tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post4658032468514909620..comments2024-03-11T08:48:02.517-04:00Comments on The League of Augsburg: The Warp Factorquindiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14194306105013871853noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-20274897397127505212017-01-27T14:50:33.962-05:002017-01-27T14:50:33.962-05:00Some good points indeed, the 'British' all...Some good points indeed, the 'British' allies have often been down played, especially the Dutch, largely because English observers thought they would not stand and became a handy scapegoat for anything that did go wrong. The whole campaign would probably have been lost if a Dutch brigade had not stood and defended Quatre Bras when they had been ordered to withdraw. They chose to stand and defend the vital crossroads when if they were in any way not keen could have legitimately withdrawn. Had the French taken the crossroads then it is doubtful the 'British' and Prussians would have joined up at all. Were any Belgians documented as having gone over to the French? Not that I have seen. <br />As a side note as a re-enactor (a French infantryman) I have been to Waterloo and Ligny and have found the locals today favour the French, tolerate the English but a bit coy about the Prussians. At Waterloo 200 the mayor of Placenoit was marching around waving a massive French flag! Rhandolphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04311519902013126394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-67738935816946473082017-01-15T17:10:35.991-05:002017-01-15T17:10:35.991-05:00Interesting PoV Anonymous and I appreciate your me...Interesting PoV Anonymous and I appreciate your measured consideration of the points.<br />I am not at all attempting to revise history as I would never claim to be a historian. I think most history is 'revised' at source, as you say.. by the victors.<br />My aim is to encourage gamers to look beyond the clichés and not to simply join in the din of consensus. Neat and tidy is not necessarily true and accurate. Lazy brains abound out there and often the laziest brains make the most noise.augsburgerobersthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668623413869707906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-31184989280568911602017-01-15T07:50:08.639-05:002017-01-15T07:50:08.639-05:00Those are great points, but let's face it, Wel...Those are great points, but let's face it, Wellington's presence at Waterloo has as much to do with ascribing it an English victory than with actual numbers of Englishmen (Catholics notwithstanding) present, just as The Boyne is celebrated by Orangemen, despite the presence of a single Londonderry and an Enniskillen regiment amongst thousands of Europeans and Irish Catholics. It's their 'King Billy' that is being celebrated, no matter the level of understanding in the modern times, as to his political aims at that time.<br /><br />It's easy to knock history 'written by the victor', though we have to be careful too with the scale of our 'revisionism'. Guy Fawkes night doesn't happen in the UK any more, lest it cause offence, though bear in mind that the actions and reactions were of their time, in an English society where 1% of the population were Catholic.<br />By the same token, Marlborough used logistics masterstrokes on what had become a very predictable battlefield, despite his political maneuvering off the battlefield. Are we revising history and its supposed 'heroes' for its own sake? Knocking these apparent English victories is fine, though ask yourself if it happens in other countries. I would suspect it doesn't, as the UK has become so internally divisive and inward looking, that it is searching valiantly for a reason not to celebrate anything in relation to its once 'glorious' but now 'murky' (at least in the eyes of the BBC) past.<br /><br />I can wholly appreciate the historian's need to find the 'truth' and celebrate its veracity or otherwise, but there are some elements of history which we should leave alone - as we simply do not have enough facts to the contrary. Let history be written by the victors to a large extent if all we are doing is knocking the written word in order to see more relvance re. the topic. <br />We can never be sure how accurate our revisions are for instance - and that way madness lies.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-15561353214668462992017-01-11T19:35:41.479-05:002017-01-11T19:35:41.479-05:00Hi Barry, first time comment and have enjoyed read...Hi Barry, first time comment and have enjoyed reading your posts - particularly your Waterloo reporting last year. It is encouraging that you and others on this site have a broader world view and posts like this provide a well thought perspectives on tabletop gaming. <br /><br />Thanks<br />JoeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-76612802795314661652017-01-10T01:51:15.518-05:002017-01-10T01:51:15.518-05:00An excellent post Barry. I think I agree with ever...An excellent post Barry. I think I agree with everything you write,& I've read it twice. Unfortunately xenophobia seems to be emerging more & more in British society. I make a point of avoiding people like that in all parts of my life & especially in my wargaming. It is why I thoroughly enjoy the 'weekenders' in the company of good people. Paul Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01578615848640932693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-50769218429771397102017-01-09T18:49:54.929-05:002017-01-09T18:49:54.929-05:00Oh,
sorry, forgot to say, this is a great talking...Oh,<br /><br />sorry, forgot to say, this is a great talking point.<br />MAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08614768056225746919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-489783126843369092017-01-09T18:48:23.143-05:002017-01-09T18:48:23.143-05:00Barry,
Funny enough, we were having a very simila...Barry,<br /><br />Funny enough, we were having a very similar conversation at the Derby Club tonight midway through a WSS game regarding all conquering super troops, otherwise normally called British troops, and that contrary to the British players view, they were not all drilled and that the guards battalions were not super troops.<br /><br />We ended agreeing that the English guards probably would have a morale bonus but not be better in combat than any other unit, that a % of English troops should be raw as they had seen little combat compared to most of the allies and French.<br /><br />I think we have had the conversation before that in a Williamite army probably only the Dutch and possible Danish guard regiments should be graded as Guard units.Personally i believe that up to 50% of English Williamite troops should be Raw.<br />MAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08614768056225746919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-54794891404974499202017-01-09T18:12:36.183-05:002017-01-09T18:12:36.183-05:00The prussians didn't do badly out of Waterloo,...The prussians didn't do badly out of Waterloo, they looted old boney's treasure :-)<br /><br />Martin TMr Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06500156116121873886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-42578491194750203812017-01-09T17:46:10.977-05:002017-01-09T17:46:10.977-05:00Robbie.. I hope you saw that for once I actually w...Robbie.. I hope you saw that for once I actually was on Marlborough's side (well nearly) :)<br /><br />History is so much more rewarding if we can take a different perspective now and again.<br />augsburgerobersthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668623413869707906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-53545279113116950462017-01-09T17:06:58.433-05:002017-01-09T17:06:58.433-05:00Just Percy Pongo trying to emulate Jolly Jack...Just Percy Pongo trying to emulate Jolly Jack...Benjamin of Wighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03638987247523360801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-42778994425354280992017-01-09T16:34:01.776-05:002017-01-09T16:34:01.776-05:00Barry,
You are a one. The 'British'victory...Barry,<br />You are a one. The 'British'victory at Waterloo was of its time. The leaders of our country in 1815 were hardly going to allow a bunch of German states the credit for digging us out of the mire when Napoleon nearly won. Obviously it would have been far fairer and probably more British to allow Blucher at least some of the credit, but the ruling class could never have allowed that to happen. It didnt make it right, but as long as the better read amongst us acknowledge this fact then whats the harm with a bit of xenophobia,especially in the current rancid climate where our benighted group of nations is talked down at every instance. As for your pet subject of Malborough, well I still like to think he was a pretty good general, but that counts for nothing really, its good to have differing views, and very healthy for history. Good post, as usual. Independentwargamesgrouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07019172667119107650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-81769574679599884382017-01-09T16:27:18.977-05:002017-01-09T16:27:18.977-05:00Wait, a world outside?Wait, a world outside?quindiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14194306105013871853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037582458537250032.post-60671240228228210962017-01-09T15:00:11.172-05:002017-01-09T15:00:11.172-05:00Berry,
I find many of my "English" frie...Berry,<br /><br />I find many of my "English" friends to be slightly xenophobic and many of my "American" friends unaware that there is an outside world. Fortunately most if not all of my "gaming" friends are much, much more "enlightened". William Stewarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03047911499131518952noreply@blogger.com