"A Comparison of the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon" Topic

"This document was written by Nicholas Dunne-Lynch, to whom I am most grateful…"

link

Amicalement
Armand

Not again….

You're just asking for trouble, Armand! Take cover!

I think a teaspoon is being put to use arthur1815, given how quiet the rest of the site appears to be at the moment. The link was posted not long ago, iirc.

Wellington 1
Napoleon 0

And yet, didn't Wellington himself state that Napoleon was the greatest general of his age?

And he also stated that the best allied general was the Archduke Charles.

This 'article' has been posted before if I am not mistaken.

I wonder what sourcing Nicolas Dunne-Lynch used for his 'conclusions'? The material is akin to Wellington hero worship and not a scholarly endeavor.

The postings on Napoleon indicate that not much research was done at all.

@Brechtel198

I agree completely. I know that might come as a bit of a shock.

But then again I would also agree if you replaced the authors name with some others, and reversed Wellington/Napoleon, so it reads:

"I wonder what sourcing X used for his 'conclusions'? The material is akin to Napoleon hero worship and not a scholarly endeavor.

The postings on Wellington indicate that not much research was done at all."

Both sides are guilty of indulging in hero worship and selective sourcing to support it. Personally I call it out for what it is, everytime I see it, from either quarter. It gets me into trouble though.

La Belle Ruffian- I always thought that a teaspoon was used to 'calm emotions down' rather than stir them up. At least that's what people said that the nurse at my middle school used them for. I was never a recipient myself- but there were stories about others….

What is the point of such an exercise in comparisons? Their roles were so different.

One is remembered as a national/international ruler, an Emperor, who, one way or another, determined European politics for well over a decade and left a legacy that thrives for two centuries. Look at the titles of these Boards.

The other was an inspired general, but generally commanding relatively small armies, with incredible skill, but hardly a statesman, even in his later years.

Who would I rather spend an hour with? Wellington in his later years, I think he toned down his arrogance and there are so many questions I would put to him. Boney, I fear I might be disappointed by his personality.

And, with the greatest respect, who is Nicholas Dunne-Lynch that we should care about what he thinks?

The very fact that he sees value in comparing 2 historical figures like this says much about him.

I think you will have to ask Dr Marjorie Bloy,
- and slip her a few bob on Paypal while you're at it.

RSSAB, I have heard about that which you allude to. I was under the impression that would be termed 'applying' a spoon rather than using it.

It can be amusing to spot coincidences between famous people.
I once pointed out to the headmaster of the school where I worked that both Wellington and Napoleon:

were born in 1769
on an island that that been taken over by the country they later served
were younger sons of minor aristocrats
attended military schools in France
cheated on their wives – sometimes with the same women
dressed more plainly that their staff officers on the battlefield

He replied with a long description of coincidences between the assassinations of Lincoln and JF Kennedy that he had found on the internet, but had not read right to the end – which got him into trouble with the female members of staff when he sent it as a global email.

The penultimate line, IIRC, went something like: 'Abraham Lincoln spent the night before his assassination in Monroe, Maryland.' I'll leave you to deduce the punchline…

They were also both at the battle of Waterloo, commanding opposing armies. Coincidence? You be the judge.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

realist versus megalomaniac

'What is the point of such an exercise in comparisons? Their roles were so different.'

Indeed, I couldn't agree more. Now, General Bonaparte >1804/Wellington comparisons are probably more appropriate.

One of the reasons why Wellington deserves regard, and a key difference versus Napoleon, is that he had to play the hand he was dealt and in so doing make coalitions work. Napoleon chose the game and dealt his own hand.