In Our Time: History

Napoleon and Wellington


Listen Later

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the histories of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington. On the morning of the battle of Waterloo Napoleon told his loyal lieutenants, “I tell you that Wellington is a bad general, that the English are bad troops and ce sera l’affaire d’un dejeuner”...in other words; ‘this, my friends, will be a picnic!’ But did Napoleon really have such little respect for the man who would be his nemesis, or when he dismissed the Iron Duke so lightly was he just trying to raise morale? There are some curious parallels between the two rivals, they were both born in the same year, 1769, both read the works of Caesar and chose Hannibal as their personal hero, both enjoyed the pleasures of two of the same mistresses, and they even ate the food of the same personal chef. Though Wellington bested Napoleon on the field of Waterloo in 1815, who was the greater general, who left the larger legacy and ultimately, who won? With Andrew Roberts, military historian; Mike Broers, University of Aberdeen; Belinda Beaton, from the Department of History of Art, at Oxford University.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

In Our Time: HistoryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,833 ratings


More shows like In Our Time: History

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,878 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,075 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,580 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,800 Listeners

HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate

HistoryExtra podcast

3,201 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

873 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

619 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

752 Listeners

The History Hour by BBC World Service

The History Hour

589 Listeners

In Our Time: Religion by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Religion

281 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,752 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,037 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

2,010 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

493 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,811 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,218 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,026 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,356 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,011 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,516 Listeners

Gone Medieval by History Hit

Gone Medieval

1,905 Listeners

Not Just the Tudors by History Hit

Not Just the Tudors

2,066 Listeners

Empire: World History by Goalhanger

Empire: World History

2,541 Listeners