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Wellington is rightly remembered as a great military commander, and especially
for his tactical virtuosity and adaptability to circumstances
- whether in monsoon India, amid the mountains of Spain or
the plains of Flanders. He was a pragmatic general. He recognised
the value of direct and personal intervention on the battlefield
and proper reconnaissance and supply - for a man renowned
for his good luck he rarely left things to chance.
Assisted by his physical strength - he survived climates
that felled lesser men - and through the example of his personal
bravery, honest bearing and commanding stature, he won the
admiration of his men for avoiding needless bloodshed, and
by his sometimes harsh discipline he brought into being a
remarkable fighting force.
King's College salutes the role of Wellington in its foundation
in which he played a decisive role. The building of the College
in the Strand also owes much to his influence and patronage.
When the new Queen Victoria and her principal subjects processed
past King's on the occasion of her accession in 1837, it was
therefore not surprising that the loudest cheers were reserved
for the great general, Napoleon's conqueror.
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