2021 Newsletter!

 

Bonjour! 

Welcome to the 2021 newsletter.

It was hoped the year would be full enough to get a couple of newsletters out but it has proved otherwise, we did however have three top quality brigade events and the memorial service in Chatham.

NA events so far for 2022 so far:

Stanstead park, west Sussex, 2-3 July.

Fonmon castle, Cardiff, 20-21 August.

Hole park, Kent, 24-25 September.

Other events possibly include an AGM, Zaragoza, Badajoz, Ligny, Waterloo and a training and accreditation day but are yet to be confirmed. Waterloo is yet again hoped for but it will all be down to covid and travel restrictions closer to the date. 

The 45eme are also attending an event at Horseguards on the 7th to 9th of June which promises to be quite an experience if it is anything like the 2015 show the unit was part of. 

More events to be confirmed.

Don't forget the AGM is 22 January and you should have sent confirmation of attendance and dinner choices along to Duncan. 

Phil's presentation on kit will be between 11:00 and 13:00 and there will be a live feed on zoom, message Phil to be added to the group. 

Roll on 2022!

In other news we must congratulate James Tobin for his promotion to Sergeant! 

..and our Phil Timm for becoming a caporal!

  ________________________________________

            Who was General Gudin?

You have probably seen items in the news this year about the discovery and repatriation of the remains of General Gudin, sometimes called Napoleon's favourite general, so who was this man?

The General died three days after the battle of Valuntino on the advance into Russia where he had been hit in the legs by a cannonball and one limb was removed but became gangrenous, which was the cause of death three days later. His heart was cut out at the time and returned to Paris. 

Born into a noble family, Charles Etienne Gudin de la Sablonniere attended the same military academy at Brienne as Napoleon, Gudin being one year older (11) he sided with the future Emperor when others harangued him for his Corsican accent.

Beginning his career as a Gendarme in the king's household before becoming a Lieutenant in the Artois regiment,

he remained in the army when many of aristocratic birth fled the revolution and his survival may have been helped by being posted to Saint Dominque in the Caribbean for part of 1791-2. 

Returning to France he fought in the Ardenne and rose through the ranks, by 1799 he was General de brigade. This and knowing Napoleon as a child apparently explains a lot of the respect between the two and why Gudin (like Lannes) was one of the few people Napoleon allowed to address him as Tu, the informal. Gudin was not created by Napoleonic favour but fought his way up, having been in the army of the Rhine.

He was known as one of the 'immortals' for never being defeated, although in 1799 he famously held the St Gotthard pass against field marshal Suvarov and was eventually forced to retreat, but under the circumstances this apparently does not count..

Though he was often wounded. At Wagram he lead his division from the front and was shot four times.

For two years after this he knew peace as the governor of Fontainbleu. 

Then came Russia.

He was with Ney at Valuntino in August when the Marshal ordered him to attack across the river, a daunting prospect, and he replied 'You shall see how my division knows how to take a position when ordered to attack!'

It was during one of these repeated attacks that the fateful cannon shot hit his leg.

In hospital at the recently captured Smolensk he was attended by the Emperor but soon perished. Both the Emperor and the reputedly cold hearted Davout were said to have wept. A funeral with full honours was held in Smolensk, somehow his resting place was lost and built over until it's recent discovery.

A great loss for France.

    _______________________________________

              "Happy again tomorrow."

Jerome Bonaparte as King of Westphalia.

Napoleon's youngest brother is often portrayed as a bit of a lost cause, moved from pillar to post at his brothers whim as he tried to find an illustrious post for one of the Bonaparte clan. 

In 1807 Napoleon created the kingdom of Westphalia out of several small states and a portion of conquered Prussia, and a kingdom needs a king, a job for a brother, Jerome would officially be King Heronymous Bonaparte. 

          Young Jerome in his naval days.

 Jerome was keen to serve his peoples interests and learn German, but soon this enthusiasm waned as he found it too difficult, and with nearly all of his key ministers and generals being French, or speaking French, it wasn't a problem at court. 

Westphalia's finances were stretched from the start and the modest size of the army was soon planned to be twice the size of that written into the shiny, new constitution. (The first in Germany) 

Napoleon is often quoted as criticising Jerome for raising expensive heavy cavalry troops and spending a fortune on parties, and some see the financial problem as his fault.

His partying is often thought to be the origin of his nickname of the 'Merry Monarch' and this is party true but in local parlance he was called 'König Lustik' (roughly King Jolly). after his habit of ending his day with the words 'Morgen weider lustig' which in pigeon-German meant 'Happy again tomorrow'.

A persistant rumour was that Jerome had a marble bath at the palace that he filled with wine to bath in every day. There was a marble bath at the palace but alas it had cracked on construction and so was never used and no one ever claimed to have witnessed such a thing yet it was repeated as if fact even by some of the first historians recounting the life of Westphalia.

Reports of his womanising however do seem to be quite well documented. 

It does seem clear that Napoleon was largely to blame for Westphalia's near bankruptcy. 

The Emperor had taxes and tributes coming in from everywhere and although supposedly a new state Westphalia inherited all the debts of it's constituent parts, then had to raise a new army and pay a lot of large salaries. Later Napoleon extended Westphalian territory to include much of Hannover, but also the areas large debts. a huge project was completed to set up an administration for the new territories which increased the population of the kingdom by over a third.

Then Napoleon changed his mind, took Hannover back, but still left Jerome with all the debts!  This was so they were not a burden on France and would not effect Napoleon's popularity at home with tax payers, only Jeromes increasingly unhappy subjects would have to pay.

So finding your country piled with debts and your governance micro managed by your older brother, to whom some ministers and generals sent reports bypassing you completely, wouldn't you just say &£¥^ it and enjoy yourself? 

He did often respond to appeals to his person over the law, finance, property or conscription. A great many subjects arrested for desertion or even treason had their punishment commuted from death to a lesser sentence by his intervention.

Even this was sometimes denighed as subjects arrested for any reason involving the military were detained ultimately under the French military and they answered to Napoleon. 

An example of Napoleon's attitude to Jerome making decisions is quoted below in a letter from Napoleon to Jerome in early 1808 after he appointed his own candidate as minister of war.

'General Lagrange is not your subject; he does not answer to you. You have no right to dishonour him. You have to understand clearly that you have no jurisdiction over the Frenchmen whom I send to you and you are only to inform me of what they are doing.' 

For most of Westphalias existence all of the top ministers were Frenchmen.

'Oath to the Westphalian flag' attributed to Louie Dupré.  Like many grand projects it remained unfinished.

On a personal level Jerome often showed both concern and courage in dealing with his people. When a fire broke out in a palace Jerome was one of the last people out of the burning building, refusing to leave until he was sure everyone had left.

Perhaps most telling was an incident when out with the troops and crossing a bridge during the Saxon campaign with his (somewhat large) entourage. One of the cavalry troopers fording the river slipped from his horse with one foot caught in the stirrups. Without ordering anyone else into action Jerome leapt off his horse and into the river to free the man and help him to the river bank. 

So good king or bad king? By modern standards he would be considered a fair figurehead who showed concern for his people and even critics who met him generally admitted he was highly likeable, he was also a good public speaker. A lot of public works like better roads and canals were begun, but not always finished. (As a medical asides it is good to see a smallpox vaccination program was highly successful). He would of course have had regular features in the gossip columns.

His limitations in the role and the general unpopularity of the regime, especially when memoirs were published after the events, meant few recalled his reign with much enthusiasm or praise and of course the land was ruined by the demands of war. 

In conclusion I believe he did a good job in difficult circumstances, or perhaps that his limitation from making any great changes never allowed him to shine through. His parties were doubtless criticised as indulgent and setting a bad example in times of austerity but given that of all Napoleon's relatives and in laws Jerome never schemed, betrayed his brother or sought advancement for himself and this must account for something. He was simply a pleasure loving twenty-three year old suddenly made into a King so perhaps the results should not be surprising. 

Vive Heronymous!

Further reading; Napoleon's paper kingdom. Sam Mustafa.

The army of Westphalia, 1807-1813, Bunde and Gaettner. 

                    _____________________

French dragoons and the notion of them fighting on foot.

"Opinions will be always divided as to those amphibious animals called dragoons. It is certainly an advantage to have several battalions of mounted infantry, who can anticipate an enemy at a defile, or scour a wood; but to make cavalry out of foot soldiers is very difficult. ... It has been said that the greatest inconvenience resulting from the use of dragoons consists in the fact of being obliged at one moment to make them believe infantry squares cannot resist their charges, and the next moment that a foot soldier is superior to any horseman... But it cannot be denied, however, that great advantages might result to the general who could rapidly move up 10,000 infantrymen on horseback to a decisive point ..."

                                         General Jomini. 

Dragoons were originally more like mounted infantry than cavalrymen, riding ahead to scout for the enemy, raid supply lines or hold an important crossroads, often by dismounting in a field and lining a hedgerow. In the twilight days of cavalry from the American civil war to world one one, these roles were often resumed but by the Napoleonic age they really just served in cavalry roles.

         French dragoons around 1710.

French dragoons have often been depicted as fighting on foot, in art, in reenactment and on the wargames table.

'On paper' One strong suggestion for foot dragoons is Napoleon not having enough horses for the army, the dragoons had always received rather poor horses and now they would be put on the bottom of the priority list. For the invasion of England he put a large proportion of the dragoons through increased musketry and foot drill and had them listed as 'Foot dragoons' who would embark without mounts but with the plan to be supplied with horses captured in England. Veterans who had to give up their horses to younger men often came to blows with the newcomers who knew less of horse care. 

Of course the invasion never happened and when the war was suddenly with Austria and Russian the foot dragoons (dismissively called 'The wooden swords' by other cavalry, such as the hussars, marched.

They were six thousand strong, and acting as a baggage and artillery escort for the Imperial guard. Many would fall out on the march with blistered and painful feet, they simply were not used to it and their performance on the campaign was mediocre, morale was low, although one account of a genuine threat to the baggage saw the troopers form a formidible musket line whilst the officers (who had all been allowed to keep their horses) formed up and made an effective cavalry charge that threw back the enemy. 

 (Note, mounted dragoons were still the norm throughout these years). 

The victory years though did see enough horses purloined from Austria and Prussia to fully mount the cavalry and Napoleon committed the dragoons en masse to the Spanish campaign where they would be used, by default, as the heavy cavalry in major battles wielding their straight swords which was often considered the mark of 'battle cavalry' but in reality they were a jack of all trades. 

They were also heavily engaged in the war of the knife, against partisan forces, and in these actions often fought over mountain villages, from which the image of the dismounted dragoon skirmishing with guerillas has come down to us. 

Spain made veterans of many of these regiments and in the later days they would bare a much better reputation as no nonsense fighters. 

If ever there was a time when regiments of cavalrymen may have been pressed into fighting on foot surely it would have been in the dark days of 1813-14 when horses were at an all time low for the French, yet any mention of dragoons fighting on foot is elusive. 

I think part of the blame for the creation of this idea that they fought on foot at the drop of a hat lies with the wargaming community as figurines of dismounted dragoons skirmishing and rules for them doing so are common to a lot of game systems. Students of other eras, such as the English civil war, may also associate the term dragoon with a mounted infantry role.  Dragoons of other nations in the Napoleonic period seldom share the association though. 

All cavalry had basic training in drill and musketry, sentry duty and providing armed piquets and especially in Spain the dragoons were seen by many with muskets in hand more than sabres when going about their daily routines such as in garrisons, unless you were facing a charge in a full battle! 

Further reading; Swords around the throne, John H Elting.

 Napoleon's cavalry and its leaders, David Johnson. 

Napolun.com

                        Rogues gallery.

And of course, JOYEUX NOEL!

2020 'Newsletter'.

Welcome to the newsletter for the year which was remarkable for, er, nothing really happening. 

We shall then look to the future with optimism but always with the knowledge that nobody knows what tomorrow will bring and whether events will go ahead. What form an AGM will take is yet to be established. Meanwhile the Napoleonic association have put forward the following dates;

18-19 April is Stanford hall in Leicestershire.

1-3 May is Deene park, Northamptonshire.

29-30 May Crouch ridge, Essex.

19-21 June, Waterloo! 

Many more dates like

 Many more events like the Marvellous festival and Horsham are now on the 45e page but as it is there are no exact date, see them at 45eme.com/events . 

I'm sure most of us are chomping at the bit to get back to going to it, the atmosphere of the camp, the wood smoke and smell of burnt powder! The thrill of battle and the joy of seeing good friends whom have been absent from our lives for too long, a big hole in the calender. let's hope the winter will see covid beaten and routed from the field!

45e History and Research.

By Duncan Miles.

Early in 2020, I was kindly given access to a number of interesting documents concerning the 45e which are stored in the archives at Vincennes. For a long time now a couple of us had planned a visit to the archives, yet for one reason or another the trip(s) never materialised. It was a delught, thetefore, to find that Paul Dawson, a military Historian and writer, had made numerous trips to the archives whilst researching his numerous books on the French Napoleonic army. A quick search on Amazon will list his current and planned, well-researched, publications.

After some printing from James B, in 21e, Paul kindly agreed to share the images that he had taken of all the documents relating to 45e. Since then we have recruited a small group of people to help us with the translation of the documents. As you can imagine, all the documents are hand-written, contain many abbreviations and a variety misspellings for the same names/words.

Deciphering them had and is proving challenging, nevertheless, progress is being made. Special mention and thanks to to Phil T who has undertaken a massive amount of the work.

Paul has asked us to limit the sharing of the information we have, up until the publication of his next book, which was due out towards the end of 2020 but now looks like being the middle of 2021. His book will contain some of the key findings that we have been given access to and Paul does not want that information in the public arena until that time.

Nevertheless, we have uncovered some very interesting information concerning the administration records of the regiment, including detailed analysis of what was issued when and to whom and what was worn by the troops. There are also numerous details concerning military discipline, training and performance. 

Our plan is to begin introducing this information to everyone at the AGM and to propose what we do with it. Initial analysis suggests that we should be making a few important changes to our kit, based upon our 1809 portrayal. We are looking to ensure greater uniformity of kit and uniform and want to be able to provide detailed templates/patterns for our own items of uniform. We are currently looking into suppliers of materials, buckles, buttons etc that are prepared to make the uniform items to our own correct specifications. 

As you can imagine this is not a quick process. What does it mean to 45e members? Nothing at the moment, at least not until the information has been presented and discussed at the AGM. We do plan to ensure that new members that join us will eventually be given access to a complete list of uniform templates and suppliers. Existing members are not being expected to ditch existing items of kit and clothing, especially where there has already been a substantial financial outlay to purchase them in the first place. 

However there are likely to be some 'quick wins' which we will be proposing that we would like to see implemented and which will not prove particularly expensive to acheive. Hopefully, your appetite has been wetted and we look forward to presenting our findings and recommendations reasonably early in 2021.

Duncan & the 45e Time team investigation group.

                                    The honourable Charles James Fox.

                                                         1749-1806.

Fox began his political career as a fairly non challenging and conventional member of parliament and also something of a rake who amassed large gambling debts.

However with the onset of the American war of independence he had been a firm supporter of the colonists demands for representation and with open war began wearing the blue and buff colours of Washington's army. His entire career from then on would largely be spent in opposition.

His views generally swung to the side of the Whigs and he believed George the third was an aspiring tyrant. 

He was foreign secretary in 1781-82 but he and Lord North were removed from Office by the King's royal prerogative and replaced with Pitt the younger. 

A Gilray cartoon picturing Fox about to behead the king. 

The honourable James Fox (as he was known) was avidly anti slavery and one of his lasting accomplishments was getting the first legislation against the slave trade into action. He was also pro French revolution when it came, although disappointed by the terror he saw it as the lesser of two evils, and welcomed the establishment of a more stable republic. 

 "Peace is the wish of the French, of Italy, Spain, Germany and all the world, and Great Britain alone the cause of preventing its accomplishment, and this not for any point of honour or even interest, but merely lest there should be an example in the modern world of a great powerful Republic." 

When Pitt died after Austerlitz, Fox was again made Foreign secretary in a coalition government.

He wanted to see peace with France. Could it have worked? In 1806 Fox learnt of a plot to assassinate Napoleon and promptly warned Talleyrand, who acted to foil the attempt. This certainly helped relations.

It often appears the war with France was widely supported but this is history written by the victors, at the time both workers and middle classes, particularly merchants and manufacturers, suffered greatly from the war and radicals supported republican ideals.

Britain had suffered relatively little bloodshed by 1806 and in truth her small armies performance had been mediocre at best. It was with money, money, money that Britain had fought the French via other nations. Nations that just kept losing. Why not have peace and see trade bloom? 

Sadly Fox grew ill during negotiations and died in September, aged 57, and was buried in Westminster cathedral. 

We will never know if the talks would have reached an agreement, but with peace there would have been no continental system and thus no Peninsular war and possibly no invasion of Russia, what a very different outcome the era might have had! 

Book reviews.

Adventures of a young rifleman, by Johan Christian Mämpel.

                                                                

Don't be put off by the title, this is not another book on the 95th!

 As the cover states our correspondent is a young Saxon who finds himself in Prussia in the wake of the 1806 campaign and signs up for the French army. Only later in the book does he find himself changing sides and joining the King's German legion. 

It is a real eye opener to see how different the experience of a 'French' and a 'British' soldier in the Peninsular really were.

It is written in that easy to read style of regular soldiers on all sides, as if they were just sat before you talking of their time in the wars. 

If you enjoy first hand accounts about the human experience of the wars this is a book for you.

'Napoleon's paper kingdom; the life and death of Westphalia, 1807-1813' by Sam A Mustafa.

 

This could have been a very dry book, it's certainly not concerned with thunderous battles unless it is the war for the soul of a nation. 

How do you sweep away several largely independent small states and replace them with one new, shiny regime? Westphalia! Surely it would be simple, redraw the map, give them a king and a new currency. Job done?

Mustafa is quick to point out the first accounts of Westphalian rule from those who were involved were often from dignitaries who had found themselves 'On the wrong side of history' and may have been keen to curry favour with the reinstated regimes with undue criticism. This study attempts to be neutral.

Many facets are covered but everything falls in with the bigger picture of Napoleonic Germany and national identities. I found myself sympathising with those citizens, sorry, subjects! (Napoleon didn't like the term citizens being used) Who wanted to embrace a new system but were soon quite disenchanted.

 It had previously seen suggested in various Napoleonic tomes that it was 'The merry monarch' who ruined the economy against his older brother's sage advice but no, his excesses are small fry compared to the depredations from Paris. 

A chapter concerning the campaign of 1812 in which the vast majority of Westphalian troops were committed is naturally the most dedicated to military events, largely from first hand accounts. 

Indeed the book is never short of anecdotes and snapshots of people's lives in relation to the topic in question. 

A bit of a special interest book maybe but was enlightening as to what it was like to live under French 'occupation' even when you are supposed to be allies.

Flashman's Waterloo, by Robert Brightwell.

You may recall Duncan recommending this series of books on facebook, a recommendation I will repeat. The original Flashman series was written by George Mcdonald Fraser about Harry Flashman, the fictional Victorian cad believed to be a hero of the British Empire until his memoirs were discovered and published. This is very much the same idea but Thomas Flashman would be the uncle of the above. 

I have so far got through 'Flashman in the Peninsular', 'Escape', 'Madison's war's (about the war of 1812 with America) and thus to 'Waterloo.'

I almost didn't go on to Waterloo because I find the subject so done to death and rather imagined it would have struggled to escape the same path as Sharpe's Waterloo. I was proved wrong.

It was another enjoyable romp through England, to France and then Belgium, bumping into many of the personalities of the age in a series of misadventures that lead him to that bloody field in June.

Whilst this Flashman is certainly a rogue mainly interested in saving his own skin he does come across as a bit more of a pleasant, less arrogant version of his illustrious nephew, this may be in part due to the current zeitgeist, being a bit less bawdy. 

Flashman may have survived the Napoleonic wars but I still have the first book 'Seawolf' involving Thomas Cochran and then five further books post Waterloo to visit.  As with many historical authors there is a post narrative section regarding the events and characters of the book, recounting that 'Yes, that actually happened' as Brightwell likes to point out, truth is often stranger than fiction. 

The siege of Danzig.

Where were most of the 45eme in 1813?  They were divided between Spain, Saxony (at the battle of Dresden) and with 659 of the fourth battalion at the city of Danzig  (Previously Prussian, today Gdansk on the coast in Poland) which was under siege for most of the year.

The city had been previously captured by siege in 1807 and General Rapp had been appointed Governor. He had marched into Russia and been wounded at Borodino, fought in the retreat besides Marshal Ney and been sent back to defend Danzig with survivors of McDonald's Corp joining the garrison. Which surely meant they brought typhus with them, such were the number of deaths that using muffled drums or firing a salute at burials was forbidden less the Russians be encouraged by the constant sound of funerals.

In mid January communications with the main French armies were cut, initially by large numbers of Cossacks but this was enough to stop supplies and discourage foraging expeditions. A sally of four battalions was fairly successful but a second by Neopolitan troops was repulsed and now Russian infantry and more Cossacks arrived. There was a whole division of Neopolitans in the city who fought well, what a fate it must have been for men from the sunny south of Italy to be trapped in a frozen 'Polish' city. Also amongst the defenders were a significant force of Bavarians. 

The Russian forces attacked the outlying fortified settlements such as Stolzenburg and Ohra. They made little progress and were then hit in the flank by a much smaller force and tumbled back to their starting point with heavy loss. Rapp was not going to just sit and await events but his defence was full of assaults on the besiegers. 

During the winter months another perilous duty was the daily breaking of the ice on the river as the usual protection from attack against the less defensible side of the city was a threat when the enemy could just walk across the frozen river. Picks were the common tool as using gunpowder would have denuded supplies, men who slipped into the freezing water as the ice broke were seldom recovered.

In march sickness was still causing higher casualties than all the counter attacks combined. Still two further sallies were successful, one capturing Tasevalck, a full eight miles from the city and captured a large store of supplies, including a herd of cattle that were driven back to the city.  

With the spring the Russians were reinforced, now up to 30 000 men. News of an Armistice arrived seven days after it had been announced but the siege continued. The Russians even agreed to regularly supply the city with provisions. 

The truce ended on the 24th August and 8,000 Prussians had joined the Russian troops. Assaults on the 28th and 29th were again beaten in the outlying areas, but one Timed two pronged attack almost broke the defenders but order was restored. 

Now, in October. A battery of congrieve rockets was used to bombard the city and many fires were started that destroyed whole blocks, including some vital food supplies. 

The long suffering citizens of Danzig made an official appeal to the allied Generals to be allowed to leave the battered, half starved city but this was denighed, in spite of this over a thousand civilians were expelled from the city who had become homeless or been made orphans.

Such were the loses by now that hundreds of Officers without commands volunteered to form a battalion and serve as infantrymen. 

With Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig and withdrawal far to the West the writing must have been on the wall that no one was ever coming to break the siege, which now has received heavy guns that could now begin to destroy the city defences.

Never the less a night time raid by Captain Chamure with a small force of handpicked troops captured a village and some supplies, not much but it was a boost to morale.

But too little to help the desperate situation and on 29 November General Rapp agreed to a surrender. 

The initial surrender had included the article that all French should be given free passage to return to France, but having surrendered, the Tsar refused this condition and the French and allies still with Napoleon became prisoners of war until the first abdication of Napoleon. 

This article was based on a page from History of war.com and the book 'The long siege' by De Manchangy, despite being a long siege it is a short book!  written with vigour and dash but few references. I'd rather hoped for some specific mentions of the 45e to add but that wasn't to be. 

It was an unusual siege in that so much fighting occurred outside the city walls and in the outskirts, never actually witnessing a full assault on the walls but then by the time the siege guns and parallels were in place a wise commander would doubtless have foreseen the end without having to throw away thousands of lives in a bloody assault. 

Quiz!

Q1: Which Marshal was handed the task of finishing off Sir John Moore's army?

Q2: Which Marshal took refuge in a Würtemburg square and encouraged, and amused, the men by complementing them loudly on their 'Good shitting?'

Q3: picture round, identify the uniform! (Nation and troop type).. one point each.

Q4: What was the original motto of the 45e?

Q5: If you saw a flag in the French regimental style but the corners were red and green where would the troops be from?

Q6: Who were the Opolchenie?

Q7: French Carabineres (cavalry) are often pictured with Grecian helmets but what was their previous headgear?

Q8: According to the duelists (and presumably historically) what three conditions could stop a pair of would be opponents duelling?

Q9: What was the name of the French army's chief Doctor?

Q10: Which City did a French force under Davout hold until weeks after Napoleon's first abdication?

Quiz answers.

A1) Marshal Soult.

A2) Murat at Borodino, getting his Scheiße and Schießen muddled up, anecodote from Christopher Duffy's Borodino and the war of 1812.

A3: Bavarian chevaux-Legere (light dragoon), French Carabinier, Dutch red Lancer.

A4: "Mastrict gave (them) the Crown."

A5: Kingdom of Italy.

A6: Russian militia.

A7: Bearskins.

A8: (Adopt Tom Conti voice) "You cannot fight, one; if you are in different places. Physical impossibility.

Two, if you are of different rank, breach of discipline, and three; if the state is at war. Duels of nations take absolute precedence."

A9: Rene-Nicholas Desgenettes. (If you said Larrey you are thinking of the chief surgeon).

A10: Hamburg.

Seasons greetings to all the 45eme and our comrades.

And so into the new year!

                   

                      

SUMMER 2019

The height of summer is upon us.. unless it's the storms and showers that our valiant troops at Spetchley have just endured, awnings creaked and a few tents collapsed but victory was won over the elements and hopefully the British at least once!

There have been a lot of events since last time, Cheriton, our man in Almelo, a larger foray to Ligny, Horsham, Dover and Cannon hall.
Soon we have the expedition to Veere followed by Hole park and September looks to be a busy end of season with a third outing to the low countries for some. I'm sure we are all hoping for an indian summer.

                                               -----------------------------------------------------

                                                                     HORSHAM

Horsham's French market saw the town square full of Gallic goodies as well as classic cars, a band, ourselves and some Sappeurs with a static display and marching through town. Also on hand were the Children of the revolution and their guillotine display.

The professor takes class, with a musket handy to deal with critics.

It was a friendly crowd for a small English town but I suppose they were all there to enjoy a day of French celebration although Roy and a couple of others did make themselves scarce when one local started expousing his views on France and 'Those Europeans'. Bite tongue. Move along.. we've got a volunteer for the guillotine!

The drill proved too successful as the revolutionary forces were cruelly shot down before the benefits of an egalitarian socialist system could be properly explained to the kids! 

                                                    -------------------------------------------

                                                                 Madam De Stäel.
                                                        One of the great voices of the age.

The young lady, barely twenty years old with dark, curly hair and recently married to an ambassador, was here at the royal court to be formally introduced, amongst others, to the King and Queen of France. She curtseyed once, twice and then.. tripped over her own dress and went slap, face first, into the floor, requiring several courtiers to disentangle her foot whilst placing her back in an upright position.
To some this would be the beginning and end of moving in high society, but this was no ordinary women, this was Madam De Stäel and legend has it she recovered with such grace and good humour that her face plant actually won her much admiration.

New to court, she was certainly not knew to society having grown up with regular attendance at her mother's salons.
She who would be famous for her wit, politics, literature and salons developed her skills even as a child, her ability to argue and spar with the learned on any subject was noted, here at such a young age she became a celebrity and basked in the glow of praise for her intellect and drive. Both admirers and critics hold this period up as what moulded her into the socialite that she would become.

Her first fleeting taste of exile came during the gathering storm of the revolution as her father, a minister of finance, was dismissed for suggesting less exuberance and more austere spending as people went hungry, Mary Antoinette hated her father but the people loved him and demanded his recall, this surely helped the family when the guillotine rolled out although during the terror they fled France for three years and lived for a time in England. When they returned Robespierre was dead, and everyone seemed to be talking about a man called Bonaparte.
The name Anne would come to be known as came from her husband, the Baron De Stäel, the Swedish ambassador, it was a tepid marriage but certainly opened doors to society and soon the salon was open although the Ambassador would pass away in 1802.

Madam De Stàel was never shy of criticising Napoleon, joining those who felt his rapid rise to power did not bode well for liberty and democracy. Her first book 'Delphine' was published in 1802 in the form of a series of letters on the subject of liberty, mainly of women, in an aristocratic society although much was unchanged in post revolutionary France so that Napoleon felt it equally an attack on his regime.

 She later wrote of her encounters with the first consul;

Far from recovering my confidence by seeing Bonaparte more frequently, he constantly intimidated me more and more. I had a confused feeling that no emotion of the heart could act upon him. He regards a human being as an action or a thing, not as a fellow-creature. He does not hate more than he loves; for him nothing exists but himself; all other creatures are ciphers. The force of his will consists in the impossibility of disturbing the calculations of his egoism; he is an able chess-player, and the human race is the opponent to whom he proposes to give checkmate. His successes depend as much on the qualities in which he is deficient as on the talents which he possesses. Neither pity, nor allurement, nor religion, nor attachment to any idea whatsoever could turn him aside from his principal direction. He is for his self-interest what the just man should be for virtue; if the end were good, his perseverance would be noble.

One of the rare occasions She was left speechless was when she enquired what was the greatest acheivement a women could make to society, Bonaparte allegedly shrugged as if the answer was obvious; have babies!

 ..The critiscm continued on his doorstep and so Napoleon banished her. She went to Coppet, in Switzerland, which would become a regular retreat and home to a new salon which attracted literary and political thinkers from  all across Europe. She travelled much and in 1807 published 'Corinne', largely concerning travels in Italy with much in depth descriptions in an age where travelling a far was not common. The book was a huge success.
The follow up 'Germany' was passed for publishing by the French censorship office but when Napoleon learnt of it he ordered every copy destroyed and the manuscript seised. Fortunately a rough copy was given over. Certainly one of Germaine's great talents was making Napoleon look like a bit of a petty tyrant.

'The more I see of man; the more I like dogs.'

Wishing to distance herself from Napoleon's reach having been in exile since 1804 despite many appeals, She was refused permission to travel to America and instead passed with her two children, through Austria, meeting Metternich, and to Russia, twice meeting the Tsar Alexander even as the Grand armee was marching on Russia, then to Sweden and Bernadotte whom she hoped might become the constitutional monarch of France, then to England where she was warmly received and met Byron. Tragically her eldest son, serving with the Swedish army, was killed by a Cossack officer in an arguement.

In 1816 after a return to Coppet she returned to Paris despite failing health and met the Duke of Wellington whom she convinced to reduce the size of the army of occupation. Further failing health left her housebound and she died in July 1817. 

Certainly a firebrand and as one biography puts it 'The first modern woman' she was nether the less prone to some inconsistencies, her deathbed conversion to catholicism surprised many and whilst an opinionated political agent who pressed for greater recognition of women in intellectual circles she also believed that women should remain the chief domestic in the family household.  

As consistent an enemy of Bonaparte as the British we can only wonder how far her influence spread from her salon and those who attended, as well as her meetings with Metternich and the Tsar and many other big players in European politics not to mention the influence of her written works, which endure to this day. 

___________

DOVER.

Our heroes storm the British position, and capture Dover. Next day they said 'Yeah, you can have it back now..' 

In close support with pitchforks, pistols and pointy flags, and Oddjobs hat! 

The conversation ended badly when Plinny confessed he was too young to have watched Sharpe! 

The Duke De Pomme Frite has shares in the Smuggling business and an offshore account!

                                                                      ------------------------

LIGNY

Ligny saw a very good turn out from the French brigade and the 45eme and associates were singled out for their efforts, especially turning up on time whenever required, and being early for an extended drill session.

Scorching weather saw a lot of recumbent cantineres and Soldats, tell the Prussians it's too hot to fight! At least an effort was made to keep the troops in the shade as much as possible.

                            .. a proper battle this year, no flooding to keep reinforcements away!

Hot work! Special order.. coats off! 

Breakfast before battle. 

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Valmy

"Here and today, a new epoch in the history of the world has begun, and you can boast you were present at its birth."

Goethe, who was present in the Prussian army.

The battle of Valmy, a battle honour of the 45eme, is a legend of French revolutionary zeal overcoming a Prussian army that symbolised the old order of Europe and the world, and is believed to have saved the revolution, enthusiasm and ideals beating the stolid, professional Prussians and their aristocratic commanders. The truth of course is not that simple. 

The action took place on the twentieth of September as the Duke of Brunswick (senior, not his son who fell at Quatre Bras) intended to invade France, take Paris, and forcefully restore King Louis to the throne.

Blocking his advance was General Kellerman, alongside Doumouiez, in the Champagne-Ardenne region bordering Belgium. The French were actually east of the Prussians and not blocking the advance on Paris but the Prussians did not want to continue with an army blocking their lines of communication, so begrudgingly they moved to destroy the French army at a village named Valmy.

Paintings of the battle usually show the famous windmill but this was actually destroyed by the French who did not want the Prussians to use it as a landmark/aiming point, the windmill today is a reconstruction. 

So the Prussians, sons of Frederick the Great, came on, and were met with a barrage of fire from the French artillery. This is one of the most important aspects of the 'unexpected' French success, the gunners were not ameteur volunteers but highly trained regulars. The artillery had suffered far less from desertion, especially of aristocratic officers, because it was professional and hands on but unglamorous and many of its officers were middle class career soldiers. The Gribeuval system of standardized equipment and training also added to the artillery being perhaps the best in Europe. It firstly knocked out most of its opposite number from its commanding position on the ridge.

But the Prussians were tough and well trained? Yes and no. Like most of the continental armies of the revolutionary period they still thought war was to be conducted much as it had in the Seven years war, and soldiering for the rank and file was still seen as a bitter service mostly taken up by the desperate. Then there was the weather.

Rain, rain and mud. It had been a hard march for the Prussians and sickness levels were incredibly high, dysentry was rife, and with a corresponding effect on morale. This was the condition of an army, promised an easy victory over a mob, that was suddenly struck by a tempest of artillery.

The advance wavered. It was at this moment that Kellerman placed his hat on his sword and raised it high shouting 'Vive le nation!'

This was taken up with unbridled enthusiasm and cheering. Some fanciful accounts claim this routed the Prussian army in itself, and it doubtless played a significant psychological part. Eighteenth century armies seldom uttered a word, soaked to the bone and tired and battered by cannon fire this uproarious cheering and shouting from an army arrayed before them may well have broken the armies spirit. The Duke of Brunswick ordered a retreat, probably little imagining the profound effect this seemingly insignificant clash would have.

Brunswick would be severely criticized for his retreat, even receiving accusations of treachery and bribery but nothing was proved and given the condition of his army and strong French position it was, tactically, probably a wise call. 

News of the victory caused the convention to declare a French Republic and abolish the monarchy and Valmy is seen as a decisive battle in military history although it was not much of a battle with only approximately 300 French casualties and 200 Prussian,  indeed the engagement is often referred to as 'The cannonade of Valmy' other than a battle but regardless it's effect on the war and French history was great indeed.

"Vive le nation!"

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ROGUES GALLERY.

A model soldier amongst thousands!

'Where is everybody?'

Bird is the word for Serge.

Mark defends the display incase anyone else thinks it's a jumble sale!

Alex is pleased that Lawrence can warn her in advance if it starts raining.

Avant! It's June 1815 what can possibly go wrong?

ZzZZzzZZZ.

Next newsletter will be end of season. Still a few more battles to fight! March on! Vive le 45eme!