Duke of Hanover

Duke of Hanover

THE OPPOSING ARMIES The Anglo-Allied Army of the Low Countries Wellington’s Army comprised troops of many nationalities, speaking four principle languages—Englishmen, Dutch, Germans and French-speaking Belgians. The Germans were troops of the armies of Brunswick and Hanover. The King’s German Legion—raised also in Hanover —had served in the Peninsular War in the service of King George III who ruled as Duke of Hanover. The Netherlands had just been forcibly united with Belgium in March, upon word of Napoleon’s return to France. The unification forged between Dutch and Belgian units— many of which had fought under Napoleon the year before, and still wore their French-style uniforms—was necessarily fragile. Two Nassau units came from the German principality lying along the east bank of the Rhine opposite Koblenz. The line troops had been in the Netherlands service for a long time, and were commanded by a German Prince, Bernard of SaxeWeimar. The two Landwehr (militia) battalions under Kruse had just joined the army at the beginning of June. Among the English Troops, 15 understrength battalions remained in Holland after the 1814 campaign; in the Spring of 1815, these were shifted into Belgium and filled up with young conscripts. Three regiments had just returned from America upon the conclusion of the War of 1812-1814 (two of these were in Adam’s brigade of Clinton’s division). The cadre of these 26 battalions were veterans of the Spanish campaign, and they were the best troops available to Wellington. Veterans accounted for only about 60% of British troops; whereas all the KGL troops were veterans, most of the other contingents were green troops.


-- Louis Sheehan