You think the Scots Greys and others were garrisoned across Manchester for much of the Napoleonic times to gladden the hearts of the peasants or something?

They were there to stomp out any and all expressions of discontent and keep the mills working. They did it very well. Peterloo was also not ordered by Napoleon from St Helena.

The conquest and pacification of the Crimea and adjacent areas by Russia can be an 'enlightening' read as well.

Denying the resources of a region to an army to keep it from manouvering freely was a very old tactic, practised much by the Black Prince among others, to horrendous degree in the thirty years war, but still a recognised military 'technique' in the seven years war.
There is some reasonable cause to suggest that Wellington by deliberately denuding much of Portugal the resources for its own peasants to survive let alone an invading army was causing as much as harm as an invading army in the first place. Plus in doing what he did virtually guaranteeing to put the French in a state of desperation where 'normal' behaviour would be impossible to preserve

So as far as I might care to declare, it was a war crime instigated and perpetuated by Wellington (who could have chosen at any time to end it by feeding the French soldiers).
And by the British Government for sending the British army to do what they chose in a country that didn't belong to them.
By their deeds so shall you know them and all that

A sense of historical perspective and balance would be welcome.

Jeff Lewis