First of all apologies for the somewhat hit and miss, mostly miss, posting on the blog this week. This is entirely due to the weather! Yes, I know that we Brits are normally incapable of conversation except about the weather but it really has been quite extraordinary all week with a mini heat wave and glorious Spring weather, in other words, a bloody nuisance because there was no excuse for me not to go out and labor in the garden under the baleful watch of the 'Memsahib'. Incidentally, it is now official, I am queen of all the pansies. I went into our local garden center and was struck dumb by hundreds of massive pansies in the most garish colours. Now my gardening is limited to strict requirements, the plants concerned must be horrendously coloured in the worst possible taste - and cheap! Pansies win by a mile! My 'garden' is now full of them with every possible space crammed with the vulgar-looking things. But I'm not one to be single-minded about this sort of thing. To ring the changes and introduce a little bit of good taste amongst the vulgarity, I have filled any left-over spaces with violas! And yes, I know they are just another version of pansies but they're smaller and slightly more sophisticated in their colouring. Needless to say, the 'Memsahib' remains unimpressed - so no change there, then!
Anyway, on to more important matters - the battle of Waterloo. This topic arose as a result of a conversation between me and 'SoD' the other day, and yes, you're right, we are a pair of sad old gits! Anyway, on my previous Waterloo post, one or two commenters remarked on Blucher's incredible sense of honor in sticking resolutely to his word, as given to the 'Duke of Boot', that he would stay parallel to the British in order to offer mutual support. Now Blucher, a very elderly Prussian general was definitely not one of the 'Great Captains of the World'. In fact, he was stupid beyond belief. At the battle of Ligny, just two days prior to Waterloo, he ignored Wellington's advice to station his troops on the reverse side of the slope so as to avoid the ravages of Bonaparte's artillery. Consequently, although they fought bravely they were driven from the field in disorder and Blucher himself was knocked off his horse and concussed. At this disastrous point, a crucial decision had to be taken.
Serving as Blucher's Chief of Staff was a brilliant soldier by the name of Gneisenau. This man, unlike his boss, had actually spent his life studying warfare in all its ramifications. he was the 'Father' of the Prussian General Staff which later would become the German General Staff, perhaps the greatest collection of military experts the world has ever seen. So, given that the Prussian army had just been defeated by the French the question was simple but stark: do they move north parallel to the British or go east back down their lines of communication to safety? To Gneisenau an answer was not required because there was no question - it was screamingly obvious that the Prussians must pull back east as fast as possible. And by any military, operational reasoning he was absolutely right. Fortunately for Wellington, and Europe actually, poor old Blucher was found unconscious in a wood but was brought round at his HQ. Without hesitation he instantly over-ruled his clever C of S and ordered that the army retire northwards in order to be able to assist the Duke of Wellington.
Now, by and large, I am a man who believes that one's actions should be taken after careful and rigorous reasoning. Not that I often do it, mind you! But here we have a classic example of the 'right' reason being 'wrong'. Of the expert, steeped in knowledge and craft, getting it wrong whilst a sill old 'Duffer' (no pun intended!), got it right! The irony is, too, too, delicious.
Right, back to the garden . . . bloody weather, why can't it snow or something?