Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. History of great victories. Duke of Wellington. Anecdotes from the life of the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon

Born into an old Irish family, he completed his studies at Eton College in England. His grades were poor and he was sent to a military college in France. By 1794 he had become an officer and fought his first battle in Belgium. In 1796, he sails for India, where he arrives before his brother Richard Wellesley, who was appointed governor-general. Together they wage war against the sultans who rebelled against English domination. September 23, 1803, underestimating the enemy, attacks an army of 50,000 Mahrats in Assey with only 8,000 soldiers. He wins the battle, which earns him a huge reputation.

In 1805, he received permission to return to England due to health problems. The war with France flares up again. Wellington, who has meanwhile been elected a deputy, is about to lead an expedition to Hanover when the British learn of the outcome of the battle of Austerlitz. The operation has been cancelled. In 1807 he was sent to Copenhagen and easily defeated the Danish army.

In 1808, having been promoted to lieutenant general, Wellington was given command of an English reserve corps sailing to Portugal. His instructions are rather vague: oppose Junot and support the Spanish uprising. He decides to concentrate his forces in Vimiero. Junot, despite being outnumbered, attacks him in Torres Vedras. The Englishman is doing well in his first major battle. It also gives him the opportunity to appreciate the advantages of defensive tactics. Junot signs with Delrymple, chief of Wellington, the Convention at Sintra, which stipulates the withdrawal of troops from Portugal. England is outraged. Wellington and his superiors are called to account, a commission of inquiry appointed. Wellington is found not guilty. But in Portugal, the British suffer a series of defeats. This time the government appoints him commander in chief. In April 1809 Wellington landed with his men in Portugal. He first encounters Su's troops, whom he defeats at Oporto on 12 May. He then marches rather foolishly on Madrid, but luck is on his side. The French marshals quarrel and, cut off from Napoleon, act ineffectively. At Talavera (June 1809), Wellington confronts French attacks by Victor, who did not wait for Jourdain. He then manages to elude Su.

His exploits are rewarded: Wellington is promoted to generalissimo of the Spanish army. In spite of the French attacks, he fortifies the camp of Torres Vedras in Portugal. Later it will be said that Wellington began to "destroy Portugal in order to save it." In September 1810, the offensive begins. The attack bogs down, but Massena manages to withdraw his troops without Wellington knowing anything about it. The latter pursues him and runs into Ney, the commander of the rearguard. Wellington pursues the army all the way to Spain and captures the fortress of Almeida. Masséna retaliates and nearly wins.

In January 1812, as soon as the elite of the French army in Spain was sent to Russia, Wellington set out on a new campaign. In April, ignoring the arrival of Su, he manages to capture Badajoz, a victory he had twice failed to achieve in the previous year. Spreading false rumors about his plans, he goes to Salamanca and captures it.

Wellington then wins the Battle of Arapiles (July 22, 1812), during which Marmont was wounded and defeated. August 12 Wellington - in Madrid, warmly welcomed by the people. Then he goes north. Su, having a larger army, cuts off his communications with Portugal. Wellington prudently retreats along the French army. Fog and luck allow this venture to succeed.

In May 1813 Wellington advances again. June 21, he wins a crushing victory over the French army in Vitoria. This feat earns him the title of Marquis Duro Duke de Wellington, and probably contributes to Austria's decision to side with the Allies. The French are thrown back over the Pyrenees. In November, Wellington also crosses the border. He sets up camp for several months, waiting for reinforcements, and fights Su, mostly with success. In March 1814 he captures Bordeaux. Su, trapped in Toulouse, leaves the city on 11 April.

After this victory, Wellington is again showered with honors, titles and awards from numerous European kings. He then becomes one of the chief architects of the second Bourbon restoration in Paris. He holds back the hot Blucher, who proposes to keep Napoleon in Malmaison.

The end of Wellington's military career is the beginning of his political career. He is elected Prime Minister by King George IV. It was he who passed in 1829 a law on equal rights for Catholics. But his very conservative politics - Wellington is nicknamed the "iron duke" - makes him very unpopular. In November 1830 he retired.

In 1834 he returned to government as Foreign Secretary under Peel, a position he held until 1835. Three years later, Wellington met his old enemy, General Su, at the coronation of Queen Victoria. In 1841 Peel was again in government and Wellington was appointed minister without portfolio. He is again in favor with public opinion. Good friend queen, he attends the unveiling of her equestrian statue. He was hailed as a hero during his lifetime.

field marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight, Grand Commander of the Royal Guelph Order, Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council, Member of the Royal Society of London (1769-1852) - English military and statesman, (Irish by origin) supporting the Anglo-Irish authorities, and one of the leading military and politicians XIX century. In written sources, even after his death, he was often called Duke of Wellington, although in fact, the subsequent Dukes of Wellington lived with him at the same time (and after him).

Wellesley was appointed an ensign in the British Army in 1787. While serving as Adjutant in Ireland to two successive Governors General of Ireland, he was also elected a Member of the Irish Parliament. Having become a colonel in 1796, Welsey was a direct witness to the fighting in the Netherlands, and later in India, where he took part in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war, namely, in the battle of Seringapatam. Subsequently, the Irishman was appointed governor of Seringapatamia and Mysore in 1799, and already as a major general in 1803, he won a decisive victory over the Maratha Confederation at the Battle of Assay.

Wellesley achieved recognition as a general by acting as commander in the armed conflicts in the Iberian Peninsula, the first campaign of the Napoleonic Wars. Some time later, leading the victorious Allied forces at the Battle of Victoria in 1813, the military man was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. Following Napoleon's exile in 1814, he served as ambassador to France and was awarded the title of duke. During the Hundred Days - the second reign of Emperor Napoleon I of France in 1815 - he commanded the allied army, which, together with the Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal Blucher, defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. The Irishman's record for the number of battles fought is exemplary, as, in general, he took part in 60 major battles during his entire military career.

The famous field marshal twice became Prime Minister under the Conservative Party and oversaw the Catholic Emancipation Bill in 1829. The Duke served as Prime Minister from 1828-1830 and briefly in 1834, but he could not go against the Reform Act of 1832. Wellington continued to be one of the leading figures in the House of Lords until his resignation. He retained the title of Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death.

Wellington was born in Ireland, being "The Honorable Arthur Wesley". He was the fourth son - the third of five surviving sons - of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington, and Anne, eldest daughter of Arthur Hill-Trevor, 1st Viscount Dungannon. In all likelihood, the boy was born at his parents' home at 24 Upper Marrion Street, Dublin, which is now the Marrion Hotel. His biographers, relying mainly on testimonies reported in newspapers of the time, state that he was born on May 1, 1769, and a day later he was baptized. His mother, Anne, Countess of Mornington, mentioned in 1815 that her son was born at 6 Marrion Street, Dublin. Other places that have been put forward as the alleged place of his birth include: Mornington House (the house that was located nearby at the time), according to his father, a Dublin mail and passenger ship and the estate of the Etty family (who died in the fires of 1916 ) are places that the duke himself apparently entered in the results of the 1851 census.

He spent most of his childhood in two houses owned by his family. The first is a large house in Dublin, and the second is Dungan Castle, located 3 miles north of Summerhill, in County Meath, part of the province of Leinster. In 1781, Arthur's father died, and his older brother, Richard, inherited the earldom from him.

Young Welsey entered the diocesan school in the city of Trim in Dungan, then, while in Dublin, at the Mr. White Academy, and while staying at, at the Brown School in Chelsea. He then entered Eton, where he took a course of study from 1781 to 1784. The sense of loneliness he had at school made him hate the establishment, which makes it highly unlikely that he would ever utter the phrase, "The battle of Waterloo was won on the sports fields of Eton." In addition, there were no sports grounds at Eton at that time. In 1785, an Eton student's lack of academic success, coupled with a lack of funds in the family budget due to the death of his father, forced the young Wellesley and his mother to move to Brussels. Up until the age of twenty, Arthur did not show any signs of outstanding talent, and his mother became increasingly concerned about his laziness, stating: "I don't know what to do with my inept son Arthur."

A year later, Arthur entered the French Royal Academy of Riding in Angers, where he achieved significant success, becoming an excellent student of French(whose knowledge later turned out to be very useful), as well as a skilled rider. On his return to England at the end of 1786, he greatly surprised his mother with his accomplishments.

Despite his promise to find work, his family was still struggling financially, so on his mother's recommendation, his brother, Richard, asked his friend the Duke of Rutland (then Governor General of Ireland) to consider Arthur for an officer's position. Shortly thereafter, on March 7, 1787, he was promoted to warrant officer and assigned to the 73rd Infantry Regiment. In October, again, with the help of his brother, the novice military man was assigned as an adjutant for ten shillings a day (which was twice his salary as a junior officer), to the new Governor-General of Ireland, Lord Buckingham. Welsey was also transferred to the new formation of the 76th Foot in Ireland, and on Christmas Day 1787, the young adjutant was promoted to lieutenant. During Wellington's stay in Dublin, his tasks were mostly social: attending balls, welcoming and receiving guests, and providing information to the Earl of Buckingham. In Ireland, he fell into a debt hole, due to participation in gambling. However, in his own defense, the officer stated that "I always knew what it meant to be in need, but I never got into debt so doomedly."

On January 23, 1788, he was transferred to the 41st Regiment of Foot, then again, on June 25, 1789, while still a lieutenant, he was transferred to the 12th Cavalry Regiment (Prince of Wales). After some time, according to military historian Richard Holmes, the Irish reluctantly plunged into the world of politics. Shortly before the general election of 1789, he went to the "rotten town" of Trim in order to speak out against granting the title of "honorary citizen" of Dublin to the parliamentary leader of the Irish Patriot Party, Henry Gratten. Having succeeded in this endeavor, he was nominated, and, subsequently, elected as a representative from the city of Trim in the Irish House of Commons. Due to limited suffrage at the time, Wellington held a seat in Parliament where at least two-thirds of the members owed their election to landowners living in less than a hundred districts. Wellesley continued to serve at Dublin Castle, making decisions and voting with other members of the government of the Irish Parliament, for the next two years. On January 30, 1791, he became a captain and was transferred to the 58th Infantry Regiment.

On October 31 he was transferred to the 18th Dragoons, and it was during this period that he increasingly paid attention to Kitty Pakenham, daughter of Edward Pakenham, 2nd Baron Longford, who was characterized as a "full of fun and charm" girl. In 1793, he tried to win her hand, but was rejected by her brother Thomas, Earl of Longford, who believed that Wellesley was a young man, in debt and with very poor prospects for the future. Aspiring amateur musician Wellington, broken by the refusal, burned his violins in anger, and seriously decided to pursue a military career. After receiving subsequent promotions (mostly by buying his rank, which was quite common in the British army at the time), he became a major in the 33rd Foot in 1793. A few months later, in September, his brother lent him a larger than usual amount of money, and then the military bought the rank of lieutenant colonel in the 33rd regiment.

Wellington decided that he must act boldly in order to defeat the numerically large forces of the Maratha Empire (since he believed that a long defensive war would ruin his army). With a fully equipped rear block of the army (with a total of 24 thousand soldiers), he gave the order to set up camp and on August 8, 1803, attack the nearest Maratha front. The enemy forces surrendered on August 12, after the English infantry took advantage of the breach in the wall made by artillery. Now in possession of the fort, Wellesley could extend British control as far south as the Godavari River.

Dividing his force in two in order to track down and identify the main Maratha force (the second body, commanded by Colonel Stevenson, was much smaller), Wellesley prepared his detachment for reunion with the rest of the group, scheduled for September 24th. Be that as it may, intelligence still reported to him the whereabouts of the main unit of the Maratha army, which was located between two rivers, not far from the settlement of Assaye. If he had waited for the arrival of the second detachment, the Marathas would have been able to retreat, so Wellesley decided to immediately launch an attack.

On September 23, the general sent his army through the crossing on the Kaitna River, thus initiating the Battle of Assaye. After crossing the crossing, the infantry detachments were regrouped into several lines and advanced to the front line - against the Maratha infantry. Wellesley ordered his cavalry to advance deep into the flank of the Maratha army based near the village. During the battle, the Irish also fought under volleys of guns; two of his horses were shot under him, as a result of which he had to saddle a third. At the decisive moment, Wellesley regrouped his troops and ordered Colonel Maxwell (later killed during the attack) to attack the outlying Maratha detachment occupying the eastern position, while Wellington himself gave the command to launch an attack on the enemy's center forces to the newly formed infantry formations.

An officer during the attacks wrote about the importance of the sole leadership of the English military: "The General was all the time in the thick of things that happened on the field ... I have never seen a person so calm and collected as he ... although I can immediately assure you that until our troops are ordered to move on, the success of the whole day seems highly doubtful ... ". The enemy, leaving 6,000 Marathas dead and wounded on the battlefield, was defeated (although Wellesley's troops were no longer able to continue the attack).

British losses were heavy and numbered 409 soldiers killed, of which 164 were Europeans and the remaining 245 were Indians; in addition, another 1,622 British soldiers were wounded and 26 soldiers were missing (data on British casualties were taken from Wellington's dispatch). Wellesley was concerned about the large number of deaths and added that he hoped "he will no longer have to face the same losses as he suffered on September 23rd, even if participation in the battle brings benefits." Be that as it may, a few years later, he noticed that the battle of Assai was the best battle in which he had to participate.

Being on alert, on July 12, 1808, he left Korkradi to participate in the war against the French invaders in the Iberian Peninsula. According to historian Robin Neylands, “Wellesley had already gained the experience on which his further successes were built. He learned command skills from scratch, learned the importance of organizing and implementing rear work, as well as agitation in a hostile environment. influence and was also aware of the need to keep a military contingent at home. clear view about how, by setting achievable goals, with only one's own strength and capabilities, the campaign can be won.

On February 26, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte fled the island of Elba and returned to France. By May, he regained control of the country, but the emperor was faced with a new obstacle - a renewed alliance opposed to him. Wellington then left Vienna for what would later become known as the Waterloo campaign. He arrived in Belgium to take command of the Anglo-German and allied Dutch-Belgian armies that were stationed along the Prussian forces of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher.

Napoleon's strategy was to isolate the Allied and Prussian armies and destroy each of them individually before the Austrians and Russians could reach the battlefield. In this case, the quantitative superiority of the coalition forces will become significantly less. And then he would look for the possibility of concluding peace with Austria and Russia.

The French invaded Belgium, defeating the Prussian army at the Battle of Ligny, and had an indecisive engagement with Wellington at the Battle of Quatre Bras. These events forced the British and allied armies to retreat to a ridge located on the Brussels road, just south of the town of Waterloo. June 17 started walking pouring rain thus slowing down the movement of armies. However, the next day, June 18, the Battle of Waterloo was won. In that battle, Wellington first met Napoleon; the general commanded the Anglo-Dutch-German army, which numbered approximately 73 thousand people, 26 thousand or (36%) of which were British.

Wellesley defeated the French at the Battle of Rolis and at the Battle of Vimeiro in 1808, but he was replaced as commander immediately after the final battle. General Dalrymple then signed the much-controversial Convention of Sintra, the terms of which required transport from Lisbon, through the Royal Navy of Britain, the French army with all its spoils, and also insisted on maintaining communication with only one minister of state- Wellesley. Dalrymple and Wellesley were recalled to England to face justice. Wellesley agreed to sign a provisional truce, but had not yet signed the Convention and was therefore acquitted.

Meanwhile, Napoleon himself invaded Spain with his battle-tested army to put down the rebellion; The new commander of the British forces in the Perenaeum, Sir John Moore, died at the Battle of A Coruña in January 1809.

Although, in general, the ground war with France, from the British point of view, was not very good, the Pyrenees was the theater of operations, where they, together with the Portuguese, put up strong resistance to France and its allies. This campaign contrasted somewhat with the failed Dutch Expedition (1809), which was a characteristically undermanaged British operation of the time. Wellesley presented a memorandum for the defense of Portugal to Lord Castlereagh. In it, he insistently pointed out the mountainous borders of Portugal and defended his position by presenting Lisbon as the main base of the British forces, since the Royal Navy could help protect him. Castlereagh, together with the cabinet, approved the memorandum appointing the military head of the British forces in Portugal.

Wellesley arrived in Lisbon on April 22, 1809 aboard the frigate Surveillante, narrowly avoiding shipwreck en route. Having received reinforcements, he began to advance. In the second battle of Porto, the commander crossed the Douro River, making a lightning and at the same time unexpected attack, and defeated the forces of the French troops led by Marshal Soult in Porto.

After helping Portugal, Wellesley headed for Spain to join forces with General Cuesta. The combined allied forces were preparing for an attack on Victor's 1st Army Corps at Talavera, scheduled for 23 July. Cuesta, however, was reluctant to take part in the attack; he gave the go-ahead for the offensive only the next day. The resulting delay allowed the French to leave, but Cuesta ordered his army to run after the French, resulting in a clash between the Spaniards and almost the entire French army in New Castile; meanwhile, Victor's forces received the support of the Toledo and Madrid skylines. Following this, the Spaniards began to rapidly retreat, which required the advancement of two British divisions to the front line, covering their retreat.

The next day, July 27, at the Battle of Talavera, the French began to advance in three columns. Nevertheless, Wellesley managed to repel their attacks several times during the day, which caused heavy losses on the part of the British forces. After this, Marshal Soult's army was found to be advancing south, threatening to cut off Wellington from Portugal. Then, on August 3, the Irish moved east in order to block the enemy army, thus leaving 1,500 wounded in the hands of the Spaniards. Following this, the general intended to oppose Soult's army until he discovered that the French forces actually numbered over 30,000 men. The British leader gave the command to the cavalry brigade to advance rapidly in order to hold the bridge over the Tagus River at Almaraz. Secure at the time with communications and provisions from Lisbon, Wellesley wanted to rejoin Cuesta's army, but found that his Spanish ally had left the British wounded for judgment by the French and steadfastly refused to cooperate, agreeing and then refusing to supply provisions to the British armed forces. , which exacerbated Wellesley's position and caused serious friction between the British and their Spanish allies. The lack of provisions, combined with the threat posed by the massively reinforced French army (the possibility of Napoleon joining himself) in the spring, led the British to decide to retreat deep into Portugal.

In 1810, a newly enlarged French force under Marshal André Masséna invaded Portugal. The attitude of the British towards the war, both at home and in the army, was negative, and even more than once a proposal was put forward to evacuate British forces from Portugal. Rejecting these actions, Wellington first slowed down the advance of the French troops in the battle of Busacu, and then held the enemy in his quest to capture the Lisbon Peninsula by erecting massive earthen ramparts - the so-called Torres-Vedras Lines, which were built in complete secrecy, when from both flanks work was controlled and covered by the Royal Navy. Confused and starving, the French troops retreated for the sixth month. The pursuers sent by Wellington were defeated by a series of attacks made under the command of Marshal Ney.

In 1811 Masséna returned to Portugal to provide assistance in the Almeida region; Wellington barely managed to stop the pace of the French advance at the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro. At the same time, his subordinate, Viscount Beresford, fought Soult's "Army of the South" in May at the Battle of Albuera, during which both armies suffered terrible losses. July 31 Wellington for his excellent service received the rank of general. The French left Almeida, escaping British pursuit, but retained the two Spanish fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, "key posts" guarding the roads leading through the mountain passes of Portugal.

In 1812, Wellington finally captured Ciudad Rodrigo in a lightning attack just as the French were in their winter quarters, storming before they could react. He then moved south, quickly laying siege to the fortress of Badajoz and subsequently holding it in that position for a month. A month later, it took the general only one night to storm the fortress. After the battle, standing on the battlefield at Badajoz, Wellington lost his temper and screamed at the sight of a bloody mess in the gaps in the walls.

Now the British army had a lot of military experience and was reinforced by trained units of the Portuguese army. While conducting a military campaign in Spain, the general defeated the French at the Battle of Salamanca, taking advantage of inaccurate French dispositions. In the end, with the help of this victory, the capital of Spain was liberated from the invaders. As a reward, he was granted the title of Earl, and then Marquess of Wellington, and also entrusted with the command of all allied forces in Spain. Following this, Wellesley attempted to take the vital fortress of Burgos, which linked Madrid to France. But failure, partly due to a lack of siege weapons, forced him to retreat, losing over 2,000 men.

The French left Andalusia and united the forces of Soult and Marmont, thus gaining a numerical superiority over the British, with whose power they could now put the British troops in a difficult position. Wellington also withdrew his army from Andalusia, combined with a smaller corps under Rowland Hill, beginning to retreat towards Portugal. Marshal Soult refused to attack.

In 1813 Wellington led a new offensive, this time against the French line of communication. He struck through the hills north of Burgos, Tras os Montes, and changed the direction of the supply route for his army from Portugal to the city of Santander on the north coast of Spain; this resulted in the French having to leave Madrid and Burgos. Continuing to outflank the French lines on both flanks, Wellington overtook and defeated the army of King Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria, for which he was promoted to Field Marshal on 21 June. Wellington personally led the column advancing on the central French detachment, while other columns under the command of Sir Thomas Graham and Rowland Hill and went around the French on the right and left, thus encircling them (this battle was the subject of Beethoven's work, opus No. 114 , Wellington's victory).

Arthur Wellesley Wellington was born in 1769 in Duncanestley, Ireland. He was the Hereditary Duke of Wellington. Like his ancestors, he considered military service to be his life's work, and in 1787 he began it.

Conquest of India

Immediately, Arthur Wellesley had to conquer India together with the expeditionary force. The English Expeditionary Force provided great opportunities for career and enrichment. Therefore, many of the noble English families went through the service in it. Arthur Wellesley quickly rose to the rank of colonel, and after the defeat of Tippo Saiba's troops, he became a general.

In 1796-1804, General Arthur Wellesley commanded the British Expeditionary Force in India. With fire and sword, he subjugated the states of Mysore, Hyderabad and a number of Indian principalities to the English crown.

And when in 1803 he captured the capital of India - Delhi, the once strongest empire turned into a puppet state, almost entirely dependent on the British East India Company.

Colonization of Latin America

In parallel with the conquest of the East, insatiable Britain pursued a colonial policy and in Latin America. And also quite successful. In 1806, an expeditionary force led by General Beresford captured Buenos Aires and declared the Argentine provinces a possession of the British crown.

The English Parliament, having received the news of the capture of Buenos Aires, decided to expand the aggressive policy in Latin America. The corps of General Arthur Wellesley Wellington was sent to help Beresford, who was instructed to lead the campaign against Mexico and capture Veracruz.

In the same 1806, Arthur Wellesley Wellington was elected to Parliament, and a year later he took the post of Secretary of State for India.

War with Napoleon

In April 1809, during the Napoleonic Wars, an English army under the command of Arthur Wellesley landed in Portugal. The British hoped to defend it from Napoleon with this campaign.

But in 1810, he nevertheless sent a strong army here, led by one of his best military leaders - Marshal Massen.

In both Portugal and Spain, the British acted alongside Spanish partisan detachments and were able to inflict several serious defeats on the French troops.

Napoleon was well aware that even if he managed to win here, he would not be able to capture the maritime possessions of Spain. And so that England would not get them, in December 1809 he spoke in favor of their independence.

At that time, all communications between England and Spain were under the control of the Wellesley clan. The Marquess of Wellesley was Minister of Foreign Affairs, his brother Arthur commanded an expeditionary force in Spain, and their uncle Henry was Ambassador to the Regency Council in Cadissa.

While Napoleon fought in Europe, they only held back his pressure in Spain. But when he got stuck in the Russian snows, the Wellingtons immediately took advantage of this, and the power of Bonaparte in Spain was destroyed.

Arthur Wellesley Wellington, having won a number of major victories, including the battle of Vittoria, even entered France in 1813, captured Bordeaux, and a year later - Toulouse. After the defeat of Napoleon in France, the monarchy was restored. main role England, which led the anti-French coalition, played in the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty.

However, Napoleon Bonaparte tried to seize power again. In the midst of the work of the Congress of Vienna, at the head of a small detachment of 900 soldiers, he began to break through to Paris.

The French royal troops, instead of immediately breaking the attempt to seize power, began to go over to the side of Napoleon. Feeling that an all-European war could flare up again because of Bonaparte's ambitions, England, Russia, Austria and Prussia on March 25, 1815 concluded an allied treaty on joint military operations against Napoleon.

The main command of the allied forces was entrusted to the English Field Marshal Duke Arthur Wellesley of Wellington, who received the rank of Generalissimo in connection with this appointment.

The fighting unfolded on the territory of Belgium. The first two battles - with the Prussians at Ligny and Quatre Bras - Napoleon won. But on June 18, in the battle of Waterloo, the French army was utterly defeated by the English and Prussian troops acting together. It was a blow from which Napoleon could no longer recover. The troops of the coalition without obstacles rushed to Paris.

On June 22, Napoleon abdicated, surrendered to Wellington, and was sent by him to Saint Helena. Lord Wellington, as an English state representative, participated in the congress of the Holy Alliance and actively called on the "sacred" allies "in Aachen (1818) and Verona (1822) to restore the feudal-absolutist regime in Spain, but did not receive support.

From 1818, Lord Wellington led the extreme right wing of the Conservatives.

The defeat of the Ottoman army

In 1826, the British government sent Wellington as ambassador to Russia. Here he participated in the signing of a protocol on the joint actions of England and Russia in connection with the Greek national liberation movement of 1821-1829. But an agreement is an agreement, and tobacco, that is, state interests, are apart.

England tried in every possible way to prevent the growth of Russian influence in Greece. It was for this purpose that England concluded the following year, together with France, an agreement with Russia, the so-called London Convention, in the preparation of which Arthur Wellesley Wellington also participated.

According to it, the three powers united and demanded that the Turkish Sultan grant independence to Greece, subject to the payment of an annual tribute to the Turks. The Sultan, of course, rejected such an offer: “All kinds of infidels will still indicate what I should do with my subjects!” “Ah, well,” Wellington rejoiced, “that was all we needed from this foolish sultan. Now our hands are untied and we can act as we please.”

English, French and Russian squadrons moved to the shores of the Peloponnese. In the famous Battle of Navarino in 1827, they completely defeated the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. The final fate of Greece was decided on February 3, 1830 by the London Conference of the Three Powers: Greece was officially recognized as an independent state.

last years of life

From 1827 until the end of his life, Arthur Wellesley Wellington served as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of England and bore the rank of Generalissimo. In 1828-1830, he was also prime minister at the same time. But his extreme right-wing policy did not find support among the people, and in the end he was forced to leave this public post.

He continued to combine purely military affairs with state affairs and in 1834-1835 he was Minister of the Interior, in 1835-1841 he headed the conservative opposition in the House of Lords, in 1841-1846 he was a minister without portfolio. Two years later, Wellington, using the powers of the commander-in-chief, by force dispersed the people who had gathered to convey the petition to the English Parliament.

Wellington was married to Catherine Pakengam and had two sons by her. He died on September 14, 1852 at Walmer Castle, Kent. All his life and activity was completely subordinated to the interests of the British crown, which he honestly and conscientiously served both in military posts and in government. And these two of his incarnations - purely military and statesman - are difficult to separate.

22. ARTHUR WELLESLEY FIRST DUKE OF WELLINGTON

British general (1769–1852)

Even before his victory over Napoleon I (No. 2), the Duke of Wellington won the right to be called one of the most outstanding generals in history. He deserved this not because he was an innovator in the art of war or owned some special methods of warfare. Success Wellington brought the art of maneuver, the ability to use artillery and take advantage of the terrain. But only the victory over Napoleon at Waterloo brought him the glory of one of the best generals in England and throughout the world.

Wellington was born into a noble but impoverished Anglo-Irish family in Dublin on May 1, 1769 (the time and place of his birth is different versions, but this one is the most reliable). During his time at Eton, Arthur Wellesley was of little note. And relatives, teachers considered him slow-witted. He chose a military career, deciding that only it could give him the opportunity to advance. After graduating from French military academy in Angers, he, according to the custom of that time, joined the 73rd Infantry Regiment.

Wellesley quickly moved up the ranks, receiving new, higher ranks not for any merit, but for money. By the age of twenty-five, he was a lieutenant colonel and commanded the 33rd Infantry Regiment. In the first decade of his service, he did not participate in battles, but for the most part he took part in public life. Only during the Dutch campaign of 1793–1795. he was in combat for the first time. After a series of battles that were poorly organized by his commanders, Wellington managed to acquire a reputation as a brave and intelligent warrior.

When the English troops left the Netherlands in the autumn of 1794, Wellington commanded the rear guard and ensured the possibility of a retreat.

Frustrated and angered by the mediocrity of his commanders, including the Duke of York, Wellington returned to England in an attempt to find a new profession. After this failed, he reluctantly returned to military service and sailed with his regiment to India. Now he decided to really devote himself to military affairs, stopped drinking and gambling. During this time, his brother Richard became the Governor-General of India and began promoting Arthur through the ranks. Although Arthur received ranks through patronage, he proved to be a very capable commander in suppressing uprisings against the British. In 1799, Wellington defeated Sultan Misor at Seringapatam. Four years later, with an army of only seven thousand men and twenty-two cannons, he defeated the Mahrat army of forty thousand men with a hundred cannons.

In 1805 Arthur returned to England for a formal knighthood. In 1807, during a brief conflict with Denmark, he won the main battle of Kyoga on 29 August. The following year, Wellington, now a lieutenant general, sailed to Portugal with a force of 17,000 to fight the invading French. Over the next seven years, he again confirmed his reputation as an outstanding commander, defeating the Napoleonic troops in 1809 at Talavera de la Reina, in 1812 at Salamanca, in 1813 at Vitoria. After the victory at Toulouse in 1814, the remnants of the French troops were forced to withdraw from Portugal and Spain.

In Portugal and Spain, Wellington did not use different types tactics and strategies, skillfully moving from offensive to defensive and using scorched earth tactics. He was always mindful of the limitations of manpower, the need to avoid unnecessary losses, and therefore he always carefully planned his operations and moved forward carefully. He achieved victory by a skillful concentration of firepower, as well as by more well-trained and well-understood warriors.

The future Duke of Wellington preferred not to attack the enemy, but to wait for him to come closer. He tried to lure the enemies away, forcing them to chase him through the already devastated areas, where it was difficult to find food and other supplies. He located his fortifications in the most convenient places for defense in order to protect the soldiers from gun fire and create maximum difficulties for the attackers. In addition, he selected people who were ready to participate in sorties in order to either prevent the attack of the enemy, or direct it to where the British defense was best organized. In the rear, Wellington set up posts to guard the roads that led to some reliable port from where the British could get supplies and new people.

When, finally, the enemy army appeared, exhausted and starving, Wellesley himself commanded his well-trained soldiers, led the defense. When the attackers began to retreat, the warlord pursued the enemies, destroying those who remained alive.

Forty-five-year-old Wellesley returned to England from Spain in triumph and received many honors and benefits, including money, an estate and the title of First Duke of Wellington. Received the honorary nickname of "the winner of Europe", Wellington represented England at Congress of Vienna, which met at the beginning of 1815 for the purpose of partition Napoleonic Empire. But before the congress ended, news was received of Napoleon's flight from exile and his return to France to continue the war. When Wellington took command of the allied forces and began to prepare for his departure, Tsar Alexander I told him: "You have to save the world."

That was the task facing Wellington. Although his army was outnumbered, although he had received incorrect information about Napoleon's advance, the English commander, as usual, used the most advantageous position for defense, the only height in the battle area. June 18, 1815 in central Belgium, in the battle of Waterloo, Wellington, with the help of the Prussian Field Marshal Blucher (No. 62), inflicted a crushing defeat on Napoleon. For both Wellington and Napoleon, this was the last battle: the French emperor went into exile on the island of St. Helena, and the English commander crowned himself with glory.

Returning to his homeland, Wellington, nicknamed the "Iron Duke", gave over thirty years public service in Parliament and in the Cabinet, in 1828 he became Prime Minister, and in 1842 - Commander-in-Chief of the British Army. He died on September 14, 1852 at Walmer Castle (Kent) and was buried with great honors in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In addition to the genius of the commander, Wellington was characterized by courage and composure in battles. Although he was not very fond of his own soldiers, whom he himself called "rabble", he managed to earn their respect, because they saw his dedication and desire to fight with the least losses, as well as his concern for good food, weapons, supplies. for your people. Wellington avoided the luxuries often associated with generals; his life was ascetic, and he spent much of the time in the camp on horseback, driving around the troops and inspecting the area. A man of iron self-discipline, Wellington could ruthlessly ridicule his subordinate, but he could also mourn the death of a simple soldier.

Wellington's actions helped establish peace in Europe and contributed to the establishment of British hegemony. Like Marlborough (No. 31), the Duke of Wellington remains one of the most beloved and respected English generals. Although Napoleon occupies a higher place in our list, because he had a greater influence on the course of military history and history as a whole, but in the last, decisive battle with him, Wellington showed himself to be a great commander.

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ARTHUR WELLESLEY WELLINGTON

"ARTHUR WELLESLEY WELLINGTON"

English commander and statesman.

Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, belonged to the ancient noble family, also known as Colley, and only by the end of the 18th century took the final name of Wellesley. More correctly, Sir Arthur's surname, given to him with the title of Lord, sounds like Wellington, but we will stick to the spelling adopted in Russian military history.

under the king Henry VIII representatives of this genus moved from England to Ireland. In 1728, Sir Garret, who remained childless, recognized his cousin Richard Colley as his heir, and it was with him that a new branch in the history of the family began. So, in 1746, Richard Wellesley (the surname Colley changed) became an Irish peer with the title of Baron Mornington, and his son was raised to the dignity of an earl in 1760. The children of the first Earl of Mornington in the history of England left a noticeable mark. The eldest son, Richard, appointed in 1797 as the governor-general of India, managed to significantly expand the English possessions in this country at the expense of the local ones earlier. independent states with whom he waged active hostilities. In 1799 he was granted the title of marquis. Leaving India in 1805, Sir Richard was appointed to a new position, and from 1809 to 1812 he was envoy to Spain. And from 1821 to 1834 (with a short break) he was in Ireland, holding the post of Lord Lieutenant.

The middle brother, Henry, served in the diplomatic sector and was part of the English embassy during a mission to Lille. He then joined his elder brother in India, becoming commissioner in Misore and governor in Oudh. Later he was appointed to the post of ambassador in Madrid, Vienna and Paris.

But the most famous was the third son of the first Earl of Mornington, Arthur Wellesley, who was born in Dublin on April 30, 1769. Arthur received his education at an elite school in Eton, and then graduated military school in Angers (France).

In 1787 it began military service- He entered the British troops with the rank of ensign. In 1793, Arthur Wellesley purchased a patent for a staff officer rank (lieutenant colonel) in the 33rd Infantry Regiment, with which he participated in a campaign in the Netherlands in 1794. From 1790 to 1796 Sir Arthur was a member of the Irish Parliament.

Fate decreed that all three brothers were connected with India. In 1796, Wellesley's regiment, by then already a colonel, was sent to India. Here, in free time he is studying military history, looks closely at the life and life of ordinary soldiers, gets acquainted with political history India. Active fighting Arthur Wellesley begins to lead from 1799, when his brother, who received the post of governor-general, began a war with the Sultan of the principality of Mysore Tippu Saib. Unofficially, Sir Arthur became his brother's military adviser, and after the death of the Sultan and the accession of Mysore to English possessions he became the civil and military governor of that territory. In 1803, Wellesley first announced himself as a talented commander during an expedition against the Maratha tribes. He remained in India until 1805, and then returned to England, having by that time risen to the rank of major general.

The following year he was elected to the House of Commons, and in 1807 he took the position of Secretary of State for Ireland in the Portland ministry. But cabinet work did not appeal to Arthur Wellesley, and after a few months he left his post to join the expedition against Denmark. The expedition was commanded by Lord Cathcart, Arthur Wellesley himself became a participant in the negotiations on the surrender of Copenhagen.

In July 1808 he was sent to Portugal. Here, at the head of a detachment of 10 thousand people, his glory as a commander began. His expedition, which was destined to play such an important role, consisted of a small force detached from the main group, which made fruitless attacks on the Scheldt River. This expedition was equipped by the British government mainly in the hope of saving Portugal. Castlereagh, who undertook the difficult task of justifying this expedition, was supported by Arthur Wellesley, who stated that if the Portuguese army and militia were reinforced by 20,000 British soldiers, then the French would need 100,000 men to capture Portugal - a number that France could not provide if Spain will continue to fight. Part of these forces Napoleon would have had to transfer from Austria, where at that time the main theater of operations was located. From the point of view of providing indirect assistance to Austria, the expedition did not justify the hopes placed on it. As a barrier to cover Portugal, it also proved to be completely untenable. But as a means of exhausting Napoleon's forces, it completely justified itself.

As early as 1808, Arthur Wellesley landed with his troops at Mendigo. After several successful battles with the French detachments, on August 21, he defeated Marshal Junot at Vimeyero, but after that he was forced to yield command to the newly arrived senior general Berrard and left for England.

In April 1809, Wellesley was appointed commander-in-chief of the combined Anglo-Portuguese forces. In the same month he landed at Lisbon with an army of 26,000 men. Due to the Spanish uprising and partly as a result of D. Moore's attack on Burgos and his subsequent retreat to La Coruña, French troops were scattered throughout the peninsula. The French commander Ney unsuccessfully tried to conquer Galicia in the northwestern part of the peninsula. To the south of Ney's troops in the northern part of Portugal, in the Oporto region, Soult operated, whose army was scattered by separate detachments.

"ARTHUR WELLESLEY WELLINGTON"

Victor was located in the Merida area, covering the approaches to Portugal from the south.

Using the favorable opportunities of the landing site and taking into account the dispersal of the enemy forces, Arthur Wellesley, immediately upon arrival in Spain, moved north against Soult. Although he did not succeed in cutting off, as he hoped, Soult's separate units located to the south, he still managed to take him by surprise. Before Soult could concentrate his forces, the English commander disrupted the disposition of his troops by crossing the Duero River in its upper reaches, and forced Soult to withdraw along hard way. As a result of Soult's forced retreat through the mountains, his army suffered significant losses not so much from the actions of the British, but from exhaustion.

After the defeat of Soult, Victor's troops, which continued to be inactive in Madrid, were transferred to cover the direct approaches to Madrid. A month later, Arthur Wellesley decided to move there. Moving along this route, he exposed his troops to the blow that all the French armies in Spain could inflict on him. But he still launched an offensive, with only 23 thousand people. He was supported by a similar number of Spanish troops under Cuesta.

At this time, Victor, having made a retreat towards Madrid, secured the support of the other two French armies in the area, increasing the number of French troops to 100 thousand people.

Due to the indecisive actions of Cuesta and the difficulties encountered in supplying his troops, Wellesley was unable to draw Victor into battle. During this time, Victor was reinforced by reinforcements from Madrid sent by Joseph Bonaparte. Arthur Wellesley began a retreat, but on July 27-28, going on a counterattack, he successfully withstood the onslaught of the French near Talavera, and if Cuesta had not refused to support him, he himself would have moved to counteroffensive. However, at the same time, Soult began to press on the rear of the British from the west. Cut off from the escape routes to the west, Wellesley still escaped defeat, as he managed to slip south across the Tahoe River. Having suffered heavy losses, demoralized and exhausted by the retreat, the British troops took refuge behind the Portuguese border. Lack of food also prevented the French from organizing the pursuit of Wellesley's troops in Portuguese territory. This ended the campaign of 1809, which convinced Sir Arthur Wellesley of the weakness of the regular Spanish troops.

As a reward for his efforts in Spain during the campaign of 1809, Wellesley received from England the peerage under the name of Lord Wellington (hereinafter referred to as him), the titles of Baron Duro and Viscount Talavera, and from the Portuguese government the title of Marquis of Vimeyera.

However, the victory at Talavera had such negative strategic consequences for the Allies that Wellington had to retreat, and the British government left it to its discretion to decide on the further presence of British troops in the Iberian Peninsula. "I will stay here," Wellington replied firmly and continued to fight.

Prior to the start of the main military campaign, Wellington was supported by regular Spanish troops operating in their usual style. The Spanish troops were so badly defeated and scattered during the winter campaign that the French, without meeting any resistance from them, took possession of new areas of Spain and also invaded the rich southern province of Andalusia.

At this time, Napoleon took over the leadership of the war in Spain and by the end of February 1810 concentrated almost 300 thousand people here, intending to further increase the number of troops. More than 65 thousand of them were allocated to Massena, with the task of ousting the British from Portugal.

Wellington, having included in his army the Portuguese troops trained by the British, brought its strength to 50 thousand people.

Massena launched an invasion of Portugal from the north of Spain, thus giving Wellington time and space to realize his strategic plans. Wellington thwarted Massena's advance by destroying food supplies in the areas through which Massena advanced. On September 27-28, 1810, in the bloody battle of Buzako, Wellington managed to repulse all the attacks of Massena, but he began to bypass his position and thus forced Wellington to hastily retreat towards Lisbon. Then Wellington withdrew to the fortified line of Torres - Vedras, which was completely unexpected for Massena.

The Torres-Vedras line was built across the mountainous peninsula between the Tagus River and the sea coast to cover Lisbon. Unable to break through these lines, Massena stood in front of them for about a month, until hunger forced him to retreat 50 kilometers to the Tagus River. Wellington did not pursue him or impose a fight, but limited himself to fettering Massena's army in a small area, preventing the supply of food to his troops.

Wellington continued to stick to his strategic plan, despite the possibility of a change in policy in England and the direct threat posed by Soult's offensive in the south through Badajoz to lift the blockade ring in which Massena's troops were located. Wellington resisted all the attempts of Massena, who wanted to force him to attack, but already in March he himself was forced to withdraw. When the remnants of Masséna's hungry army crossed the Portuguese border again, he lost 25,000 men, of which only 2,000 were in battle.

In the future, Wellington influenced the enemy more by threats than by force.

"ARTHUR WELLESLEY WELLINGTON"

In these cases, the French were forced to send their troops to the threatened point and thus gave the Spanish partisans greater freedom of action in the areas left by the French troops.

But Wellington's actions were not limited to this. Following Massena in retreat to Salamanca, he used part of his army to blockade the frontier fortress of Almeida in the north, while sending Beresford to besiege Badajoz in the south. As a result, Wellington's army lost its mobility and was divided into two almost equal parts.

At this time, Massena, having re-assembled his army and received small reinforcements, hurried to the aid of the besieged Almeida. At Fuente de Onoro, Wellington was taken by surprise in an unfavorable position, found himself in a difficult position and hardly repulsed the enemy attack.

Beresford also lifted the siege of Badajoz and marched out to meet Soult's army, which hastened to the aid of the besieged. He was defeated at Albuera by a poor organization of the battle, but the situation was saved, albeit at an exorbitant price, by the skillful action of the troops.

Now Wellington again concentrated his efforts on the siege of Badajoz, although he had no siege weapons at his disposal. However, the siege had to be lifted, as Marmont, who had replaced Massena, was moving south to join Soult. Both French commanders developed a plan for a general offensive against Wellington. But there were disagreements between them. At the same time, Soult, alarmed by the outbreak of a new guerrilla war in Andalusia, returned there with part of his army, placing the command of the remaining troops on Marmont. Due to Marmont's excessive caution, the military campaign of 1811 gradually died down.

Due to the limitations of his forces, Wellington could not use them as he would like, and although in absolute terms his losses were less than those of the French, relatively they were more. However, he withstood the onslaught of the French in the most critical period, and from September 1811 the best of the French troops were withdrawn from Spain to participate in the campaign against Russia. Compared with 1810, the number of French troops in Spain decreased by 70 thousand people. Of the troops remaining in Spain, at least 90,000 were scattered from Tarragona (on the Mediterranean coast) to Oviedo (on the Atlantic coast) to protect communications with France from partisan attacks. Before concentrating his forces against Portugal, Napoleon decided first to completely conquer Valencia and Andalusia.

In the presence of weak resistance from the enemy, Wellington took advantage of the freedom of action and, suddenly attacking Ciudad Rodrigo, captured it by storm. A detachment under the command of Gill covered the strategic flank and rear of Wellington during the assault. Marmon was unable to thwart Gill or recapture the fortress, as his siege park was also captured. Nor could he follow Wellington through food-poor country.

Taking advantage of this, Wellington slipped south and took Badajoz by storm, although he had very little time to prepare for the assault. In Badajoz, Wellington took over the pontoon park. By destroying the pontoon bridge built by the French over the Tagus River in the Alumaraz region, he achieved a certain strategic advantage, since now the armies of Marmont and Soult were cut off from each other and could only cross the river over the bridge in Toledo, at a distance of about 500 kilometers from the mouth of the Salamanca River.

Soult was firmly attached to Andalusia, because he felt an urgent need for food and feared the Spanish partisans. This allowed Wellington to concentrate two-thirds of his troops for the advance on Marmont in Salamanca. But Marmont was able to unravel Wellington's plan and withdrew to his bases and sources of reinforcements. After that, Marmont cut Wellington's communications without worrying about his communications, which he actually did not have.

Both armies moved in parallel, at times several hundred meters apart, trying to catch the right moment to strike. On July 22, Marmont allowed his left wing to separate too far from his right, which Wellington was not slow to take advantage of, inflicting a quick blow on the formed left flank. The French were defeated before reinforcements arrived.

Wellington, however, did not achieve a decisive defeat of the French at the battle of Salamanca, and his troops in the Iberian Peninsula were still significantly weaker than the French. The pursuit of the French would put Wellington's troops in a dangerous position, since King Joseph could at any moment leave Madrid behind Wellington's lines and cut off his communications. Therefore, Wellington decided to move on Madrid, counting on the moral and political significance of this step. As soon as he entered the capital on August 12, 1812, King Joseph fled shamefully. But Wellington's stay in Madrid could not last long if the French brought their troops here, scattered throughout Spain.

Wellington, without pressure from the enemy, left Madrid and headed for Burgos, threatening the lines of communication with France. But the French system of nutrition at the expense of local resources has deprived this threat of real significance. However, Wellington's successes in the battle of Salamanca and after it forced the French to abandon their plans in Spain to concentrate all their forces against Wellington.

He managed to retreat in time and, after joining with Gill, give the French a new battle at Salamanca, on a terrain chosen by himself. He then withdrew again to Ciudad Rodrigo, thus ending the campaign of 1812 in Spain.

Wellington's actions in this campaign were marked first by the title of earl, then marquis. Parliament twice appointed him a reward of 100 thousand pounds sterling, and the Spanish Cortes presented him with the title of Grandee, Marquis of Torres Vedras and Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo.

Although Wellington had returned to the Portuguese frontier, the outcome of the future campaign was already decided, since the French had left most of the captured territory of Spain in order to concentrate their troops against Wellington, and, leaving the Spanish guerrillas alone, lost the opportunity to destroy their forces.

In connection with the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, even more French troops were withdrawn from Spain. By the beginning of the new campaign, the situation in Spain had completely changed.

Wellington became commander-in-chief not only of the English and Portuguese, but also of the Spanish troops.

The French, more demoralized by the continuous guerrilla war than military defeats, they were almost immediately forced to retreat across the Ebro River and tried only to keep the northern part of Spain. But even such a task they could not fulfill because of the continuous pressure of the partisans on their rear from the Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees. This forced the French to withdraw four divisions from their limited forces from the front in order to organize a rebuff.

Taking advantage of this, on June 21, 1813, Wellington won a brilliant victory near Vittoria over King Joseph, for which he received the title of field marshal of the British army, from the Spanish Cortes - estates, and from the Prince Regent of Portugal - the title of Duke of Vittoria. The victory allowed Wellington to begin a gradual advance towards the Pyrenees. Having crossed them in February 1814, he crossed the Adour River, occupied Bordeaux and, having forced Soult out of the Torb position, captured Toulouse on April 10-12 after the battle.

Napoleon's abdication put an end to hostilities. The English Prince Regent granted Wellington the Order of the Garter and the title of duke, and Parliament gave him £400,000 to purchase the estate.

After that, Wellington was sent to Paris as an extraordinary ambassador, and in February 1815 he acted as a commissioner at the Congress of Vienna.

After Napoleon's landing at Grenoble, Wellington traveled to Brussels, where he assumed command of the allied English, Hanoverian, Dutch, and Brunswick troops.

On June 18, 1815, thanks to the energy and self-control that never left the "Iron Duke", Wellington repelled, albeit with heavy losses, the desperate attacks of the French at Waterloo and, with the arrival of Blucher's Prussian troops, defeated Napoleon. Together with Blucher, Wellington pursued the French troops non-stop to Paris, which he entered on 5 July.

For Waterloo, Wellington was showered with awards. He was awarded the rank of field marshal of the Russian, Prussian, Austrian and Dutch troops. Emperor Alexander I awarded Wellington the Order of St. George 1st degree, the King of the Netherlands - the title of Prince of Waterloo, other monarchs - precious gifts.

On November 20, 1815, Wellington was entrusted with the command of all allied forces assigned to occupy France. In this post, Wellington retained his characteristic impassive demeanor and generally refrained from interfering in politics. Nevertheless, he opposed Blucher's proposal to shoot Napoleon and, in agreement with Emperor Alexander I, prevented the dismemberment of France and the prolonged occupation of its territory, which the Prussians so sought. Despite this, Wellington's order to return to their places the works of art captured by the French during the Napoleonic Wars caused such discontent against him in Paris that several attempts were made on his life. At the Aachen Congress of 1818, Wellington raised the question of the withdrawal of the occupying troops from France and contributed to a favorable resolution of the question of indemnity for her.

In 1826, Wellington led an extraordinary embassy to congratulate Emperor Nicholas I on his accession to the throne. The following year he became Commander-in-Chief of the British Land Forces.

In January 1828, Wellington was commissioned to draw up a ministry. In his political convictions, he belonged to the extreme Tories, and when in 1830, under the influence of the July Revolution in Paris, aspirations arose for the reform of the electoral law, Wellington, as a strong opponent of this bill, had to yield power to the Whigs. Public opinion was so strongly aroused against Wellington that the London mob broke the glass in his palace. However, this attitude towards him lasted only a short time. Subsequently, he twice (1834-1835 and 1841-1846) was part of the Biel ministry. His political career ended only in 1846.

From then until his death in 1852, in the rank of commander-in-chief, he was engaged only in the army and was content with his military glory, which to this day is the national pride of the British. During his lifetime, Wellington was erected several monuments.

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