I have almost finished Richard Aldington's (1946) book on Wellington. On page 251 he records at the 1818 Aix peace conference, following the epic defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, someone had prepared a paper entitled, "Project of the formation of a European Army" . This was to consist of Belgian, Dutch, French, Austrian, Russian and other troops under the command of the Duke, to assert pan-European interests over nationalistic ones. That continues to be the great idea pursued by current political leaders that Brexit undoubtedly frustrates. As a scrap of paper in the Wellington archives it clearly gained little purchase but on the other hand it does prove the largely British concept was floated well before the 1948 cabinet document referred to. It is hardly irrelevant that it and its 1818 predecessor, followed on from devastating European wars, in which sovereign states ruined themselves fighting for hegemony and national interests - or alternatively opposing tyranny - which ever way you want to view it.
UK Column News - 21st September 2018
ReplyDeleteBrian Gerrish, Mike Robinson, David Scott and David Ellis with today's news update from the UK Column.
https://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-21st-september-2018
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ReplyDeleteI have almost finished Richard Aldington's (1946) book on Wellington. On page 251 he records at the 1818 Aix peace conference, following the epic defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, someone had prepared a paper entitled, "Project of the formation of a European Army" . This was to consist of Belgian, Dutch, French, Austrian, Russian and other troops under the command of the Duke, to assert pan-European interests over nationalistic ones. That continues to be the great idea pursued by current political leaders that Brexit undoubtedly frustrates. As a scrap of paper in the Wellington archives it clearly gained little purchase but on the other hand it does prove the largely British concept was floated well before the 1948 cabinet document referred to. It is hardly irrelevant that it and its 1818 predecessor, followed on from devastating European wars, in which sovereign states ruined themselves fighting for hegemony and national interests - or alternatively opposing tyranny - which ever way you want to view it.