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发表于 2018-12-30 09:08:29
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代@高守业 发个贴子
曾经有一次在外文论坛上和别人讨论威灵顿对于康斯坦-勒贝克15日违背他的命令是什么态度，因为他一直都不喜欢自己的手下发挥主动性。当时我回复说：
I don't know what Wellington said to Constant, but if the Prince of Sachsen-Weimar, the man who disobeyed Wellington's order at first can be trusted
It was between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning that the Prince of Orange arrived and General de Perponcher explained our position to him. The prince announced that we would soon be supported by part of the English army; he moved several of the battalions in to a position closer to the enemy, and had our front covered by a line of skirmishers, who hid in the tall wheat. The morning of the 16th was quiet, although a few cannon shots were exchanged. The rest of the 1st Brigade of our division having moved up, mine was scattered around to the extreme right of the road through Quatre Bras. We had just heard cannon fire from the battle of Ligny when the Duke of Wellington arrived with his staff, accompanied by the Duke of Brunswick, who shortly after died a glorious death. It was then that I saw the Duke of Wellington for the first time, to whom I was introduced by the Prince of Orange. I was struck by the bad tone the Duke affected, he did not even address a single word to me and turned his back to me for some time.
…
As you can see my dear captain, my account of the events at the beginning of the day differs essentially from those that have been published officially, accounts which give credit to our present king, concerning the maintenance of the position at Quatre Bras. Through my account you can see that this was in fact only due to the-brave actions of General de Perponcher. Despite my account contradicting that of the Duke of Wellington, and even an article I found last autumn in the Handelsblad, I give you my word of honour, my dear sir, that the above as told to you is the simplest and purest truth.
John Franklin, Waterloo Netherlands Correspondence: v. 1 p. 81
It is often told Wellington was reluctant to give his lieutenants free rein. If people showed initiative without orders they were liable to be reprimanded at least.
But the question is, Wellington knew the situation himself, he was still not very happy with what the prince had done.
So why?
I think the reason is that Constant's message to Wellington that the French had reached Quatre Bras, only twenty miles from Brussels, exaggerated the danger. Though he may design it to jolt his superiors out of their complacency. But when the Duke reached the height behind Frasnes the next morning, what he found was "I do not see many of the enemy in front of us… Nothing has been seen in the direction of Binche, nor on our right."
It seems the urgency in the message he receieved last night totally disappeared.
So that may be why Wellington is not happy.
然后又详细说了，威灵顿为什么会不高兴，以及他为什么要在尼韦勒而不是四臂村集结军队的原因：
I think we can take this question more seriously and widerly.
There used to be a debate over the mistakes Wellington committed in the early stage of the campaign.
Certain historians, Mr. Peter Hofschröer especially, think Wellington wrongly asked his troops at Quatre-Bras in the so called After Order to concentrate in the vicinity of Nivelles, leave the road to Brussels totally unprotected. Wellington should thank Constant and the Prince of Sachsen-Weimar for their initiative which saved his reputation.
So, the question is why Wellington ordered his unites to concentrate at Nivelles, what he thought when he received Constant's message, and his opinion when reached the battlefield himself.
The answer to the first question is obviously, Nivelles is a major town behind the front line. And to the contrary, the vital crossroad Quatre-Bras is not marked on most map of that time. And it was General Zieten, the Prussian front line commander that requested him to concentrate there. In a message to Blücher in the morning of 15th June, Zieten wrote “I have informed the Duke of Wellington of this and have entreated him to concentrate his troops without delay near Nivelles, which according to the report received from General von Muffling yesterday he will do.” Furthermore, Mr. Gregory W. Pedlow pointed out in his On Waterloo: Clausewitz, Wellington, and the Campaign of 1815 that, the Prussians had previously announced their intention to defend the Sambre crossings and—if a retreat from Charleroi became necessary—to concentrate at Gosselies. This meant that they would be covering the portion of the Allied line in front of Quatre-Bras. In fact Wellington's decision was the result of the Prussians' failure to keep him informed of their movements. Quatre Bras only took on strategic importance when Zieten abandoned his position at Gosselies, thus opening the road to Brussels.
When Wellington read Constant's message that the French had reached Quatre Bras, only twenty miles from Brussels, he may think his Prussian allies deceived him, or more likely, the Prussian on the first line were crushed by Napoleon. No matter what he thought, the Duke was totally shocked by the result. And the After Order which issued hours ago fits in exactly with Napoleon's wishes. That may be why he would say “Napoleon has humbugged me, by God, he has gained twenty-four hours march on me.” (If this sentence really exists in history. )
Although Constant and the Prince of Sachsen-Weimar saved Wellington's reputation to some degree. When the Duke reached the battlefield himself and found there were not many French in front of him, thanks to Ney's inactive that morning, it seems his behaviour towards the Prince of Sachsen-Weimar is quite reasonable. The Netherlanders had identified their opposition as chasseurs, lancers and horse artillery of the Guard with some infantry of the line; this led the officers gathered at Quatre Bras to admit, somewhat sheepishly, that this might be merely a strong reconnaissance by the French.
Only when the Duke came back from his meeting with the Prussian and heard the thunderous cannonading did he realize the urgency of the situation. But since then he was pretty occupied, may have no time or chance to say something to the Prince of Sachsen-Weimar.
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