Battle of Waterloo

battle_name=Battle of Waterloo

Prelude

:See main article Waterloo Campaign

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As far back as 13 March, six days before Napoleon reached Paris, the powers at the Congress of Vienna declared him an outlaw; four days later the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria and Prussia bound themselves to put 150,000 men into the field to end his rule. Napoleon knew that, once his attempts at dissuading one or more of the allies from invading France had failed, his only chance of remaining in power was to attack before the Allies put together an overwhelming force. If he could destroy the existing Allied forces in Belgium before they were reinforced, he might be able to drive the British back to the sea and knock the Prussians out of the war.

Related Topics:
13 March - Congress of Vienna - Outlaw - United Kingdom - Russia - Austria - Prussia

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Napoleon moved the two wings of the Army of the North with the reserves, up to the French Belgium frontier without alerting the Allies. He crossed the frontier at Thuin near Charleroi engaging Prussian outposts and split his army in two. He took the reserves and the right wing of the army and attacked the Prussians under the command of General Blücher at the Battle of Ligny on June 16 1815. The left wing of the army under Marshal Ney proceeded to block the Nivelles-Namur road at the crossroads of Quatre Bras so that the Anglo-Allied forces under the command of Wellington could not go to the aid of the Prussians. Ney's wing of the French army engaged Wellington's forces in the Battle of Quatre Bras on the same day as Napoleon engaged the Prussians. The outcome of the day of fighting was that, at Quatre Bras, Ney stopped any of Wellington's forces going to the aid of Blücher's Prussians and Napoleon, although unable to destroy the Prussian army, forced it to retreat in disarray.

Related Topics:
Battle of Ligny - June 16 - 1815 - Marshal Ney - Quatre Bras - Battle of Quatre Bras

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This was part of Napoleon's strategy to split the much larger allied force into pieces that he could outnumber if he were allowed to attack them separately. His theory was based on the assumption that an attack through the centre of the allied forces would force the two main armies to retreat in the direction of their respective supply bases, which were in opposite directions.

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The general retreat of the Prussian army had fallen back to the town of Wavre and this by default became the marshalling point of the army. In fact, the Prussian chief of staff General August von Gneisenau, planned to withdraw toward the Rhine, away from the Anglo-Allied army. General Gneisenau believing that the British had failed in promises given to support the Prussians at the battle of Ligny. However, General Blücher arrived at Wavre (he had fallen under his horse leading a counter charge and been ridden over by French cavalry twice) and in a stormy meeting with Gneisenau it was decided to march upon Wellington's left flank at dawn with the I, II and IV Corps. The IV Corps under the command of General Bülow von Dennewitz had not been present at Ligny, but arrived to reinforce the Prussian army during the night 17th/18th. The III Corps formed the rearguard tasked with hindering the pursuit of the Prussian army by the French.

Related Topics:
August von Gneisenau - Bülow von Dennewitz

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Ambiguous orders by Napoleon on the 17th to his subordinate Marshal Grouchy to pursue the Prussians with 30,000 men contributed to Napoleon's eventual defeat. Grouchy, being a late riser, started the pursuit late on both the 17th and the 18th. On the 18th, with the right wing of the Army of the North, reinforced with a cavalry corps, he ignored Gérard's advice to "march to the sound of the guns" and engaged the Prussian rearguard under the command of Lieutenant-General Baron Johann von Thielemann at the Battle of Wavre.

Related Topics:
17th - Grouchy - Gérard's - Johann von Thielemann - Battle of Wavre

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After the Prussian defeat at Ligny, Wellington's position at Quatre Bras became untenable. During a stormy 17th, Wellington withdrew his army to the previously reconnoitered ridge at Mont St. Jean, about a mile south of his headquarters at Waterloo. He was followed by the left wing of the French Army of the North under the command of Marshal Ney. Napoleon joined Ney with most of the reserves which (along with the right wing of the Army of the North) had defeated the Prussians at Ligny.

Related Topics:
Waterloo - Marshal Ney

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