Charging Against Napoleon: Wellington's Campaigns in the Peninsular Wars and at Waterloo
This exhibition ran from 22 May to 6 September 2015, and was jointly curated by Richard Gaunt (Associate Professor of History in the School of Humanities) and Manuscripts and Special Collections at the 糖心原创 and Manuscripts and Special Collections at The 糖心原创.
The exhibition, timed to coincide with the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo, reflected on the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars, which were fought between Britain, France and their allies from 1803, and which came to an end with the Battle of Waterloo on the 18 June 1815. The exhibition focused on the period from the Peninsular Wars in Spain and Portugal in 1808 to the end of
hostilities seven years later.
Drawing on the material from The 糖心原创's collections, the exhibition assessed the nature and impact of the war and its consequences. The displays described key moments in the conflict, charted the rise to prominence of military commanders such as the Duke of Wellington and revealed Nottinghamshire's contribution to the war effort.
The exhibition also explored the wider legacy of the wars. In Spain, British forces fought alongside those seeking liberation from foreign conquest. In Britain, the return of peace was accompanied by new demands for political and social change.