The Times Great Military Lives: Leadership and Courage – from Waterloo to the Falklands in Obituaries. Ian Brunskill
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СКАЧАТЬ by the 30th of the same month the Germans had three armies in the field. The French, on the contrary, had with difficulty collected 270,000 men with 925 guns by the beginning of August. The Emperor assumed the chief command, and had 128,000 men between Metz and the frontier at Saarbrück, some 47,000 under Marshal MacMahon on the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains, and 35,000 in reserve at Châlons.

      The first engagement took place on August 2nd, when General Frossard’s corps drove out the weak German detachment in Saarbrück, but did not follow up its success, and the Germans took the offensive the next day. On the 4th the Third German Army, under the command of the Crown Prince, met General Douay’s advanced brigade near Wissembourg, defeated it, and then pressed forward. On the 6th the Crown Prince attacked the united Army Corps of Generals MacMahon, Failly, and Canrobert, drawn up in position at Woerth. MacMahon was in chief command, having under him some 50,000 men in all, and he occupied a strong defensive position on the slopes of the Vosges. The Marshal fought courageously against tremendous odds (the Germans having about 120,000 men), and he braved death in the most reckless manner, wringing testimonials of admiration from his enemies. But the display was powerless against the well-laid plans and superior force of the Germans. He was compelled to fall back upon Nancy, leaving in the enemy’s hands 4,000 prisoners, 36 cannon, and two standards.

      MacMahon’s retreat was so ably conducted, however, that the Emperor confided to him the supreme command of the new levies which he was mustering at Châlons. This new army was the last hope of France. The Marshal was ordered to effect a junction with Bazaine’s forces at Metz. To effect this MacMahon began a northerly march on the 21st of August, without intelligence reaching the Germans, part of whose Second Army was again in motion towards Paris. On the 25th the Germans learned, as it was alleged, through a telegram in a foreign newspaper, of MacMahon’s movements, and they at once changed the direction of their march so as to intercept him. Finally, on the 30th, the 5th Corps, under De Failly, was surprised and driven northwards on Sedan. MacMahon here collected his dispirited troops, but only to find that the enemy had surrounded him, and by vigorous forward movements had captured the bridges over the Meuse and the commanding positions round the town. The fierce and decisive battle of Sedan commenced early on the 1st of September by the attack on Bazeilles. This village was captured by the Bavarians and recaptured by the French and ultimately burned. By noon MacMahon had been dangerously wounded in the thigh, and he resigned his command to General Wimpffen.

      When M. Thiers resigned the Presidency of the Republic, May 24, 1873, Marshal MacMahon was elected to the vacant office by the Assembly. While MacMahon himself was unwilling to accept the office, it is said that his ambitious wife was determined that he should receive the Presidential office. She had put his name about, chiefly through the Figaro, as the champion of order, so that the Marshal, after considerable persuasion, accepted the Headship of the Executive.

      This extract from the extensive obituary published in The Times on 18 October 1893 concentrates on MacMahon’s exploits in the Crimean and Franco-Prussian wars. At his death, a Paris newspaper proclaimed, ‘He was the last but one of the French Marshals, (Canrobert was still alive) identified with the old monarchy and not likely to be revived’, but the honour of Marshal of France was bestowed on French commanders of the First World War and subsequently.

      On the battlefield, MacMahon displayed coolness but also impetuosity, reflecting the cavalry tradition, although his early service was as an infantry officer. He lacked the intellect and temperament to be a commander-in-chief, succumbing as he did to the strategy of Moltke in 1870.

      As a politician he was well-intentioned, in particular for the benefit of the poorer classes, but artless and easily out-manoeuvred by the professionals. It was a weakness he almost certainly recognised but shouldered political responsibility – when no other suitable candidate was available – as a matter of patriotism and soldierly honour.

      His devotion tothe large family his wife, a lady of the ducal house of Caraman, bore him was a consistent feature of his life.

       CETYWAYO

       Cetywayo, King of the Zulus.

      11 FEBRUARY 1884.

      

      CETYWAYO, WHOSE SUDDEN death is announced by telegram on 10 February, was the son of King Umpanda, who for many years ruled over Zululand. In 1856 Cetywayo’s ambitious designs on the throne led to family quarrels, which before long broke forth into open war. In one of the battles six of the King’s sons were slain, and as the result of Cetywayo’s victories he virtually superseded his father and became King. A year or two later an ingenious compromise was arrived at. King Umpanda was declared to be too old to work or fight; but not too old to think. Cetywayo was therefore called in to share the Royal dignities and duties. The father was styled the head, while the son was said to be the feet of the nation.

      Umpanda, however, lived for many years after this compact had robbed him of most of his power. It was not until 1873, after a reign of 35 years, that the old King was laid to rest. Cetywayo then succeeded to the throne, his coronation taking place in the presence ot the Secretary for Native Affairs, Mr. afterwards Sir, Theophilus Shepstone. Five years later, Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Cape Colony, visited Natal in his capacity of the Queen’s High Commissioner for South Africa. He regarded Cetywayo’s military power with suspicion as a standing menace, in his opinion, to Natal and the Transvaal. So he despatched to Cetywayo in December, 1878, an ultimatum, calling upon him to make reparation for alleged outrages on British subjects, to disband his formidable army, to abandon his tyrannical system of Government, and to accept a British Resident. Cetywayo was in no mood to accede and treated this communication with contemptuous silence.

      The days of grace having elapsed, Lord Chelmsford, on January 11, 1879, entered Zululand, at the head of 13,000 British troops. The early weeks of the campaign were signalised by the disaster of Isandlana, followed by the gallant defence of the post at Rorke’s Drift. At Ulundi. on July 4, Lord Chelmsford completely routed the Zulus, and Cetywayo, taking to flight, sought a hiding place in the bush, where, however, on August 28 he was captured by Major Marter. By this time Sir Garnet Wolseley had succeeded Lord Chelmsford, and to him fell the task of re-organizing the country.

      He divided it into 13 separate governments, with a British Resident exercising control over all. Cetwayo himself was taken to Cape Town, where he was kept as a prisoner. Here he received all reasonable indulgence and freedom, subject to such regulations as were necessary for his safe detention. The ex-King constantly petitioned to be released, and also, as an alternative, to be brought to England. This latter request having been granted he arrived at Plymouth on August 3, 1882, and immediately came to London, where he occupied a private house in Melbury road, Kensington, which had been specially prepared for him by the Government. During his stay in England he visited the Earl of Kimberley at the Colonial Office, Mr. Gladstone in Downing street, the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House, and had an interview with the Queen at Osborne.

      On the 15th of August the Government announced that they had decided to restore Cetywayo, and he left England on the 1st of September to resume, as he thought, the throne of Zululand. His subsequent disappointments and defeats are still fresh in the public mind. The latest definite news with reference to Cetywayo previous to the announcement of his death was contained in a telegram from South Africa mentioning that on Sunday the 27th ult. the ex-King with a number of his followers surreptitiously left Ekowe, where he had been living under British protection. His destination and intentions were not known, but he was pursued by the military, captured on the following day, and brought back to Ekowe. There was no doubt, however, that Cetywayo still nourished a hope of regaining his throne. This is confirmed by a telegram so late as Wednesday last, which stated, in connexion with the movement of Boers into Zululand, that Cetywayo, Zibebu, and СКАЧАТЬ