1690: Battle of the Boyne

Rating:
Summary: The Boyne, Ireland and Popular Myths
Review: The Boyne is one of those decisive battles which influence a nation's history profoundly, yet is not a great battle itself. History has a number of these oddities whose influence is more decisive than their immediate results. Valmy comes to mind in the time of the French Revolution. A paltry action, but it helped save the new French Republic.

In Ireland the Boyne remains an event held hostage by political agendas and sectarian interests. In the North it is celebrated every year by the infamous Orange Parades on the 12th of July. Yet the battle was fought on the 1st of July 1690 (old style) not the 12th. The Boyne was also not as truly decisive as the Battle of Aughrim fought a year later on the same July 12th date, 1691. Through a bizarre twist of fate the Boyne is celebrated as the battle that saved Protestanism in the North, yet because of the change over from old to new calanders in that period, the event is now celebrated on July 12th. Most north irish are not aware of this irony. They celebrate the 12th of July as Willaim's victory at the Boyne, instead of Aughrim in 1691. Again, politics have subordinated history to its own purposes here.

So much for history's irony concerning this event. The author has attempted to put together a comprehensive study of the battle. One that is badly needed I might ad! For too long this event has been viewed simply as an English vs Irish issue. It was only in a very limited and almost accidental sense. The Boyne was part of the grander scheme of events associated with the wars of Louis XIV of France in europe. With Catholic James II desposed by his own incompetence by the Glorious Revolution in 1689, England brought over William III of Holland and his English wife, Mary, James II ardently protestant daughter. James abandoned his English crown and rushed to France to seek help from Louis XIV. Distracted by his numerous wars on the Continent, Louis was only willing to provide limited help, although he did see the danger of William of Orange becoming de facto king of England. But Louis was more interested in matters in Germany at the moment instead of the Netherlands and England. He would later perhaps regret that stratgeic gaffe. Still, we can see that all parties wanted to use Ireland as a means in which to regain the English crown. Makes no bones about it, this was a purely dynastic war. There were few notions of nationalism or patriotism here! The Irish people really did not stand to benefit no matter which party won, despite what propagandists for both Protestant and Catholic have said since. This is also the beginning of the lost cause strugle of the Stewarts and their Jacobite followers who would attempt several more claims on the English crown after their failure in Ireland.

The author points out many of these facets and provides a helpful background analysis of the leaders and troops involved. The Boyne was truly a battle of light-weight generals. William was no genus, and James was barely competent! So its no surprise that the Boyne is really more an accident than a planned event. By comparing this battle to others in the period the author provides a good means to see it objectively. While there are frequent and lenghy digressions at times, the information imparted is well worth the diversion. The discussion of the emerging military technologies of the battle is really what makes the Boyne interesting from a military history perpective. The gradual eclipse of the Pike, and Matchlock musket, to be replaced by the newer Flintlock and socket bayonet package is a minor revolution in military developments itself. All of the various armies of the period were in different processes of accepting this switch over, which the Boyne shows well because so many different national contingents fought there. William as Stadtholder of the United Provinces in the Netherlands has access to Dutch, as well as newly formed English regiments, and through his political and relgious alliances Danish, Irish Protestants and French Hugannot troops as well. James II has Jacobite Irish, displaced English Catholics and a brigade of French regulars. Again, we can see that this is a battle being fought on many different social, political levels.

The author's actual description of the battle attempts to correct many long felt assumptions. William did not intend to feint against Jame's left frank, and attack in the middle. He was seeking a battle of encirclement, but the clumsy methods of coordinating troop movments in the period prevented any such development, and what William got was a weakening of the Jacobite center to refuse against his flank movements. This enabled him to force acorss the Boyne at Oldbridge his Dutch, Danish, Irish, and French Hugannot regiments aganist a weakend Jacobite center. The fighting that resulted was desultry, and of relitively brief durration. The Jacobite cavalry covered itself in glory by charging heroically against William's massed infantry, but the of the Jacobite foot were gradually puished back by superior discipline and firepower. James who kept the French and other good Irish troops off on the Left against a threat that never materialized also ruined his chances for a better outcome. If the French had faced off against the Dutch Guards at Oldbridge a different battle might have resulteThe author provides a nice summation of events occuring after the battle, and shows that while the french failed to do much in the battle itself, they did help form a strong rearguard to save James defeated, but un-destroyed army. In fact this book shows that had james stuck it out in ireland after the battle he might easily have gott'en a better result in the next action. Instead like jacobites who would follow him, he took ship at the first set-back. With an event like this shrouded in so much Irish myth and lore, its good to see an Irishman trying to give us a clear version of things. This book should be required reading throughout ireland, especially in the North where they have a somewhat skewed perspective of this event. A really good read for those interested in warfare of the period, as well as Irish history.

Rating:
Summary: The Boyne, Ireland and Popular Myths
Review: The Boyne is one of those decisive battles which influence a nation's history profoundly, yet is not a great battle itself. History has a number of these oddities whose influence is more decisive than their immediate results. Valmy comes to mind in the time of the French Revolution. A paltry action, but it helped save the new French Republic.

In Ireland the Boyne remains an event held hostage by political agendas and sectarian interests. In the North it is celebrated every year by the infamous Orange Parades on the 12th of July. Yet the battle was fought on the 1st of July 1690 (old style) not the 12th. The Boyne was also not as truly decisive as the Battle of Aughrim fought a year later on the same July 12th date, 1691. Through a bizarre twist of fate the Boyne is celebrated as the battle that saved Protestanism in the North, yet because of the change over from old to new calanders in that period, the event is now celebrated on July 12th. Most north irish are not aware of this irony. They celebrate the 12th of July as Willaim's victory at the Boyne, instead of Aughrim in 1691. Again, politics have subordinated history to its own purposes here.

So much for history's irony concerning this event. The author has attempted to put together a comprehensive study of the battle. One that is badly needed I might ad! For too long this event has been viewed simply as an English vs Irish issue. It was only in a very limited and almost accidental sense. The Boyne was part of the grander scheme of events associated with the wars of Louis XIV of France in europe. With Catholic James II desposed by his own incompetence by the Glorious Revolution in 1689, England brought over William III of Holland and his English wife, Mary, James II ardently protestant daughter. James abandoned his English crown and rushed to France to seek help from Louis XIV. Distracted by his numerous wars on the Continent, Louis was only willing to provide limited help, although he did see the danger of William of Orange becoming de facto king of England. But Louis was more interested in matters in Germany at the moment instead of the Netherlands and England. He would later perhaps regret that stratgeic gaffe. Still, we can see that all parties wanted to use Ireland as a means in which to regain the English crown. Makes no bones about it, this was a purely dynastic war. There were few notions of nationalism or patriotism here! The Irish people really did not stand to benefit no matter which party won, despite what propagandists for both Protestant and Catholic have said since. This is also the beginning of the lost cause strugle of the Stewarts and their Jacobite followers who would attempt several more claims on the English crown after their failure in Ireland.

The author points out many of these facets and provides a helpful background analysis of the leaders and troops involved. The Boyne was truly a battle of light-weight generals. William was no genus, and James was barely competent! So its no surprise that the Boyne is really more an accident than a planned event. By comparing this battle to others in the period the author provides a good means to see it objectively. While there are frequent and lenghy digressions at times, the information imparted is well worth the diversion. The discussion of the emerging military technologies of the battle is really what makes the Boyne interesting from a military history perpective. The gradual eclipse of the Pike, and Matchlock musket, to be replaced by the newer Flintlock and socket bayonet package is a minor revolution in military developments itself. All of the various armies of the period were in different processes of accepting this switch over, which the Boyne shows well because so many different national contingents fought there. William as Stadtholder of the United Provinces in the Netherlands has access to Dutch, as well as newly formed English regiments, and through his political and relgious alliances Danish, Irish Protestants and French Hugannot troops as well. James II has Jacobite Irish, displaced English Catholics and a brigade of French regulars. Again, we can see that this is a battle being fought on many different social, political levels.

The author's actual description of the battle attempts to correct many long felt assumptions. William did not intend to feint against Jame's left frank, and attack in the middle. He was seeking a battle of encirclement, but the clumsy methods of coordinating troop movments in the period prevented any such development, and what William got was a weakening of the Jacobite center to refuse against his flank movements. This enabled him to force acorss the Boyne at Oldbridge his Dutch, Danish, Irish, and French Hugannot regiments aganist a weakend Jacobite center. The fighting that resulted was desultry, and of relitively brief durration. The Jacobite cavalry covered itself in glory by charging heroically against William's massed infantry, but the of the Jacobite foot were gradually puished back by superior discipline and firepower. James who kept the French and other good Irish troops off on the Left against a threat that never materialized also ruined his chances for a better outcome. If the French had faced off against the Dutch Guards at Oldbridge a different battle might have resulteThe author provides a nice summation of events occuring after the battle, and shows that while the french failed to do much in the battle itself, they did help form a strong rearguard to save James defeated, but un-destroyed army. In fact this book shows that had james stuck it out in ireland after the battle he might easily have gott'en a better result in the next action. Instead like jacobites who would follow him, he took ship at the first set-back. With an event like this shrouded in so much Irish myth and lore, its good to see an Irishman trying to give us a clear version of things. This book should be required reading throughout ireland, especially in the North where they have a somewhat skewed perspective of this event. A really good read for those interested in warfare of the period, as well as Irish history.