War is not football, and football is not war, but having done both, they sometimes look like one another.

 

The year 1807 in Europe looked bleak for everyone that was not French, or one of their allies. The wars of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Coalitions had ended in resounding French victories, and the army of the French Republic, and later Empire, had swept away most of the old order in Europe. The onward march of Napoleon looked unstoppable. The only thing limiting him (except for the Russian winter to come) was his lack of an ocean going fleet, after the British sent his to the bottom at the Battle of Trafalgar. One of the last independent states in continental Europe, Denmark, was the answer to the Emperor’s prayers. Denmark had a large blue water fleet, which if Napoleon could capture, could secure him both control of the Baltic Sea, and give him the ships to possibly invade Great Britain. 

The British could read a map, and determined the ships of then neutral Denmark would never fall into Napoleon’s hands. Disregarding international law, the British sent a fleet to Copenhagen, to either inter Denmark’s navy until the end of the war, or send it to the bottom. The Danes chose to the later option, and the British landed a small land force onto the peninsula.

The British Infantry at Køge were a reserve force commanded by British Major General Arthur Wellesley, (his peerage as the Duke of Wellington was still many years and many battles in the future) and consisted of perhaps the best infantry in the world, British Highlanders and the Rifle Brigade. Accompanying them were the King’s German Legion, soldiers who had left their native German states after their fall to Napoleon and transferred (waiver free) to fight for Britain.

The Danish militia who opposed them were a haphazard lot. Many wearing clogs, they were untrained and wholly unprepared for the killing machine that was marching towards them.

 

Not Ideal War Cleats

 

Major General Wellesley knew he was out numbered, he knew the Danes were fighting to defend their homes. He just didn’t care. He knew his troops were better, he knew they were more disciplined, and he also knew there were more important battles coming.

Standard tactics at the time involved exchanges of volleys combined with maneuver to try and turn the enemy’s flank. Wellington did none of this. Using his long rang skirmishers equipped with their Baker Rifles, capable of hitting targets at 3x the range of muskets, he kept the heads of the helpless Danes pinned down while his infantry marched closer. The Danes expected respite, at least they could shoot back at the approaching British Infantry when it got within range. Wellesley however did not intend to risk his soldiers to even the amateurish fire of the Danes for longer than needed. The British infantry halted, fired one volley, and then charged straight at the terrified Danes. The Danes took one look at the screaming Highlanders in their kilts and broke, running away as fast as their clog covered feet could carry them.

The Danes knew what was coming, they just couldn’t stop it. The capable, prepared, and well-led veterans of the British Army swept aside an inferior foe as if they weren’t even there, and were one step closer to a show down with their ultimate enemy.

 

For as long as I’ve been a Michigan fan, the great debate of “we need to pass more and modernize the offense” has raged in the fan base. Those of us who lived through the Lloyd era nervously accepted Rich Rod, believing that maybe this was true. That was, well…a debacle. We accepted Brady Hoke with the belief that if we were going to be bad, at least we were going to be bad doing something familiar. We knew who Harbaugh was, and we knew the type of players he needed, but that building process took longer than we had hoped. The transfer of a Rimington Trophy finalist would have been extremely rare when Harbaugh took over. Now, Michigan is able to go out and put together it’s own King’s German Legion.

This is not an argument about whether we should pass more. I don’t do the UFR, but we passed a lot against Nebraska. It isn’t an argument if JJ can compete in the CFP, or against Ohio State without hitting deep balls. We have seen elite teams in college football not measure up to the game in and game out challenge. Teams who are unable to bring their best weapons onto the field every game and win, week after week. 2021 Michigan is not one of those teams. Michigan has turned on its machine week after week, and smashed opponent after hapless opponent. Sure, we didn’t like the halftime score of some of of games, and the very thought of Michigan State leading makes my skin crawl. But look at our standard. We are upset that MSU had a lead…at all. We are annoyed that Penn State…Penn….State… scored on a pick six, and a long run. The outlier plays are annoying to us, because we know the outcome. We know that Michigan will laugh, and send its offensive line forward behind its leader and just grind the opponent into the ground.  

It isn’t as flashy, and it isn’t sometimes as fun to watch as Ohio State in 00 personnel, but so far this year, it has been just as inevitable. Even more so, because just like the British Infantry’s famed 3 rounds a minute, running the ball works in any weather. Moreover, for Michigan Football, just like the British at Køge, a much better enemy is waiting.

 

 

Photo Credit to Blue Barron who had a great one of Oluwatimi blocking that I could hikack from his Flickr