The Old Corporal: Marlborough
D.G. Chandler introduces Marlborough; a man, ‘whose mind was not confined to battle ... at once a captain and a diplomatist,’ as Napoleon a century later said of the British commander.
On June 16th, 1722, at Windsor Lodge, John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough, died at the age of seventy-two years. That he was one of the foremost men of both his country and his period, none has sought to deny, though some have qualified their recognition with reservations - about Marlborough’s character. His long and varied career over five reigns was one of the great success stories of his day.
Two-and-a-half centuries have done little to dim the impact of a man who made his way from impoverished family circumstances in Devonshire to become the virtual manager of Queen Anne, through the medium of his termagant of a wife, the Duchess Sarah; the controller of the Cabinet, with the aid of his staunch friend, Sidney Godolphin, Lord Treasurer; the inspiration and mentor of the Second Grand Alliance; and the field commander of the most important army it put into the field for ten successive major campaigns.
To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.
Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
