lisbon

  1808 FEB 16 France invades Spain

  MAR 18 Charles IV of Spain forced to abdicate; Ferdinand VII declared king

  MAY 2–5 Anti-French revolt in Madrid, put down by Murat

  JUN 6 Joseph Bonaparte proclaimed King of Spain

  OCT 6 Alliance between France and Russia at Erfurt

  NOV 5 Assumes command of the Army of Spain

  NOV 23 Defeats Spaniards at Tudela

  DEC 4 Enters Madrid

  DEC 21 Crosses the Guadarrama in pursuit of Sir John Moore

  1809 JAN 16 Moore dies at the battle of Corunna, but British evacuate

  JAN 24 Leaves Valladolid for France

  MAY 13 Enters Vienna

  MAY 17 Annexes the Papal States

  MAY 20–23 Defeated by Austrians at Aspern-Essling

  JUL 5–6 Defeats Austrians at Wagram

  OCT 14 Treaty of Schönbrunn between France and Austria

  DEC Divorces Josephine by act of Senate

  1810 APR 2 Marries Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria

  APR 17 Marshal Masséna appointed to command the Army of Portugal

  JUL 9 Annexes Holland

  AUG Annexes Westphalia

  1807 FEB 3 A son, Richard Arthur Wellesley, born

  APR 3 Joins the Duke of Portland’s ministry as Chief Secretary for Ireland

  JUL 31 Danish Expedition (until Sep 30)

  1808 APR 25 Promoted lieutenant-general

  JUL 12 Placed in temporary command of expeditionary force to Portugal

  AUG 1 Lands in Mondego Bay, Portugal

  AUG 17 Defeats General Delaborde at Roliça

  AUG 21 Defeats General Junot at Vimeiro and is afterwards superseded

  AUG 31 Convention of Cintra; W. recalled to face an inquiry

  1809 APR 26 Lands at Lisbon with a new British army

  MAY 12 Crosses the Douro and defeats Soult at Oporto

  JUN 27 Enters Spain

  JUL 6 Appointed marshal-general of the Portuguese army

  JUL 27–28 Defeats King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan at Talavera

  SEP 4 Created Viscount Wellington of Talavera Secret construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras

  1810 SEP 27 Defeats Marshal Masséna at Busaco

  OCT 8 Enter
s the Lines of Torres Vedras

  DEC Annexes north-west Germany

  1811 JAN Annexes Oldenburg

  MAR 20 Birth of François-Charles-Joseph, King of Rome

  1812 JAN 10 Occupies Swedish Pomerania

  JUN 24 Crosses the River Niemen into Russia

  AUG 18 Captures Smolensk

  SEP 7 Battle of Borodino

  SEP 14 Enters Moscow, which burns until 19th

  OCT 19 Evacuation of Moscow; the retreat begins

  NOV 14–18 Defeated by Russians at Krasnoi

  NOV 26–28 Disaster crossing the River Beresina

  DEC 5 Leaves the Grande Armée

  DEC 18 Arrives in Paris

  1813 MAR 16 Prussia declares war on France

  MAY 2 Defeats Russians at Lützen

  MAY 20–21 Defeats Russians and Prussians at Bautzen

  JUN 4 Armistice of Pleischwitz brokered by Metternich

  AUG 12 Austria declares war on France

  AUG 26–27 Defeats Russians and Austrians at Dresden

  OCT 16–19 Defeated by Austrians, Russians, Prussians and Swedes at Leipzig

  OCT 18 Bavaria and Saxony join the Allies

  1814 FEB 10 Defeats Russians at Champaubert

  FEB 11 Defeats Russians and Prussians at Montmirail

  FEB 12 Defeats Russians and Prussians at Château-Thierry

  FEB 14 Defeats Russians and Prussians at Vauchamps

  FEB 18 Defeats Westphalians and Austrians at Montereau

  MAR 1 Treaty of Chaumont between the Allies

  MAR 30–31 Allies enter Paris

  1811 MAR 5 Masséna begins retreat from Portugal to Spain

  MAY 3–5 Defeats Masséna at Fuentes d’Oñoro

  MAY 10 Marshal Marmont takes over Army of Portugal

  MAY 11 Almeida fortress surrenders

  MAY 16 Marshal Beresford defeats Marshal Soult at Albuera

  1812 JAN 8–19 Captures Ciudad Rodrigo

  FEB Created Earl of Wellington and Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo

  APR 6 Storms Badajoz (besieged since Mar 16)

  MAY 11 Spencer Perceval assassinated; Lord Liverpool becomes first lord of the Treasury

  JUL 22 Defeats Marmont at Salamanca

  AUG 12 Enters Madrid

  AUG 18 Created Marquess of Wellington

  SEP 19 Unsuccessful siege of Burgos (until Oct 21)

  SEP 22 Appointed generalissimo of Spanish Armies

  OCT 22 Retreat from Burgos (until Nov 19)

  1813 MAR 4 Awarded the Order of the Garter

  JUN 21 Defeats King Joseph at Vitoria; becomes field marshal

  JUL 25 First assault on San Sebastián abandoned; city besieged

  JUL 28–30 Defeats Soult at Sorauren

  AUG 31 Fall of San Sebastián

  OCT 7 Crosses Bidassoa river into France

  NOV 10 Defeats Soult at the Nivelle

  DEC 12 Defeats Soult at the Nive

  1814 FEB Crosses the Ardour and invests Bayonne

  FEB 27 Defeats Soult at Orthez

  MAR 12 Captures Bordeaux

  APR 10 Defeats Soult at Toulouse

  MAY 3 Created Duke of Wellington

  MAY 4 Reviews troops in Paris with Louis XVIII

  JUN 14 Bids farewell to troops at Bordeaux

  JUN 23 Returns to England for peace celebrations

  JUL 5 Appointed ambassador to France

  APR 2 Deposed by French Senate

  APR 6 Abdicates

  APR 26 Louis XVIII proclaimed King of France

  APR 27 Sails to Elba

  NOV 1 Congress of Vienna opens

  1815 FEB 26 Sails from Elba

  MAR I Lands at Golfe Juan near Cannes

  MAR 18 Defection of Marshal Ney

  MAR 19 Louis XVIII flees Paris

  MAR 20 Enters Tuileries

  JUN I Ceremony of the Champ de Mai

  JUN 12 Leaves Paris and heads for the Army of the North

  JUN 15 Crosses Belgian frontier; captures Charleroi

  JUN 16 Defeats Prussians at Ligny

  JUN 18 Defeated by Anglo-Allied and Prussian armies at Waterloo

  JUN 22 Abdicates again

  JUL 7 Allies enter Paris

  JUL 15 Surrenders to Captain Maitland of HMS Bellerophon at Rochefort

  AUG 7 Leaves Plymouth on HMS Northumberland for St Helena

  OCT 17 Lands at St Helena

  DEC 7 Marshal Ney shot

  1821 MAY 5 Dies

  1840 DEC 15 Buried at Les Invalides

  NOV 1 Congress of Vienna formally opens

  1815 FEB 3 Arrives in Vienna as British plenipotentiary

  MAR 7 Congress hears of Napoleon’s escape from Elba

  MAR 13 Congress ‘outlaws’ Napoleon

  MAR 28 Leaves Vienna

  APR 4 Arrives at Anglo-Allied army headquarters at Brussels

  JUN 15 Hears of French invasion of Belgium; Duchess of Richmond’s ball

  JUN 16 Battle of Quatre Bras

  JUN 17 Withdraws to Mont St Jean

  JUN 18 Defeats Napoleon at Waterloo

  JUN 22 Crosses Belgian border into France

  JUL 3 France capitulates by treaty of St Cloud

  JUL 7 Allies enter Paris

  JUL 8 Louis XVIII restored to French throne

  OCT 22 Appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied army of occupation

  DEC 7 Marshal Ney shot

  1828 JAN 9 Becomes prime minister

  1830 NOV 16 Resigns premiership

  1852 SEP 14 Dies

  NOV 18 Buried at St Paul’s Cathedral

  Introduction

  It was not the Roman army which conquered Gaul, but Cæsar; it was not the Carthaginian army which, before the gates of Rome, made the Eternal City tremble, but Hannibal.

  NAPOLEON

  The Emperor Napoleon seemed confident of victory when he breakfasted with his senior generals at Le Caillou farmhouse on the Charleroi–Brussels road at eight o’clock on the morning of Sunday, 18 June 1815. He had feared that the Anglo-Allied army under the Duke of Wellington might have withdrawn from its defensive positions on the ridge of Mont St Jean during the night, but dawn had revealed it still in place. The meal was served on silver plate bearing the imperial arms, and once it was cleared away maps of the area were spread across the table and the council of war began.

  ‘The army of the enemy is superior to ours by one-fourth,’ Napoleon announced (incorrectly, as in fact the 72,000 French outnumbered the 68,000 Anglo-Allied troops). ‘We have nevertheless ninety chances in our favour, and not ten against us.’ At this, Marshal Ney – ‘the bravest of the brave’ – who had only just arrived, having reconnoitred the Anglo-Allied lines, warned: ‘Without doubt, Sire, provided Wellington be simple enough to wait for you. But I must inform you that his retreat is decided, and that if you do not hasten to attack, the enemy is about to escape from you.’ ‘You have seen wrong,’ the emperor confidently told him, ‘and it is too late now. Wellington would expose himself to certain defeat. He has thrown the dice and they are in our favour.’

  Marshal Soult, Napoleon’s chief of staff, was not so sanguine. The previous evening he had urged the emperor to recall Marshal Grouchy, who had been sent off that morning with a very substantial force to chase the Prussian army after its defeat at Napoleon’s hands at the battle of Ligny. As Soult had told a member of his staff, it was ‘a great mistake to separate so large a force of some thirty thousand men from the main army which is facing the English’, and he reiterated this view at the pre-battle conference.1

  Soult had fought against Wellington in the Iberian Peninsula, always coming off worst, and consequently held the British army and its commander in high regard. Napoleon now used that fact against him, retorting that ‘Because you have been beaten by Wellington, you consider him a great general. And now I tell you that Wellington is a bad general, that the English are bad troops, and ce sera l’affaire d’un déjeuner.’ (A modern colloquial translation might be: ‘We’ll settle this matter by lunchtime,’ or even ‘This’ll be a picnic.’) It was a brutal put-down, and an unconvinced Soult merely answered: ‘I earnestly hope so.’2

  Soult’s views were then supported by General Honoré Reille, the commander of II Corps, who entered the farmhouse in the company of his subordinate commander, Jérôme Bonaparte, Napoleon’s youngest brother. When Napoleon asked Reille, who had also seen much service in the Peninsula, for his views on the British army, he was told:

  Well posted, and Wellington knows how to post it, and attacked from the front, I consider the English infantry to be impregnable, owing to its calm tenacity, and its superior aim in firing. Before attacking it with the bayonet, one may expect half the assailants to be brought to the ground. But the English army is less agile, less supple, less expert in manoeuvring than ours. If we cannot beat it by a direct attack, we may do so by manoeuvring.

  According to those present, Napoleon had no verbal answer to this, merely rejecting Reille’s warning with a dismissive shrug. General Maximilien Foy, yet another Peninsular veteran, then also interposed to say: ‘Wellington never shows his troops, but if he is yonder, I must warn Your Majesty that the English infantry in close combat is the very devil!’ Foy had been on the losing side in no fewer than eight major engagements against Wellington, with whom he had personally discussed ‘la guerre’ at dinner only the previous October.