He defeated the French at Fuentes de Onoro in May. In January , he took Ciudad Rodrigo - for which he received an earldom - and assaulted Badajoz in April. This battle proved Wellington had the ability to manoeuvre and attack in the open field, and established his reputation as an offensive general.
However, his subsequent failure to take Burgos September-October forced the British to retreat once more to Portugal. Wellington used this case to carry his maps and official documents during the Peninsular War Advancing back into Spain in May , Wellington destroyed the French army at Vittoria, personally leading one of the columns against the French centre.
This victory earned him a field marshal's baton and was followed by the capture of San Sebastian and the advance into France. After Napoleon's abdication in , Wellington returned home a hero.
He was raised to the highest rank of the peerage, becoming the Duke of Wellington. He attended the Congress of Vienna to agree a peace plan for Europe. But when Napoleon returned to power in February , Wellington immediately assumed command of the allied armies, overseeing German, Dutch and Belgian troops. He joined forces with the Prussians in the Netherlands, but was taken by surprise at Quatre Bras on 16 June Two days later, Wellington faced Napoleon at Waterloo.
The Battle of Waterloo, on 18 June , was fierce and bloody. But with Prussian help, Wellington emerged victorious. The battle ended French attempts to dominate Europe and secured Wellington's place in the history books. The victory at Waterloo cemented Wellington's status as a military hero. He returned to his political career and served as prime minster from to , and again in However, his strong leadership style - so effective on the battlefield - proved autocratic and contentious in Westminster.
And he soon realised that leading a country was quite different to leading an army. He oversaw Catholic Emancipation in , but courted unpopularity by opposing the Reform Act. Wellington's brief second premiership ended when he stepped down in December But he did not completely withdraw from public life until He remained commander-in-chief of the army, a role in which he proved resistant to military reform.
Wellington died from a stroke on 14 September On his death, he was once again hailed as the hero of Waterloo. Queen Victoria even described him as 'the greatest man this country ever produced'.
He was given a state funeral in London and was laid to rest in St Paul's Cathedral, next to Britain's other military hero of the age, Lord Horatio Nelson. Napoleonic Wars s s Europe Great Commanders. His fear of mob rule was enhanced by the riots and sabotage that followed rising rural unemployment. His opposition to reform caused his popularity to plummet to such an extent that crowds gathered to throw missiles at his London home. The government was defeated in the Commons, and the duke resigned, to be replaced by Earl Grey.
He continued to fight reform in opposition, though he finally consented to the Great Reform Bill in In he organised a military force to protect London against possible Chartist violence at the large meeting at Kennington Common.
He also gave his name to the humble Wellington boot. See all Past Prime Ministers. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. Skip to main content. Home History of the UK Government. Is this page useful? Arthur was 12 and just about to go to Eton. His father Garret Wesley the family name was later changed to Wellesley left his mother Anne and brothers with large debts and they decided to move to London, and later Brussels.
Arthur was an unpromising child and his mother thought that he was only fit for the army so he was sent to military academy in Angers, France. His early commissions were due in part to the influence of his brother Richard Wellesley, who has forging his own career in public life and did a great deal to help his younger brother.
India was where Wellington made his name. He was promoted to Major General in and achieved his first major victory at the Battle of Assaye. As he prepared to sail home his thoughts turned to Catherine Kitty Pakenham, the daughter of Lord Longford.
They had met in Dublin society and had fallen in love but his proposal has been rejected by the Longford family.
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