CIC 481

Past Issues
CIC 480
CIC 479
CIC 478
CIC 477
CIC 476
CIC 475
CIC 474
CIC 473
CIC 472
CIC 471
CIC 470
CIC 469
CIC 468
CIC 467
CIC 466
CIC 465
CIC 464
CIC 463
CIC 462
CIC 461
CIC 460
CIC 459
CIC 458
CIC 457
CIC 456
CIC 455
CIC 454
CIC 453
CIC 452
CIC 451
CIC 450
CIC 449
CIC 448
CIC 447
CIC 446
CIC 445
CIC 444
CIC 443
CIC 442
CIC 441
CIC 440
CIC 439
CIC 438
CIC 437
CIC 436
CIC 435
CIC 434
CIC 433
CIC 432
CIC 431
CIC 430
CIC 429
CIC 428
CIC 427
CIC 426
CIC 425
CIC 424
CIC 423
CIC 422
CIC 421
CIC 420
CIC 419
CIC 418
CIC 417
CIC 416
CIC 415
CIC 414
CIC 413
CIC 412
CIC 411
CIC 410
CIC 409
CIC 408
CIC 407
CIC 406
CIC 405
CIC 404
CIC 403
CIC 402
CIC 401
CIC 400
CIC 399
CIC 398
CIC 397
CIC 396
CIC 395
CIC 394
CIC 393
CIC 392
CIC 391
CIC 390
CIC 389
CIC 388
CIC 387
CIC 386
CIC 385
CIC 384
CIC 383
CIC 382
CIC 381
CIC 380
CIC 379
CIC 378
CIC 377
CIC 375
CIC 374
CIC 373
CIC 372
CIC 371
CIC 370
CIC 369
CIC 368
CIC 367
CIC 366
CIC 365
CIC 364
CIC 363
CIC 362
CIC 361
CIC 360
CIC 359
CIC 358
CIC 357
CIC 356
CIC 355
CIC 354
CIC 353
CIC 352
CIC 351
CIC 350
CIC 349
CIC 348
CIC 347
CIC 346
CIC 345
CIC 344
CIC 343
CIC 342
CIC 341
CIC 340
CIC 339
CIC 338
CIC 337
CIC 336
CIC 335
CIC 334
CIC 333
CIC 332
CIC 331
CIC 330
CIC 329
CIC 328
CIC 327
CIC 326
CIC 325
CIC 324
CIC 323
CIC 322
CIC 321
CIC 320
CIC 319
CIC 318
CIC 317
CIC 316
CIC 315
CIC 314
CIC 313
CIC 312
CIC 311
CIC 310
CIC 309
CIC 308
CIC 307
CIC 306
CIC 305
CIC 304
CIC 303
CIC 302
CIC 301
CIC 300
CIC 299
CIC 298
CIC 297
CIC 296
CIC 295
CIC 294
CIC 293
CIC 292
CIC 291
CIC 290
CIC 289
CIC 288
CIC 287
CIC 286
CIC 285
CIC 284
CIC 283
CIC 282
CIC 281
CIC 280
CIC 279
CIC 278
CIC 277
CIC 276
CIC 275
CIC 274
CIC 273
CIC 272
CIC 271
CIC 270
CIC 269
CIC 268
CIC 267
CIC 266
CIC 265
CIC 264
CIC 263
CIC 262
CIC 261
CIC 260
CIC 259
CIC 258
CIC 257
CIC 256
CIC 255
CIC 254
CIC 253
CIC 252
CIC 251
CIC 250
CIC 249
CIC 248
CIC 247
CIC 246
CIC 245
CIC 244
CIC 243
CIC 242
CIC 241
CIC 240
CIC 239
CIC 238
CIC 237
CIC 236
CIC 235
CIC 234
CIC 233
CIC 232
CIC 231
CIC 230
CIC 229
CIC 228
CIC 227
CIC 226
CIC 225
CIC 224
CIC 223
CIC 222
CIC 221
CIC 220
CIC 219
CIC 218
CIC 217
CIC 216
CIC 215
CIC 214
CIC 213
CIC 212
CIC 211
CIC 210
CIC 209
CIC 208
CIC 207
CIC 206
CIC 205
CIC 204
CIC 203
CIC 202
CIC 201
CIC 200
CIC 199
CIC 198
CIC 197
CIC 196
CIC 195
CIC 194
CIC 193
CIC 192
CIC 191
CIC 190
CIC 189
CIC 188
CIC 187
CIC 186
CIC 185
CIC 184
CIC 183
CIC 182
CIC 181
CIC 180
CIC 179
CIC 178
CIC 177
CIC 176
CIC 175
CIC 174
CIC 173
CIC 172
CIC 171
CIC 170
CIC 169
CIC 168
CIC 167
CIC 166
CIC 165
CIC 164
CIC 163
CIC 162
CIC 161
CIC 160
CIC 159
CIC 158
CIC 157
CIC 156
CIC 155
CIC 154
CIC 153
CIC 152
CIC 151
CIC 150
CIC 149
CIC 148
CIC 147
CIC 146
CIC 145
CIC 144
CIC 143
CIC 142
CIC 141
CIC 140
CIC 139
CIC 138
CIC 137
CIC 136
CIC 135
CIC 134
CIC 133
CIC 132
CIC 131
CIC 130
CIC 129
CIC 128
CIC 127
CIC 126
CIC 125
CIC 124
CIC 123
CIC 122
CIC 121
CIC 120
CIC 119
CIC 118
CIC 117
CIC 116
CIC 115
CIC 114
CIC 113
CIC 112
CIC 111
CIC 110
CIC 109
CIC 108
CIC 107
CIC 106
CIC 105
CIC 104
CIC 103
CIC 102
CIC 101
CIC 100
CIC 99
CIC 98
CIC 97
CIC 96
CIC 95
CIC 94
CIC 93
CIC 92
CIC 91
CIC 90
CIC 89
CIC 88
CIC 87
CIC 86
CIC 85
CIC 84
CIC 83
CIC 82
CIC 81
CIC 80
CIC 79
CIC 78
CIC 77
CIC 76
CIC 75
CIC 74
CIC 73
CIC 72
CIC 71
CIC 70
CIC 69
CIC 68
CIC 67
CIC 66
CIC 65
CIC 64
CIC 63
CIC 62
CIC 61
CIC 60
CIC 59
CIC 58
CIC 57
CIC 56
CIC 55
CIC 54
CIC 53
CIC 52
CIC 51
CIC 50
CIC 49
CIC 48
CIC 47
CIC 46
CIC 45
CIC 44
CIC 43
CIC 42
CIC 41
CIC 40
CIC 39
CIC 38
CIC 37
CIC 36
CIC 35
CIC 34
CIC 33
CIC 32
CIC 31
CIC 30
CIC 29
CIC 28
CIC 27
CIC 26
CIC 25
CIC 24
CIC 23
CIC 22
CIC 21
CIC 20
CIC 19
CIC 18
CIC 17
CIC 16
CIC 15
CIC 14
CIC 13
CIC 12
CIC 11
CIC 10
CIC 9
CIC 8
CIC 7
CIC 6
CIC 5
CIC 4
CIC 3
CIC 2
CIC 1

"I Have a List!"

In April of AD 68, amidst widespread unrest over Nero’s increasingly erratic and depraved rule, and having learned of the Emperor’s plans to have him killed, the governor of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, Servius Sulpicius Galba (3 BC-AD 69), proclaimed himself champion of the “Senate and People of Rome” (SPQR), began raising troops, and set out for the capital.  By June, branded an outlaw by the Senate and deserted by all, including the Praetorian Guard, Nero committed suicide.  Now openly proclaiming himself Emperor, Galba reached Rome in October.

Although a man of impeccable ancestry and considerable ability, as emperor Galba didn’t work out very well.   He instituted an austerity program, which alienated many. But what did him in was his stinginess with rewards for the troops and the Praetorians, which made them restive.  Then, early in January of 69, having no sons of his own, Galba adopted Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi Licinianus (AD 38-69), a younger man also of impeccable ancestry (no less than a kinsman-by-marriage to the late Great Caesar himself).  This seriously irked Marcus Salvius Otho (AD 32-69), who had been among Galba’s earliest supporters, and had expected to be the one adopted.

On January 15, 69, Otho suborned the Praetorians, who promptly slew Galba and his adoptive son. The old man’s dying words were reportedly "Strike, if it be for the good of the Romans!"  Assuming the purple, Otho wisely decided to reward the guardsman who had struck the fatal blow against Galba.  Alas, he found that a great many Praetorians were claiming to have done the deed.  So Otho had a list drawn up, in order to help investigate each man’s claim, which turned out to have no fewer than 120 names on it.

Meanwhile, on January 1, 69, even before Otho had arranged to bump off Galba, the legions in the Rhineland had proclaimed an emperor of their own, Aulus Vitellius (AD 15-69), governor of Lower Germany, who soon began his own march on Rome.  Naturally, when Otho heard the news, he headed north with an army to fight the “usurper”.  After some initial successes, on April 14th  Otho’s troops were soundly defeated in the First Battle of Bedriacum, near Cremona in the Po Valley.  Although his supporters urged Otho to fall back and regroup, on April 16th, the 95th day of his reign, he committed suicide, reportedly saying that he was “offering up my life to secure peace and concord, and to prevent Italy from beholding such a day again," referring to the carnage at Bedriacum.

Vitellius himself didn’t last long either.  In July the legions in Egypt put forward Titus Flavius Vespasianus (AD 9-79) for the imperial dignity, and were soon joined by Vespasian’s own troops in Palestine, and then those in Syria and on the Danube.  There followed a Second Battle of Bedriacum on October 24th, which resulted in a resounding defeat for Vitellius.  Surprisingly, Vitellius negotiated a deal with Vespasian’s field commander, Marcus Antonius Primus, agreeing to resign the imperium and go into retirement.  This deal might have worked, but for the Praetorians.

Remember Otho’s little list?  Well, at the time of his suicide, Otho had not yet been able to determine who among the 120 men on it had actually slain Galba.  The list fell into the hands of Vitellius, who, in an early demonstration of “spin”, proclaimed himself Galba’s avenger.   Rather than try to figure out which Praetorian had killed Galba, Vitellius had all ten dozen guardsmen executed.

So on December 22nd, having learned of Vespasian’s deal with Vitellius, the Praetorians hunted down the erstwhile emperor, dragged him through the streets of Rome, and beheaded him.  Reportedly Vitellius’ dying words were, "Yet I was once your emperor".

As for Vespasian, he ruled until 79, passing the imperium to his son.

FootNote: “The Eighteen Months of the Five Emperors”.   Traditionally, AD 69 is called “The Year of the Four Emperors,” counting Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.  But between April of 68 and December of 69 there were actually five men recognized as emperor at Rome, these four plus Nero.  There were also several other guys who might be considered “emperors-wannabe”.  Lucius Claudius Macer, governor of Africa, began acting imperially for a time in 68 until bumped off Galba’s agents, while Lucius Verginius Rufus who, having defeated some Gallic rebels about the time Galba made his bid for the purple, was offered but refused the purple by his troops.  At about that time one Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus put in a bid for the empire at Rome by claiming to be the illegitimate son of the late Caligula (r. 39-47), but was knocked off by the Praetorians just before Galba arrived.  Finally, Romanized Batavian Gaius Julius Civilisled an uprising among Gallic and German tribes in the Rhine provinces, seeking to establish a “Gallic Empire.” He even suborned the legions stationed there, only to be crushed by loyal troops sent by Vespasian.  So perhaps we should actually refer to “The Eighteen Months of the Nine Emperors”.

BookNotes:  Several good – if monotonously titled – books deal with the events of “The Year of the Four Emperors”, among them Gwyn Morgan’s 69 A.D.: The Year of Four Emperors , Kenneth Wellesley’s Year of the Four Emperors , and Peter Greenhalgh’s Year of the Four Emperors .

 

The French Royal Army in the Waterloo Campaign

When Napoleon landed in southern France on March 1, 1815 after escaping from Elba, King Louis XVIII promptly dispatched troops to arrest him.  But the troops went over to the Emperor, as did others sent to intercept him as he marched on Paris.  On March 19th, with the “Corsican Ogre” approaching the capital, Louis fled to the Netherlands with a small escort.  Upon reaching Ghent, Louis had only about 450 troops, mostly men of the Maison militaire du Roi (Royal Military Household) and some volunteers.  The king gave command of this host to his nephew the Duc de Berri, with orders to raise an army.  Berri promptly laid plans to organize an all-arms force of 10,000 men, placed orders for arms and equipment in Britain, established a training camp at Alost, near Ghent, and began trying to raise troops.

Recruiting proceeded rather slowly.  On April 22nd there were only about 820 men under arms, and by June 1st, when a "grand review" of the army was held for the king, only some 2,100 men were in uniform, organized into four battalions of infantry, five squadrons of cavalry, and a half-battery of artillery:

Garde du Corps   one squadron, of 40 men
Grenadiers á Cheval   two squadrons, each of 40 men
Chasseurs á Cheval de le Roi   two squadrons, each of 40 men
Regiment de la Courunne   two battalions, each of c. 450 men
Regiment du Nord   two battalions, each of c. 450 men
Artillery   three cannon and c. 75 men

At about the same time, as it was becoming obvious that Napoleon was planning an offensive, King Louis attempted to get the Duke of Wellington to make use of Louis’ "army" in the coming campaign, seeing its participation as useful to the royalist cause. But Wellington does not appear to have regarded its military prowess very highly: when someone asked if he was going to employ Berri’s troops, the Duke replied, "I wish to have no association with those people."

 


© 1998 - 2024 StrategyWorld.com. All rights Reserved.
StrategyWorld.com, StrategyPage.com, FYEO, For Your Eyes Only and Al Nofi's CIC are all trademarks of StrategyWorld.com
Privacy Policy