Reacting to Wellington's Triumph: Vitoria 1813 | Epic History TV

[@SoGal_YT]

Thanks for watching! Like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video 👍🏻 Follow me on social media and join my Discord: 🐕 Instagram: instagram.com/sogal.yt/ 🏀 Twitter: twitter.com/SoGal_YT ⚽️ Facebook Page: facebook.com/SoGal-104043461744742 🏖 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/238616921241608 💥 Discord: discord.gg/amWWc6jcC2

[@kamleshmanjhi1234]

Please continue Alexender the great series. I know you feel uncomfortable with the massacre graphics but they are limited you should easily ignore those

[@erikrungemadsen2081]

I am sorry nothing surpasses the uniform of the Von Ruesch Husars or husar uniforms in general.

[@SoGal_YT]

@@kamleshmanjhi1234 I am, don’t worry :)

[@steved6092]

Great ! ☺

[@samuel10125]

Your spot on the only reason British uniforms are red COST hiding blood or other things are just myths.

[@DrumsTheWord]

I'm right with you about the smart British uniforms. It's one of the reasons (sadly?!) that I love this period of war.

[@dulls8475]

The British used red as it was the cheapest dye. Spending money on British soldiers was not popular.

[@DrumsTheWord]

@@dulls8475 Yeah, that's common knowledge. What a cool coincidence then that most soldiers had the red, white and blue in their uniforms...representing the Union Jack at the same time. Coincidence? Yes.

[@FreethoughtsOnline]

The Regt of the Royal Green Jackets were formed around this time, for service in N America I believe.

[@vernonrabbetts]

The paintings of Peninsular British soldiers are the result of Horseguards (The Army HQ), who were rather more keen on paying for paintings than for uniforms. By 1813, the "Red"-coats were neatly pink and brown from washing and patching using Portuguese cheap cloth. Often the white trousers were light pink from dye washing out onto them too. All British infantry regiments wore red except the Rifles who wore Brunswick green over black trousers. The regiments wore red jackets with different coloured "facings", different colours at the collar and cuffs for the ranks. These could be red, white, blue, yellow, green and in the case of the Grenadier Guards, black which resulted in them being called the Coal Heavers. The Silver Tails, or the Gloucestershire Regiment named because their officers wore so much silver braid also had the distinction of being the only regiment to wear a shako "helmet" badge on the front and the back too. The Rifles in Green looked almost black so got called The Sweeps as they looked as If they were covered in soot. The Kings Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) included two regiments of "loyal" Americans, the 60th and 62nd in Green uniforms with red facings and were called the Sanguinary Sweeps. They fought incredibly bravely in the Peninsular but were neatly wiped out in the Battle of New Orleans.

[@danielcharnock8975]

Same here mate

[@lauz-im3ov]

One of my favourite things about Wellington is how ordinary and unpromising he seemed as a child and young man. When he was a teen his mother famously wrote, "I don't know what I'll do with my awkward son Arthur", and he joined the military kind of out of necessity - he needed an occupation, and there weren't many fields that were seen as respectable for a man of his class. He wasn't academic enough for the law, and his temperament was all wrong for the clergy, so he joined the army kind of by default, and - as was the process at the time - he used money and connections to increase his rank. He's like the opposite of Napoleon. Napoleon was a genius with all the good and bad that comes with that - capable of flashes of great brilliance, mercurial, instinctive, reckless, ambitious, visionary, occasionally unreasonable. But Wellington was just a man. He worked hard, he learned from his mistakes, he planned things in intricate detail, he micro-managed where he thought he needed to, and - perhaps my favourite trait of his - he had an emotional connection with the men who served under him. Yeah, he insulted them, called them out for behaviour he didn't approve of, and asked enormous sacrifices of them, but he never put them in danger if he could avoid it, and the joy of every victory was tainted by his grief for those who died for it. Napoleon wanted to change the world, to knock it down and rebuild it with himself at its head, and he was willing to change any rule or law that might prevent that. He was leading the military, but at the same time he was deciding its aims and making plans for and decisions about all the other elements of his empire too. At the time of the Napoleonic wars, Wellington was just a military leader. His overarching aims came to him from above, and although he might challenge or question them, and although he had a certain amount of freedom in how he went about achieving those aims, he ultimately answered to his country's government. He became Prime Minister later - with varying success - but still never sought to change how the world worked. Where Napoleon would destroy anything in order to rule it, Wellington attempted to rule within the constraints of how the world already worked.

[@lauz-im3ov]

Wellington's real military skill was in logistics. Supply lines, message delivery speed, understanding and using the terrain, liaising with the locals, establishing strong defensive positions with multiple layers of retreat, distributing equipment, implementing training. None of this is instinctive, natural or genius. It's all learned - Wellington was a man who was always watching how things went right or wrong, and adjusting his future plans to take into account what he learned.

[@craniusdominus8234]

Pretty much this, although I think you're selling Wellington short when you say "he was just a man". Sure, he didn't see himself the same way Napoleon saw himself, but that work ethic and that capacity to learn from his mistakes and the ability to relate with those who served under him are all signs of a man well above the average.

[@lauz-im3ov]

You're right, of course. He was a pretty remarkable man. What I meant to suggest was that he wasn't driven by some sense of destiny or his own personal greatness. Although I'm sure he was capable of arrogance, he never let it blind him to his own flaws or mistakes - and that, rather than any natural talent, was what made him great. While Napoleon seems to have seen himself as the great saviour of France and conqueror of Europe, like a hero sprung to life from the pages of myth and legend, Wellington saw himself more as a guy with a job, trying to do that job as well as he could (in the face of occasional incompetence from both above and below).

[@neilbuckley1613]

@@lauz-im3ov As a young man Wellington was a talented musician [his father was professor of music at Trinity College , Dublin ] but being a musician was not considered an honourable career for a noble. I believe he destroyed his violin when he joined the army.

[@MarkVrem]

@@lauz-im3ov That is the thing I noticed too about him. Very detail-oriented. Covering all his bases, not taking anything for granted. I believe a lot of his negative traits also come out of being so detailed and differentiating between what he saw as worthy and not.

[@andrewclayton4181]

Spanish guerilla troops were irregulars. Not terribly well organised or disciplined. But they knew their terrain. When wellingtons troops were defending Portugal at the start of the peninsula war, they were hunkered down behind defenses. They turned their tall caps around so the bright brass badges couldn't be seen. They wanted to make the French think they were Portuguese troops, and make an attack. The French had more respect for British army at that point, than the Portuguese.

[@albrussell7184]

the soldier with the 'plaid' or tartan as we call it, round his cap shows he is from a Scottish Regiment - in this case I think it's the 71st Highland Light Infantry.

[@Zajuts149]

Yes, it's the 71st(Highland) Light Infantry. The hat band is called a "diced" band.

[@robharris8844U]

Portugal and Spain were helped by the British this time to kick Napoleon out. Portugal remembers, but I think Spain tends to forget.

[@allenwilliams1306]

Back in the 1970s, I had a big argument in a Portugese village with a French motorist who was abusing me just because I had gone around the “wrong” side of a traffic island. I refused to move the car (because he was French and shouting abuse at me - I wasn't having that) and I shouted foul abuse back at him in English. This lasted some time. Gradually, the local villagers assembled to watch. In the end, when I was shouting at him “You **ck off, horse-eater, I'm British”, waving my blue passport at him, the Froggie got back in his car, reversed, and went around to the left of the island. The locals all cheered!

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@allenwilliams1306 Hahahaha brilliant!

[@RodolfoGaming]

Because Spain is much bigger and as usual the bigger guy in the block tends to bully/inferiorate others. (if that second word is even a term btw)

[@RodolfoGaming]

Portugal also remembers because it turned into a brittish protectorate for a few years because of it and its revolts to english occupation after the war even if it was in very small scale compared to the war overall

[@robharris8844U]

@@RodolfoGaming I think recently Portugal was bullied by the EU to forget also, but I think pure tourist economics has meant they have remembered again.

[@rodgeyd6728]

Here's forty shillings on the drum For those who volunteer to come, To 'list and fight the foe today Over the Hills and far away [Chorus] O'er the hills and o'er the Main Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain King George commands and we obey Over the hills and far away. When duty calls me I must go To stand and face another foe But part of me will always stray Over the hills and far away Chorus If I should fall to rise no more As many comrades did before Then ask the pipes and drums to play Over the hills and far away Chorus Then fall in lads behind the drum With colours blazing like the sun Along the road to come what may Over the hills and far away Chorus Through smoke and fire And shot and shell And to the very walls of hell But we shall stand and we shall stay Over the hills and far away Chorus Though I may travel far from Spain Part of me shall still remain For you are with me night and day And over the hills and far away Chorus When evil stalks upon the land I'll neither hold nor stay me hand But fight to win a better day Over the hills and far away

[@karenblackadder1183]

@SoGal_TV Hope you get this.

[@reecedignan8365]

“I love those British uniforms” ^dusts off Bicorne and strikes a pose^ well of course. Can’t go conquering most of the world without looking good while doing it

[@neilmorrison1292]

Vittoria, Salamanca and Busacco Ridge - 3 examples in Spain of Wellington's mastery of the operational art - a master!! And then Waterloo tops it all off. And he became Prime Minister too.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@Neil Morrison Not to mention Wellington's crossing of the Pyrenees, similar to Hannibal.

[@mothmagic1]

He did not once but twice

[@Nonsense010688]

26:30 no you were right. Before Victoria he was "just" a general (general counter 1), but after Victoria he was promoted from general (general counter 2) to marshal.

[@sarunasjuonys4220]

Vitoria, not Victoria.

[@Richard500]

He was a lieutenant general in 1808 when he arrived in Portugal and the start of his fame but I am not sure at the moment the timings of his rise to the commander of the grand army. Also, he was Irish and there is a memorial to Wellington in Dublin to this day (I hope).

[@tcroft2165]

@@Richard500 W was general from 1811 and promoted field marshal after the Battle of Vitoria.

[@davebetch9918]

My favorite battle was when the Royal Navy attacked Cadiz and all was going well for the RN till the ratings discovered the wine cellar, gave up fighting and just got drunk and even ended up fighting each other! I was in the RN and I would consider this to be typical behavior.

[@anzaca1]

9:27 Wellington had been forced to retreat to Portugal several times by this point. He was essentially vowing that he would not allow himself to be forced into retreat anymore.

[@johnukey]

The old word "ye" is pronounced just the same as "the" - it's because of early printers having a letter 'thorne' þ which gives a "th" sound but became changed to y. So Ye Olde is pronounced The Old.

[@neilbuckley1613]

The use of ye in this context is to indicate a plural of you, it was old fashioned at the time Picton used it but it can be seen in the authorised {KJ Version for yanks] version of the Bible.

[@Paranomasia12]

So 'Ye' is the second person plural of 'thou' like 'we' is the first person plural of 'I'.

[@enzonicolas7501]

un langage très bizarre

[@smythharris2635]

No, just rooted in Anglo-Saxon and Old English forms.

[@craniusdominus8234]

2 Napoleon videos in a day? You're spoiling us

[@jackiesargent5271]

Wellington seemed to be a compassionate man. Reputed to have said that the next worst thing to a battle lost was a battle won.

[@anzaca1]

26:26 Wellington was made a Field Marshal due to his victory at Vittoria.

[@RodolfoGaming]

15:30 - you seem to be developing somewhat of an english bias, might be just a wrong observation by me take it for what it is. #1 - His spanish allies gave him all the intelligence in the world he could ask for making his attack somewhat unexpected; #2 he had several thousand battle hardened veterans of the years fighting in Portugal; #3 they were numerically superior almost 3/2 and in most sections more like 2/1 especially that frontal assault from the mountains. And yes it was a solid plan. But Wellington did not outmanouver Napoleon he simply held out until Blucher showed up. Blucher outmanouvered Grouchy

[@MarkVrem]

Cheapest dye. But the red color jackets "showed" blood not hid it. As blood would show as blue on a red coat. Psychology side-note. Being able to show you were wounded could be critical in battle. If you are leaving the battle everyone could see you are wounded and not demoralized.

[@craniusdominus8234]

I mean if you were a soldier talking to civilians, it probably sounded more heroic to say your uniforms were red to hide the wounds, than to tell them they're red because they were made by the lowest bidder.

[@MarkVrem]

@@craniusdominus8234 Good point! lol

[@TheAviador4]

Good general Wellington but not as good as napoleon.

[@Delogros]

No one said he was, but plenty of people massively underestimate him few over estimate him to the point of being Napoleons equal.

[@craniusdominus8234]

Yeah, that's what Napoleon thought, too. Underestimating Wellington ended badly for him, though.

[@melkor3496]

@ErikBloodAxee Definitely.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

Vitoria, Torres Vedras, the Pyrenees, Salamanca, Assaye put him up there with Napoleon.

[@TheAviador4]

@@craniusdominus8234 yeah but I would say that Wellington faced one napoleon very tired with less military brilliance than his early days as emperor. However he conducted a brilliant defensive battle at waterloo, while napoleon as you said badly undervalue Wellington leaving Marshall ney lead most part of the battle.

[@mustardtopdog9064]

Wellington also had some really successful campaigns in India also.

[@ElwoodShort]

Wellington really understood the importance of logistics and gathering useful intelligence. After Nelson he is our most celebrated military leader.

[@scottlincoln9660]

“The better you dress a soldier, the more highly he will be thought of by women, and consequently by himself.” General Wolseley’s Pocket Book.

[@keithbyrne6993]

Whilst the standard of these Epic History TV's posts are generally high (including this one) the Waterloo one was particularly poor leaving you with several unanswered questions. The movie Waterloo (1970) is of very high quality but perhaps a little too long for you to react to. Fortunately another reaction channel - History Buffs reviewed the film in a much shorter run time and perhaps you may want to react to that, or look at it for your own information. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYiunGiJrpV9ipo Keith

[@ryanfrancis827]

The Dukes of Wellington still exist to this day, although they’re excluded from The Lords. Wellington also went on to serve as a Tory Prime Minister twice, and was given the titles Duke of Victoria (Portugal), Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo (Spain), Prince of Waterloo (Netherlands and Belgium). He was also honoured by Sweden, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sardinia, Saxony, Baden, Bavaria, France, Hesse-Kassel, Würtemberg, Hanover, and theTwo Sicilies!

[@Richard500]

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington lived in Apsley House, No 1, London (When he was Prime Minister I think), a fine address to have!! I always get a warm feeling when I recall the vast number of French Eagles captured by Wellington's Army during the Peninsular Wars. Many British regiments feature/d French Eagles as a battle honour.

[@ayoa1173]

Charles Wellesley, the 9th and current Duke of Wellington was elected to the House of Lords in 2015. Since 2019 he is a crossbencher (independent).

[@fleshen]

And we were fighting America about this time! Can you imagine Wellington in the US?😂😂😂😂

[@sonsofthesilentage994]

At last!!! lol, Wellington gets your attention 🙂

[@roycol1]

If you are interested in Wellington, there is this documentary. It is far too long for you to do one of these, but it is interesting. It follows him through his career, from disaster in Europe, to India, to Spain and Waterloo. It will answer any questions you may have. The fun thing is that it filmed on location everywhere he fought (including Assaye in India, his favourite battle). The guy in front is Brigadier Richard Holmes, a military historian. It is fascinating. Even if you don't have the time to watch it, keep doing what you do, it is fun. His relationship with Kitty Packenham is fascinating. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnvNcqWhoah1gKM

[@Zavstar]

Oversimplified new videos

[@markwilliamson2864]

This is one of my favourite reactions from Sogal, she made a number of very pertinent comments and observations showing how much she has learnt from these videos.

[@Daveydoodoo]

The guerillas operated more like the Viet Cong. They would only engage small units of French or ambush them. They were not a field army. The French only controlled areas they had large numbers of troops to garrison.

[@callumbush1]

You should watch the TV series Sharpe starring Sean Bean if you're interested in the Napoleonic period!

[@davidmarsden9800]

The Wellington Museum at Apsley House No. 1 London in Hyde Park has a lot of the treasures from the French baggage train that were presented to Wellington by the grateful royal heads of Europe and are now displayed in cases in the basement display area. On the first floor is the dinning room where the annual Waterloo dinner was held for years afterwards for all the officers that fought there. Worth a visit when in London.

[@marignanofils866]

Hey! So now we can celebrate another French defeat maybe by listening to Beethoven's piece "The Battle of Vitoria, or Wellington's Victory" Op 91, also called the "Battle Symphony". One of his most popular pieces at the time, although not one of his best. Still, it has the cannon and the musketry, like "1812".

[@alansmithee8831]

Bon soir SoGal et l'empereur. 17:30 Lancashire soldiers went home to poverty in many cases. Please have a look into Peterloo Massacre. If you like the uniforms could I also try to persuade you to look at Crimean war before Bismarck as it makes more sense seeing how war changed with technology through the century.

[@tvf1481]

At Waterloo, Wellington fought more of a defensive battle for which he had a reputation. He was put in a position where he had to confront Napoleon and chose Waterloo, a location he had identified as a strong defensible position. His luck was that the French had failed defeat Blucher and force his withdrawal. Instead, Blucher was left in a position to regroup and march to support Wellington. Had he not been able to do so, the general view seems to be that Wellington would have lost.

[@Delogros]

Actually that isn't really the general view, Wellington (like any good General) knew the limitations of his army, if Blucher had been defeated there would have been no battle at Waterloo other then perhaps a rear guard action, even at Waterloo Wellington kept 2 full Divisions less then 2 miles north to cover his retreat if needed, he preferred to guarantee this rather then outnumber the French by 12,000 men.

[@AlejandroPRGH]

Beethoven wrote a piece on the battle of Vitoria. He himself said it was among the worst of his works, but it's still pretty good and stirring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5Tdp5l4rtSZn9k

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

My dad was RMO for the 14th/20th Hussars for some time during the 70's, so he has indeed drunk a toast or two to the Emperor (Napoleon) *from* the Emperor (the solid silver chamber pot, given to King Joseph Bonaparte by his brother, taken by men of the 14th after the battle, cleaned and used as a loving cup in their officer's mess ever since).

[@blueacres1262]

Load of mad Frenchmen met a load of mad Englishmen, the rest, as always, is History. 🙂🇬🇧🇺🇲

[@HingerlAlois]

Which isn’t really true. The army of Wellington consisted out of British (obviously not only English), Spanish, Portuguese and German troops.

[@jasonjason6525]

@@HingerlAlois Lol even the commanders were not Englishmen, they were Scottish, Welsh and Irish.

[@glastonbury4304]

@@jasonjason6525 even the British can't get their own country correct, that's like saying the American Army is just Virginian, when there is another 49 states within America

[@blueacres1262]

All honourary Englishmen at the time. 😉🇬🇧

[@JamesonEst1780]

It’s interesting learning about Wellingtons victories! As a reward for the battle of Waterloo, he was given the choice between two large estates. He could either have Bramshill House, which more recently was used as a police college or the Stratfield Saye Estate between Basingstoke and Reading. He chose the Stratfield Saye Estate, where his family and present day Duke of Wellington still reside! Needless to say, the family own vast amounts of land! Along the Reading road stands a tall column with a statue of the Duke on top, known as the Wellington Monument.

[@Hunter27771]

At waterloo the duke of wellington did not realy outmanouver napoleon. Napoleon would have carried the day with heavy casualities, without the arrival of the Prussians. I think he answered to the question, who was the greatest general "In the past Napoleon, in the present Napoleon and in the future Napoleon."

[@Delogros]

Wellington had great respect for Napoleon while Napoleon underestimates Wellington almost every time he has anything to do with him or the strategic decisions in Wellingtons theatre of operations.

[@tcroft2165]

Flawed argument as W fought the battle on the basis that their armies would combine.

[@colindebourg3884]

The greatest general doesn't lose campaigns with the horrific casualties Napolean suffered.

[@Hunter27771]

@@colindebourg3884 He lost horrific losses in russia, because his army was to big. Most other times he inflicted more losses on the enemy. Russia is a spezial case, because it is just to big for a normal invasion.

[@colindebourg3884]

@@Hunter27771 Oh I see he lost because his army was too big, I'd never thought of that.

[@HankD13]

Wellington had the support of the Portuguese for having stopped the French at Torres Verdes. The Spanish support, at least of the guerrilla forces was helped by the British Army not "living off the land" like the French. Outrages and atrocities certainly occurred, but Wellington hung a fair few of his own to curb that. The policy was to pay for what they needed which really did help keep Spanish support. The French had well earned the bitter hatred of the Spanish and Wellington was canny enough to make full use of that.

[@markkettlewell7441]

Wellington had small armies of Spanish guerilla scouts. Highly mobile passing on information. Napoleon had occupied Spain and the Spanish were aiding Wellington in expelling them.

[@asgautbakke8687]

Spain had a militia but that was included in the regular army. The guerrillas was something very different: Simply farmers or small town people who just took a hunting gun or stole a gun from a French arsenal. He (or in a few cases she) then ran into the wilderness and joined bands willing to accept this one. Most of them had little if any formal training until late in the war, mostly they "learned on the job". Until late in the war the armament and equipment otherwise was very haphazard, even late in the war uniform they had acquired were mostly for the regular nucleus some of the bands built up. Some of the bands were little more than highwaymen, plundering friend and foe alike. The advantages they had were those of all later guerrilla forces: They knew every small detail of the land they operated in, they had willing (or sometimes less than willing) support from local civilian people, and in case of defeat they didn't fight to the last in defending any position, then they would disappear among local people, hiding their arms and reassembling at another occasion. Tactics were the standard guerrilla one: Ambushes, hit-and-run, capturing convoys with supplies to the French army, infiltration of traitorious Spanish forces...

[@ericlee3421]

You cannot make this series without checking out Lindybeige Napoleon greatest foe. Sir Sidney Smith.

[@markkettlewell7441]

The French lost a good portion of their fleet when destroyed by Admiral Lord Nelson at Trafalgar in 1805.

[@markwilliamson2864]

The British Army in the Napoleonic era turned up to a battle looking impressive, even sartorial and I’m sure this had an impression on their enemies. The capture of Santander for shortening supply lines was very important for Wellington as battles are won on logistics. The French certainly didn’t help themselves at Vitoria with a long defensive line which was very thin in places.

[@dr.leftfield9566]

Guerillas were certainly unsung heroes of many campaigns. They were a militia essentially and in this conflict very partisan and being so would participate in reconnaissance, hit and run and attacking supply sources ( wagons etc) they were also surprisingly well organised.

[@mxcrftaa5508]

American militias were an institution. The Spanish guerrillas were just random civilians fighting to end the occupation of their homeland.

[@sandrahilton3239]

i think the gorillas were loyalists of spain who objected to Napolian making his brother king of spain.

[@PhilHug1]

The KZbin channel Biographics did a video on Wellington's life

[@stephenmiles2510]

Red at a distance blends together and makes it difficult to count so in a way it is a form of camouflage so you don’t really know how many men you have to fight plus the British army practiced with live ammunition and fire at a faster rate than the French

[@shanenolan8252]

Yes Wellington most lasting impact on military custom , he made the rape of civilians a war crime, before him it wasn't a crime , it was a perk allowed under certain circumstances, he did authorise it himself once or twice until he actually saw the consequences and then he started executions of any soldiers caught doing it and after the war in was amended in Vienna conference and later Geneva convention to update the rules of war . He was a very interesting man there are some great documentarys and docudrama , based on his diarys and his personal life

[@xenotypos]

The problem for the French compared with Wellington wasn't just being able to use or not being able to use the ressources they had, it was to have ressources at all. Wellington was especially helped by the locals and the guerilla in Spain (the intelligence they gave in particular), his situation wasn't the same at all as for the Marshals (whose intelligence was hindered by the guerilla, the total opposite). He had it way easier.

[@davesy6969]

True, it could take dozens of cavalry just to carry a simple message, let alone move supplies around.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@xenotypos But Wellington didn't have a quarter of a million men in the theatre like the French.

[@iangreenway5580]

One of my 5 X great grandfathers fought in this campaign whilst another of my 5 x great grandfathers was fighting in America in the 1812 war. My family have had a massive tradition and history in the British military that looks to be ending with me after 18 years in the army. 🤷‍♂️ Yes no one does military uniforms like the Brits. 😉👍 Someone below mentioned the tv show “Sharpe” which is about a British Army Officer during the Peninsular War. It’s well worth watching, you’d love it and it’s the (rough) history of my old regiment.

[@васяфедя-ю4э]

Interesting. We in Russia know very little about all this war in Spain! I heard only it was a guerilla war but it looks like a West Front of the time)

[@xenotypos]

If you're up for it, your final Napoleon videos could be the two (extremely popular) videos from Oversimplified on the Napoleonic Wars. I think that in particular it would make you understand his early career (ignored by Epic History TV) much more. And it's not very long. Win-win.

[@wwciii]

The differance between militia and guerillas was militias were raised by governments but guerillas were not.

[@thomaslund6013]

Sir Wellington is a Legend

[@BlameThande]

The Duke of Wellington later went on to serve as Tory Prime Minister and passed Catholic Emancipation despite being really, really right-wing - probably partly because his army had included many Irish Catholics. He did however oppose Parliamentary Reform which did not make him popular. A lot of people assume his nickname "The Iron Duke" comes from his war service, but it was actually an insulting reference to his house in London getting iron shutters because mobs kept attacking it! Fortunately it all worked out in the end and his family are still around to this day: the current Duke is the 9th and serves in the House of Lords, as well as formerly in the European Parliament when the UK was still in the EU: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wellesley,_9th_Duke_of_Wellington

[@neilbuckley1613]

I heard his backing for Emancipation came because he understood from the Peninsular War that you should never drive ordinary people to such despair they turn to guerrilla war.

[@gregc2467]

Nelson was way cooler though,he had the stones to take it to the enemy.

[@sonsofthesilentage994]

The Iron Duke!

[@robertwoolstencroft5946]

Wellington and Montgomery both Anglo-irish

[@juice7136]

Oversimplified on Napoleonic wars is out! please react to it.

[@alanhassell6011]

One of the strengths of Wellington was his logistics.When fighting in India where it's difficult to live off the land he always kept his army well supplied. Later after his Spanish campaign he invaded France he kept his army from looting and when buying supplies from French towns and villages he paid them in gold. Are you aware before he died in the 1850's Wellington was photo graphed.

[@jakezywek6852]

The Duke of Wellington was born in Ireland.

[@RodolfoGaming]

8:40 - Yes the guerilla forces were like militias of citizens and ex-soldiers.

[@raidensergi2378]

Wellington is the most loved British in spain

[@Colonel_Blimp]

I’m not surprised you are impressed by Wellington. He was VERY popular with the ladies. 🤠🇳🇿

[@jasonsmith666]

I believe The New Model Army, of the English civil war, was where the red started. It stuck from then. They where the first regular English army.

[@fourthdrawerdown6297]

There is a bbc documentary called Bullets,Boots and Bandages, which discusses the importance of logistics and lines of supply in combat situations. Very interesting but perhaps hard to find.

[@chriscann7627]

A good comparison to the Guerillas is the French resistance in WW2

[@CARLOS62B]

To get your crazy hound tired out ... simply play Tug-o-war with her for twenty minutes a day because that is what " Grab Hounds " love to do ... then she will feel relaxed and get all sleepy.

[@hound3000]

Well, I generally love this channel.

[@petersmith4423]

Wellington, or Arthur Wellesley as he was, first came to prominence in India. He won the battle of Seringapatam in 1799. After his military career, he went into politics and served as Prime Minister twice.

[@neilbuckley1613]

British army was commanded by General George Harris at Seringapatam, Wellesley was a present as a Colonel. Wellesley did win a very skillful victory at Assaye in 1803 over the forces of the Marathas.

[@petersmith4423]

@@neilbuckley1613 Yes, indeed. I don't know my Assaye from my Seringapatam. I was just overwhelmed because I managed to spell Seringapatam. Wellesly commanded the reserve during the storming.

[@iwatchDVDsonXbox360]

Capital of New Zealand was named after him.

[@Delogros]

There is also a Picton in New Zealand among others ;)

[@rnp497]

The Peninsula Army under Wellington was arguably to best Army the Britain has ever fielded. They had a highly competent leader, experience in warfare and trusted that their lives wouldn't be wasted by Wellington. He would give battle when He was ready and when He knew he could win

[@Delogros]

I would argue the forces deployed in the 100 years war where probably the best in terms of leadership and fighting ability in that they consistently defeated enemies that outnumbered them in crushing victory's. Similarly the 8th Army from WW2 is up there.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@Delogros Marlborough's army was awesome too, the second time that Britain cemented itself as a formidable military power since the Hundred Years war.

[@shoutinghorse]

Red coats were chosen for Cromwell's New Model Army during the English civil war (1642-1651) although there has been red coated troops as far back as Tudor times, esp. in Ireland. It is thought that the term 'Redcoats' to describe English/British troops probably came originally from the Irish. The myth that red was chosen because it is the hardest colour to count for enemy observers has been largely debunked as has the blood didn't show up explanation. Wellington referred to his own troops as "The scum of the earth" and with good reason as the majority of them came from the illiterate peasants, ne'er-do-well's and vagabond's of Britain's lower classes who had often been press ganged into service or used as a means to escape jail and even execution on order from a judge. He was twice Prime Minister of Great Britain and was heavily influential in the emancipation of Catholics in 1829. One of our most famous military leaders, there are statues, monuments, roads and pubs named after him galore.

[@petersmith4423]

General Wellington was made a field marshal after this battle.

[@glenostick3979]

The duke of Wellington was the British prime minister and if you go to London and ask a taxi driver to take you to No 1 London they will take you to Apsley House which was the Duke's house

[@craniusdominus8234]

I'm not too familiar with them, but if I understand correctly, the militias you have in the US are somewhat permanent units of local civilians, who are supposed to drill together every now and then, just to be prepared for a war/disaster, right? If that's the case, then the guerilla units in Spain were a lot more... spontaneous, shall we say? I mean, yes, superficially they were also units made up of civilians, but most of them had volunteered after Napoleon started being a a**hole to their country. While a lot of them had probably fought in wars before, a lot of them hadn't, and they certainly hadn't trained together as coherent units before hostilities began. And the quote on screen at about 26:30 is quite literally when Wellington is notified of his promotion from general to marshal (as a result of the victory at Vitoria) and, thus, is presented with his own marshal's baton.

[@samclarke3573]

2 videos today!! wooo

[@GHOST5663]

Have you looked up the TV series and films 'Sharpe'? Really good and you will love the uniforms and the interactions between officers and men.

[@DropdudeJohn]

If you feel like something a little more controversial thats both historic and topical at the same time try reacting to Oswald Mosley's speech on Globalism, its a real eye opener and thought provoker

[@Omni_Shambles]

When the Roman Legions were standardised red was the chosen colour because it was inexpensive, so that makes sense here too.

[@Anton-kp3mi]

The british army was at its best strengh and was facing a weakened and outnumbered ennemy, this was an easy victory.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@Anton 1860 It wasn't easy did you miss the part where Wellington split his army up 25 miles apart from each other over mountainous terrain? 0_o

[@wasp6594]

The red coats of the uniforms were made from organic dyes ehich meant the colour faded or ran when wet, however, that changed when an Englishman invented the world's first chemical dye. In 1856, during Easter vacation from London’s Royal College of Chemistry, 18-year-old William Henry Perkin (1838-1907) synthesized mauve, or aniline purple-the first synthetic dyestuff-from chemicals derived from coal tar.

[@smythharris2635]

I have had the privilege of visiting the late Duke of Cuidad Rodrigo and reading his ancestor's letters from the Duke of Wellington.

[@calumdeighton]

Red is best. Finest and most aspiring colour. And that opening line of Red Coats. I think I'm wrong. But thoughs maybe the Coldstream Guards. British Elite. But I think I'm wrong on the unit. And the 95th Rifles. Sharpe's boys. "Go on green coats! And show the Boney frogs and Voltaire, who's they best shots!"

[@julianwild8556]

“Yeh, Lancashire getting a shout-out!” Lol. I love it! And “Ooh, the black pants!” ☺️🤣

[@plowmansjf]

One of the items captured was King Joseph's silver chamber pot. The 14th Light Dragoons modern successors, The King's Royal Hussars, use it at a loving cup at officers' mess dinners.

[@asgautbakke8687]

That man in the middle at 24:45, wearing a shako with a band on top, is wearing the uniform of the staff corps of the cavalry - i.e. the MP force of Wellington's army... Even they joined in the looting mayhem...

[@antonycharnock2993]

I visited Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2019. There's an amazing monument to the battle in the main square. If you ever get the chance to visit Spain, I recommend it and the surrounding Basque country.

[@MrPaulMorris]

it's worth noting that Portugal is Britain's oldest ally dating back as far as 1386, 636 years ago, when a treaty, still in force, was signed. Incidentally, this is also the oldest surviving treaty in the world. [Technically, the original treaty was between England and Portugal but England is seen as the successor authority to Great Britain and later The United Kingdom, thus the treaty remains in force]

[@leegreenhalgh6677]

If you are looking for books there's 2 that are excellent both by Philip J Hawthornthwaite the 1st "The Armies of Wellington" and "Napoleon's Military Machine" with a 3rd book by Julian Paget "Wellingtons Peninsular War, Battles and Battlefields" which includes Maps, Orders of Battle and upto date photos of the Battlefields of all the Peninsular Wars major Battles all 3 books are an essential read on the "Peninsular War"..

[@DeeJay2715]

May I just say how lovely it is to see such enthusiasm for British & European history from a young American. Hopefully the positive views expressed can reignite an appreciation for military history among the younger generation(s) generally.

[@darrellpowell6042]

Good movie to watch is Waterloo it stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon Bonaparte and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington with a cameo by Orson Welles as Louis XVIII of France. The film strives, and largely succeeds, in creating a blow by blow chronology of the events of the battle, the extreme heroism on each side, and the tragic loss of life suffered by all the armies which took part. The impact of the 15,000 authentically dressed extras, recreating the battle sections with true numbers and without special effects, is unsurpassed, and remains the highest number of costumed extras in any film. A worth watch for visualizing the battle.

[@grahambarlow1308]

During the Peninsular War in the Napoleonic Wars , the British Army retreated to the defended lines of Torres Vedras supplied by the Royal Navy. they stayed for the winter. They imported Foxes into Portugal in order to go Fox hunting on their wonderful hunters which they kept! Commenting on his Army, Wellington said "I do not know what they do to the enemy ,but by God they frighten me!

[@dave_h_8742]

Shame you cannot watch all the Sharp series in Portugal and Spain and at Waterloo too, with Shean Bean.

[@richardhathaway2901]

You should watch the Sharpe's Rifles drama series. It's fiction but the main characters and the uniforms are authentic.

[@alexnavarro6941]

24:14 that's one of the reasons Spain was a miserable place for more than a century. All their treasures taken by the french and british, the cities and industries razed... That, mixed with unstable and corrupt politics, left Spain without colonies, and as a second or third rate country until 1980s. That's why it was so easy for USA to win the 1898 war. Spain never fully recovered from all that.

[@markkettlewell7441]

You should watch the TV series ‘Sharpe’ starring a young Sean Bean. Great show and lots of Napoleonic history.