|
Filled with some terrific images of naval warfare in the
times of fighting sail and Nelson at varying ages, The
Great Commanders paints the picture of a flawed man who
was an absolute genius at naval warfare.
There are details of his battles in the Mediterranean, at
the Nile, Copenhagen and his leadership of the Channel Fleet
at a time when the British public's fears of a French invasion
were quietened by his protecting their doorsteps.
It pulls no punches about his uncaring treatment of his wife
Fanny, or his very public affair with the love of his life
Lady Emma Hamilton, or the fact he was vain, or even that
he did make some big mistakes - such as a failed commando
raid on Boulogne.
But it does so with a huge respect and only to counter the
Victorian image of Nelson as a perfect hero.
He was great, the experts say, not perfect. Those experts
include the doyen of Napoleonic studies David Chandler, Tom
Pocock, Brian Lavery, Colin White and General Huw Pike.
They all agree he ranks highly among the list of great military
commanders because of his mixture of physical and moral courage,
ability to plan operations down to the finest detail and inspire
his men to great heights.
The Great Commanders then looks at Nelson's bold and
brilliant use of his outnumbered and outgunned fleet at Trafalgar
when he took on and destroyed a combined force of French and
Spanish ships.
The superiority of the Royal Navy's gunnery and battle tactics
- firing at the hull of enemy ships rather than the sails
- is gone into and how the harbour-bound French and Spanish
were no match for the sea-hardened British crews.
It shows how the battle fleets came together - with Nelson
using the revolutionary tactic of splitting the enemy line
of battle - with excellent 3D graphics. These computer-generated
images make the confusion of a naval battle far easier to
understand.
There are also quotes from journals of survivors of the battle
that also add colour and atmosphere to the episode.
Nelson was mortally wounded during the battle, but died knowing
his side had won the contest that established Britain as the
world's leading sea power for more than a century.
One of the astounding facts to come out of this fantastic
and informative programme is that some 450 British sailors
died along with Nelson, compared with 4500 French and Spanish,
who also suffered more than 20,000 men captured.
This episode of a terrific series, which is now out on DVD
and video, is a must for those interested in how Britain stopped
the threat of Napoleon Bonaparte invading Britain - and how
Trafalgar landlocked the French empire.
For more on Horatio Nelson and warfare in the Napoleonic
Era check out The
Napoleonic Guide.
Alexander the Great and Issus
Rated as the world's leading military commander, Alexander
the Great was a complex personality who took a small Macedonian
army and carved out a huge empire.
While only 32 when he died, Alexander had conquered a massive
portion of the known world against huge numbers of opponents.
The battle focussed upon by The Great Commanders is
his victory at Issus, when he led an audacious charge across
a river and destroyed a host of Persian soldiers.
Georgi Zhukov and Berlin
Faced with a seemingly invincible enemy in the form of the
German army of World War II, Josef Stalin appointed the tough
commander Georgi Zhukov to lead the Soviet Union's armies.
Uncompromising and ruthless, Zhukov even ran his men through
minefields because he figured the casualties would be the
same as trying to clear them away.
But Zhukov's handling of large forces and success in capturing
Berlin have him rated as being the leading soldier of last
century.
Conclusion: Movie 90%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
|
