Hi Claus,
Glad you like it - my Back to the Napoleonic wars thread seems to have taken off lately, although
when I first started this post - it was just as a bit of pure escapism from the trials and tribulations
of everyday life in Ukraine.
It will certainly not suit all tastes but judging by the number of hits - their are certainly more
escape artists out their wanting to get away from it all.
Of course what makes the Napoleonic Wars so interesting is it was a conflict ( starting off as
a Revolution in France ) that quickly engulfed much of Europe during the late 18th & early
19th century; in fact you could almost consider it the first world war.
The russians do call it the 1st Patriotic War with the Great Patriotic War being the 2nd World War
and of course its the background to Tolstoys great novel, War and Peace.
The second amazing thing is that historical re-enactment ( the russians call it reconstruction ) has
taken off so dramatically in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union including the former
Eastern Bloc states, since glasnost and perestroica.
As your probably aware from the Russia today documentary, re-enactment attracts many people from
all walks of life, factory workers, bank managers, clerks, artists, business executives, policemen and
the FSB
- nah only kidding on that one.
But returning to the Napoleonic Wars in Denmark. As you so rightly say Claus, those terrible
British sea dogs led by Admiral James Gambier carried out a preventive strike on the Danish capitol,
Copenhagen.
Napoleon Bonaparte was lording it over much of Europe back in 1807, having won great victories
over the Austro-Hungarians at Austerlitz in 1805, Prussia a year later at Jena and finally
Russia at Friedland in June 1807. Forcing the Russian Tsar, Alexander to sue for peace at the
treaty of Tilsit banning all British goods from russian ports.
With most of Europe in Napoleon's back pocket, the Lords of the Admiralty in London, feared
neutral Denmark would fall like a ripe apple to French aggression.
Britian had already forestalled a previous planned invasion of England by Napoleon in 1805 by
destroying the Franco-Spainish fleet at Trafalgar.
Britain was naturally reluctant to see another grand fleet like the ships owned by the Danish
navy fall into French hands.
Of course its open to much debate and conjecture whether Napoleon ever had any designs on
the Danish fleet.
Anyway as September 2007 was the 200th anniversary of the bombarding of Copenhagen and
the seizure of the Danish fleet by the British.
Heres the Danish tv reports of the event:
http://www.dr.dk/NETTV/Update/2007/09/01/20070901145040.htmTV2 report:
http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/video/index.php/nodeId-8121269.htmlBritish troops help sailors shorten sail, as they approach their landing point outside Copenhagen:
British troops disembarking into their landing boats:
Danish Troops, having spotted the approach of the British landing ships - load their cannons:
Danish cannons open fire as the British soldiers row their boats towards shore:
Many people from Copenhagen come to witness the British landing:
More boats packed with British soldiers, with sailors at the oars, row to shore:
The first of the british boats is pulled ashore:
Tensions are high as the british disembark their troops on the beach:
The British form a line as they prepare to advance from their beachhead:
The Danes reload as they prepare to receive the British attack:
British troops open fire on the Danes:
Danes fall back to the woods abandoning their cannon:
British fire on the Danish position:
British troops capture the guns, as the fire fight continues along the shore:
The Danes, pinned down in a corner, have no option but to retire before the British close in:
