TEACHING HISTORY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 198, 9 April 1943, Page 3

TEACHING HISTORY

Sir-I notice that "A.G.B." carefully evades the point of my letter in connection with the myth and sentiment created round Trafalgar and Waterloo by partisan writers. He indulges in a little sarcasm at my expense, and remarks in questionable taste that. my views indicate that "Britons should be ashamed of themselves for winning, or claiming as victories’ those battles. There was nothing in my letter . to denote anything of the kind, as I yield to no one in my admiration for British valour and British fighting qualities. I merely called attention to a few historical blunders, which, unfortunately for posterity, have almost passed into a positive belief; Your other correspondent, R. White, enters into the controversial arena in a much more chivalrous manner. Admitting having read Maxwell’s history, he says he has "failed to find therein that Russia and Austria were England’s allies, or were advancing to the assistance of the English" at Waterloo, I would remind Mr. White that when Napoleon escaped from Elba and landed in France, the whole of the States of Europe, headed by England, Russia, Austria and Prussia, linked themselves up in a mighty coalition at the Congress of Vienna on March 13, 1815, and bound themselves by a solemn declaration not to lay down their arms until the destruction of Bonaparte was effected. According to the official returns presented at the Congress, the troops of the combined Powers totalled 986,000. No two writers agree as to the number of troops at ‘Napoleon’s command, but 300, 000' ready and equipped to take’ the field would be a fair esti-

mate,

J. A.

WALSH

(Pahiatua),