WaterWho?
April 17, 2015 - Alwyn Collinson in News & Blog Posts, News
Who led the British Army at Waterloo? 47% of the public don’t know.
With the bicentenary anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo fast approaching, the National Army Museum conducted a survey investigating how much Brits really know about this monumental Battle…
We’re all familiar with places named after the Battle of Waterloo, from pubs named after the Duke of Wellington to Waterloo Station in London, but do Brits know where these names originated? The survey told us that 73% of Brits have little or no knowledge of the Battle of Waterloo despite it being one of the most important events of the 19th century.
Another astounding revelation was that just over half (53%) of Great Britain know that it was the Duke of Wellington who led the British Army to victory. The remaining 47% even confused the Iron Duke with the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, King Arthur or even Dumbledore, Harry Potter’s wizardly mentor!
Though the results show that general knowledge of the Battle of Waterloo is low across all age groups, for the most part it was the younger generation who had a particular lack of awareness. In total 84% of those aged 18-24 said they had little or no knowledge about Waterloo, and more than one in 10 (12%) said they had never heard of it at all.
The results also revealed that 14% of Brits believe the French defeated the British at Waterloo with a further third not knowing who triumphed at all.
The NAM’s Director General Janice Murray said:
“Despite the Battle of Waterloo being an iconic moment in British history, UK public awareness is dramatically low. The National Army Museum is seeking to bridge this knowledge gap through a series of innovative pop-up events and regional exhibitions around the country making the dramatic story of the Battle accessible for all.”
If you’d like to find out more about Waterloo, why not visit one of the many commemorative events near you. From hair-raising exhibitions to pop-up pubs, there’s lots of activities suitable for all ages. You can also find an online exhibition featuring 200 objects that each tell a unique story of the Battle on this website.
Tell us what you think at #Waterwho via @NAM_London
Waterloo Lives – National Army Museum campaign of events.
