Robinson, William Wellington on Napoleon

The Duke’s Commentary on Napoleon’s Disastrous 1812 Invasion of Russia

The Duke of Wellington harbored a strong aversion to writing a history of his campaigns or battles; famously, he likened such an undertaking to the "history of a ball" and quashed various attempts to publish such works. Yet, in 1825, the Duke was prepared to set aside these views. Despite a packed schedule, bouts of illness, and an immense volume of correspondence, he began researching Napoleons Russian campaign of 1812. He acquired books on the campaign as soon as they were published and studied them closely. Based on this research, he drafted a memorandum on the campaign. The resulting work ran to more than 25,000 words and set out his true opinion of Napoleon. From start to finish, it was a ruthless, scathing attack on Napoleon and his abilities; Wellington questioned every decision, using them to portray Napoleon as incompetent and unimaginative. He wrote at length about the battles of Smolensk and Borodino, leaving no doubt that he held Napoleon solely to blame. Far from regarding him as a man worth forty thousand soldiers, he criticized every decision Napoleon made and contrasted them with his own alternatives. As he wrote, Wellington likely derived a certain satisfaction from criticizing his old adversary. He decided against publication, allowing the document to circulate only among a small circle of friends; consequently, this work is far less well-known than the views he expressed elsewhere. Wellington had no interest in becoming embroiled in a public debate regarding Napoleons abilities and legacy; he was content to praise Napoleon publicly while keeping his true opinion to himself for his own private satisfaction. This book aims to make these views available to the public after all and to examine how Wellington arrived at his conclusionsranging from praise for Napoleon to his harsh condemnation.