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COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Jan 5, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A retired history professor in Denmark has devoted the past two years to his obsession -- recreating the Battle of Austerlitz with tin soldiers.
The historian claims to have the second largest collection of tin soldiers in the world after the National Army Museum in London, Sky News reports, and the largest one in private hands. He has kept his name out of news reports because he fears burglars.
At Austerlitz, on Dec. 2, 1805, Napoleon defeated a larger army fielded by Russia and Austria. One of Napoleon's great victories, which showed his ability as a military commander, the battle is also known for its depiction by Tolstoy in "War and Peace."
The historian used 6,100 tin soldiers, 1,000 horses and 34 cannon -- all individually painted -- to represent the forces at the battle. His total collection, worth close to $250,000, includes 9,500 tin soldiers, 1,750 horses and artillery pieces from Napoleon's army and the other armies that fought in the Napoleonic wars.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
