Stuart Hull:  Spirituality Colours and Eagles

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History Symposium

In the Napoleonic era; French infantryman’s passion for the guardianship of his unit’s Eagle compared to British defence of Colours.

Title:Spirituality of British Regimental Colours &amp; French Imperial EaglesDescription: From the hulking triremes of the Greek and Persian navies of Salamis to the artillery-ravaged cities of modern-day Ukraine, the importance of a soldier’s morale and motivation remain as pertinent to the study of war as ever.Each conflict has manifested this principle of fighting spirit in its own way, and few stand more distinctive than that of the golden eagles of Imperial France, and the smoke-stained colours of the redcoats lined across the crest of Mont-Saint-Jean in June 1815.This talk will contend that the intense reverence which soldiers of both sides in the Napoleonic wars displayed towards their regimental standards was the expression of a profound spirituality, elsewise unlooked for in the distinctive secularism of the early nineteenth century.Whilst academics such as John A Lynn have spoken of the French infantryman’s passion for the guardianship of his unit’s Eagle being tied in part to an imperial honours system, this stands in sharp contrast to the accolades that a British soldier could expect in defence of his colours. This talk will explore this differentiation, observing that soldiers from both sides endured terrible dangers and suffering to protect what was ultimately an icon imbued with tremendous metaphysical, and consequently spiritual significance.The bedrock of these foundational metaphysics shall be demonstrated to rest upon the alternate pedestals of imperial favour on the one hand, and for the British soldier, an internalised vision of a mythic Albion that would not be realised in the recruiting slums of their origin, or the Peterloo of post-Waterloo Britain. Biography: Reverend Stuart Hull currently serves as a chaplain in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, attached to the First Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Prior to this he studied theology at the University of Oxford, where he wrote on the contemporary application of existentialist metaphysics, and the pre-Reformation application of scholastic Just War Theory.He also attended the University of Essex to study international security, principally focusing on the alternate operating methodologies of different intelligence services. He was ordained priest in the Church of England in 2015, serving as a church minister whilst holding a commission as a Padre in the Army Reserves, before transferring to the regulars in 2023. He recently completed an operational tour in Estonia. He is married with two children, and enjoys archery and good coffee. Please note, the talk will begin at 2:00 eastern time but we will open the livestream starting at approx. 1:50 to allow attendees the time to find the livestream.Tip: periodically refresh the page on the YouTube channel to help populate the livestream. Also consider subscribing to the channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeOdo89QhQQOSnROHKN3HoAFor inquiries reply to the confirmation email or send an email to:inquiries@historysymposium.comWe run these talks on a no charge basis through the generosity of our audience. Please consider giving a donation or tip via PayPal to the email address above.We are a not for profit and registered as a charity in Canada. We can issue tax receipts for Canadian donations of $20 or more.

Stuart Hull: Spirituality Colours and Eagles

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Stuart Hull: Spirituality Colours and Eagles

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