Peninsular War: Why Did British Soldiers Fight So Damn Hard?

[@nicholascarrington7912]

Wellington's quote about The Scum of the Earth always misses the last part, "...it really is wonderful what fine fellows we have made of them."

[@redcoathistory]

Only one of the multiple times did he add that - please look up his quotes after the battle of Vittoria. I also love the Duke but let's not make him into something he wasn't. We can still love his generalship while appreciating his attitude towards the lower ranks.

[@bigZCNC]

Not so popular as Prime Minister. Gaining the name Iron Duke. Due to to iron bars put on Aspley House to stop the bricks breaking the windows.😀

[@harrymills2770]

@@redcoathistory Many of the ranks were prison scrapings, given a choice between prison/execution and enlisting. Many enlisted just to get fed.

[@theodoresmith5272]

​@redcoathistory sir I admire your enthusiasm and knowledge and data, but to me, you often over state the British red coats. First I really do respect the fighting men of Britain as top tier, but for me, the saying lions lead by donkeys isn't limited to ww1. As the admiralty and captains list of the royal navy is absolutely loaded with badass guys, the army is all but bare. For the record, I do think wellington was a good general. Here is the thing. When I was a boy, we were taught we beat the red coats and they were the best at the time. Later I found out it was a lie. The german troops, Prussians in particular, were considered the best at the time. After that the French. You say they fought so hard. ? I won't say they didn't become a good army but spain was a backwater to the French. The claim by British historians that it tied up french troops isn't really true as napoleon assembled 650,000 to invade Russia. At the time the French invade Russia, spain was in total control by the French except Cadiz and wellington was stuck in Portugal, which the French had achieved there goal to stop trade between Portugal and England as Portugal was a wasteland. Will you cover the retreat, by wellington, from burgos? As napoleon invades Russia in 1812, wellington, trapped in Portugal for a while, does break out and takes Salamanca and madrid. He gets to the walled city of burgos and doesn't have seige cannons and can't get them there. The French have now had time to get together a force and they are aiming to cut him off from returning to Portugal. So wellington retreats and has almost as bad of a time as napoleon in Russia. Only when the French have lost another army after Russia, in Germany, when the French are all but abandoning spain, to defend france, does wellington and the British do much. Oh and blucher is the hero of waterloo. When you add up both the Prussian and the Dutch and german troops, Very few red coats even fought in the battle. Wellington defends a good defensible hill very well. If the prussians don't hold the river crossing to keep the French tailing them, they can't come help wellington. They do. They crush the French right flank, after already have made the French send most of their reserves to stop them including most of guard. I guess when he is the best general the British ever had, sorry but Richard the lion heart was French. His mom was Eleanor from France, his daddy was a Norman. He is buried in France for a reason. I don't know of any country that took so many military disaster as the British red coats. They eventually usually win the wars but wow they got a lot of wiped out or nearly wiped out armies. Sudan. Zulu, boer wars, afgan, malloy, not a good showing on many level in crimea like the charge of the light brigade. Not a good showing and a loss in America. At new Orleans, many of those red coats under wellington in spain, and some of his officers core, got smoked. The mortality in the officer core was devastating. I think a little more humbleness about how good the red coats were is in order.

[@douglassun8456]

@@redcoathistory But context is important. HIs scathing remarks after Vittoria were a reaction to the looting that hindered the pursuit of Joseph's army, which would have disgusted any decent general. I also recall John Keegan pointing out that the best recruits tended to chose home service because the pay was better, so an army sent abroad generally got what was left over.

[@ducthman4737]

Too late was not at home. Great show. On those large battlefields, a soldier only knew what was happening within twenty meters around him. He was hot, hungry, tired, sweaty, thirsty, half blind from the smoke, half deaf from the noise and full of adrenaline. He had no idea who was losing or winning. All he knew was that staying together as a fighting unit and do his job gave him the best chance of surviving the fight. And of course it is always the other guy who gets shot. On a battleship there is also no place to run .

[@frankmorton1920]

I would say that a Redcoat on a battlefield would be acutely aware of everything within range of his weapon.

[@derricklarsen2919]

Not after a couple of volleys . Black powder makes a lot of smoke.

[@Michael-fj5sh]

I doubt he would be hungry due to the adrenaline.

[@chaffcutter58.]

​@frankmorton1920 I concur Sir, a most condensed appraisal.

[@stormywindmill]

On the eve of the battle of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington was driving through Brussels on his way to the ball given in his honour, one of his officers in the coach with him asked the duke how he thought tomorrow's battle might go, Wellington happened to look out of the carriage window and his eye fell on a drunken British soldier staggering along the sidewalk with a prostitute on each arm, The duke said: " It all depends on that article there".

[@ingerlander]

I believe the soldier was looking at a statue

[@koalaeinstein-y7r]

Driving a Lexus or BMW

[@frankmorton1920]

That " article" went on the fight in every corner of the world, often underfunded by Parliament and abused by the British public. It really didn't matter how good our generals were, the lowly Redcoat often won the day by sheer doggedness.

[@Stephen-lx9nm]

​@@koalaeinstein-y7rThey didn't have cars then 😂

[@Sgtklark]

I recall a line from one of the Flashman books, that the individual soldier wasn't a hero, but he knew that the man to the left and right of him were heros.

[@redcoathistory]

Great line.

[@vikingjohn9813]

I can confirm that is true, I served in 1st battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and I was no hero but I know quite a few tho

[@smithwesson7765]

The Flashman series was so very well done.

[@ChrisMartin-b7l]

One of my Great Great Great Grandfathers served in the 52nd Regiment of Foot in the Penisular War. He was discharged shortly before the Battle of Badajoz because of gunshot wounds to his arm. He grew up in a small village in Somerset and he would have been an agricultural labourer. He was in the military for nearly 8 years from 1805 to 1813,

[@markmorris7123]

That's awesome.. However, unless you happen to e from a very privileged background I would say most of our great great great grandfathers fought their

[@ChrisMartin-b7l]

@@markmorris7123 Difficult to know the proportion of people who fought in the Napoleonic wars. All I know is of my 32 GGG Grandparents (16 Great Great Great Grandfathers) only one of them was in the military and fought in the Peninsula war and only one other one was in the County Militia and based in Ireland and Scotland, so it may be fewer people than you think.

[@elwolf8536]

Generations of my ancestors came from wincanton in Somerset

[@3vimages471]

Now Maitland, now`s your time.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

*Stands up firing multiple volleys*

[@richardbouchard1716]

Love this line!

[@themischeifguide]

I say this line all of the time for no reason.

[@AntonyBilton]

1 of my family was at the battle of corona his name was Alexander rollo cpl he held the lantern at sir John moores funeral

[@3vimages471]

What has that to with Waterloo?@@AntonyBilton

[@WilliamJohnwon1522]

The Portuguese in the Peninsular war, were apparently admired by the British. They admired their tenacity.

[@WilliamJohnwon1522]

@@cumberlandsausage9699 British trained. I'm sure I heard of some battles, which only involved the Portuguese. They resented the French, because the French had occupied Portugal, so they were keen on fighting them as well.

[@WilliamJohnwon1522]

@@cumberlandsausage9699 If not they certainly distinguished themselves in battles, deployed in important positions on battlefields, fighting along side their British allies.

[@Delogros]

@@WilliamJohnwon1522 Somerthing you might not know, once Wellington took command of the Anglo Allied army in Belgium in 1815 he sent a message to the King of Portugal asking him for 14,000 soldiers to join his army, it was one of the first things he did, Wellington had a great deal of respect for the portugese.

[@WilliamJohnwon1522]

@@Delogros Apparently because the French had been occupying Portugal, many in the Portuguese army were rebellious but the British subjected them to the strict discipline they imposed on the standard British soldiers and so that got them back on course. The British army was very strict at that time.

[@Delogros]

@@WilliamJohnwon1522 The Portugese lacked officers in the early part of the war so about 25% where British as was the commander oand chief of the Portugese army (Beresford) - The restructuring of the Portugese army made it extremely formidable once it was complete and it fielded 1 light battalion for every line Battalion (far more percentage wise then any other nation) and 7,000 cavalry which is extra impressive because there where only 6,200 horses i nthe whole country in 1809... In total the portugese army fielded about 56,000 men (30-35,000 under Wellington and 21-26,000 on other duties/garrisons) which is massive for such a small country, the army and Navy also cost the country 86% of it's GDP to maintain and so the British had to pick up some of that tab. I'm unsure what happened in terms of the repayment of the loans in partial or full amounts though, the info is not easy to come by.

[@FranciscoPreira]

Why Did British Soldiers Fight So Damn Hard? What else could the poor chaps do. Its the old "do or die" and that was it. Great video Chris, great guests, nice to see young lads interested.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot. Yes, brilliant to see such great young experts. Good to know a new generation of military history nuts are out there.

[@jameswebb4593]

A Londoner ex Army , told me he was posted to the Durham Light Infantry . A southerner in a Northern Regiment . He soon forgot the demographics . That Regiment was his family , nothing else in the Army mattered. To myself its a mixture of pride and a sense of belonging , that set Regiments apart.

[@douglasherron7534]

It was only after the Childers Reforms of 1881 that British regiments were organised by county/ regimental district. Even then recruits were not necessarily found in this "home area". During the Napoleonic period regiments were numbered (though many also had associated names) and while some had ties back to certain areas - generally where they were originally raised - the wartime demands for replacements meant the rank and file could come from anywhere.

[@ingerlander]

Indeed it is regimental pride. When British regiments are not fighting the enemy, they are fighting one another

[@T0mat0S0up]

The Portuguese are our oldest Allies.

[@shecksthesheckler423]

I recently discovered an ancestor who was in the Peninsular Wars, then the war of 1812-14 in Canada/USA and Waterloo with the 4th Kings Own Regt of Foot. He was awarded the Army Gold Medal for his action at St Sebastian, he was a Brigade Major, wounded 3 times, a very brave man

[@keithagn]

Excellent broadcast. It's great to hear facts and explanations from knowledgeable people on this subject. Keep up the great work. Thank you! Regards from Canada 🇨🇦

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Keith. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@stanboyd5820]

I believe some Highland regiments were almost feudal in their recruitment. the clan chief (Gordon for example) decided to raise a regiment and the call went out to his clan members/ tenants who would flock to the colours out of loyalty to their chieftain as they had done for generations.

[@philiprufus4427]

At one time true. However not so much by the time of The British Army's use of The Highlander. By this time lt was more of a regional thing. The Argyle and Sutherlands,The Black Watch(Angus,Fife and Perthshire) The Camerons,Cameron Barracks, Inverness. The HLI, Maryhill Barracks Glasgow, (Loadsa Irish), etc.

[@stanboyd5820]

I think more after the 1881 reforms that became the case. however many regiments of that era, particularly highland ones were raised to fight the French revolutionary wars and were raised locally while more senior regiments had lost much of their original locally raised character , recruiting from where they were stationed hence so many Irish men in English or Scottish regiments. @@philiprufus4427

[@DidMyGrandfatherMakeThis]

I think the Highland regiments should not be confused with mid and lowland Scots. Speaking as a Scottish person, the Highlands were never heavily populated at the best of times compared to the rest of Scotland so, although Highland regiments tend to get their share of glory, they tend to massively over shadow the majority of Scottish regiments.

[@DidMyGrandfatherMakeThis]

Also you have to think that 'highland' regiment didn't necessarily mean they came from the geographical highland area of Scotland. The black watch would not be considered a highland regiment, neither would the cold streamers, but in military history are generally considered so.

[@murph8411]

@@DidMyGrandfatherMakeThisI wasn’t aware that the Coldstream guards were ever considered a highland regiment? They weren’t ever referred to with highland in their name, were they? Even the likes of the 92nd (Highland) regiment weren’t made up of mostly highlanders since they were raised in Aberdeenshire and the North East of Scotland in general initially by the Duke of Gordon (where the name Gordon Highlanders came from).

[@IosuamacaMhadaidh]

Shout out to 42nd Foot, 79th Foot, & 92nd Foot! May they live forever in our hearts. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@richardbouchard1716]

Your best episode ever. You are getting better and better at this. Keep it up!

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Richard. I'm really glad that you enjoyed it.

[@adifferentangle7064]

People often assume that "they are the scum of the earth" is an insult. On the contrary, it is a rather English compliment. It is a point of sore contention for the French and Germans that they managed to lose so badly to the English - uneducated, unkempt, unprofessional, when they actually turned up in fancy red coats and the hubris to think they could beat the most renowned regiments that for centuries had carved their names on the european map, the French and Prussian generals would actually get offended at the idea that these people dared to fight them. And then, of course, when they had lost thousands of horses and entire regiments had disintegrated but still the Old Blighty stood tall, they couldn't believe what their eyes were telling them. That tenacity and doggedness is engrained in the English psyche, and when combined with the recklessness of the Irish and the bloody fierceness of the scottish you end up, naturally, with a well-rounded fighting force. From the fields of Agincourt to the streets of Tobruk, the face of the enemy upon seeing the might of the British is the face of sheer bewilderment.

[@sharonprice42]

30%- 40% of Wellington soldiers were Irish, there is a memorial to Wellington in Dublin where he was from

[@JoeyC777]

Shame about the microphone problems throughout this video. Really fascinating subject though. Keep up the good work!

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks. Apologies for any sound issues - sadly live shows are prone to issues. Will try and use a different mic next time.

[@vincentfoxall5704]

A lot of the Irish name's were from northern town's dating back to the early 1740s and settled after building the canals.

[@MajorTomm-mt8vg]

Best offering yet… thanks to all 3 of you. Damn entertaining stuff.

[@EdDrewery]

There are also very significant cultural differences between the English and French people, that absolutely the British Army exploits to its fullest in its Regimental system. I can speak here from direct personal experience of both cultures - I am an English man married to a French woman, and have lived for the last 10 years inside French society. I make a clear distinction here between being an English man & wife living in France and attached to the outside of French culture, this is 2 very different situations. In effect, I have a privileged viewpoint. I will illustrate the difference by reference to sport. 5 or 6 years ago, both the Champions League final and the Europa League final were contested exclusively by English clubs. This caught the attention of the French media, and David Ginola (for those who don't know, he was one of the very first French players to be successful in English football back in the 90s) was interviewed live. 'So why can the English do this David, how can they have all 4 teams in these 2 finals?'. His answer was very instructive: 'because they stick together and they fight to the end', was his response. As an elite French sportsman, who had played the same TEAM sport at the same high level in both countries, this was what he noticed was different in England, compared to France. The English crowds also expect this of their teams. The team might be rubbish, but by god they need to stick together and keep fighting to the end of the match, this is expected. So yes, the British Regimental system uses these features, but in reality it is exploiting something that already exists in English culture, and that is different to French culture (so said an elite French sportsman). My own personal experience, in both international corporate business and my own sport gives me the same answer - the English have a tendancy to stick together when the going gets tough - it's just a naturally cultural tendancy that of course is exploited very well on the battle field. Another example - how many interviews have we all seen given by British WW2 veterans, in which they say 'there was a job to do, and we had to do it'? This is just another way of expressing the same cultural tendancy of togerthness in adversity. I do want to say that I don't believe for a single minute that French soldiers were less brave than English ones. Also, French culture and its people have many positive aspects that are sadly lacking in English culture. Vive la difference!

[@redcoathistory]

England havent won anything in 60 years? Except a Rugby World Cup and women's Euros... I appreciate all the input and thoughts tho so thanks both. @@bfc3057

[@EdDrewery]

My comment was not about winning anything - though of course the British Army won a lot in the Peninsular war. My comment was about 'togertheness in adversity'. Yes, the French have indeed now won the football world cup twice - but the team also went on strike in the South Africa world cup. Can you imagine an English team or a single English player getting away with that? Remember what happened to Beckham when he got sent off against Argentina - for a year after that, whenever Man Utd played away he was hounded - effigies even being burned - Beckham had let the team and the country down. That's the point, its the expectation of togertheness when the going gets difficult. That's what Ginola was saying, that's the difference. And as for their being many foreign players and managers in England - inevitably, most of them take on the culture of the place, it's what the clubs and the fans expect - fast, aggressive football, played to the last minute on the pitch. This is why the Premiership is so successful all around the world, everybody loves to watch the club sport played this way, it's very entertaining after all. As for respective national football teams winning or not, I have point of view on that too. I played representative football in England as a youth, and have been a local champion on a bike. Looking at both sports in England & France, I would say that English football is trapped by its history, as is French cycling. Yes the French win at football, but the Brits now win at cycling - both sports have changed enormously in the last 30 years but neither the French with cycling not the English with football can break free from their history - both sports in their home country have to be played with 'panache' as the French say, it is what is expected. But at international level, just 'panache' does not win any more. Technique, tactics and training count for far more. A whole other story of course. but, this togethernes is deep in English culture, and less prevalent in French culture - these things don't suddenly appêar on the battlefield by accident. Let's take popular music as another example of togertheness - again I have experienced this in both countires. Britain has a massive history of groups and bands. Where shall we start with that one? Beatles, the Stones, the Who, all the way through, its about the band/group. I can say, absolutely non-existant in French pop music culture - all individual crooners. Doing things together, as a group, is an English thing. Individuals being respected within the group is also an English thing. Very successfully exploited by the British Army in its Regimental system. There is a historical context for this too, which goes back to the origins of the English in 'Germanic' tribes in north east Holland, north west Germany and southern Denmark. These tribes had a very 'flat' society, with respect for the individual within the group. At times of war, yes they chose a leader. The group chose, then they followed, then they stuck together. The clearest example of this is Harold's huscarls at Hastings. Harold - a man chosen to be king by the representatives of the people - was dead, but his huscarls stayed with the body, stuck together, and fought to the last man. Sorry for the length of this post!@@bfc3057 ((

[@EdDrewery]

Yep, you got it, Beckham and the team backed down, precisely the point! They backed down because they saw they had a greater responsibility to the greater group, the English public that they represented., the public outrage you reference. The French team ignored their own public and went on strike anyway. The discussion here is about 'why did the english fight so hard'. Almost everyone is in agreement that one of the reasons was their loyalty to one another, individuals within the group. All my examples are about groups and togetherness - a top level French sportsman, pointed this out - this is a difference between the english and the french, the english stick together he said (a French man's word's, not an Englishman's). Didn't Juno say the same - 'they don't run'! This sticking together didn't come from nowhere suddenly on the battlefield, that is the question being answered here. My point is that there are deep seated cultural traditions/expectations that translate directly to people's actions on the battlefield (or the sportsfield). My examples are perhaps silly, but they are details that I note that are different having lived in both cultures. Again, I do wish to say, that there are many other things that exist in French culture that I wished existed in English culture too@@bfc3057

[@TheDoh60]

My thoughts are that the reason the British Army was so succesful was that soceity was very good at keeping ordinary people destitute so the military was good at exploiting this. And it is very British to think that being exploited by their own british is better than being under any foreigner.

[@peterwebb8732]

​@@TheDoh60... This is a serious historical discussion, not a place to air your prejudices. The British society of the times was less prejudiced than most others. A military reflects the society from which it springs and - as was pointed out in the discussion - promotion through the Ranks was common enough to not be considered abnormal. They did not "keep people down" as you claim. It may not be as egalitarian as we are today, but it was considerably better than many and that goes further to explain British success than your vitriolic accusation.

[@markstott6689]

Any time Zack is involved my attention is guaranteed. Knowledge, eloquence and the right voice for imparting information. I'm not generally into podcasts but I enjoy listening to him whilst making models. Thanks for a good show 😊❤😊

[@chriscookesuffolk]

Really enjoyed the chat guys thanks to all

[@lynndonharnell422]

A distant ancestor, from Scotland enlisted, fought in Portugal in engineers, was wounded, picked up a Portuguese wife and Colour Sergeant William Wilson came with the army to Port Macquarie, NSW in 1821.

[@SteveRussellP]

Another reason to watch this KZbin channel. A fantastic show again. I’m loving the photo/painting “@ 8 minutes” of my old regiment of 28th foot at Quatre Bras later 28/LXI Gloucestershire Regiment. Cheers again Chris

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers, Steve. Such an amazing painting and really captures the different faces and characters.

[@MrDidz]

Primary evidence confirms that the main reason British soldiers fight so hard is that they don't want to let down their mates and they don't want their mates to consider them cowards. In effect they fight for each other and their regiment which for most of them is synonymous with their family. Also, Leo Tolstoi when assessing the quality of the soldiers of the various nations involved in the Napoleonic Wars stated of the British Soldier (or English as he called them) that 'The English soldier is convinced of his own superiority over those of every other nation he faces, and so cannot conceive of the possibility that he can be beaten." Likewise to quote Marshal Soult 'The English are very bad soldiers. You can turn their flanks, you can pierce their center, you can overwhelm them everywhere and still, they do not realize that they are beaten." As an interesting secondary observation though is how this attitude appeared to be infectious as many Allied units were made up of foreign troops who seemed just as stoic once trained by British Officers and NCo's e.g. the Portuguese and the German units.

[@cameronsimpson-ld8nk]

Another brilliant episode guys

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks, Cam.

[@boneythelynx8884]

You are the best, because you joined the best!

[@williame.milverton870]

Every professional soldier knows that when troops break & run they get slaughtered. So the aim of every battle was to make the other side break & run. There are only 3 options for a professional soldier; 1) win, 2) a negotiated surrender, 3) fight to the last man. Because even a fighting retreat is near-suicide. Unless you can slip away in the night, any sort of retreat means high casualties.

[@Thor13332]

In the past I've thought that the British had to be aggressive and take the initiative . To offset the French numerical superiority.

[@therightarmofthefreeworld4703]

That’s probably true, but it’s also cultural, so it’s a mentality that’s been instilled in most branches of the British armed forces for a long time. Are you familiar with the phrase “get stuck in”? At one point our Articles of War mandated the death penalty “for any officer of any rank who did not do his utmost against the enemy in battle or pursuit.” This even resulted in an admiral being killed executed.

[@jhnshep]

​@@therightarmofthefreeworld4703 I think it was Voltaire wrote 'here in England it pays to execute an admiral every so often, it stiffens the resolve of the rest'.

[@peterwebb8732]

It had to be a balance. There is a quote - I think attributed to Wellington- that the French could afford to lose an army of 500,000 men, because Bony could always raise another. Wellington had Britain's only Continental army and could not afford to lose it.

[@reynardthefox]

what the British did was amazing ...to paraphrase Churchill...It wasn't the beginning of the end...but it was the end of the end of the beginning...the Brits and the Austrians began to show ... Napoleon could be defeated...

[@turbonerd6552]

Took there time about it 😂

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

​@@turbonerd6552lol, how many wars of the coalition?-5 ? the Russian winter had the greatest day I think, and I'm not even sure we ever beat Napoleon, even at Waterloo it was a case of holding on until the Prussians arrived

[@damianbutterworth2434]

My Granddad was East Midland boxing champion during WW2. A rear machine gunner at Dunkirk and was at D-Day. My dad said they went to the pictures and some blokes was talking during the film and an argument started and he smacked one and they all kept quite for the rest of the film. Frank Butterworth.

[@redcoathistory]

Sounds like a top bloke.

[@leonleese4919]

The British army was then mainly volunteer, besides this they got fed.

[@DrivermanO]

I don't think that was a mistake on Serjeant Lawrence's tombstone. It could be considered that as Toulouse is actually not in the Iberian peninsular the Peninsular war finished when Wellington crossed the Pyrenees into France proper in late 1813. But I suppose that's just semantics, but could be the reason why the tombstone says 1813, even though it has Toulouse on it.

[@douglasherron7534]

Good point. The other interesting item on his tombstone is that he was part of the Forlorn Hope at Badajoz. That is possibly how he ended up a Serjeant as survivors were often promoted as a reward.

[@robinmcewan8473]

Pedantic is the word that you are looking for, says a pedant

[@DrivermanO]

@@robinmcewan8473 Was I? I thought it was semantics! As I said!

[@Maverick0451]

This was absolutely brilliant. Long time viewer, late to the party on this gem, and I attribute that to dad/work life. That being said, glad to have seen this one as well. I'm a US Marine combat veteran. I say that now specifically because when I was at boot camp in Parris Island, the Corps took every personal item from me. Only two books were issued. I got a bible, and a copy of Rifleman Dodd by C.S. Forester. I don't know who in the staff or command of the Marine Corps decided that this was the book that should be issued to new recruits, but I must have read that book a dozen or more times in the thirteen weeks I spent there. I read the bible one whole time, and then it was on to Forester, over and over. I read that paperback copy until the spine wore out!! It was the only book that I had, but considering the circumstances, I couldn't complain. It was one of many books on the Commandants reading list, and it just so happened to be issued to my Platoon. The lessons taught in that book about how to lay low, bypass the enemy, and survive on your own back to friendly lines was an incredible lesson. I only ever learned about Sharpe years later in college, when I had become obsessed with the battle of Trafalgar as one of those pivotal moments in modern history, and I came across a copy of Sharpe's Trafalgar randomly at a college book fair. I subsequently read the entire series, and even have an autographed copy of the most recent Sharpe release by Mr. Cornwell because I'm a nerd. That being said, I can't recall off the top of my head which book it was in, and I laughed to myself when it happened as I came across that easter egg, but Bernard Cornwell totally wrote Rifleman Dodd into one of Sharpe's stories, complete to the point where he gets cut off and is unaccounted for, which is exactly where Forester picks up with Dodd. What a fantastic ohmage. The entire Peninsular War is one of my personal favorite campaigns in British military history. The absolute stuff of legends. Excellent coverage on an amazing topic, I appreciate as always the references. I am now following both of your guests and just picked up a book from each of them as well!! Thank you as always for the brilliant coverage!! Semper Fi!!

[@redcoathistory]

Dear Seth, thanks so much for the info and the feedabck. Now I must read Rifleman Dodds - I havent read it. Please do keep in touch and comment regularly if you would like to.

[@reynardthefox]

my ralative Colonel William Blair. an Irish Catholic, was the first to join a Highland regiment and fight round the world for Protestant Britain, when those religious distinctions mattered...

[@douglasherron7534]

If your relative, an Irish Catholic, was fighting for Protestant Britain - as you put it - do you really think "religious distinctions mattered"? Please note that, depending on the particular highland regiment he joined (and when he served) many of his fellow highlanders may have been Scottish Catholic former Jacobites and may even have fought for "Cherlie" in the '45....

[@reynardthefox]

@@douglasherron7534 yes,and later my Scottish Catholic and Protestant ancestors fought for the same regiments

[@reynardthefox]

@@douglasherron7534 p.s.I don't think they matter at all . At times, Society and foolish people make much ado about nothing

[@douglasherron7534]

@@reynardthefox Couldn't agree more. When you're in a scrap it matters more whether the man next to you will fight or flee than what his religion is.

[@matikramer9648]

Thank you very very much

[@AndrewBattSpurs]

I am VERY late to this party. As a military history buff from a proud British Army family, WW2 was always my thing. The subject of Redcoats was always too daunting. Redcoat History and this show in particular has been excellent and I'm now jumping in with both feet. Thanks so much and keep up the good work!

[@markhadley3545]

Having been a Soldier (RE) in the British army you are taught to be the best and that you are the best. Even within the army each Corp, regiment, squadron is better than everyone else.

[@ethanlewis1459]

I hope you do a series about The Crimean War Especially The Charge Of The Light Brigade

[@graemer3657]

Tasker Watkins won the VPC in Normandy. He said in a TV interview to Michael Parkinson (it’s on KZbin) that his suicidal single handed attack was because the men in his platoon who he was leading were getting slaughtered. This made him feel he had let them down and made him so angry that he knew he had to do something even if it cost him his life. He never mentioned king or country, just the people around him.

[@FromaTwistedMind]

He was a wise good man then.

[@anthonybrownhovelt]

A successful army has to have a sense of pride and belonging. In my experience successful units become a family. They look after each other, regardless of rank. Discipline and pride in ability to do their job as one body, everyone relying on each other to respond instantly to orders and training, its what kept you alive! Wellington famously hung a load of corrupt paymasters to ensure the Army was well provisioned and paid. His Army took its lead from the top! The men knew he wouldn't throw away their lives and fought accordingly. Also, they hated the French for their cruelty to civilians a d knew if they lost the fate of their loved ones. It is easy to forget just how much Bony was hated at the time.

[@chalman94]

The British soldier is a brute beast in a red coat, he needs the lash

[@james3368]

Harsh comment 🙁

[@chalman94]

@@james3368 whip them in Mr Denny

[@james3368]

@@chalman94 mercy sir 😭

[@Dav1Gv]

Try Robert Graves's books about Sgt Lamb (based on diaries) and then Frank Richards's who survived WW1 as a private to see how little changed. I'm surprised striking a superior only got a flogging, people were shot for it in WW1. Fascinating video, more please

[@anon2034]

1:06:00 "Bobber" LOL "Who bobbs now!" :)

[@valperks5416]

As a former combat engineer ( corp of the rotal engineers) 1978 to 1990 every squadron and regiment is a family my squadron was the best but my regiment ie 3 other squadrons is even tho we are competitive are still our family outside units we were so much better than them but as a combat engineer we went in first to clear the way for the infantry infantry and when withdrawing we are last out setting traps mines and anti personnel to give time for the withdrawal generally Engineers had no problem from other fighting units unless in a bar full of booze Would love to see a video from you about why the massive rivalry between us and the artillery Also about CRE in conflict cheers for your amazing vids REspect to you

[@gregsmith3056]

Watching/listening for the first time I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be following from now in . I’m an avid follower of We Have Ways, The Old Frontline and Pete & Gary’s Military History.

[@redcoathistory]

Hi Greg, that’s great to hear. A fine group of podcasts you follow. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the history here just as much 👍🏼

[@cg2bx264]

The ‘bobbing’ story had me laugh out loud, brilliant. 😂

[@redcoathistory]

Me too. Thanks mate.

[@kevinlitton1399]

I now have a greater interest in British military history after having my illusions shattered when hearing that the US colonial army's overwhelming numerical superiority was the primary reason for the defeat of the world class Redcoats during the amrev.

[@redcoathistory]

Hopefully you will enjoy the videos. All the best and keep in touch.

[@grahamparkin5568]

Wasn’t it British fighting British?

[@terranaxiomuk]

​@grahamparkin5568 Basically. It wasn't a popular war back home and amounted to a typical Tuesday in historical terms. It's important to Americans though.

[@robertpoole5305]

Visited Albuera today, walked around the village and surrounding fields, you had to use your imagination. Very sad to think of the thousands who died there. Local Spanish see it as their victory, airbrushed brits, Portuguese out of picture.

[@bryanthesmith4441]

Something that stands out in the Wars fought from the time of French wars post the civil war the army an navy often worked together to defend and expand British interests world wide up until the present day.

[@gregsmith3056]

Thanks for replying, I definitely will listening . I’ve checked out your library of past casts there’s a lot to catch up with. Also I’ll cascade to my fellow military history bods of which we are interested in doing the Peninsula battlefields.

[@redcoathistory]

Oh great. Yep, lots of peninsular and Zulu war stuff on the podcast and KZbin channel. Sounds like we share many interests.

[@Subtleknife12367]

I think most of soldiers would have joined for similar reasons as today (bar being drafted as a criminal). Some would join for King and Country, some because they like killing/fighting, others because they need the money or because they want three square meals a day. Why they stuck around in a fight? Again it would be similar today. From my time in the Army there is always one story that sticks in my mind. I had just finish RMAS and was posted to a Unit whilst waiting to begin the training after Sandhurst. I was lucky enough to make the Regimental Rugby team and was promptly sent to France funnily enough. Whilst on a night out some of the soldiers got into an altercation with the French. I tried to intervene and was managing to split it up and one of the Frenchmen then took a swing at me with a bottle. Luckily having done a little bit of combat sports in my youth I managed to avoid getting hit on the head and took it on my arm. One of the lads saw this and suddenly the cry went up "they tried to bottle the boss". As soon as that happened let's just say the Frenchmen didn't like it up em. I managed to get them away from the incident and nothing more of the matter was said. Now they didn't do this because the men overly liked me, I had only just joined the Regiment. They did it because since day dot of joining it is drilled into you that you don't let your mucka down. You stand because of the man to the left and right of you. It creates a bond that is very strong. I think that is a similar reason why British soldiers of Napoleon's time stood and fought in battle that would be horrifying. Anyway that is my long ramble of what I think.

[@redcoathistory]

Fantastic thanks a lot for sharing. Great story.

[@e.grosse5955]

Great fun to listen you three ... would love to her more ... i am very interested to hear more ... especially the Kings German Legion - their history,, their time in Bexhill etc.

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks. I’m keen to do something on the KGL

[@andrewmorton9327]

Iread in one of the many memoirs (it may have been Sergeant Wheeler) that an unpopular officer before a battle begged his troops not to shoot him. He was shot and killed.

[@flashgordon6670]

Thanks I thoroughly enjoyed this s discussion, by these three charming chaps. Although nothing much was said about supplies and Logistics. Perhaps you can talk about that another time. Also I’m curious, as to how much a percentage, of the entire British military was deployed, or used for the Peninsular war, including the navy and where were the British deployed globally and to what proportions, specifically during the Peninsular war and also during the Napoleonic wars generally? Lastly, how were the marines deployed and what actions did they see? Many thanks. 💛💛💪🏻💪🏻

[@redcoathistory]

HI. Thanks for watching and commenting. All those questions are a little outside the remit of this episode but they are definetly things to consider for future epsiodes. Thanks

[@flashgordon6670]

@@redcoathistory Okay thanks for replying.

[@themilitarychannel1300]

Very interesting well done to all concerned.

[@welshknight1456]

The word guys doesn't do these soldiers justice, they were real, hard MEN.

[@soultraveller5027]

it was said during sieges of Forts the british troops rushed forward to be the first people to be part of what was called the furlongh hope to storm the walls and get inside where the food and wine was stocked to get away from the harsh camp conidions

[@MrConna6]

Rutland will never die! We’re not from Leicestershire! Always nice to hear about Rutland, I don’t know how long my family lived there but my grandmother still does and my late grandfather was in the navy, other Browetts are also on the war memorial there. I would love to find out if any served during the Georgian era!

[@markhadley3545]

Training is paramount. There's the old adage train hard fight easy. The British army is drilled in battle skills so much that it becomes part of your mussel memory, kind on akin to being able to ride a bike without thinking about riding a bike. This drilling also adds to the attitude of we are the best. This is shown in the Peninsula war in their fire discipline.

[@thomasshenstone1046]

Fascinating. How did the army's reputation with potential recruits compare with that of the Navy?

[@rosshughes7977]

I think the major difference between the two armies at that time was the willingness to follow there officers, the french had not long had a revolution and didnt have whole hearted trust in anyone that thought they were superior where as the british would still follow a bad officer without question other than that these two armies were near on equal in battlefield prowess, national pride and arrogance

[@dendemano]

“They’re down to 5 rounds a man, Wellington”. A quizzical glance from the Duke. “Oh aye, they’ll stand”.

[@thatcouncilestatekid1832]

Sorry I missed the live stream great episode I had a little bit of sound trouble through out, you went a little bit Norman Collier at times 😂 but I’m not criticising it was funny and all part of a live stream no doubt. I come a long line of cannon fodder so it’s nice to hear about their mentality and courage

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks for listening. Yes, sorry about the audio - live streams can be a problem. I'll try a different mic next time and see if it fixes the problem. Glad it didn't ruin it for you.

[@Andy-co6pn]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4rTgqyAlMeHn9ksi=MjmIP_TIiOjfSXZT 😂

[@jamesmills4850]

Is there any truth to the tale that on the first day the British marched towards the Waterloo Battlefield, Wellington had to take cover within a Highland regiment square as they stubbornly repulsed several waves of French cavalry charges?

[@psvra]

Not to exclude the fact that the allied army in Peninsular War was composed by nearly 50% of Portuguese Soldiers.

[@redcoathistory]

Feel free to watch the video. All the best. THis channel has talked at length about the Portuguese.

[@psvra]

I hear about it and about how the British officers and press looked dow the Portuguese soldiers. You did a good job but others seem to forget that Wellington was leading an allied army and not only a full British army There was also a point that was not fully explained: The Portuguese and British were allied since the beginning of nationality, the Spanish were enemies of the Portuguese and British, they invaded Portugal, together with their French allies and made war and invasion of Portugal in the 1750’s where their 3 invasion attempts were defeated.

[@psvra]

Not much motivation to free or save Spanish territory

[@redcoathistory]

@@psvra To be fair I think all of us who are interested in this conflict have nothing but love for the Portuguese. Wonderful people and great soldiers.

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

As an ex infantryman, I can only imagine that few enlisted men would be motivated by duty to King and Country. It’s not why most enlisted nor were enlisted. I find it more likely that on the battlefield, weeks and sometimes months of marching and having to fend for themselves would necessarily have seen many cliques and close friendships form. Camaraderie; forged trust and a sense of brotherhood borne of sharing in hardship and discipline. They fought for each other and pride in their regiments to which many had strong loyalty. Leadership in such cases depends on striking the right balance between discipline and positive motivation; respect and trust. Over flogging might just as likely have seen an enlisted man’s bullet taken by a bully in the chaos of battle. Given the make up of many of these regiments, pride in fighting ability would have made these men formidable opponents on the battlefield. Regimental tradition perhaps has been overblown but lets not forget even during the Napoleonic war, those traditions were long established by a professional army. One thing’s for sure and that’s these were hardy men working and fighting in difficult circumstances. In often sweltering conditions the wearing of heavy woollen uniforms must have seen dehydration and heat exhaustion take many out of battle. Casualty rates would have been high and welfare as much dependant upon the charity of comrades rather than regimental provision. One thing remained sadly true and that’s the lack of care towards life from the officer class which wasn’t earned but bought into, and earned by birth right as the ruling classes, so many in positions of seniority may not have been very capable. They would have been looked up to though to set the right example which was expected of them. Troops and victories were counted by numbers so there is some truth in troops being canon fodder, something we see continued into WW1 trench ware-fare mentality by the higher echelons. Thankfully, the shortcomings of arrogance and capability of officer classes changed radically after WW1 because support and stomach for war wained by a public who saw every town and village in the British Isles loose many of their young men. Something had to change , and technology was also taking off as well as training standards and improvements for officer selection allied to better strategic planning and intelligence. The old hierarchy of those conditioned by birthright to lead and others to follow no longer worked reliably. Soldiering remains soldiering but Redcoats were a hardy breed who under fire had to fight in very difficult circumstances. It isn’t a role many would gladly enter into today!

[@landoremick7422]

Fascinating regarding regimental honour: we fight hard now because our predecessors fought hard and we cannot let down our antecedents. It is how our army has always won. But do we still have that culture in our country?

[@vicgallimore6756]

British to the backbone.

[@johntaplin3126]

Back in the late 70s in Johannesburg I visited the home of a Mr Maitland. He had a cabinet with a lot of items from his illustrious family, including much of the stuff taken from Boney after Waterloo. It would be amazing if it came to light again - think it may be in Australia now.

[@redcoathistory]

Hi John. I live in Jo'burg - wasn't aware of the connection. Can you email me details? redcoathistory at g mail dot com ... thanks

[@gooner72]

The bulk of the British Army was, and still is, a direct reflection of our society at any one time..... a sort of snapshot of the British general public if you will. Officers are officers and, until fairly recent times where anyone with a good education can apply, they only came from the middle and upper class. The only Regiments that still mostly have proper posh officers are the Cavalry Regiments, in particular the Household Cavalry.

[@steveberryman457]

I think Zak has it right it comes from Wellington who was 100% confident he could beat the French that then filters down to the men.

[@DanielMatthews-ql3wf]

I am an American and i had two uncles who were in the US military before Pearl Harbor. One was at the Marine base in Hawaii the other was in the Philippines and was lucky enough be moved to Australia

[@StephenKarch]

Zacs mustache looks good enough tonight for the French.

[@brinleyphillips9367]

Very interested in this

[@HenryHaven-c3q]

The tactics of Wellington defeated the French , two line fowerpower could overcome the limited firepower of the front of a column every time . Wellington took great care to sheild his troops from the strength of the French, which was their massed artillery. Wellington understood terrain and timing which he used to defeat the French time after time . Victory bring men confidence and leaders who bring them Victory give them a sense of invincibility !

[@julianmhall]

I wonder if the ones given a choice between prison/hanging or joining the army fought harder because they were grateful to still be free and alive, and thought if they didn't fight hard they'd be returned to a civilian prison? That plus the British had greater confidence in their general, given that they kept winning and the French kept losing. Also in the latter years the British infantry had made a choice to be there while the French were (mainly) conscripts and didn't want to be there at all, much less be there and fight. I recall in one episode of Sharpe the difference was noted between murdering officers and killing officers - one getting men killed because winning meant personal acclaim / promotion, the other getting men killed achieving a military objective /sensibly/. On that basis I wonder if Napoleon and his Marshals were viewed as murdering officers and Wellington as a killing officer?

[@peterwebb8732]

Don't trust fiction.

[@julianmhall]

Pity @@peterwebb8732 Some is /very/ well researched.

[@markrunnalls7215]

This'll be great can't wait.

[@steveberryman457]

Surely it is more to the allies credit that they beat the French who were a great army, rather than beat a poor army

[@brucepeek3923]

What made the french armies of Napoleon so difficult for the Prussians, Russians, Austrians, Italians, Spanish, Danes etc. etc. to defeat was the simple fact that the French were recruited through MASS LEVEES-. Yes there was a draft for the French to be recruited through and because it was a MASS LEVEE- and APPLIED EQUALLY TO EVERYONE IN A WORLD PERMEATED IN INEQUALITY it made the French man for man proud and willing to serve. Whereas at the Battle of New Orleans Andrew Jackson absolutely stomped the self same British troops that you liars claim were invincible. And, he did so because he was smart enough to entrench his mixed polyglot , pirates, backwoods frontiersmen, small corps of regulars, and artillerymen. And, the British leadership stupidly marched their men - in the open- right up to the Americans like a good target always does. And then they did what good targets do- they got shot- and then died . best Bruce Peek

[@jonathanfell688]

'Enclosures' spilled hindreds of thousands off the land.

[@neilreid4546]

Content : excellent Main man's microphone: rubbish Hope this helps.

[@redcoathistory]

Fair enough - can't argue

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

An expert. A drip under pressure.

[@steveheptinstall4286]

Proud ex member of the regiment that celebrates Minden Day each year. Cede Nullis. Swift and Bold.

[@redcoathistory]

Cheers, Steve!

[@adventussaxonum448]

"The" regiment? There were 6 of them. Pretty sure that the PWRR, as successors to the Royal Hampshire regiment, do so as well, as do the others. Always liked the Rifles, though, ever since reading Death to the French, as a lad.

[@themischeifguide]

In my experience any soldiers well drilled and properly led, perform well.

[@glenn6583]

Nice introductions

[@patrioticarchive]

Good show chaps

[@redcoathistory]

Thanks a lot.

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

God save Ireland. Louder!!!

[@LeggieGlasgow]

😂That's in Sharpe mate .

[@AdrianMadey]

Waterloo was being lost by the British until the prussions came the last minute

[@vincenzocherubini2424]

Love the pic on the shelf behind you. I seem to recall seeing Zou & Lou when i was a nipper. A very popular comedy duo back in the days of "Music-Hall".😊

[@zacharygregory1580]

I came to watch this because right now, I’m reading “The Recollections of Rifleman Harris”

[@gordonfrickers5592]

A good question particularly in today's increasingly woke society, "Why Did British Soldiers Fight So Damn Hard?" I think Wellington is an unreliable source for an opinion of the British soldier just as his often quoted comment about Horatio Nelson. More likely we are hearing Wellington's dry sense of humour out of context. The three volumes of The Peninsular War paint from letters, diaries, reports and other first hand information a very different portrait and also reveals several stories with very few changes, nicked by Bernard Cornwell for Richard Sharp. Likewise another perspective of a popular myth, that the Royal Navy was "all rum, sodomy and the lash" is meticulously debunked in the book "The Wooden World" by N. A. M. Rodger. Many men went to sea because life at sea was better than on land; so too for many a soldier. As for striking an officer, yes it did mean severe punishment although there were exceptions, my Dad being one exception during WW2 when he took off his jacket and invited any of 100 Gorbals Scots to have a go at him; but that's another story maybe for another time. Bad officers risked being shot by thier own men when in action, "shoot the officer and follow the sergeants". Most officers knew this; there was a lot more to good officers though, again, that's another story maybe for another time.

[@gooner72]

Throughout history, the British fighting soldiers have been absolutely exceptional on the battlefield and, to be honest, having men in the Army who, are a little bit on the rough and ready side shall we say..... me included....are going to be far more capable of doing what's required than some softy office boy. This is why the British Army has such a fearsome reputation....🇬🇧✌️

[@pjr2810]

Marred by sound issues, but very interesting discussion.

[@redcoathistory]

Apologies for the sound issues- sadly this is the reality of Live debates. Not sure why it happened.

[@paddy1952]

Concerning drunkeness, combat arms soldiers, that is those who are actually exposed to fire, tend to take their pleasures where and when they find them. The future may not exist in their view. Ex-infantryman here.

[@benjamindover2601]

When you've been fighting all you life on the working class streets of London war doesn't seem so bad.

[@redcoathistory]

Hi, thanks for the comment…As only a small percentage were from the streets of London I’m Not sure the comparison works. Also as tough as working class life in Britain was at the time I think it was generally safer than standing in line as your mates are decapitated by cannon balls and a column of immense bearded warriors marches towards you….😬😱

[@markbreislin2206]

I’m ex military and my family is all ex military and I’ve heard of officers being shot when the situation was possible to get away with it and planned on many occasions . Even up to 1980’s

[@becky2235]

Why?

[@oliverscarlettmackenzie5136]

There was no "obvious good/bad" divide in WW2, and if there was, it's the opposite of what you think it was.

[@redcoathistory]

In WW2? You mean the Germans were the good guys? An intriguing idea...can you explain more?

[@oliverscarlettmackenzie5136]

Moore: "you guys make me want to die!!!" hahahah

[@ianmacewan9416]

Consider the letter Wolfe wrote five years after participating in the slaughter of Highland Scots at Culloden in 1746, in which he envisages the vanquished Highlanders becoming useful auxiliaries in battling the Wabanaki Confederacy in Nova Scotia: "I should imagine that two or three independent Highland companies might be of use; they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country, and no great mischief if they fall."

[@redcoathistory]

Many thanks but I'm not sure I see the link to what we are discussing. The quote was 61 years before the Peninsular War.

[@ianmacewan9416]

@@redcoathistory It is documentary evidence on how English aristocracy viewed their foreign dominions and the people in them. You think the Irish famine was just one of those things? It wasn't. You think the highland clearances were just about sheep? NO they were not. They were deliberate acts of exploitation and destitution perpetrated by English aristocracy in order to maintain their financial and dictatorial power. Scots and Irish were used as no more than cannon fodder and they had NO choice in the matter. The fact they survived against all odds is merely testament to their stubbornness and fearlessness. Waterloo was pure luck. Very little to do with Wellingtons strategic ability.

[@greg_4201]

I hope people realise that what you guys are calling hardship for peninsula era redcoats in terms of roughing it in the elements, getting up and moving, etc, would basically be considered a picnic by modern infantry... A major difference of course is hunger - modern soldiers are unlikely to experience real hunger, and our boots won't fall apart and our clothing is more cleverly designed. But out in the field modern infantry are tactical 100% of the time... You can't just pitch a tent lol unless you're literally in your sleeping bag (maybe 3-4 hours broken by stag if you're lucky) you're fully dressed, equipped, armed and armoured, with your radio and headset on, you're silent and stealthy, you can't even stand up. Because being tactical you're either moving, or you're in a firing position or you're behind cover keeping low. Your weapon is far harder to maintain because you fire hundreds of rounds rather than a handful, your radio and other batteries have to be charged, your food and water is all replenished or cooked by yourself personally. You won't spend a day waiting for battle; you'll be on partol multiple times a day and once a night or every other night. And you're doing all this carrying anything from 120 to 160lbs at all times + the mental stress of constantly looking out for the enemy yourself, maintaining formations under your own individual movements, i.e not joint/through orders, crawling into your own exact position under your own steam and judgment depending on the ground, always aware of and ready to jump into advanced tactics and mini formations from pairs, to fireteam, section or platoon, knowing your role and positioning in any number of snap ordered attacks, ambushes, maneuvers. Radiospeak (which is more intricate and has more rules than people think), adjusting your sights to different ranges, nightvision, knowing the hand signals, different weapon systems and the different roles, placements, fire discipline, capabilities of each one... All of this is under each individual soldier's steam and it's the absolute basics. For sure warfare in those days had its own equivalent horrors, hardships and difficulties, but the focus, physical and mental strain of Napoleonic vs modern infantry work is not really comparable... excepting that if you're starving of course even walking around carrying nothing becomes difficult.

[@redcoathistory]

Hi mate - all good points but there are a number of big differences that we can't overlook if we try and compare hardhsips. During the Peninsular war men were constantly in the field for years at a time - no leave, no FOB to return to. Also they had to march thousands of miles on foot, perhaps a cart for the wounded men if they were lucky. Also the death rate from illness makes casualties in modern war seem very minimal. I don't deny that modern light infantry have a tough time of it but Napoleonic soldiers could only dream of a stint in Bastion or two weeks leave mid tour. The world has changed and while infantrymen must always remain tough I think its an unfair comparison.

[@greg_4201]

@@redcoathistory I wouldn't disagree with most of that, but I never lived in a FOB, I operated out of a Checkpoint, which is downscaled from a Patrol Base even... It's a Multiple or half Platoon location... just a house in an village (a house far more primative than anything in a Napoleonic era European village... actually probably more primative than an ancient Roman village). FOB implies washing machines, phones, electricity, wall sockets even, air conditioning! cookhouses, icecream even 😆, maybe TVs, hundreds of men to do sentry and usually surrounded by empty space that nobody can sneak up on... none of that's got anything to do with frontline infantry, so I think you have a false impression. I pumped my washing water out of a well. And that's just Afghanistan... Where do you think we sleep in a conventional war? Unless we're fighting in a town or city we sleep in shell scrapes we dug under a poncho between trees in a forest like in training. and that poncho has to be stored in my burgen any moment I'm not sleeping - can't just leave it deployed and stroll down to a tent to sit down and have a meal and beer with mates 😆 With tempo and focus like that, and being tactical every moment for weeks on end because curtains can come literally any second, not just one day out of 50 when everyone formally lines up and shoots at each other dressed in bright clothes, and the sheer physical strain of modern soldiering that would break any athelete if he wasn't used to its specifics, I think two weeks off out of 6 months is specifically designed to have us not go insane (and by the way, if you're not very lucky that two weeks might be two weeks into your tour, or one month before the end - you go as individuals, not a unit). From my perspective, being in the field as a Napoleonic era soldier isn't being in the field - it's camping 🏕️ A person can easily manage that for years because it's not stressful, and so they did. You talk about marching thousands of miles on foot... haha I'm curious; what do you think we do????? 😆 Infantry in less professional armies might drive around the place but we absolutely do not. We're on foot literally all the time unless we're doing an air assault, and that's a deliberate op. Do you think I haven't marched thousands of miles? Of course I have 🤷🏻‍♂️ a hell of a lot faster than they did, carrying something like 8x the weight 😂 What do you think we do on patrol, just casually stroll around a short distance? 😂 Patrols last hours, and you do them 2 to 3x in a 24 hour period (depending on manpower) if you want to dominate the ground... and what do you think happens if you end up fighting on one and lose a couple of guys? Do you think the patrol scheduled for a few hours later is cancelled? 😆 Like I said, there are swings and roundabouts and each age has its own horrors and hardships that don't translate to other times, and you mentioned a couple of them, whether it's always having your wounded with you or storming a breach im a forlorn hope, or standing still while guys to left and right get picked off randomly in volleys... those are unique experiences. so I would never say one age is better or easier than another. It seems that you ARE saying that however, and you're doing that because you're working inder a lot of misapprehensions about modern infantry warfare. You get them from talking to people who aren't infantry, and you get them from the fact that unlike Napoleonic infantry, modern infantry are barely even relatable to the rest of society frankly, and so when they try to explain things they chose modesty and simplicity because it's just too much to be imparted. So much so that you might think British infantry and their experiences are as relatable to French, Russian, German, American, etc, as their Napoleonic counterparts... Actually we're not. It's a totally different level of dedication, complexity, skill... different lifestyle even. Look at the Falklands... Armies specialise in different things. The British Army specialises in having the best infantry still, because it's reliable and versatile in all circumstances (kind of a colonial hangover). For example, you absolutely thought that modern infantry drive into battle. Not in the British Army, buddy. Now, I get it, I know you meant across country, not tactically, but like I said, just marching most of the day doesn't seem difficult to someone who's tactical all the time and patrols so frequently, and has to crawl, fire from prone, get up, zigzag run for 5 meters, down, crawl, fire from prone, get up, zigzag run 5 meters, down, rinse and repeat constantly until the enemy is dead, all while carrying their own body weight on their back and in pouches around their armour as the fundamentals of combat. If I just had to walk all day it wouldn't even feel like work. Again, ups and downs... One is not a breeze while the other is tough, but objectively, the physical and mental strain and focus on modern infantry (at least good modern infantry), i.e the stress overall, is far greater, hense leadership determined we can't do it for more than 6 months at a time without a break if possible. Where the Redcoats' plight is rougher is in fear and less survivability as you said... disease and so on. Casualty rates and ratios, having to not flinch with so much immediate death around you crashing like a wall into your formation, knowing that it's mainly luck, not skill or the lack thereof that determines your fate, kill zones in breaches of forts/city walls, braving grapeshot, being a lot colder because your kit and clothes falls apart, etc, etc... But they are moments, not months on end of focus, leading often to incurable chemical imbalances in the body and brain activity; what people mistakenly call PTSD. I get the impression you think modern soldiering is less stressful than in Napoleon's day... maybe for most... but for the infantry? if you're doing it right? You're wrong on that, mate. One thing my experiences have tought me though, is that when you say you couldn't stand in a line and do what the Redcoats did, and imagine there's some insurmountable generation gap there, you're wrong - you would do it. Most men would. As long as you're properly inducted into that cult, so to speak. We're herd animals. It's human psychology to stand your ground and fight if that's what you came for and that's what your mates are doing. It can sometimes require more courage to break the chain and run... People can get used to anything. Standing or marching shoulder to shoulder is simple, you would do it and do it well without much training. Now, to do so much more than that mentally and physically, things of so much more calculation and complexity AS AN INDIVIDUAL with all the responsibility your unique role in the section implies, and do it well, without a wall of your buddies' flesh physically trapping and pushing you forwards..... well, I'm convinced that's a greater challenge. That's a test of your nerves alone. Perhaps the punishing casualty rates and trauma of mass engagements, like settling a campaign in a day - focused hell in just a few hours - and the low survivability of caualties and disease in the early 19th century makes up for that with its own unique strains and tests of the soul.... I guess it does 🤷🏻‍♂️ But to suggest that Redcoat walked around as focused, stressed, pressed and tired as me in his daily life? Frankly I think that's absurd.