Battle of Waterloo 200 year Anniversary

[Taeblewalker]

It just occurred to me that we are coming upon the year 2015 - noteworthy for more than one reason. The first is that it is the "future" depicted in the Back to the Future movie franchise (so where are the flying cars?). But another, and more historically important, reason to keep an eye of 2015 is that it is the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

There is a website dedicated to the commemorative activities such as reenactments and the like that will be going on in Europe next year. They have all kinds of interesting historical notes, as well as letters written from the battlefield by veterans of the battle. They even have a countdown which will tell you, to the second, how long it is until the anniversary. History buffs will most definitely be interested, and anyone else with even a passing interest in history might want to take a look.

It makes me want to break out my Avalon Hill game, Waterloo and play it!

[chas]

Having been to the actual battlefield back in 2003, I can tell you that it was exciting to see. (For more details on the Wargame Your Way Across Europe Tour, see my post on Boardgamegeek/Military History Guild). We were also hosted for a tour of Ghent and dinner by a local wargaming club. One of the smartest things I ever ordered in Belgium was a chocolate milkshake for dessert! Belgian chocolate--mmm! Their beer is usually my favorite as well.

I picked up a uniform book there that started me on my last major historical period for my 54mm (toy soldier) minis collection--Napoleonics. When travelling later in Ireland I passed by Wellington's birthplace.

The Commands & Colors Napoleonics board game by Richard Borg has Waterloo scenarios in its basic game for Quatre Bras and Hougoumont/La Haye Sainte/Papelotte with the British vs the French. Expansions have come out for the Spanish, Russian and Austrian armies. Now the Prussians are finally due out in November, which will include more Waterloo campaign scenarios among many other period actions. GMT will follow up with a multiboard version, La Grande Bataille ('The Big Battle') and a Generals and Marshal's leadership expansion (possibly a second card deck, common to most other Borg game designs). Supposedly even a Minor Nations and a War of 1812 expansions will also follow! C&CN was the first game he made, but the last one published. Oddly, although many wargamers start with Napoleonics, I too am finishing up my historical hobby with that period. So even with this simple game, I've learned a lot about the period. It features its own variations from the other C&C games. Most importantly, the number of dice you roll for a unit is reduced as its strength is reduced (blocks removed).

At the peak of my wargaming career, I played the Russian Commander Marshal Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Kutusov at JodieCon Borodino, an entire weekend devoted to fighting out the giant battle in an entire hotel ballroom on many tables. I had to stay at the Command Table and only look at the actual battlefields with binoculars! Meanwhile I was sending messages off to my subordinate generals. I had even grown very long period sideburns for the event, which surprised NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg when I accepted a Multicultural Education Award from him back home before the game. Later toward the end of the convention, the Napoleon player invited me up to his hotel room for some Napoleon brandy!

Those who want to get into the Napoleonic period on video can't do better than Sergei Bondarchuk's Waterloo.

In addition, there is the Sharpe's Rifles series of adventures with the now fairly well known (!) actor Sean Bean, based on Bernard Cornwall's excellent novels. These were updated by two later adventures in India on DVD, Sharpe's Challenge (2006) and Sharpe's peril (200.

Other Napoleonic Period Film and TV

Napoleon (silent) and Austerlitz by Abel Gance

War and Peace (Russian, American, and British versions) centering on the great battle of Borodino

Captain Horatio Hornblower (Gregory Peck)
The Horatio Hornblower TV series (8 discs) starring one young Iowyn Griffud (now also fairly well known)
Damn the Defiant (Alec Guiness)
Master and Commander (Russell Crowe)

There are also shorter British Documentary DVDs on Austerlitz and Trafalgar.