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1 WINDSOR CASTLE Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. This resource is designed to give teachers a potted history of the battle of Waterloo and an introduction to the exhibition at Windsor Castle from Saturday 31 January 2015 to Wednesday 13 January 2016. Using the suggestions for focused student engagement at the end of this document, along with the multi-media tour and map (available at no extra cost at the time of your visit), learning opportunities are maximised for teachers using the battle and associated memorabilia as the focus of a self-led visit and as a classroom resource. The battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, on land just outside the village of Waterloo in present-day Belgium. The battle ended decades of turmoil in Europe and saw the end of the ambitions of the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The Duke of Wellington, commander of the allied forces, became an international hero. George, Prince Regent, who was ruling the country in the place of his unwell father, received the news of the victory in tears, and was also lauded throughout Europe. RCIN 617693 In 1812, however, he attempted to conquer Russia which resulted in his abdication in favour of his son, and he was exiled to Elba, off the coast of Italy. The French monarchy was restored, with Louis XVIII taking the throne. The congress of Vienna was called in an attempt to reach agreement through discussion rather than arms, however, Napoleon escaped from Elba and made his way back to France. He found a country in which many people were delighted to receive him – Louis XVIII had proved to be an unpopular monarch. Napoleon’s journey north saw him gathering support and forces, and on 20 March 1815, he entered Paris in triumph, and took control of the Tuileries Palace. Napoleon Bonaparte. The son of a Corsican notary, Napoleon had joined the army in 1785 and won acclaim for his actions at the siege of Toulon in 1793 and in crushing a royalist rising in 1795. His rise became unstoppable, and rapid. In 1799, he seized power in France, appointing himself First Consul, and in 1804 made himself Emperor of France, crowned as Napoleon I. Through a combination of war and diplomacy, he placed his brother on the thrones of Spain and Portugal, and annexed the Netherlands and the Papal States in Italy. His success in battle saw him revered as a brilliant military commander. RCIN 810945 Panic spread through Europe – you can see the fear felt in Britain in this satire by Thomas Rowlandson, in which Napoleon and his generals, accompanied by the devil, gaze out over Paris.

Transcript of Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource · Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource ... The...

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WINDSOR CASTLE

Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon

Bonaparte. This resource is designed to give teachers a potted history of the battle of

Waterloo and an introduction to the exhibition at Windsor Castle from Saturday 31 January

2015 to Wednesday 13 January 2016.

Using the suggestions for focused student engagement at the end of this document, along

with the multi-media tour and map (available at no extra cost at the time of your visit),

learning opportunities are maximised for teachers using the battle and associated

memorabilia as the focus of a self-led visit and as a classroom resource.

The battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815, on land just outside the

village of Waterloo in present-day Belgium. The battle ended decades of turmoil

in Europe and saw the end of the ambitions of the French emperor Napoleon

Bonaparte. The Duke of Wellington, commander of the allied forces, became an

international hero. George, Prince Regent, who was ruling the country in the

place of his unwell father, received the news of the victory in tears, and was also

lauded throughout Europe.

RCIN 617693

In 1812, however, he attempted to conquer Russia which resulted in his abdication in favour

of his son, and he was exiled to Elba, off the coast of Italy. The French monarchy was

restored, with Louis XVIII taking the throne.

The congress of Vienna was called in an attempt to reach agreement through discussion

rather than arms, however, Napoleon escaped from Elba and made his way back to France.

He found a country in which many people were delighted to receive him – Louis XVIII had

proved to be an unpopular monarch. Napoleon’s journey north saw him gathering support

and forces, and on 20 March 1815, he entered Paris in triumph, and took control of the

Tuileries Palace.

Napoleon Bonaparte. The son of a Corsican notary, Napoleon had

joined the army in 1785 and won acclaim for his actions at the siege of

Toulon in 1793 and in crushing a royalist rising in 1795. His rise became

unstoppable, and rapid. In 1799, he seized power in France, appointing

himself First Consul, and in 1804 made himself Emperor of France,

crowned as Napoleon I. Through a combination of war and diplomacy,

he placed his brother on the thrones of Spain and Portugal, and

annexed the Netherlands and the Papal States in Italy. His success in

battle saw him revered as a brilliant military commander.

RCIN 810945

Panic spread through Europe – you can see the fear felt in

Britain in this satire by Thomas Rowlandson, in which

Napoleon and his generals, accompanied by the devil, gaze

out over Paris.

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A coalition was hastily assembled to oppose the renewed threat. This consisted of two

forces, the Prussians, led by Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, a seasoned military commander

in his seventies, who was known affectionately by his men as ‘Marshal Forwards’ for his

enthusiasm in battle. And the Anglo-Allies, formed of troops from the United Kingdom, the

Netherlands, Hanover, Nassau and Brunswick. The Anglo-Allies were led by the Duke of

Wellington.

RCIN 405148 RCIN 405147

The allied aim was to stop Napoleon reaching Brussels. To this end, Wellington marched his

force south towards the French approach. Although he was able to communicate with

Marshal Blücher and the Prussian forces by messenger, the two armies remained some miles

apart, and needed to join together to oppose Napoleon if at all possible. Conversely,

Napoleon’s main aim was to keep the Anglo-Allies and the Prussians apart, to prevent the

formation of a huge force which would greatly outnumber the French. In an attempt to

achieve this, the Emperor initiated two battles: the battle of Ligny, and the battle of Quatre-

Bras.

The Final Battle

Wellington was aware that he would need to engage French forces again, and selected his

battleground carefully. His choice was an area to the south of the village of Waterloo where

the ground undulated. Wellington would use this to advantage throughout the battle, getting

his infantry to lie down in the dips to protect them from artillery fire, and hiding his forces

behind raised ground where possible, to prevent the French from knowing the size of the

force they were facing. He was hoping for the arrival of Blücher and the Prussians as soon as possible.

10am - The first shots were Napoleon’s: he had delayed starting as long as possible as the

ground was still sodden from a storm the night before. Wet ground made the movement of

men and vehicles difficult and was a significant hindrance to cannonballs, which were most

effective when they could bounce along dry hard earth.

The object of the first French attack was Hougoumont, to the right of the allied lines.

Napoleon was hoping to lure Wellington’s troops to defend this area, leaving other sections

Arthur, Duke of

Wellington

Field Marshal

Blücher

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of the line vulnerable to attack. French infantry tried to scale the walls of the Hougoumont

compound, while the British infantry held their ground.

1.30pm - The French launched their grand battery of guns, firing at the centre of the allied

lines – Wellington had protected his men as far as possible by stationing them below a ridge,

but the allied infantry still suffered very heavy losses.

2pm - The guns were silenced, and drums signalled a French infantry attack on the centre

of the line, which was met with British artillery fire. Lord Uxbridge, in an attempt to halt the

French infantry, launched a cavalry charge which would become one of the most famous

moments in the battle. It stopped the French advance, and some of the British riders got as

far as the French gunners, who were attacked in an attempt to prevent further artillery fire.

At this point, Napoleon issued a personal command to Marshal Ney to seize La Haye Sainte.

The King’s German Legion managed to hold the farm until around 6.30pm, when they were

forced to evacuate the site and it was taken by the French. By this time Prussian troops had begun to arrive from the east. The French had launched a

series of cavalry charges against which the Anglo-Allied infantry,

formed into defensive squares with bayonets, was able to stand

firm.

7.30pm - Napoleon ordered the Imperial Guard to attack. These

elite troops, answerable only to the Emperor, were unbeaten in

battle. But at Waterloo they failed to break the Anglo-Allied line

and were forced to retreat. The horror among the French troops

at the defeat of the Imperial Guard destroyed morale.

8.30pm - Napoleon’s men broke ranks and began to leave the

battlefield. Wellington and Blücher finally met at La Belle Alliance,

a moment that was seen as the close of the battle and a

declaration of the Coalition victory.

Meeting of Wellington and Blücher

RCIN 750732

RCIN 61156

At the Belle Alliance, Wellington and Blücher

agreed that the Prussians would pursue the

retreating French. Napoleon’s carriage was

captured, and with it the Emperor’s fine

burnous, which is on display in the State

Apartments. The burnous is a kind of North

African cloak, which Napoleon is recorded as

wearing on his campaign into Egypt. This

example, however, is of French manufacture,

and is made of red felt, lined with a beautiful

yellow silk, with appliqued panels representing

an Imperial eagle – Napoleon’s symbol – in

silver thread. The carriage was also found to

contain a service of silver gilt plate, which may

have included this porringer, a travelling dish

for dining.

RCIN 48397

Seized Treasures

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Napoleon himself escaped the battlefield, and

returned to Paris where he abdicated in favour of

his son, before travelling west. It is thought he

was trying to make his way to exile in America,

but the British Navy was blockading French ports.

In mid-July 1815, therefore, Napoleon surrendered

to Captain Frederick Maitland of HMS Bellerophon

and composed a very carefully-worded letter

addressed to the Prince Regent, pleading for

mercy. The letter had little effect. RCIN 452438

In the meantime, Wellington was feted as a hero across Europe. In London, monuments to

the battle were discussed and planned. On his return to Britain, Wellington continued his

public career as a politician and statesman, becoming Prime Minister in 1828. Britain, in

gratitude for his role in the battle presented him with the Stratfield Saye Estate, in

Hampshire. In return for this grand country house the duke paid, and the Duke of

Wellington still pays, rent of a Waterloo banner each year. Each year’s banner is presented

personally to The Queen by the duke, and hangs in the State Apartments. On his death in

1852, the Duke of Wellington was widely mourned, and accorded a lavish funeral in London,

with thousands lining the streets to see his hearse pass.

As ruler of the country at the time of the battle, the Prince counted the defeat of Napoleon

as one of his greatest triumphs. Over the next fifteen years, he formed a large collection of

memorabilia relating to the battle, much of it presented to him as the victor of Waterloo,

and much of it previously owned by Napoleon himself.

Perhaps the most

important piece acquired

by the Prince was the

Table of the Great

Commanders

commissioned by

Napoleon. The table was

still in the Sevres factory

at Napoleon’s defeat and

was presented to the

Prince Regent by a

So, why are we marking the battle of Waterloo and the peace that followed at Windsor? It’s

all thanks to the Prince Regent. George, Prince of Wales had been appointed Regent in 1811,

when a return of a longstanding illness rendered King George III unable to rule the country. The Prince, although appointed to honorary military positions, had not been allowed to serve

in battle, and his lack of military career was a source of great disappointment to him. In the

place of active service, the Prince became a connoisseur and collector of all things military,

avidly following battles through maps, plans and letters from friends who had fought. He was

so well-informed on military affairs that in later life he was able to convince himself that he had

fought at a number of key battles: one of them being the battle of Waterloo.

RCIN 2634

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grateful Louis XVIII. The table is a technical masterpiece: the top is a single piece of

porcelain, decorated with the heads of the commanders of antiquity with whom Napoleon

identified. The Prince Regent was so proud of this table that it appeared with him in every

subsequent state portrait.

A completely different piece of furniture is the Waterloo Chair, made by Thomas

Chippendale the Younger and presented in 1821. The

decoration of the chair celebrates the victory at

Waterloo and it is made from the so-called Waterloo

Elm, the tree under which Wellington set up his

command post on the battlefield. After the battle, the

tree was the object of souvenir hunters and rapidly

became a sorry sight, as you can see in this drawing by

Anna Children.

The greatest monument to the battle and the subsequent peace at Windsor had,

however, been in planning even before the battle. In 1814, when it was thought

that Napoleon was safely exiled to Elba, the representatives of the European

powers had met in London to negotiate the terms of the peace settlement. In

celebration of this momentous event, and his country’s role as host, the Prince

had commissioned the great society portraitist, Thomas Lawrence, to paint

portraits of those attending. Lawrence’s London studio was visited by a succession

of great men. After the London meeting, Lawrence continued to paint the key

figures involved in Napoleon’s defeat and the settlement of peace, travelling

Europe to do so. It was decided to bring the portraits together at Windsor Castle,

in a grand space formed for the purpose. This would become the Waterloo

Chamber which was finally completed in the 1830s, and other paintings were

added to Lawrence’s original twenty-nine.

RCIN 31593 RCIN 990723

George IV

RCIN 404933

The Waterloo Chamber

Pope Pius VII

RCIN 404946

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The Waterloo Chamber, hung with its 38 paintings, forms the centrepiece of

our Waterloo trail. Here the men who fought, and negotiated for peace in

Europe are brought together, as the Prince Regent intended, to mark and

remember the momentous events of 1815.

Visit www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection to search for any of the above downloadable images with background information by RCIN reference number. Visit the exhibition micro-site at: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/waterloo-at-windsor-1815-2015 for further information.

Windsor Castle Learning

Charles X, King of France

RCIN 405138 Duke of Richelieu

RCIN 404949

Charles, Archduke of Austria

RCIN 405140

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WINDSOR CASTLE

Waterloo Exhibition – Suggestions for focused student

engagement

(Activities are aimed at Key Stage 3)

Drawings Gallery

Find a painting of Napoleon, a copy of a

pleading letter and a photograph of the last

survivors of the battle (taken in June 1880).

Discuss the chronology of the items, their

historical significance and what they tell you

about the people involved in the battle.

China Museum

Find a set of plates decorated with scenes from the battlefield which were commissioned

by the Prince Regent, later George IV.

What design ideas do you have for a set of plates to celebrate a special occasion in your

school or local town?

Grand Vestibule

The two great military leaders face one another as

they did for the only time at the battle of Waterloo.

Wellington is represented by a marble bust and

Napoleon by the distinctive red cloak taken from his

carriage after the battle. Imagine a dialogue between

these men if they were to meet today.

RCIN 617693

RCIN 452438

RCIN 2907241

RCIN 10884

RCIN 2011

RCIN 61156

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Waterloo Chamber

This is a space created by George IV to display the full length portraits by Sir

Thomas Lawrence. Find the painting of George IV. Should it be displayed in

this room at all? Discuss your reasoning.

George was a great collector of military memorabilia. Why might that be

good for us today?

Ante-Throne Room

When you look at these images of Napoleon, from the height of his military power (right), to the exiled

shadowy figure (left), what do you make of the great

man? Think of a variety of adjectives you might use if

you were labelling these pictures.

King's Drawing Room

As a journalist or royal correspondent, write an account

of the story behind either the Table of the Great

Commanders or The Waterloo chair. Include descriptive

details and what George IV might have said if you were

interviewing him for your piece.

Queen's Guard Chamber

Among the precious items in this room, see if you can find one of the rent banners

presented each year to The Queen by the Duke of Wellington in lieu of the rent on his

home, Stratfield Saye. Consider why ceremonies like this might still be important so many

years after the battle.

Windsor Castle Learning

RCIN 31593

RCIN 404933

RCIN 830072 RCIN 404874

RCIN 2634

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WINDSOR CASTLE

Cross Curricular Extension Activities

Extension activities relating to any Waterloo works of art or objects on display

in the State Apartments:

If this object could talk, what would it say?

Who would have used this object? And what for?

A day in the life of a…

Characters in paintings and portraits:

What happened next?

Hot-seating

Role-play

Follow up ideas:

History - Create a timeline of significant events leading up to and during the battle

of Waterloo.

Consider the rise and fall of Napoleon, including his time in exile and his impact on

the peace/upheavals in France. What challenges did this raise in Britain?

English and Creative Writing - Design a promotional poster with persuasive writing to advertise the grand opening of the Waterloo Chamber for the first time.

Or create a visitor/tourist guide for the Castle.

Hold a class debate - discuss and record the pros and cons of the location of the

battle, giving consideration to the earlier battles on previous days, and Wellington's

considerations around the lie of the land.

Art and design – Looking at the paintings in the Waterloo Chamber by Sir Thomas

Lawrence, consider their place in history, the use of materials and medium, and the

intentions of the painter in portraying the sitter.

Look at a sketch or picture of The Waterloo Chair, and design a chair for yourself

or the school that can serve as a record of a moment in time. Devise plans and

instructions for the furniture maker.

Visit www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection to search for any of the above downloadable images with background information by RCIN reference number. Visit the exhibition micro-site at: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/waterloo-at-windsor-1815-2015 for further information.

Windsor Castle Learning