Waterloo won because the marshal took physical education classes?

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, a TV station’s midnight documentary talked about the topic of education in China, and deeply reflected on the importance of physical education. In the program, a famous educator in China said: The Duke of Wellington said a famous saying after defeating Napoleon. Victory at Waterloo was decided on the playing fields of Eton.

This famous quote is thought-provoking and concise, making people aware of the importance of school physical education classes, which can't help but improve it to several levels.

However, some people say that the Duke of Wellington himself never said this sentence and that it was invented by a Western writer in the postwar decades.

However, the Duke of Wellington, as an alumnus of Eton College, shattered the myth of Napoleon at Waterloo. His professionalism and military command ability are indeed extraordinary, and it cannot be said that they have a lot to do with his complete and fulfilling educational experience. Eton is famous for its many famous people. It is said that there have been more than 20 British Prime Ministers, generals and academics, as well as countless others.

However, don’t forget that Eton is an aristocratic school among aristocrats.

Even if there is a saying that the Battle of Waterloo was determined by education, it means that Wellington himself was highly educated, or that several senior British officers were highly educated. The educational level of British soldiers and even junior officers during the Battle of Waterloo can be said to be in a mess. Wellington once complained that no one in 0739qq had read the rules or orders of the British army.

But if you listen to domestic educators, it is easy to misunderstand that British soldiers have all attended Eton College, have a high average educational level, and have taken physical education classes, so they are wise and brave in fighting.

In fact, the closest explanation to this famous saying is that the generalissimo himself has taken physical education classes, so the tens of thousands of British troops under his command are very powerful.

Isn’t this logic a bit strange?

In fact, Wellington has a true saying on record: Our friends are the dregs of society. In fact, the French army at Waterloo had already fully accepted the baptism of freedom and equality, and was shocked by the strict and cruel class boundaries and class oppression between British soldiers and officers. As a Napoleonic veteran recalled, British officers were all upper class, either nobles or gentlemen, and the soldiers were all from the proletariat who blindly obeyed the officers. French General Fuwa made this comment: British soldiers are stupid and unrestrained.

In addition, it is difficult for British junior officers and non-commissioned officers without noble titles to receive further promotions even if they have sufficient combat experience. Civilian officers often end up becoming lieutenants or even captains. Senior ranks in the British Army cost a lot of money to buy.

However, the Duke of Wellington was different. Arthur Wellesley, Earl Mornington's fourth son, became a second lieutenant at 18 and a lieutenant colonel at 24. Five promotions in six years were obtained through purchase. During this period, he transferred to seven regiments and never served in actual combat for a day. In 1793, Arthur Wellesley spent money to buy a lieutenant colonel rank in the 33rd Infantry Regiment, which became a turning point in actual combat. After that, Arthur Wellesley moved to India and Spain, constantly accumulated battlefield experience, and won successive victories in various places. He was awarded the titles of baronet, viscount, earl and marquess until he was created Duke of Wellington.

In Britain at that time, if you were just a civilian, it was impossible to become such a famous person. On the other hand, if Britain had the egalitarian attitude of the French, Arthur Wellesley would not have been able to become a senior officer at a young age, nor would he have been able to skip the junior officer stage with a high mortality rate, let alone become Field Marshal of Waterloo .

So, rather than saying that the physical education class at Eton College determined the victory of Waterloo, it is better to say that the British system of selling jobs and titles was the decisive factor in the victory of Waterloo, that is, the genius of the Duke of Wellington was generally discovered.

There is nothing wrong with emphasizing the importance of physical education, but it cannot be premised on tampering with history classes.