The Generals

I want to leave India. I want to go home. I told you this in the letters I wrote. If you did read them, then surely you are not surprised.’

‘Go home?’ Richard shook his head. ‘But Arthur, I need you here, at my side.You are my right arm.’

‘You don’t need me any more.’ Arthur nodded to the map on the wall behind his brother, now almost all under the sway of England and the East India Company.‘It’s over, Richard.We have achieved all that we set out to achieve here. We have won an empire for England, and for the first time many of the native races have known peace and prosperity.What is there left for me to do? I have beaten every army that opposed us. Now I wish to leave. You should consider it too, before you overstay the reputation you have forged for yourself.’

‘But I need you here,’ Richard persisted.

Arthur shook his head. ‘General Lake is more than capable of taking over my command. Besides, I feel that I’ve outgrown India. I’ve learned my craft and when I return to Europe I believe I will be a match for any general amongst our enemies.’

‘Even that fellow Bonaparte?’

‘Even him,’Arthur replied firmly.‘England needs me, Richard. And, thanks to the years I have dedicated to our interests here, I need England. I need rest.’

Richard stared at him, thin-lipped, for a long while before at last he sighed.‘It seems you have fixed your mind on this. Is there nothing I can say that will change your opinion?’

‘No.’>

‘Very well, then. I will have your authority to quit India drawn up. I take it you will need a few months to settle your affairs here?’

‘Yes.’ Arthur felt a surge of pure relief flow through his body now that the decision was made. ‘Thank you, Richard.’

‘I should thank you. Without you, none of this would have been possible.’ Richard gestured towards the map. ‘All England should thank you.’

Arthur rose from his seat.‘It’s been a long journey. If you don’t mind?’

‘Of course not. I’ll have some rooms made ready for you at the fort.You can wait in the mess until they’re ready.Will you join me for dinner tonight?’

‘Yes. I’d like that.’ Arthur smiled and then turned to leave the office. As he wandered down the corridor, past the line of offices filled with clerks feverishly struggling to cope with the new empire, Arthur gazed out across the ramparts, over the river, following its course to the horizon where it eventually flowed into the sea. There would be much to do before he could finally leave this land, but before all that there was one pressing matter he had to attend to with all his heart. He took his seat at a desk in the corner of the mess and placed a sheet of paper on the surface in front of him. Several newly arrived officers, pink-faced and flush with youthful energy, cast curious glances at him but he ignored them as he dipped his pen in the inkwell and began to write.

My dearest Kitty, I am coming home . . .

Author’s note

One of the most fascinating aspects of writing this series has been recreating the origins of two of history’s greatest generals: where they came from, what their background was and how their historical context helped determine their characters and defined the opportunities open to them. The Generals covers that vital part of their careers where Bonaparte and Wellesley learned their craft as commanders of armies. And what formidable armies they proved to be!

The men that Napoleon encountered when he arrived in Italy were hungry, sick, poorly equipped and unpaid, and outnumbered by a better-armed and better-trained enemy. Yet, like Robert E. Lee’s Army ofVirginia, they won tremendous victories because they marched and fought harder than their enemy, and had a terrific sense of elan besides. For this they had Napoleon to thank. Right from the outset he knew what motivated men and made every effort to win their respect. He made sure that good service and bravery were rewarded, and he tolerated a level of informality with his men that warmed their hearts and made them identify with his military goals, and ultimately his political ambitions.

By contrast, Wellesley was an utter professional who quickly grasped that relentless training and preparation would provide him with an army that would stand firm in the face of far larger enemy forces. When the British troops closed with the enemy their discipline and training completely outclassed their opponents, with the result that a handful of Europeans were left the masters of India by the time the Wellesley brothers quit the subcontinent. While Napoleon was a shrewd leader of men, Wellesley was a master of every detail of supply and manoeuvre, on the battlefield as well as off it.

It is important when considering their careers not to lose sight of the different circumstances in which each man sought advancement. Napoleon was very fortunate to be in Paris at the time of the royalist uprising. That made him a reputation he was quick to exploit. Indeed, he wore good fortune like a second skin in his meteoric rise to the rank of First Consul. For Wellesley, mired in a far less flexible political and military context, the prospects for promotion were much more limited than his great rival’s - at least until he arrived in India where British ambitions to extend the influence of the East India Company at last provided him with the chance to experiment with and perfect his ideas about generalship. His natural flair, and tireless dedication to his calling, were soon appreciated by his superiors who often manipulated the rigid rules of military precedence to secure him a commander’s role in the campaigns in which he fought. Unlike the fiery Napoleon, Wellesley was the embodiment of calm collected command, as his officers and men frequently commented in reports and letters home.

With Napoleon now master of France and a formidable power within Europe, and Wellesley the hero of India, the stage is set for each man to carve out his place in history. While Napoleon seeks to make France the undisputed power in Europe, Arthur is just as strongly resolved to defeat France and save his nation from the chaos and bloodshed of revolutionary ideals.

For those who wish to flesh out their knowledge of the background to The Generals I thoroughly recommend the following titles. David Chandler’s compendious The Campaigns of Napoleon provides detailed accounts of the campaigns and battles and a fascinating analysis of Napoleon and his methods. There are ample maps and diagrams to permit the reader to follow the action and some sound judgements about Napoleon’s motives and ambitions. For Wellesley, I would recommend Jac Weller’s Wellington in India. Again, it is a detailed and racy account of the young British officer’s rise to fame as he develops a successful means of waging war across India that had eluded all his predecessors.Weller is one of those historians who has walked the ground and his book is a useful guide to anyone who wishes to explore the battlefields in person. For a wonderful appreciation of the experiences of the British military in India I heartily recommend the delightful Sahib by Richard Holmes. Finally, an honourable mention must go to Paul Strathern for his excellent upcoming work on Napoleon in Egypt, a proof of which unfortunately arrived just after I had completed this book.

I’ll conclude with the usual caveat. While The Generals is a work of fiction I have made every effort to be faithful to the facts. However, there are occasions when I have had to bend the history and tweak time to make the story work. I apologise to the purists for this, but I wanted to share my excitement about these two towering historical figures in as pacy and readable a way as possible. They lived in extraordinary times and were both extraordinary individuals, and it is those aspects that I wanted to do full justice to in this book.

Simon Scarrow

January 2007

THE GENERALS

SIMON SCARROW