In 1815 the British army stood at a peak in its history: under Wellington it had taken part in the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. Yet in 1854; when next engaged in war against a European enemy; its performance was at best mediocre and at worst disastrous. For the press at the time; as for historians since; the Crimean War revealed an incompetent; antiquated army; rusty after forty years of complacent neglect. From Waterloo to Balaclava shows such oversimplification to be false. In addition to absorbing the lessons of the Napoleonic Wars; the army had to contend with recurrent campaigns throughout the Empire; and its tactics and doctrine were the subject of constant debate. Under the impact of industrialisation; the evolution of military technology proceeded apace; and the range and accuracy of infantry fire (and; potentially; artillery) increased at least fourfold. These three influences - the Napoleonic Wars; colonial campaigning; and new weaponry - all contributed to an evolution of tactics which pointed forwards to 1914 as much as backwards to 1815.
#3908599 in Books Dennis C Mueller 2009-08-17 2009-11-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .94 x 5.98l; 1.20 #File Name: 0521132738460 pagesReason Religion and Democracy
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