About antique Maritime & Military Prints

My battle and military print selection includes numerous generals in full uniform, as well as prints and plans of their main battles.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1856

A battle is a combat of organised forces of war between two or more armies. There is a difference between the way battles have been fought. Early battles were probably fought between rival hunting bands defending their terrain. In the 15th century B.C. the Battle of Megiddo documented the discipline of both parties, however the wars of the Roman Empire and the barbarians used mob tactics. The purpose of battles is to reach a certain goal by using military force. Battles cause the losing side to surrender and can have great political repercussions.
One of the earliest Battles is described in the Bible, for instance the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites.

Battles were glorified and illustrated for the winners. Sebastian de Pontault, Chevalier de Beaulieu (1612-1674)Field Marshal and Military Engineer was the creator of Military Topography. He produced on the spot plans, maps of battles and Sieges, which he dedicated to the Most Glorious King of France, Louis XIV, published 1667-1694.There is an example of his work in Plan of the Fort of Watte 1694.

The battle of Waterloo was fought on 18th June 1815 against Napoleon who had been trying to establish a European Empire under his dictatorship since 1804.The battle of Austerlitz was fought in 1805.
There are a number of etchings of the Battle of Waterloo and a plan of the Battle of Ligny.

The War in the Crimea started when the Russians attacked the Turkish Ottoman Fleet in 1854. British and French fleets came to support the Turks. The allies expected a quick victory, however they began a year long siege of the Russian Fortress of Sevastopol. The battles were extremely badly managed by the commanders of the Army, causing thousands to die. See the above poem by Lord Tennyson. The Crimean War was one of the first to use modern technology and the first to have documented reports and photographs.
Public outcry concerning the medical care of the soldiers led eventually to a number of nurses, led by Florence Nightingale being sent to the hospital at Scutary.

Battles can also be determined by terrain. An army that holds high ground has the advantage of making the enemy climb up, and thus is able to defend its position better. Generals and commanders play a vital role in leading their men and gaining their trust. The morale of an army is a decisive factor in the success of their mission. Julius Caeser, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Genghis Khan, Saladin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Nelson are some of the great leaders of their time