Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

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{{Infobox PM 

| name=The Duke of Wellington
| image=Field_Marshal_Arthur_Wellesley_KG_CCB_GCH_CoR_1st_Duke_of_Wellington.jpg
| country=the United Kingdom
| term=January 1828 – November 1830
17 November 1834 – 9 December 1834
| before=The Viscount Goderich
The Viscount Melbourne
| after=The Earl Grey
Sir Robert Peel, Bt
| date_birth=c. 1 May, 1769
| place_birth=Possibly Dublin or County Meath
| date_death=14 September, 1852
| place_death=Walmer, Kent
| party=Tory

}}

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. 1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Irish born British soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. Commissioned an Ensign in the British Army, he would rise to prominence in the Napoleonic Wars, eventually reaching the rank of Field Marshal.

Wellington commanded the Allied forces during the Peninsular War, pushing the French Army out of Portugal and Spain and reaching southern France. Victorious and hailed as a hero in England, he was obliged to return to continental Europe to command the Anglo-Allied forces at Waterloo, after which Napoleon was permanently exiled at St. Helena. Wellington was victorious over Napoleon and the French at each of six major battles, confirming his place as one of history's greatest generals and strategists.

Wellington is often compared to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, with whom he shared many characteristics, chiefly a transition to politics after a highly successful military career. He served as a Tory Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two separate occasions, and was one of the leading figures in the House of Lords until his retirement in 1846.

Contents

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Early life

Born The Honourable Arthur Wesley at either his family's social season Dublin residence, Mornington House, or at his family seat, Dangan Castle near Trim in County Meath, Ireland, he was the third son of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington. His exact date of birth is a matter of some contention. All that exists is a church registry of the event marked a few days after it must have occurred. The most likely date is 1 May 1769, but it is possible the birth occurred a few days either side. He legally changed his surname (with other members of his family) to Wellesley in March 1798.

He came from a titled family long settled in Ireland; his father was the 1st Earl of Mornington, his eldest brother, who would inherit his father's Earldom, would be created Marquess Wellesley, and two of his other brothers would be raised to the peerage as Baron Maryborough and Baron Cowley.

Wesley was educated at Eton from 1781 to 1785, but a lack of success there, combined with a shortage of family funds, led to a move to Brussels in Belgium to receive further education. In 1787, his mother and brother Richard purchased for Wesley a commission as an Ensign in the 73rd Regiment of Foot; he attended the Military Academy of Angers in France, after having received earlier training in England. His first assignment was as aide-de-camp to two successive Lords Lieutenant of Ireland (1787–1793). He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1788; two years later, he was elected as an independent Member of Parliament for Trim in the Irish House of Commons (in 1790), a position he held until 1797. He rose rapidly in rank (largely through the purchase system, which at that time allowed, and, indeed, generally required, officers in the British Army to purchase their rank) becoming Lieutenant-Colonel in the 33rd Regiment of Foot in 1793. He participated in the unsuccessful campaign against the French in the Netherlands between 1794 and 1795, and was present at the Battle of Boxtel.

In 1796, after a promotion to Colonel, he accompanied his division to India. The next year, his elder brother, Richard Wesley, 2nd Earl of Mornington, was appointed Governor-General of India, and when the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War broke out from 1798 against the Sultan of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, Arthur Wellesley commanded a division of his own. While serving in that capacity, he was appointed Governor of Seringapatam and Mysore, positions he held until 1805. He commanded the (always outnumbered) British army at Assaye, Argaum, and stormed the fortress at Gawilghur. On one occasion, he outran the Mysore soldiers pursuing him and avoided getting killed. Through his own skill as a commander, and the bravery of his Scottish troops, the Indians were defeated at every engagement, and, following the successful conclusion of that campaign, he was appointed to the supreme military and political command in the Deccan; while in that position he defeated the robber chieftain Dhundia Wagh (who had ironically escaped from prison in Seringapatam during the last battle of the Mysore war) and also the Marathas (in 1803). In 1804, he was created a Knight of the Bath, which would be the first of numerous honours throughout his life. When his brother's term as Governor-General of India ended in 1805, the brothers returned together to England, where they were forced to defend their imperialistic (and expensive) employment of the British forces in India. India did teach him to abandon the then-common British habit of infrequent bathing. Lord Wellington is usually credited with popularizing the custom of daily bathing in his own country.

Wellesley was elected MP for Rye (in the British House of Commons) for six months in 1806; a year later, he was elected MP for Newport on the Isle of Wight, a constituency he would represent for two years. During this time, he was an established Tory, and in April 1807 (while representing St Michael), he was invested a Privy Counsellor. Additionally, he served as Chief Secretary for Ireland for some time. However, his political life would soon come to an abrupt end, and he would sail to Europe to participate in the Napoleonic Wars.

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Napoleonic Wars

Image:Goyawellington.jpeg It was in the following years that Wellesley undertook the events that made his place in history. Since 1789, France had been embroiled in the French Revolution, and after seizing the government in 1799, Napoleon had reached the heights of power in Europe. The British government was casting about for ways to end Napoleon's threat; and Wellesley helped to supply them.

First came junior command in an expedition to Denmark in 1807, which soon led to Wellesley's promotion to Lieutenant-General and a transfer to the theatre of the Peninsular War. Although that war was not going particularly well, it was the one place where the Portuguese and the British had managed to put up a fight on the European mainland against France and her allies. (The disastrous Walcheren expedition was typical of the mismanaged British expeditions of the time.) Wellesley had submitted a memorandum to Lord Castlereagh on the defense of Portugal and Castlereagh appointed him head of an expeditionary force. Wellesley defeated the French at the Battle of Roliça and the Battle of Vimeiro in 1808. Unfortunately, Wellington was superseded in command of the British army, and he was compelled to sign the controversial Convention of Cintra, which stipulated that the British navy would transport the French army out of Lisbon with all their loot, and Wellesley was briefly recalled to Britain to face a tribunal brought about by political opponents in Parliament. In the meantime, however, Napoleon himself had come to Spain with his veteran troops, and when the Commander-in-Chief, Sir John Moore, died during the Battle of Corunna, Wellesley was sent back to Portugal to command the tiny British garrison still in Lisbon.

Quickly reinforced, Wellesley took the offensive in April 1809, joining with a Spanish army under Cuesta he defeated one of the armies of King Joseph of Spain (Napoleon's eldest brother) at the Battle of Talavera de la Reina in 1809. For this, he was raised to the Peerage as Viscount Wellington, of Talavera and of Wellington in the County of Somerset. Betrayed by the Spanish, the British were compelled to retreat to Portugal. When the French army under Marshall Andre Massena invaded Portugal again in 1810, he slowed them down at the Busaco, then blocked them from taking the Lisbon peninsula by his magnificently constructed earthwork Lines of Torres Vedras coupled with the waterborne protection of the British Royal Navy (the bloodless Battle of Lisbon). The baffled and starving French invasion forces retreated after six months. Wellesley followed and after several skirmishes, drove them out of Portugal entirely except for the small garrison at Albuera which was placed under siege. In 1811, Massena returned to Portugal, and Wellesley narrowly defeated the French at the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro and Albuera. In May 1811, he was promoted to General for his services in Portugal.

Capturing the twin fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz (the 'Keys' of Portugal) in 1812, Wellington joined his small British force to the resurgent Portuguese army, rebuilt by Beresford. Driving into Spain, he defeated the French again at Salamanca, then took the Spanish capital of Madrid. Around this time, he was created Earl of Wellington and given command of all Allied armies in Spain. Failing to take the vital fortress of Burgos, the French counterattack that year put the British forces in a precarious position, but Lord Wellington withdrew his army quickly, and joining with the smaller corps commanded by Rowland Hill, the combined allied army retreated to Portugal.

Taking advantage of the withdrawal of many French troops to Napoleon's doomed invasion of Russia, Wellington led a new offensive in 1813, personally leading a small force in a feint against the French center, the main army commanded by Thomas Graham looped around the French right, leading to the rout of the French forces. Continuing to outflank the French lines, Wellington brought the French to battle at the Battle of Vitoria, which pushed the enemy back into France and for which he was promoted to Field Marshal. After taking the small fortresses of Pamplona and San Sebastion, he invaded France, and finally defeated the French army under Marshall Soult at the Battle of Toulouse. Four days after Napolean surrendered to the Allied armies of the Prussians, Russians, and Austrians. After this battle, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba in 1814.

Hailed as the conquering hero, Wellington was created Duke of Wellington, a title still held by his descendants. He was soon appointed Ambassador to France, then took Lord Castlereagh's place as First Plenipotentiary to the Congress of Vienna, where he strongly advocated allowing France to keep its place in the European balance of power. On 2 January 1815, the title of his Knighthood of the Bath was converted to Knight Grand Cross upon the expansion of that order.

On 26 February 1815, Napoleon escaped his prison on Elba and returned to France. Regaining control of the country by May, he then faced a reformation of the alliance against him. Wellington left Vienna to command the Anglo-Allied forces during the Waterloo Campaign. He ended up in Belgium, commanding the British army and the allied Dutch-Belgians alongside with Prussian forces under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. After the Prussian defeat at Lille, and the inconclusive draw at Battle of Quatre Bras, the British army retreated to the small town of Waterloo and two days later, on 18 June, fought the battle of Waterloo. After an all-day fight, the French Guard was dramatically repulsed by British volley fire, and the arrival of Prussian reinforcements turned Napolean's defeat to a rout. The French Emperor abdicated once again on 22 June, and was spirited away by the British to distant St Helena.

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Wellington as soldier

Image:Wellington Statue.jpg Despite oft cited similarities between Napoleon Bonaparte and Wellington, the strategies and tactics employed by both were diametically opposed. Perhaps the main reason that Napoleon stands in many history texts above Wellington is that Napoleon offered radical changes in warfare in every respect, whereas Wellington's contribution to warfare lies more in the brilliant use of the old.

Napoleonic tactics were typified by massive conscript armies who advanced in tight columns to rout opposing forces. This was soon adopted by nearly every major participant in the war, with the chief exception of the British as well as the Spanish and Portuguese they trained. In almost every engagement, the tight-packed French columns(in which only the first two ranks could fire) would advance, apparently unheeding of casualties. Against the ill-trained armies of the Austrians, Prussians, and the other allied powers, it was spectacularly successful. Against the excellently trained British regulars who stood in line in two ranks (and thus, every man in line could fire), the column was a spectacular failure. Despite the demonstrated helplessness of the French column against the British line, the French commanders in Iberia continued to attack in column. Thus, in many instances, a single British battalion would defeat an entire French division.

Wellington is often viewed as a 'defensive general,' despite the fact that many of his greatest victories (Assaye, Douro, Salamanca, Vitoria, Toulouse), were all offensive battles. In fact, on the defensive, Wellington made a number of mistakes, most famously, at the battle of Funtes de Onero, where a disaster was only averted by the his quick thinking and the steadiness of the British and Portuguese troops.

Strategically, Wellington also appears somewhat anachronistic, with the Peninsular War revolving partly upon the possession and besieging of fortified strongholds. Conventional military wisdom of the era, especially under Napoleon, dictated that the opposing field army was to be eliminated at any price necessary, before disease and wastage could reduce the attacking force to nothing. In pursuit of this aim, desperate measures would be taken, such as winter battles, forced marches, and privation allievated only by foraging. Wellington's campaign displayed carefully planned offensives, tempered by subsequent consolidation of gains.

In other strategic areas however, Wellington seemed to forecast the tide of the future. The construction of the fortifications near Torres Vedras, and the subsequent attritional campaign which ensued, seems to typify the manner that warfare would evolve within the following century.

Wellington should be considered a model for multi-national leadership. He efficiently coordinated the efforts of Portuguese, Spanish, and a multitude of other foreign units, as well as negotiating with a home government not always empathetic to military concerns. It is a testament to Wellington's ability that he successfully integrated and commanded British, Spanish, Portuguese, Hanoverian, Saxon Prussian, Swiss, Indian, Dutch, and Belgian troops; a retinue only Napoleon himself could probably match. In command of these forces, he was almost always outnumbered, and succeeded by the merits of his attention to detail and tactical foresight.

An important point when comparing Wellington and Napoleon, is that whereas Napoleon was effectively supreme commander of the armed forces of his Empire, Wellington was merely a general in the field, with little or no influence on the organisation or administration of the British Army as a whole. He was driven to exasperation on several occasions, for example by the fact that his artillery were administered separately from the infantry and cavalry; and by the quality of some of the commanders and staff officers imposed on him by the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of York.

However, when he himself became Commander-in-Chief, he made no major changes to the Army's policies, maintaining practices such as flogging for disciplinary offences and purchase of commissions, unchanged for almost forty years.

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Later life

Image:Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington - Project Gutenberg 13103.jpg Politics beckoned once again in 1819, when Wellington was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance in the Tory government of Lord Liverpool. In 1827, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, a position he would hold for the remainder of his life, except during his premiership. Along with Robert Peel, Wellington became one of the rising stars of the Tory party, and by 1828, had become Prime Minister.

As Prime Minister, Wellington was the picture of the arch-conservative, fearing that the anarchy of the French Revolution would spread to England. Oddly enough, the highlight of his term was Catholic Emancipation, the granting of almost full civil rights to Catholics in the United Kingdom. The change was forced by the landslide by-election win of Daniel O'Connell, a Catholic proponent of emancipation, who was elected despite not being legally allowed to sit in Parliament. Lord Winchilsea accused the Duke of having "treacherously plotted the destruction of the Protestant constitution". Wellington responded by immediately challenging Winchilsea to a duel. The duel is also one of the reasons for the founding of King's College London. On 21 March 1829, Wellington and Winchilsea met on Battersea fields. When it came time to fire, the Duke deliberately aimed wide and Winchilsea fired into the air. He subsequently wrote Wellington a grovelling apology. In the House of Lords, facing stiff opposition, Wellington spoke for Catholic emancipation, giving one of the best speeches of his career [1]. He had grown up in Ireland, and later governed it, so he knew firsthand of the misery of the Catholic masses there. The Catholic Emancipation Act was passed with a majority of 105. Many of the Tories voted against the Act, and it passed only with the help of the Whigs.

Wellington's government fell in 1830. In the summer and autumn of that year, a wave of riots (Swing Riots) swept the country. The Whigs had been out of power for all but a few years since the 1770s, and saw political reform in response to the unrest as the key to their return. Wellington stuck to the Tory policy of no reform and no expansion of the franchise, and as a result lost a vote of no confidence on 15 November 1830. He was replaced as Prime Minister by Lord Grey.

The Whigs introduced the first Reform Act, but Wellington and the Tories worked to prevent its passage. The bill passed in the House of Commons, but was defeated in the House of Lords. An election followed in direct response, and the Whigs were returned with an even larger majority. A second Reform Act was introduced, and defeated in the same way, and another wave of near insurrection swept the country. During this time, Wellington was greeted by a hostile reaction from the crowds at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and eventually the bill was passed after the Whigs threatened to have the House of Lords packed with their own followers if it were not. Though it passed, Wellington was never reconciled to the change; when Parliament first met after the first election under the widened franchise, Wellington is reported to have said "I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life". During this time, Wellington was gradually superseded as leader of the Tories by Robert Peel; when the Tories were brought back to power in 1834, Wellington declined to become Prime Minister, and Peel was selected instead. Unfortunately Peel was in Italy, and for three weeks in November and December 1834, Wellington acted as a caretaker, taking the responsibilities of Prime Minister and most of the other ministries. In Peel's first Cabinet (1834–1835), Wellington became Foreign Secretary, while in the second (1841–1846) he was a Minister without Portfolio and Leader of the House of Lords. Image:EmilySDrummondWellingtonFuneral1852.jpg Wellington retired from political life in 1846, although he remained Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, and returned briefly to the spotlight in 1848 when he helped organize a military force to protect London during that year of European revolution. He died at Walmer Castle (his honorary residence as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, which he enjoyed and at which he hosted Queen Victoria) in 1852. Although in life he hated travelling by rail, his body was then taken by train to London, where he was given a state funeral - one of only a handful of British subjects to be honoured in that way (other examples are Nelson and Churchill) - and was buried in a sarcophagus of luxulyanite in St Paul's Cathedral.

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Afterlife

In 1838 a proposal to build a statue of Wellington resulted in the building of a giant statue of him on his horse Copenhagen, placed above the Arch at Constitution Hill in London directly outside Apsley House, his former London home, in 1846. The enormous scale of the 40 ton, 30 feet high monument resulted in its removal in 1883 and the following year it was transported to Aldershot where it still stands near the Royal Garrison Church.

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Titles & Honours

Image:Arthur-Wellesley-arms.PNG

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Peerage of the United Kingdom

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British & Irish Honours

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International Honours & Titles

The Duke of Wellington stood as godfather to Queen Victoria's seventh child, Prince Arthur, in 1850. The Duke of Wellington and his godson shared the same birthdate, and as a toddler, young Arthur was encouraged to remind people that the Duke of Wellington was his godfather.

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Styles

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Nicknames

Apart from giving his name to "Wellington boots", the Duke of Wellington also had several nicknames.

  • The "Iron Duke", after an incident in 1830 in which he installed metal shutters to prevent rioters breaking windows at Apsley House
  • Officers under his command called him "The Beau", thanks to him being a fine dresser or "The Peer" after he was created a Viscount.
  • Regular soldiers under his command called him "Old Nosey" or "Old Hookey" because of his long nose.
  • Spanish and Portuguese troops called him "the Eagle" and "Douro" respectively.
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Trivia

An interesting fact about Wellington is that he shaved twice a day due to rapid growth of facial hair. He was also insistent that he was not interrupted during shaving. This little tale is seen in Redcoats by Richard Holmes.

HMS Iron Duke, named for Wellington, was the flagship of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe at the Battle of Jutland in World War I.

Wellington is a recurring character in the Richard Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell. In the film versions he was played by David Troughton for the first two instalments and Hugh Fraser for the remainder of the 14 movie series. He was also memorably (if unflatteringly) portrayed by Stephen Fry in the 'Duel and Duality' episode of the BBC One comedy television series Blackadder as a shouting, blustering war maniac with a tendency of violence towards the lower orders (including the Prince Regent, who was at the time disguised as his own butler) and a penchant for duelling with cannon.

C. S. Forester invented a younger sister, "Lady Barbara Wellesley", as a character in his Horatio Hornblower novels.

The oft quoted phrase "Publish and be damned!" is attributed to Wellington, as what he said after the courtesan Harriette Wilson threatened to publish her memoirs and his letters if he didn't supply her financial demands.

The capital city of New Zealand is named Wellington in honour of Wellington. The city has a private preparatory school named Wellesley College and a private club, Wellesley Club. The city of Auckland, New Zealand, has a central city road named Wellesley Street after Arthur Wellesley.

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The Duke of Wellington's Government, January 1828 - November 1830

Changes

  • May-June, 1828—Sir George Murray succeeds Huskisson as Colonial Secretary. Lord Aberdeen succeeded Lord Dudley as Foreign Secretary. Aberdeen's successor at the Duchy of Lancaster was not in the Cabinet. William Vesey-FitzGerald succeeded Grant as President of the Board of Trade and Treasurer of the Navy. Lord Palmerston left the Cabinet. His successor as Secretary at War was not in the Cabinet.
  • September, 1828—Lord Melville becomes First Lord of the Admiralty. He was succeeded as President of the Board of Control by Lord Ellenborough, who remained also Lord Privy Seal
  • June, 1829—Lord Rosslyn succeeded Lord Ellenborough as Lord Privy Seal. Ellenborough remained at the Board of Control.
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The Duke of Wellington's Caretaker Government November 1834 - December 1834

Other offices were in commission.

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References

  • ThePeerage.com
  • Burke's Peerage
  • Military Heritage published a feature on Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, time and conflicts in India on behalf of the British East India Company (aka East India Tea Company) and the British crown (Charles Hilbert, Military Heritage, August 2005, Volume 7, No. 1, pp.34 to 41), ISSN 1524-8666.
  • Hutchinson, Lester. European Freebooters in Mogul India. New York: Asia Publishing House, 1964.
  • Longford, Elizabeth. Wellington: The Years of The Sword. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1969.
  • Mill, James. The History of British India. 6 vols. 5th ed. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1968.
  • Brett-James, ed. Wellington at War 1794-1815, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1961.
  • A collection of the Duke’s letters. Beatson, Alexander. A View of the Origin and Conduct of the War with Tippoo Sultaun. London: Bulmer and Co., 1800.
  • Holmes, Richard. Wellington: The Iron Duke. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2002
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See also

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External links

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