Architects of Empire: The Duke of Wellington and His Brothers
Architects of Empire: The Duke of Wellington and His Brothers
By John Severn
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Number Of Pages: 602
Publication Date: 2007-05-30
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0806138106
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780806138107
Binding: Hardcover
A soldier and statesman for the ages, the Duke of Wellington is a towering figure in world history. John Severn now offers a fresh look at the man born Arthur Wellesley to show that his career was very much a family affair, a lifelong series of interactions with his brothers and their common Anglo-Irish heritage. The untold story of a great family drama, Architects of Empire paints a new picture of the era through the collective biography of Wellesley and his siblings.
Whereas other historians have minimized the importance of family ties, Severn provides an unusually nuanced understanding of the Duke of Wellington. Architects of Empire casts his career in a new light--one that will surprise those who believe they already know the man.
Summary: The Duke and His Brothers...
Rating: 4
As John Severn notes in his introduction, the First Duke of Wellington is such a towering figure in British history as to have completely overshadowed his four brothers, at least two of whom were consequential figures in their time. 2007's "Architects of Empire" attempts to place Arthur Wellesley in the context of his Anglo-Irish family and document his often mutually benefial interaction with his brothers.
Arthur Wellesley was the third of five brothers. The oldest, Richard, who succeeded to his father's title in the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, was supposed to be the annointed one. Brillant, articulate, and ambitious, Richard had a dazzling school career and entered British politics with a promising network of prominent friends. Richard unfortunately was an indifferent politician, his own worst enemy in pursuit of his ambition. He did look out for his brothers, arranging the Army commissions that eventually sent Arthur to India as a lieutenant colonel. Richard followed Arthur to India as the Governor General for the East India Company, superbly suited by temperment and ambition to create Britain's destiny on the Indian subcontinent. By dint of war and negotiation, Richard vastly expanded British power and influence in India. Arthur, Richard's trusted agent but also a highly compentent young officer, found repeated succuess on the battlefield and as an administrator of new territories. The Wellesley's youngest brother Henry came out as Richard's secretary, beginning a long career in diplomacy.
The next great stage for the Wellesleys was in the Iberian Peninsula as it became a cockpit of the Napoleonic Wars. Richard went to Spain as the British Ambassador, there to spend three years trying to keep the Spanish in the fight with France. Richard was succeeded by his brother Henry as ambassador. For Arthur, the Peninsular War was the making of his reputation as a commander. In a five year campaign, Arthur, with astonishing patience and military skill, outgeneraled vastly superior French forces and liberated Portugal and Spain. In 1815, he led one of the two allied armies that combined to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo, winning a permanent place in history.
Richard left Spain in 1812, having laid the groundwork for success and returning for a larger role in government. In the event, Richard seriously misjudged the step to prime minister. He would over the years occupy a number of government posts, but his career had clearly peaked. Ironically, his brother Arthur would become prime minister in 1829 as a result of leadership shuffles. Arthur would last only three years, but would continue to hold various offices and to act as senior statesman for the rest of his long life. Henry would enjoy a long and reasonably successful career in the diplomatic corps.
The two remaining brothers lived quieter and only relatively less successful lives. Second brother William dabbled around the edge of politics for years, but his primary role in the Wellesley saga seems to have been as manager of his brothers' affairs while they were overseas. Fourth brother Gerald was a hardworking and respected cleric in the Church of England, who never played any role in politics.
Severn's book represents a prodigious amount of research. The five brothers Wellesley were by turns competitive and cooperative. Severn establishes how much Arthur's early rapid rise relied upon assistance from Richard, and how Richard, Arthur, and Henry collaborated on the eventual British successes in India and in Iberia. "Architects of Empire" documents the very human side of the Wellesleys: their ambition, jeolousy, and endlessly squabbling.
This is a long book at over 500 pages, with some redundancy of coverage and commentary. It isn't clear that two of the brothers played any prominent role in either empire or family building. Nevertheless, this is a very worthwhile read as a family take on the Duke of Wellington and his remarkable career.
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