Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource · Waterloo Exhibition: KS3 Teachers' Resource ... The...
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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George IV
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The Waterloo Chamber
Pope Pius VII
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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.
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Charles X, King of France
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Charles, Archduke of Austria
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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.
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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
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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