David Bell

@ScottMcCreaWest Great, good or poor, as a kid in the 70’s I loved it And still do

So ... John Wayne's The Alamo is not a great picture. I'm not even sure it's a particularly good one. But it was a passion project, and the passion is visible every moment onscreen. Widmark and Wayne are fine, Boone is his broody self and Laurence Harvey is asleep. I miss Wayne.

@matabele_ant @GraemeCallister Certainly seems that way And to be fair it worked Until it didn’t

@GraemeCallister @dab_1815 Yes, there may be something like ‘do the basics well and don’t chase shiny new things.’ Roger Knight in Britain v Napoleon makes the comparison between the Plymouth and Cherbourg breakwaters. Were the French revolutionary in doctrine (mil & pol) but conservative in practice?

Napoleon had little interest in this new technology and stopped using balloons for any military purpose. A reasonable move based on the limitations of technology of the time, or a mistake?

@matabele_ant @GraemeCallister And refusing to use rifles?

@GraemeCallister @dab_1815 Is there a similar point here with rocket artillery? Something like a Congreve rocket might have given the grand battery barrage concept an extra kick of spice!

@Hindu_Stan @GraemeCallister Difficult to argue against when you look at his success’s on the battlefield but would have been very useful in 1815!

@GraemeCallister To be fair, Jourdan's report on the accuracy of reports sent by the balloon crew during the battle was pretty damning. Whilst it goes against the grain, I have to agree with the ogre on this one!

@Truluck_Wilts @BattlesRayner Could be argued that it was crucial in that it became a drain on resources that would have better spent elsewhere? If it was a diversion to allow Napoleon to concentrate on the centre then it failed and left him shorthand when it mattered most

@BattlesRayner Yes, Hougoumont crucial IMHO - its capture would enable French to roll up the allied line or tie up valuable reserves preventing them from doing so. And yes I mention the other nationalities - my American colleague was using ‘English’ in the same sense as people at the time did.

#Waterloo Campaign tour. Grabbing picnic lunch in what little shade was available outside the iconic ruined chapel at Hougoumont - the only part of the original Chateau to survive the relentless French attacks on the farm. As one American observed - “this was England’s Alamo”.

@ForzaOMarseille @Backup377017 @AndNapoleon Not saying the two things you mention are contested, or the many others Napoleon is known for Mine is a wider point on his legacy in general and the question of his being a failure or not (for me not) and how it continues to be argued over Long may it continue

@dab_1815 @Backup377017 @AndNapoleon Excuse me, I'm interested in your opinion because, even though he lost twice, it's true. The creation of the army corps in 1803 and the Napoleonic Code in 1804 are 100% historically proven. One doesn't preclude the other. Who is contesting these things?

Should these men be considered failures because their later careers were not as impressive as their earlier careers? Wellington was an average Prime Minister and became deeply unpopular during this time - resulting in his residence, Apsley House, being attacked by mobs. Metternich had to flee his beloved Austria in 1848 and live in exile when his conservative policies collapsed. Czar Alexander became increasingly withdrawn in his later years and left Russia with unsettled political problems, he died mysteriously in 1825.

@ForzaOMarseille @Backup377017 @AndNapoleon All very good points and all inarguably true Napoleon is without question one of the most important figures in history But his legacy is widely contested, perhaps more than any other historical figure I’m a fan (to a point) But in the end He lost Twice

@dab_1815 @Backup377017 @AndNapoleon Napoleonic Code inspired the legal system and in particular civil law of many countries. It is the origin of many important structures that have endured for over 200 years. It also left a considerable military legacy with the creation of army corps, revolutionary for its time.

@AstorJacob1 Agree

Peninsular War only; Who does everyone think was Wellington's most able opponent in Portugal and/or Spain? I think my answer would be Massena

@bennymichielsen Joyous

@AstorJacob1 @AndNapoleon Well said

@AndNapoleon Don't think any are failures, especially Wellington. May have had a short tenure as PM, but his post Waterloo life saw him become our premier statesman, helped reshape Europe, advised three monarchs, and died wealthy, content and respected.

@Backup377017 @AndNapoleon That said, Napoleons legacy is greater than Wellingtons in that he is more famous but his legacy is also more disputed because ultimately, he lost

@Backup377017 @AndNapoleon Indeed With Wellington, he was very much a man of the establishment and ruling class with a subservient population. His legacy was secure because that establishment remained and increased its influence for another 150 years. France did not so Napoleon did not

@agoodapprentice @AndNapoleon @EricWestfere Also true

@dab_1815 @AndNapoleon @EricWestfere History used to belong to the victors. Nowadays, it belongs to whoever edits Wikipedia. (Can't remember who said this recently).

I don't understand how anyone can call Napoleon's life a failure? Yes, he ended up a prisoner on a rocky island where he died in 1821. But if you review his life - it is more about success. ⚔️ He is generally considered the greatest military mind since Julius Caesar. His tactics are still studied by military schools. 👩‍⚖️ His legal reforms, especially the Napoleonic Code, influenced legal systems around the world and outlasted his empire. 💰 He provided generational wealth for his family, siblings, step-children, Marshals, and others. 🏰 He reorganized French administration, education, taxation, and government institutions, many of which survived long after his defeat. Your thoughts?

@BigTonkaTwizzy_ @AndNapoleon Good point

@AndNapoleon if you have an entire era named after you then it's safe to say he was successful, at least in wanting to be immortalised

@GraemeCallister @AndNapoleon True

@AndNapoleon All the good bits could have been done - and done more securely - without several million deaths. His failure was in brutalising Europe in the pursuit of control, rather than using his undoubted greatness to rule more effectively. (But I agree, he wasn't really a 'failure')

@Truluck_Wilts Glorioues

#Waterloo Campaign tour: my intrepid group in front of the most famous gate in British #military #history. “The success of the battle turned on the closing of the gates at #Hougoumont” (Duke of Wellington).

@AstorJacob1 For many Crew it was the first they knew about the following days work. AD’s would show their rank by keeping one in a ‘gold fold’ leather fold out pouch with 1st or 2nd AD’s handing them out to 3rd AD’s as a rite of passage when they moved up the ranks

@dab_1815 It's something I shall have to learn about to try and understand these sheets and his work. It's certainly a pity that these huge budget productions create such poor content. Always better watching old films I think

Had no idea Charlton Heston played Sherlock Holmes, embarrassing as he was one of my favourites. Call sheet and a unit list index it seems from "The Crucifer of Blood", from the collection of my grandfather.