Tina Cliff, age 15, of Gadsden, Ala., for her question:
WHY WAS THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON CALLED THE IRON DUKE?
One of Briton's most famous soldier statesmen was the Duke of Wellington. He was called the iron Duke because as a general his troops overcame the armies of Napoleon in Spain and Portugal and then defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
The Iron Duke, who was born Arthur Wellesley in Dublin in 1769, went on to become leader of the British Tory Party and also served as the nation's prime minister.
Fourth son of the Earl of Mornington, Wellington was educated at Eaton College and at a military college in France. He entered the army at the age of 18.
Wellington rose rapidly in the army and by 1796 he had reached the rank of colonel. In 1796 his regiment was sent to India where his brother was governor general.
Wellington became a major general before he was 35 and in 1803 he was given command of the British forces in the Maharatta War. He quickly defeated the Maharatta chiefs and firmly established British power in India.
In 1805 Wellington returned to England and was elected the next year to Parliament.
In 1808, promoted to lieutenant general, Wellington took troops to Spain and Portugal to help them in a revolt against Napoleon. Three weeks after he landed, Wellington defeated the French in the Battle of Vimerio and forced them to leave Portuqual.
In 1809 Wellington became commander of all British forces in the Peninsular War. He drove the French forces from the peninsula and in April of 1814 he won the Battle of Toulouse and his British troops entered France. Napoleon quit his throne and the war ended. Wellington returned to England in triumph and was given the title of Duke of Wellington.
In 1814, Wellington was appointed ambassador to France and later he represented Great Britain in Vienna. He was in Vienna when Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France. Wellington personally led the troops in the Battle of Waterloo that completely crushed Napoleon's power.
Wellington returned to England in 1818 and held various government and diplomatic posts. He became commander in chief of the army in 1827 but resigned in 1828 to become the nation's prime minister.
Wellington belonged to the Tory Party but he angered many in his party by pushing through a Catholic emancipation act that gave the vote to Roman Catholics and removed political liabilities from them.
The British demanded parliamentary reform and Wellington's opposition to a reform bill made his government unpopular. In 1830 he was forced to resign.
The Tory Party returned to power in 1834 but Wellington refused to become prime minister again. Seven years later, he became a member of Sir Robert Peel's cabinet and again served as commander in chief of the army. He retired in 1846.
Although Wellington's opposition to reform made him unpopular at times, he was always respected as a national hero.