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The Allied Forces of the Napoleonic Wars was composed of Napoleon Bonaparte's enemies: Britain, Russia, Austria, Sweden, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, Piedmont, Prussia, Saxony and Ottoman Empire.

British Forces

The British forces consisted of 320,000 troops at their height, a notable 2% of the entire British population at the time.

Infantry

Gaining experience under the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War and forged into a disciplined, honed weapon of war, they advanced to become a very prominent force in the Napoleonic Wars.

The redcoats, as they were called, principally employed tactics such as disciplined volley fire and bayonet charges and saw much success through these methods.

Cavalry

Britain's war effort against France was always hampered by a shortage of cavalry. Its lack of numbers accompanied by poor leadership and indiscipline wasted not only good opportunities but also lives.

Heavy Cavalry

There were 2 distinct branches of British heavy cavalry: the Household Regiments and the Heavy Dragoons.

Household Regiments

The Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards were of little use during the early years of the Napoleonic Wars, but they certainly made up for tardiness with their heroics at the Battle of Waterloo.

Heavy Dragoons

These mounted infantryman and heavily armed cavalrymen included seven regiments of Dragoon Guards and six of Dragoons.

Being large men on large horses, the British heavy dragoons were used as shock troops in battle. They would throw themselves into the fray to bolster a weakening line, as at Waterloo, or smash through the enemy formations and rout them.

Light Dragoons

The skills required of light cavalry (patrolling, reconnaissance, and screening) had to be picked up while on active duty.

The best of the British units was the King's German Legion, which performed excellent service in the Peninsula and created history by breaking French Infantry squares at Garcia Hernandez.

Hussars

Hussars were introduced into the British army after 1806, when four Light Dragoon regiments, the 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th, were styled hussars.

Artillery

Cannons

Britain had a small but highly effective artillery arm (the Royal Artillery) that was exceedingly well trained but suffered from light guns. British cannon barrels were brass, with the carriages, wheels, and timbers painted grey and metal pieces painted black. The basic guns were from three to six pounders, and the British found themselves at a distinct disadvantage against French cannons. In fact, the Duke of Wellington forbade his gunners to engage in counter-battery fire against the superior French weapons and ordered them to focus on firing at enemy troops.

The anti-personnel bias of British artillery was boosted by the invention of a fused spherical case-shot that was designed, by General Sir Henry Shrapnel, to explode over the heads of enemy troops and shower them with musketballs.

Ranges

Crew

Each cannon was manned by five gunners.

Rockets

Another newfound British invention was the Congreve Rocket, which was intended to shoot a barrage of 12-pounder explosives in the general direction of the enemy.

Unfortunately, the rockets were not very accurate and although they did see action in Iberia, as well as in Germany, they were not viewed as being particularly effective.

Commanders

Britain's most famous army commander, the Duke of Wellington, was the only battlefield leader capable of matching Napoleon Bonaparte's skills. Not only was he a tremendous field general, but he was also a master of logistics and diplomacy - both of which were critical in operating on the Iberian Peninsula with Portuguese and Spanish troops in addition to his British Redcoats. His colleagues and subordinates, colourful and professional as they were, did not have his mastery of the tactical situation.

• The Duke of Wellington
• Robert Craufurd
• Sir Thomas Graham
• Henry Paget (Lord Uxbridge)
• Sir Rowland Hill
• William Beresford
• Sir Isaac Brock
• Sir Stapleton Cotton
• Sir Thomas Picton
• Sir John Moore
• William I of the Netherlands as Dutch Commander
• Sir Edward Pakenham
• Sir John Le Marchant

References

• Richard Moore. "The Napoleonic Guide". Retrieved December 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

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