Arthur Wellesley, 1st
Duke of Wellington, was born
1769 in
Dublin. He got his education at
Eton and the Military Academy of
Angers in
France and enrolled in the British army at nineteen years
of age. With the aid of his brother, Richard Colley Wellesley (later
to become
Marquess Wellesley), he climbed the ranks. In
1796 he
went to
India, where he receceived his first independent
command. His brother was appointed
Governor-
General of
India in
1797, and Arthur served him as military and civil advisor. He also
participated in several campaigns, such as the
subjugation of the
Marathas, which he defeated in surprise attack with 10.000 men against
40.000.
In 1805 he returned to England, receiving a knighthood as a
reward for his services to the Empire. Having already
been a member of the Irish parliament he was now elected to the
British parliament for the Tory Party in 1806. The following year
he was appointed Irish secretary as well.
Arthur fought Napoleon Bonaparte both in Hannover and Denmark,
and when the French army threatened Portugal he led the British
Expeditionary Force there in 1808. Although he defeated the French
at Vimeiro he was superseeded in command and briefly forced to return
home to face criticism of the peace made with the enemy.
When the conflict evolved into the Peninsular War, Arthur assumed
command of the allied British, Portugese and Spanish forces. He
managed to drive the enemy out of Spain and in turn invaded the south
of France and had gotten as far as Toulouse when Napoleon
abdicated in 1814. When Napoleon returned from Elba the year
after, Arthur once again commanded the allied forces. Together with
the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
he utterly crushed the enemy at Waterloo; this is perhaps his most
famous victory.
For smiting the French Emperor, Arthur Wellesley was made the 1st Duke
of Wellington. His steadfastness and uncompromising nature earned him
the nickname 'The Iron Duke'.
He now reentered the Tory cabinet, and at the insistence of King
George IV became prime minister in 1828. He was not as sucessful
a politician as he was a warrior however, and was forced to resign two
years later. He did serve as foreign secretary and minister without
portfolio in the cabinet of Sir Robert Peel, though. In 1842 he was
again made commander in chief of the British army, a title he held
until his death in 1852. His body lies buried in St. Paul's
Cathedral in London.