3. I felt that Fortune was abandoning
me, I no longer had the feeling that
I was sure to succeed.
--Napoleon
4.
5. DIE BEIDEN GRENADIERE THE TWO GRENADIERS
1. Nach Frankreich zogen zwei Grenadier', To France were returning two grenadiers
Die waren in Rußland gefangen. Who had been in Russia in prison.
Und als sie kamen ins deutsche Quartier, And when to the German lodging they came,
Sie ließen die Köpfe hangen. They sadly bowed their beads.
2. Da hörten sie beide die traurige Mär': There they were told the sorrowful tale:
Daß Frankreich verloren gegangen. That France had been lost and defeated,
Besiegt und geschlagen das tapfere Heer, Conquered and beaten the valiant army,
Und der Kaiser, der Kaiser gefangen. And the Emperor, the Emperor captured.
4. Der andre sprach: "Das Lied ist aus, The other said: "The song is o'er,
Auch ich möcht' mit dir sterben, I too would fain die with you,
Doch hab' ich Weib und Kind zu Haus, But I have a wife and child at home,
Die ohne mich verderben." Who without me will perish." Poem by
Heinrich Heine
5. "Was schert mich Weib, was schert mich Kind; "What care I for wife, what care I for child, 1827
Ich trage weit besser' Verlangen; I have a far better desire ;
Laß sie betteln geh'n, wenn sie hungrig sind- Let them go begging if hungry they are, Lied by
Mein Kaiser, mein Kaiser gefangen! My Emperor, my Emperor captured! Robert Schumann
1843
7. Das Ehrenkreuz am roten Band The medal on the red ribbon
Sollst du aufs Herz mir legen; You shall lay upon my heart ;
Die Flinte gib mir in die Hand Give me the musket in my hands,
Und gürt' mir um den Degen. And buckle on my sabre.
8. So will ich liegen und horchen still', Thus I will lie and listen still,
Wie eine Schildwach' im Grabe, Like a sentinel in the grave,
Bis einst ich höre Kanonengebrüll Till some day I shall hear the cannon's roar
Und wiehernder Rosse Getrabe. And the trotting of neighing steeds,
9. Dann reitet mein Kaiser wohl über mein Grab, It is then that my Emperor will ride over my grave,
Viel Schwerter klirren und blitzen; Many swords will be clanking and sparkling,
Dann steig' ich gewaffnet hervor aus dem Grab- Then I shall rise, fully armed, out of my grave,
Den Kaiser, den Kaiser zu schützen! My Emperor, my Emperor defending!"
6. major topics for this session
✦ Elba
✦ Congress of Vienna
✦ The Return
✦ The Seventh Coalition
✦ Quatre Bras and Ligny
8. Cruicshank adds his imaginary touch. “Long Live the Bourbons,” In the distance a gibbet
awaits Napoleon in England, a demon dances on his head, the Devil will ferry him across the Channel
9.
10. ! thinking the “Corsican Ogre” safely banished, his enemies took delight in his
downfall
! this caricature shows an actual practice for humiliating individuals
! swords were broken
! men were compelled to ride backwards on donkeys
! but, of course, this scene is imaginary
11. The choice of Elba as Napoleon’s new home had been made in the spring
of 1814, when the Allies captured Paris and demanded his immediate,
unconditional abdication. Tsar Alexander had promised, personally, that if
Napoleon cooperated, the terms would be generous. Maps were scanned for
a place of exile that would encourage the French emperor to vacate the
throne without delay.
...places were considered from the Canaries to the Caribbean. Some
wanted Trinidad, others the Azores, even Botany Bay in Australia.
Talleyrand pressed for St. Helena in the South Atlantic. It was the Russian
tsar who, in the end, proposed the island of Elba.
Actually, Alexander did more than propose the island---he simply refused
to consider any other option.
David King, Vienna, 1814, p. 123
12. Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon I was exiled
to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May
3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six
hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was
patrolled by the British Navy.
During the months Napoleon stayed on the island, he carried out a series of
economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life, partly to pass the
time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders.
Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days. He returned to France on February 26,
1815 for the Hundred Days. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the
famous English language palindrome: "Able was I ere I saw Elba."
Wikipedia, Elba
13. Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon I was exiled
to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May
3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six
hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was
patrolled by the British Navy.
During the months Napoleon stayed on the island, he carried out a series of
economic and social reforms to improve the quality of life, partly to pass the
time and partly out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders.
Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days. He returned to France on February 26,
1815 for the Hundred Days. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the
famous English language palindrome: "Able was I ere I saw Elba."
Wikipedia, Elba
14. ! “...some 12,000 people lived on the small, sun-drenched island.”--King
! eighty-six square miles, six miles wide, sixteen miles long, 30 miles east of
Corsica, 12 miles west of the Italian mainland
! “...generally speaking, a very poor island. Its soil was rocky and its seasons
extreme….famines all too common….despite...the widespread poverty….but
! iron ore
! rich stone quarries
22. Frederick
Tsar
William III
Alexander of Prussia
The Congress of Vienna
Emperor
Francis I
of Austria
The Great Viennese Peace-Congress for the Re-establishment of Peace and
Justice in Europe
23. Kings, queens, princes, and diplomats would all pour into the city of Vienna
in the autumn of 1814 for the highly anticipated peace conference. More
than 200 states and princely houses would send delegates to settle the many
unresolved issues. How were the victors to reconstruct the war-torn
continent? How were they going to make restitution to the millions who
had lost family members or suffered the horrors of Napoleonic domination?
The Vienna Congress offered a chance to correct the wrongs of the past
and, many hoped, create the “best of all possible worlds.”
David King, Vienna, 1814, p. 2
24. HOW THE CONQUERORS OF NAPOLEON MADE LOVE,
WAR, AND PEACE AT THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
25. You have come at the right moment.
If you like fètes and balls, you will have
enough of them; the Congress does
not move forward, it dances.
--PRINCE DE LIGNE
King, p. ix
26. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
Wilhemine, Duchess of
Sagan, with one of her
many lovers, Tsar Alex.
Metternich was
another!
27. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
her bust in the
Alexander Palace
28. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
with her sister Pauline
29. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
their illegitimate sister,
Dorothée, the wife of
Tallerand’s nephew &
his hostess in Vienna
and mother of his “love
child”
30. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
their illegitimate sister,
Dorothée, the wife of
Tallerand’s nephew &
his hostess in Vienna
and mother of his “love
child”
31. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
their illegitimate sister,
Dorothée, the wife of
Tallerand’s nephew &
his hostess in Vienna
and mother of his “love
child”
32. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
their illegitimate sister,
Dorothée, the wife of
Tallerand’s nephew &
his hostess in Vienna
and mother of his “love
child”
33. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
Princess Catherine
Bagration, the general’s
widow
34. “Never before, or since, have women so influenced a peace
conference.” --King
Princess Catherine
Bagration, the general’s
widow
35. Salons were ideal settings for diplomacy as Talleyrand preferred to practice
it, subtly and informally advancing his interests in a place like Metternich’s,
that is sure to be crowded with the people who ruled Europe. At such a
gathering, it was really a stroke of bad luck, one salon regular put it, “not to
encounter an emperor, a king, a reigning prince, or not to knock into a
crown prince, a great general, a famous diplomat, a celebrated minister.”
On some memorable occasions too, Metternich would serve on the fine
Sèvres china that Napoleon had given him for arranging his marriage to
Marie Louise. At Metternich’s, diplomats could wrangle over the spoils of
Napoleon’s empire by day, and then dine on his china at night.
King, Vienna, p. 75
40. Arthur Wellesley,
Lord Wellington
(1769-1852)
We always have been, we
are, and I hope that we
always shall be, detested
in France
41. Klemens Prince von
Metternich
(1773-1859)
I say to myself twenty
times a day how right I am
and how wrong the others
are. And yet it is so easy to
be right.
42. Count Karl Robert
Nesselrode
(1773-1859)
“My intention is to build
a golden bridge to save
[Alexander] from the
intrigues of Metternich."
Alas for such vain
hopes!--King
43. Karl August Fürst von
Hardenberg
(1750-1822)
“...it was Hardenberg who,
supported by the influence of
the noble Queen Louise,
[had] determined Frederick
William to take advantage
of General Yorck's loyal
disloyalty and declare
against France.”--King
44. 24
10 Castlereagh 25
13 Razumovsky
18 Friedrich v. Gentz
18
(Congress Secretary) 13 19
19 Wilhelm v. Humboldt
22 Talleyrand 10
24 Emperor Francis I
(painting) 22
25 Kaunitz
(bust)
46. Andrey Kirilovich
Razumovsky
(1752-1836)
1792-began his term as
Russian ambassador to
Vienna, built a
magnificent embassy at
his own expense, 1814-
chief negotiator on the
Polish question
47. “...he had become reconciled to Metternich's view that, in an age of
decay, the sole function of a statesman was to prop up mouldering
institutions.”--King
✦ born in Breslau, educated at Königsberg under the influence
of Immanuel Kant, a brilliant student
✦ lifelong devotée of wine, women and song, learned English
and French during an illness-enforced period of virtue
✦ 1794-translated Burke’s Reflections, became conservative
✦ 1802-moved to Vienna, became an imperial counsellor
✦ 1812-developed a life-long friendship with Metternich,
became his assistant, confidante, advisor
✦ 1814-1815--secretary to the Congress of Vienna
✦ “his vast knowledge of men and affairs made him a power.
He was under no illusion as to their achievements; his
Friedrich von Gentz memoir on the work of the Congress is at once an incisive
1764 – 1832 piece of criticism and a monument of his own
disillusionment.”--Encyclopedia Britannica,11th ed., in Wikipedia
48. Wilhelm, Freiherr von
Humboldt
(1767-1835)
philosopher, government functionary,
diplomat, linguist, founder of
Humboldt Universität (Berlin’s
oldest), friend of Goethe and
Schiller, architect of the Prussian
education system; older brother of
Alexander, the equally famous
naturalist and scientist
49. Charles Maurice de
Talleyrand-Perigord
(1754-1838)
“...merde in a silk stocking.”
Napoleon,1808
to which he replied (behind the
Emperor’s back)
"Pity that so great a man
should have been so badly
brought up!"
50. I have made two mistakes with
Talleyrand--first, I did not take his
good advice, and second, I did not
have him hanged when I did not
follow his ideas.
--Napoleon
51. Александр I Павлович
(1777-1825)
“It would be difficult to have
more intelligence that Tsar
Alexander, but there is a
piece missing, I have never
managed to discover what it
is.”
Napoleon
56. Two Thorny Questions
Saxony and Poland
✦ Tsar Alexander announced that he intended to keep all of Poland. What’s
more, he had “200,000 troops there,” and defied anyone to say otherwise
✦ he struck a bargain with his “chamber valet,” Frederick William III of Prussia,
that in return for his support, Prussia would get all of Saxony
✦ Saxony had remained loyal to Bonaparte and her king was a prisoner in Berlin
✦ Talleyrand was especially anxious about the rising power of Prussia and
desperately wanted to prevent this
✦ Castlereagh was especially anxious about the rising power of Russia and saw
Alexander as the new Bonaparte
✦ so the seeds were sown for a new relationship after centuries of Anglo-French
hostility
✦ Metternich would be the “make-piece” in this new Balance of Power
72. The Final Compromise
Saxony and Poland
✦ Tsar Alexander would have the lion’s share of Poland (Congress Poland),
theoretically an independent state, with him as sovereign
✦ Prussia would get Posen, including the Vistula fortress city of Thorn, and the
Republic of Danzig (1807-1815)
✦ Saxony would keep ⅗ths of its territory and ⅔rds of its population, including
its capital, Dresden, and the important commercial city of Leipzig
✦ from Saxony, Prussia would receive Provinz Sachsen, (the northern ⅖ths-⅓rd)
including Erfurt, Halle, Mulhausen, and the Elban fortress cities of
Magdeburg and Torgau
✦ in compensation for not getting all of Saxony, Rhenish (Rhineland) Prussia;
Jerome’s former Kingdom of Westphalia, including the Archbishoprics of
Trier, Mainz and Köln (Cologne)
✦ ironically, ultimately a much better deal because of the Ruhrgebiet und Saarland
75. The German Confederation (Bund) undoubtedly had many drawback,
with no common army, currency, court system, or customs union. It
did, however, have greater success internationally. As Henry Kissinger
noted, the confederation came the closest to solving the fundamental
“German problem” of modern European history; that is, it created a
Germany that was neither too weak nor too strong, a Germany that
would be neither a temptation to outside powers nor a threat to its
neighbors. After 1815, Germany would enjoy a period of relative peace,
which was so desperately needed after the destruction of the
Napoleonic Wars.
King, p. 320
76. The German Confederation (Bund) undoubtedly had many drawback,
with no common army, currency, court system, or customs union. It
did, however, have greater success internationally. As Henry Kissinger
noted, the confederation came the closest to solving the fundamental
“German problem” of modern European history; that is, it created a
Germany that was neither too weak nor too strong, a Germany that
would be neither a temptation to outside powers nor a threat to its
neighbors. After 1815, Germany would enjoy a period of relative peace,
which was so desperately needed after the destruction of the
Napoleonic Wars.
King, p. 320
77. Britain had also been successful at strengthening its own position. Many
strategic islands, scooped up in the Napoleonic Wars, were retained,
including Malta, the Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Mauritius and the Ionian
Islands. The British Royal Navy now had vital bases in the Mediterranean,
south Atlantic and Indian Ocean, securing the route to India, which would
soon be the unrivaled “jewel in the crown” of the British empire. Castlereagh
had also built a ring around France, with a stronger Netherlands and
Piedmont-Sardinia, and a neutral Switzerland, and a more powerful Prussia
to balance the Continent. Castlereagh’s emphasis on establishing a “just
equilibrium” was very much in line with British interests--that is, keeping
the Continent locked in a rough balance of power while the Royal Navy was
busy elsewhere, creating the largest empire the world has ever seen.
King, pp. 320-321
78. Britain had also been successful at strengthening its own position. Many
strategic islands, scooped up in the Napoleonic Wars, were retained,
including Malta, the Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Mauritius and the Ionian
Islands. The British Royal Navy now had vital bases in the Mediterranean,
south Atlantic and Indian Ocean, securing the route to India, which would
soon be the unrivaled “jewel in the crown” of the British empire. Castlereagh
had also built a ring around France, with a stronger Netherlands and
Piedmont-Sardinia, and a neutral Switzerland, and a more powerful Prussia
to balance the Continent. Castlereagh’s emphasis on establishing a “just
equilibrium” was very much in line with British interests--that is, keeping
the Continent locked in a rough balance of power while the Royal Navy was
busy elsewhere, creating the largest empire the world has ever seen.
King, pp. 320-321
Leg # 1-Balance of
Power on the Continent
Leg # 3-Sea Power
79.
80. News trickled into Vienna that France was becoming highly unstable. King
Louis XVIII, after only six months on the throne, was very unpopular, and
his whole government was as detested as the French government had been
on the eve of the Revolution. Generals were restless. Soldiers missed
Napoleon, and so did many veterans who had been reduced to half pay, or
even unceremoniously dismissed at the end of the war, and now, in the
postwar recession, were forced to beg or steal.
King, pp. 164-165
83. Had he always thought of returning to France as liberator or did his
decision result from the plight of his soldiers, his own disappointment at not
hearing from Marie-Louise, his own penury? His correspondence and the
testimony of those around him suggest that, at least in the winter of
1814-1815, he intended to remain on Elba….
Napoleon continued to receive reports on the dismal state of affairs in
France. Cipriani reported from Vienna that the allies were discussing the
probability of moving the exile to St. Helena….That alone would have
made him contemplate an escape attempt, but in late February two events
seemed to supply the powder necessary to explode his perhaps suppressed
desires. [Another report describing extreme French unrest.] The second
was Colonel Campbell [his Scots “minder”] ‘s departure in mid-February
for a holiday with his mistress in Leghorn. [King writes that he had gone to
the mainland to get his war wounds tended]
Asprey, p. 373
85. On his way from Elba, Napoleon had enjoyed good fortune in eluding
several ships patrolling the waters. The Inconstant passed the French frigates
Melpomène and Fleur-de-Lys without incident, and then, rounding Corsica,
Napoleon passed yet another enemy warship, the Zéphir, without any
difficulties. Even the British vessel carrying Campbell back to Elbe, the
Partridge, was sighted on the horizon. No one had stopped him. Had the
winds blown differently, others have speculated, Napoleon might easily have
been seized or sunk….
To the thrill of his supporters, at first mainly soldiers and peasants, the initial
surprise and cold reception was beginning to thaw. Gradually, there were
more cheers and shouts of “Vive l’Empereur!”
King, p. 237
96. On March 7, at Laffrey, some fifteen miles outside Grenoble, Napoleon had
the famous confrontation with the Fifth Infantry Regiment. The commander
had orders to stop “Bonaparte’s brigands,” and he was determined to obey.
Napoleon’s army approached, led by his Polish lancers and the Old Guard to
the rallying anthem of “La Marseillaise.” Napoleon himself rode to the front
of his troops, dismounted, and advanced straight ahead in line of fire of the
king’s soldiers. “There he is, fire,” the royalist commander ordered.
Napoleon then shouted, “Soldiers of the fifth, I am your Emperor.”
“If there is any one among you who would kill his Emperor,” Napoleon
continued as he opened his greatcoat, “here I am.” The tense silence was
broken with shouts, “Vive l’Empereur!” The soldiers deserted and joined him.
Later that day, only hours after Vienna learned of his escape, Napoleon
had already reached Grenoble, some two hundred miles north of his
landing….
Only ten days after his landing, France’s second city, Lyon, had fallen.
Louis XVIII was having to come to grips with betrayal, desertion, and
incompetence on a grand scale.
King, pp. 238-239
97. On March 7, at Laffrey, some fifteen miles outside Grenoble, Napoleon had
the famous confrontation with the Fifth Infantry Regiment. The commander
had orders to stop “Bonaparte’s brigands,” and he was determined to obey.
Napoleon’s army approached, led by his Polish lancers and the Old Guard to
the rallying anthem of “La Marseillaise.” Napoleon himself rode to the front
of his troops, dismounted, and advanced straight ahead in line of fire of the
king’s soldiers. “There he is, fire,” the royalist commander ordered.
Napoleon then shouted, “Soldiers of the fifth, I am your Emperor.”
“If there is any one among you who would kill his Emperor,” Napoleon
continued as he opened his greatcoat, “here I am.” The tense silence was
broken with shouts, “Vive l’Empereur!” The soldiers deserted and joined him.
Later that day, only hours after Vienna learned of his escape, Napoleon
had already reached Grenoble, some two hundred miles north of his
landing….
Only ten days after his landing, France’s second city, Lyon, had fallen.
Louis XVIII was having to come to grips with betrayal, desertion, and
incompetence on a grand scale.
King, pp. 238-239
98. Napoleon had always been popular in Lyons, if only because of his efforts to
revive the famous silk industry. The city had become headquarters of the
comte d’Artois, the king’s younger brother, its garrison commanded by
Marshal Macdonald. Artois, who embraced fear like a mistress “until he
might be called a very dare-devil of cowardice,” immediately fled, shortly
followed by Macdonald. Any doubts held by the Emperor must have
vanished in the enthusiastic welcome given him and his troops who now
numbered around 14,000 with more volunteers arriving daily….
Learning that Marshal Ney who commanded a royalist corps was
marching against him, he responded with a brief note ordering Ney to fly the
tricolor and join him at Châlons: “I shall receive you as [I did] the day after
the battle of the Moscowa [Borodino].” Ney, who had promised King Louis
to bring the Emperor to Paris in an iron cage, abruptly changed heart and
soon joined his own corps to the fledgling army.
Asprey, pp. 376-377
99. Paris meanwhile exploded into a series of anti-Bourbon riots. When it
became clear to the king that he would soon see Napoleon at the head of a
highly spirited army and not in a cage, he and his court, the palace guard
senior officials hastily decamped, some north to the border eventually to find
sanctuary in Ghent, some to the Vendée. On 20 March, as Napoleon had
prophesied aboard the Inconstant, he arrived in Paris to celebrate the king of
Rome’s birthday “without firing a shot.”
op. cit., p. 377
100.
101. And so the Bourbons had come and gone, rootless and whimpering as the
wind.
Elting, Swords Around A Throne, p. 641
102. A [witty] reflection on Bonaparte’s astounding progress from Elba was
supplied by a Paris broadsheet.
The Tiger has broken out of his den
The Ogre has been three days at sea
The Wretch has landed at Fréjus
The Buzzard has reached Antibes
The Invader has arrived at Grenoble
The General has entered Lyons
Napoleon slept at Fontainebleau last night
The Emperor will proceed to the Tuileries to-day
His Imperial Majesty will address his loyal subjects to-morrow
The Emperor was carried shoulder-high into the Tuileries on March 20
1815, with his eyes shut and a sleep-walker’s smile on his face. The Hundred
Days had begun
Elizabeth Longford, Wellington--The Years of the Sword, pp. 394-395
103. Napoleon’s return had been the ultimate of personal triumphs, a legend
brought to life for men to see and remember. It had also been, in
Wellington’s phrase, “a damn near run thing” [spoken about the victory at
Waterloo]. If one soldier could have been brought to fire on the Imperial
party, if one strutting Royalist had had the guts to use a pocket pistol---but
none dared. And Napoleon’s triumph was also that of the army he conceived
and shaped, the men who grumbled but followed and now felt their father
had returned.
Elting, p. 640
105. Fusiliers rapidly manoeuvre through the Belgian countryside at l’arme au bras. The army
had experienced a period of rest and reorganization during Napoleon’s abdication.
Released from captivity, returning from besieged garrisons or having recovered from
wounds, many veterans returned to the regimental depots. Cardron described the popular
reaction to Napoleon’s return from exile in a letter to his sister: ‘I cannot express the joy
we felt when we heard the news; you can judge how much yourself, for no doubt the
garrison of Philippeville feels the same way. Whoever sees one regiment sees the whole
army; it is a big family that has found the father that they had thought lost forever.
COLOUR PLATE COMMENTARY, p. 63
106. Things were not...simple for [the] Emperor. Napoleon had to cobble
together a new national government out of a skittery lot of Paris politicians
and ideologues, and find money to get that government started. If possible,
he must convince the other European powers, then in congress at Vienna,
that he intended to keep the peace; at the same time, knowing there was little
hope they would accept his assurances, he had to recreate the Grande
Armée.
Elting, p. 643
108. Napoleon dealt with local insurgencies in the usual manner. Dependable
regiments were sent into the Vendée where they soon broke up insurgent
bands and caused the main instigator, the duke of Bourbon, to sail for
England. Believing that area to be under control he next sent General
Clausel with a strong force to deal with southern insurgents. Thanks to
Marshal Masséna’s cooperation, in but a few weeks the tricolor once again
flew over Marseilles, Toulon and Antibes.
The gains proved all too ephemeral. Bourbon royals might have been
forced from the country but numerous followers and sympathizers remained.
Agents in English pay continued to pour into the west and south as did
partisans from Paris, Lyons, Poitiers and elsewhere, their activities
frequently supported by money and arms delivered by the Royal Navy.
Repressive measures that steadily grew more intense worked only a
temporary effect. “The fact of civil war in the Vendée cannot be denied, nor
can we delay in...forming an army to fight the rebellion,” Napoleon told his
ministers in late May.
Asprey, p. 379
111. “...English Gold, the real sinews of war”
Notwithstanding the hostile declaration of the allied sovereigns, they were
utterly unable to put their armies in motion without that most powerful
lever, English gold, the real sinews of war. Britain’s expenditure in 1815 was
no less than 110,000,000 l. sterling; out of which immense sum 11,000,000 l.
were distributed as subsidies amongst the contracting powers:
Austria 1,796,220 l.
Russia 3,241,919 l.
Prussia 2,382,823 l.
Hanover, Spain, Portugal,
Sweden, Italy and the shared the remainder
Netherlands with all the amongst them
smaller German states
Sergeant Major Edward Cotton (late 7th Hussars). A Voice from Waterloo,
7th rev. ed. (1895), pp. 31-32
112. This increasingly serious situation continued into June…. It was perhaps the
main reason why Napoleon chose to meet the allied military threat outside
the country rather than await the inevitable invasion. It was also why he had
to defer certain civil reforms until the crisis was favorably resolved. Fearing
general rebellion he hoped to stifle it by harsh counter-measures and by
leaving an army 20,000 strong in the Vendée--troops which he could well
have used to meet the allied armies.
Asprey, p. 380
113. The Waterloo Campaign
“It is not against me, exactly, that the powers make war. It is
against the Revolution. They have never seen in me anything
but the representative, the man of the Revolu-tion.”
--NAPOLEON
“It has been a damned serious business. Blücher and I have
lost 30,000 men. It has been a damned nice thing--- the
nearest run thing you ever saw in your life…. By God, I don’t
believe it would have been done if I had not been there.”
--ARTHUR WELLESLEY, FIRST DUKE OF
WELLINGTON
Esposito & Elting, Military History and Atlas, frontispiece before MAP 156
115. Quatre Bras & Ligny
The 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras-Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, 1875
116. This would actually be the first time that the French would fight an army
with so many British troops since the Egyptian campaign some sixteen years
before, and it was the first and only time that Napoleon and Wellington
would face each other on the battlefield. Both were forty-six years old, with
outstanding reputations--Napoleon, the bold strategist, inclined to quick
surprise strikes, and Wellington, the brilliant tactician who preferred a more
cautious and balanced approach. Napoleon was as feared as Alexander the
Great and Genghis Kahn; Wellington had never lost a battle.
King, p. 282
117. Several marshals and a good many generals and senior officers had readily
served the Bourbons. A number returned to the Napoleonic fold, others did
not. Berthier had fled to his wife in Bavaria, his physical and mental health
shattered--he was shortly either to jump or be pushed to his death from a
hotel balcony in Bamberg. Soult replaced him as chief of staff, not the most
judicious appointment but the choice was limited.
Asprey, p. 384
118. While the Prussian and French armies were national forces, each with a
common language, common traditions and common loyalties, the Army of
the Netherlands was not; it was this polyglot quality which led Wellington to
call it an ‘infamous army’. Only ten of its infantry brigades were British.
Eleven brigades were composed of KGL (King’s German Legion) or
Hanoverian Army units, seven were Dutch or Belgian, two were from
Brunswick and one from Nassau--ten British brigades to twenty-one others.
Mike Chappell, The King’s German Legion (2) 1812-1816, in the Osprey Men-at-Arms series, p. 20
120. Out of the 224,000 men the Emperor found on the French Army’s
muster rolls, hardly 50,000 were actually ready for field service….
Seldom in his whole amazing career, had Napoleon shown such
sustained energy and imagination. Weapons designs were
simplified, new workshops opened, clockmakers set to making
musket locks. Paris was carefully fortified...Lyons was organized as
a base for the southern armies. Men on leave and retired veterans
were recalled, deserters offered pardons; National Guard units
mobilized; naval personnel transferred to the army….
About 1 June 1815
121. Napoleon had two possible courses of action: he could stand on the
defensive, as in 1814, or he could take the offensive as soon as
possible against Wellington and Blücher, attempting to destroy
them before the other Allied armies came into action.
About 1 June 1815
122. Wellington’s army was a slow-moving, clumsy, odd-lot collection.
Most of his British and German troops had seen considerable
service, but his Brunswick unit was raw and unsteady, and his
Dutch-Belgian and Nassau troops were suspiciously
unenthusiastic. His artillery was good, his cavalry splendidly
mounted. Blücher’s Prussians were generally well disciplined and
willing, but half his infantry and a third of his cavalry were poorly
trained Landwehr, and his artillery and supply services were
inefficient.
About 1 June 1815
123. As Allied commander in chief, Schwarzenberg planned a
concentric advance on Paris, beginning on 1 June (later postponed
to 27 June, by Wellington, Blücher, Frimont, and himself. Kleist
would link Schwarzenberg’s army with Blücher’s, and operate
against the French frontier fortresses. Barclay would form the
reserve. The Spanish, still mobilizing, would attack when they
could.
About 1 June 1815
125. ! 1795-at age three, fled with his family to Britain, as the
French Revolution returned to the Netherlands
! he received a military education in Berlin, his mother,
Queen Wilhelmine’s, home. Later he studied at Oxford
! 1811-at 19, he entered the British army and became an
aide-de-camp to Wellington in the Peninsula
! 1813-when his father was restored to the Dutch throne
he returned there as Crown Prince
! 1815-as the Seventh Coalition gathered, the 22-year old
was placed in command of the Dutch-Belgian forces, as
part of Wellington’s army
! the Congress of Vienna had placed Belgium under the
House of Orange, hoping to create a strong power to
The Prince of Orange, later King William II
check France
(Willem Frederik George Lodewijk van Oranje-
Nassau)
1792 – 1849
! but the French-speaking BelgianWalloons were not at
all happy with this arrangement
126. Impatiently awaiting 27 June, and overwhelmingly confident that Napoleon would never risk an offensive
against them, Wellington and Blücher had made only the vaguest arrangements for mutual support. Wellington
had spread his forces widely to make their supply and billeting easier, relying on his cavalry and his espionage
network to warn him of any French move. The Prussians were distributed in a more military fashion...but
Zieten neither patrolled aggressively nor made any preparation to defend the Sambre River bridges.
0 5 10
127. Between Charleroi and Antwerp, the terrain is a largely open, gently undulating plateau, passable everywhere
in good weather, but an expanse of gluey mud after rains. South of the Sambre River, the country becomes
rough and wooded. This broken ground, with its deep belt of fortified towns, screened Napoleon’s
concentration.
0 5 10
128. ^ ANTWERP ^
Between Charleroi and Antwerp, the terrain is a largely open, gently undulating plateau, passable everywhere
in good weather, but an expanse of gluey mud after rains. South of the Sambre River, the country becomes
rough and wooded. This broken ground, with its deep belt of fortified towns, screened Napoleon’s
concentration.
r
se Rive
Meu
CHARLEROI
r
ive
br eR
Sam
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129. ^ ANTWERP ^
In early June, only Napoleon’s I Corps was on the northern frontier. The Guard was in Paris, the rest of the
army still undergoing reorganization. Selecting Beaumont as the center of his concentration, Napoleon fed his
army into it swiftly and secretly. On 7 June, the French frontiers were closed...false information and rumors
were broadcast…. It was a complex movement…. This concentration remains one of the great military feats of
history---all the more so in that some of these corps completed their organization as they marched.
Napoleon was well informed as to the strength and general dispositions of the Allied armies,er well as of
Riv as
euse
their casual attitude. His plans did not depend upon achieving complete, open-mouthed surprise, but rather on
M
catching the enemy in the first stages of their concentration.
CHARLEROI
r
ive
br eR
Sam
Beaumont
0 5 10
130. Soldiers, The time has come to
conquer or die!
--Napoleon, 14 June
(the anniversaries of Marengo, 1800 and
Friedland, 1807)
131.
132. THE FIRST DAY
Thursday, 15 June 1815
It was dawn on the northern frontier of France; a border marked only by a shallow stream….
A paved high road led north from France into the Dutch province of Belgium…. It was a
perfect midsummer’s dawn on the northern border of France and for a moment, for a last heart-
aching moment, the world was at peace.
Then hundreds of hooves crashed through the ford, spattering water bright into the mist.
Uniformed men, long swords in their hands, rode north out of France. The men were Dragoons
who wore brass helmets covered with drab cloth so the rising sun would not reflect from the
shining metal to betray their position. The horsemen had short-barrelled muskets thrust into
bucket holsters on their saddles.
The Dragoons were the vanguard of an army. A hundred and twenty-five thousand men were
marching north on every road that led to the river-crossing at Charleroi. This was an invasion;
an army flooding across an unguarded frontier with wagons and coaches and ambulances and
three hundred and forty-four guns and thirty thousand horses and portable forges and pontoon
bridges and whores and wives and colours and lances and muskets and sabres and all the hopes
of France. This was the Emperor Napoleon’s Army of the North and it marched towards the
waiting Dutch, British and Prussian forces.
Bernard Cornwell, Waterloo. pp. 11-12
133. 15 June-Vandamme’s attack on Gilly developed slowly.
Returning about 1730 (5:30 pm), Napoleon, exasperated
by the day’s repeated delays, put in his cavalry escort and
shattered Zieten’s line.
134. 15 June-Vandamme’s attack on Gilly developed slowly.
Returning about 1730 (5:30 pm), Napoleon, exasperated
by the day’s repeated delays, put in his cavalry escort and
shattered Zieten’s line.
135. 15 June-Vandamme’s attack on Gilly developed slowly.
Returning about 1730 (5:30 pm), Napoleon, exasperated
by the day’s repeated delays, put in his cavalry escort and
shattered Zieten’s line.
Grouchy made a skillful pursuit, but was checked at
Fleurus by Zieten’s reserves and rough ground.
Vandamme refused Grouchy further support, and Zieten
was able to hold Fleurus until 0500 the next morning.
136. 15 June-Vandamme’s attack on Gilly developed slowly.
Returning about 1730 (5:30 pm), Napoleon, exasperated
by the day’s repeated delays, put in his cavalry escort and
shattered Zieten’s line.
Grouchy made a skillful pursuit, but was checked at
Fleurus by Zieten’s reserves and rough ground.
Vandamme refused Grouchy further support, and Zieten
was able to hold Fleurus until 0500 the next morning.
Napoleon’s first necessity on 16 June was
information. No British had been encountered.
Grouchy reported Prussians massing at
Sombreffe, but this seemed rash, even for
Blücher, since such a forward concentration
would risk defeat before Wellington could aid his
Allies. Under thease conditions, Napoleon chose
one of his tested maneuvers: an advance on an
objective vital to the enemy---in this case,
Brussels. to meet the strategic problem this
involved, he reorganized his army in two wings,
under Ney and Grouchy, with a reserve under
his immediate control. His order specifically
stated that he might draw troops from either
wing as the situation demanded.
137. Grouchy would move directly on Sombreffe,
where Napoleon would join him, leaving the
reserve at Fleurus. Ney would occupy
Quatre Bras, with one division at Marbais
and one at Genappe, ready to march on
Brussels. One infantry division and
Kellermann would be placed so as to be able
to turn quickly toward Sombreffe. All units
would intensify their reconnaissance.
Napoleon intended to destroy any Prussians
found at Sombreffe or Gembloux. That done,
he tentatively planned to switch his reserve to
Ney’s support and move against Wellington.
138. ...Napoleon received Ney (authorized to join the
army on 11 June) and gave him temporary
command of Reille, d’Erlon and Lefebvre-
Desnoëttes, with verbal orders to advance up
the Brussels highway . Ney probably also was
told to occupy Quatre Bras...
NEY
139. ...Napoleon received Ney (authorized Lefebvre-
Ney rode toward Brussels with to join the
armyn o ë t t e s June) ande gave ahim c a v a l r y ] ,
D e s on 11 [ a n d t h G u r d temporary
maneuvered a Reille, d’Erlon and Frasnes,
command of small Allied unit out ofLefebvre-
Desnoëttes, withmiles of Quatre to advance up
and got within 2 verbal orders Bras. Here, he
the Brussels highway . Neyenemy infantry was
met a considerable force of probably also and
told to occupy Quatre Bras... cavalry available,
artillery. With only his 2,800
Reille and d’Erlon badly strung out behind him,
Prussians reported at Fleurus, and fighting
audible to his right rear, he chose not to attack.
QUATRE BRAS
NEY
140. ...Napoleon received Ney (authorized Lefebvre-
Ney rode toward Brussels with to join the
armyn o ë t t e s June) ande gave ahim c a v a l r y ] ,
D e s on 11 [ a n d t h G u r d temporary
maneuvered a Reille, d’Erlon and Frasnes,
command of small Allied unit out ofLefebvre-
Desnoëttes, withmiles of Quatre to advance up
and got within 2 verbal orders Bras. Here, he
the Brussels highway . Neyenemy infantry was
met a considerable force of probably also and
told to occupy Quatre Bras... cavalry available,
artillery. With only his 2,800
Reille and d’Erlon badly strung out behind him,
Prussians reported at Fleurus, and fighting
audible to his right rear, he chose not to attack.
QUATRE BRAS
NEY
141. Fortunately for Wellington, two experienced
...Napoleon received Ney (authorized Lefebvre-
Ney rode toward Brussels with to join the Dutch-Belgian generals, who had served
armyn o ë t t e s June) ande gave ahim c a v a l r y ] ,
D e s on 11 [ a n d t h G u r d temporary previously under Napoleon, grasped the
maneuvered a Reille, d’Erlon and Frasnes,
command of small Allied unit out ofLefebvre- situation. At 1400 [2 pm], Rebecque (Orange’s
Desnoëttes, withmiles of Quatre to advance up
and got within 2 verbal orders Bras. Here, he chief of staff), began concentrating Orange’s
the Brussels highway . Neyenemy infantry was
met a considerable force of probably also and corps at Quatre Bras. One of his division
told to occupy Quatre Bras... cavalry available,
artillery. With only his 2,800 commanders, Perponcher, already had decided
Reille and d’Erlon badly strung out behind him, to hold Quatre Bras rather than join the
Prussians reported at Fleurus, and fighting concentration at Nivelles. Rebecque’s report
audible to his right rear, he chose not to attack. that the French were threatening Quatre Bras
reached Wellington at a ball in Brussels around
0100, 16 June. After momentary disbelief,
Wellington ordered the Reserve to march
immediately to Mont-St-Jean.
Perponcher
NIVELLES
QUATRE BRAS
NEY
142. The Duchess of Richmond’s Ball
Thursday, 15 June
It was during this ball that the Duke of Wellington
received confirmation that Bonaparte had crossed the
frontier and rising from the supper-table:
“whispered to ask the Duke of Richmond if he had a good map. The
Duke of Richmond said he had, and took Wellington into his
dressing-room. Wellington shut the door and said, "Napoleon has
humbugged me, by God; he has gained twenty-four hours' march on
me. … I have ordered the army to concentrate at Quatre Bras; but we
shall not stop him there, and if so I must fight him there" (passing his
thumb-nail over the position of Waterloo). The conversation was
repeated to me by the Duke of Richmond two minutes after it
occurred.”
—Captain Bowles
"Before Waterloo", by Henry Nelson O'Neil (1868);
this presumably attempts to depict the Duchess of
Richmond's famous ball on the eve of the battle of
Waterloo (as dramatized in Thackeray's Vanity Fair)
143. The Duchess of Richmond’s Ball
Thursday, 15 June
It was during this ball that the Duke of Wellington
received confirmation that Bonaparte had crossed the
frontier and rising from the supper-table:
“whispered to ask the Duke of Richmond if he had a good map. The
Duke of Richmond said he had, and took Wellington into his
dressing-room. Wellington shut the door and said, "Napoleon has
humbugged me, by God; he has gained twenty-four hours' march on
me. … I have ordered the army to concentrate at Quatre Bras; but we
shall not stop him there, and if so I must fight him there" (passing his
thumb-nail over the position of Waterloo). The conversation was
repeated to me by the Duke of Richmond two minutes after it
occurred.”
—Captain Bowles
"Before Waterloo", by Henry Nelson O'Neil (1868);
this presumably attempts to depict the Duchess of
Richmond's famous ball on the eve of the battle of
Waterloo (as dramatized in Thackeray's Vanity Fair)
146. Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fro,
And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress,
And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago
Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness;
And there were sudden partings, such as press
The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs
Which ne’er might be repeated; who could guess
If ever more should meet those mutual eyes,
Since upon night so sweet such awful morn could rise!
—Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. 1812-1818
147. The crossroads of Quatre-Bras was of strategic
importance because the side which controlled it
could move south-eastward along the Nivelles-
Namur road towards the French and Prussian
armies at the Battle of Ligny
If Wellington's Anglo-allied army could combine
with the Prussians, the combined force would be
larger than Napoleon's
Napoleon's strategy had been to cross the border
into the Netherlands without alerting the
Coalition and drive a wedge between their forces
in this he succeeded brilliantly, once again
achieving his preferred interior position
his plan was to defeat the Prussians before
turning on the Anglo-allied army
148. “The Fate of France is in Your Hands”--Napoleon to Ney, 1515 16 June
✦ 1100-Neyhad received his orders to occupy the
Quatre Bras-Genappe area
✦ shortly
thereafter a second order from Soult NOTE!
had warned him that the enemy was usual North-South
orientation is
concentrating and he must attack at once reversed
✦ Neyshould have had the entire left wing
concentrated by 0800 without these orders
✦ instead,after an amateur reconnaissance at
1400 (2 pm), he was straggling into action with
part of Reille’s corps
✦ evenso, he grossly outnumbered Orange, who
could only spread Perponcher’s division widely DUKE OF
and hope that the woods, farmsteads and tall BRUNSWICK
KILLED
rye would conceal its actual weakness
AREA OF PICTON’S ORDEAL
✦ shortly
after 1400-Ney had easily driven
Orange back, only to be checked by the arrival
at 1500 (3 pm) of Picton’s English division
from Weller, MAP 3
150. First lancers, then hussars tried to break the
troops at Quatre Bras. When the waves of
horsemen flowed back the horse artillery would
fire into the compact targets which the Allied
squares presented. But the infantry feared
another cavalry attack, so they didn’t want to
disperse.
0 1 2 3
151. Finally, Ney ordered Kellermann to put forward
his Cuirassiers. The most dangerous point of the
battle for both sides was reached.
First lancers, then hussars tried to break the
troops at Quatre Bras. When the waves of
horsemen flowed back the horse artillery would
fire into the compact targets which the Allied
squares presented. But the infantry feared
another cavalry attack, so they didn’t want to
disperse.
0 1 2 3
152. Finally, Ney ordered Kellermann to put forward
his Cuirassiers. The most dangerous point of the
battle for both sides was reached.
First lancers, then hussars tried to break the
troops at Quatre Bras. When the waves of
horsemen flowed back the horse artillery would
fire into the compact targets which the Allied
squares presented. But the infantry feared
another cavalry attack, so they didn’t want to
disperse.
Cuirassier of the Armée du Nord
0 1 2 3
153. Finally, Ney ordered Kellermann to put forward
his Cuirassiers. The most dangerous point of the
battle for both sides was reached.
First lancers, then hussars tried to break the
troops at Quatre Bras. When the waves of
horsemen flowed back the horse artillery would
fire into the compact targets which the Allied
squares presented. But the infantry feared
another cavalry attack, so they didn’t want to
disperse.
Cuirass holed by a
cannon ball Cuirassier of the Armée du Nord
0 1 2 3
154. ! unlike his father's, his title to fame did not rest on one
fortunate opportunity. Though not the most famous, he
was perhaps the ablest of all Napoleon's cavalry leaders
! 1800-at the Battle of Marengo , he commanded a heavy
cavalry brigade under the First Consul and he initiated
and carried out one of the most famous cavalry charges
of history, which, with Desaix's infantry attack,
regained the lost battle and decided the issue of the war
! 1805-at Austerlitz his light cavalry division
distinguished themselves
! in Spain, he continued his successes, marred only by
the looting and brutal atrocities of his men
! at Quatre Bras, his four separate charges broke the
square of the 69th Foot and captured a color, scattered
a Hanoverian battalion and sent the 33rd and 73rd Francois Étienne de Kellermann,
Foot fleeing for the safety of a nearby wood. The 2nd Duc de Valmy
horsemen briefly seized the crucial crossroads, but the 1770 – 1835
odds were too great. Unhorsed, Kellermann narrowly
escaped by holding onto the stirrup of one of his
cavalrymen
155. The 28th Regiment at Quatre Bras-Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, 1875
! unlike his father's, his title to fame did not rest on one
fortunate opportunity. Though not the most famous, he
was perhaps the ablest of all Napoleon's cavalry leaders
! 1800-at the Battle of Marengo , he commanded a heavy
cavalry brigade under the First Consul and he initiated
and carried out one of the most famous cavalry charges
of history, which, with Desaix's infantry attack,
regained the lost battle and decided the issue of the war
! 1805-at Austerlitz his light cavalry division
distinguished themselves
! in Spain, he continued his successes, marred only by
the looting and brutal atrocities of his men
! at Quatre Bras, his four separate charges broke the
square of the 69th Foot and captured a color, scattered
a Hanoverian battalion and sent the 33rd and 73rd Francois Étienne de Kellermann,
Foot fleeing for the safety of a nearby wood. The 2nd Duc de Valmy
horsemen briefly seized the crucial crossroads, but the 1770 – 1835
odds were too great. Unhorsed, Kellermann narrowly
escaped by holding onto the stirrup of one of his
cavalrymen
156. Once through the line...French lancers attacked the flank and rear of the
42nd [Black Watch]. Colonel Macara...endeavored to have his men form
square; they could not complete this manoeuvre before the French lancers
were into the temporarily exposed Highlanders.1 But the 42nd did close their
square by main strength and killed every French cavalryman caught inside;
their regular rolling fire soon defeated those outside. Serious casualties,
including their colonel and two other field-officers, were sustained, however,
in these few seconds of disorganization.2
Weller, p. 58
______________
1 the square was nearly formed, but the two flank companies were not quite closed together
in the rear
2‘Colonel Macara was severely wounded, and whilst some of his men were conveying him to
the rear, a party of the French cavalry rode up and killed him and his faithful attendants’
probably with lances.
157. The Black Watch at Bay-William Barnes Wollen
Francois Étienne de Kellermann,
2nd Duc de Valmy
1770 – 1835
158. Wellington was at his very best at Quatre
Bras as a commander of troops in battle. In
six hours of combat, he was almost
continuously at the right spot at the right
time. He flawlessly handled his own troops
and those of his Allies right down to the
battalion level. When necessary, he gave
orders directly to the men in ranks. In a half-
dozen critical situations, he managed to stave
off defeat; when he finally had the force
necessary to win, he took full and efficient
advantage of it….He behaved in a manner
which left no doubt of his superlative
personal courage and set an example to his
inexperienced troops.
Weller, p. 68
159. Only after [Napoleon] reached Fleurus and made his own reconnaissance
did he realize that Blücher intended to stand and fight. This more than
suited [him]….
His plan was simple and deadly. While cavalry pinned down the Prussian
left, he would hit the center and right. Ney would come from Quatre-Bras
to fall on the right rear, at which point the Guard would smash through the
center to deliver the coup de grâce. This plan was not dissimilar to that of the
battle of Bautzen and it was to meet with just as many snags, the result of
over-confidence on Napoleon’s part, poor intelligence, confused orders,
inadequate communications, slow-moving commanders and a determined
enemy defense.
Asprey, pp.393-394
160.
161. Blücher’s position was quite strong. Though not large, Ligny Creek was steep-banked and marshy.
The clusters of stone-built villages, walled gardens, and farmhouses along its north bank provided an
ideal system of strong points, linked by hedgerows and orchards.
Ligny Cre
ek
Sa
mb
re
162. But, as Napoleon promptly realized, Blücher’s right was “in the air” [= not anchored in a strong
defensible position], his left overextended, and the irregular trace of his front line gave the French
artillery excellent opportunities for “enfilade fire” [= fire where the major axis of the cone of fire
corresponds to the major axis of the target].
Ligny Cre
ek
Sa
mb
re
163. Ligny Cre
ek
By mid-afternoon, the whole Prussian position was under attack. Napoleon called Lobau forward
from his position in Fleurus, and ordered (1515) Ney to Sambrmaneuver against Blücher’s right rear
e
immediately. If Ney advanced promptly, Blücher was lost. The psychological impact of his destruction
upon the Allies would be tremendous--all rested with Ney. “The fate of France is in your hands!”
E & E, commentary on MAP 159
164. By 1700 Vandamme had carried the three St. Armands, routing a Prussian attempt to envelop the
French left flank, but could advance no farther against heavy fire from around Brye. Gerard was held
along Ligny Creek. Gradually, however, this savage, no-quarter fighting favored the French.
165. By 1700 Vandamme had carried the three St. Armands, routing a Prussian attempt to envelop the
French left flank, but could advance no farther against heavy fire from around Brye. Gerard was held
along Ligny Creek. Gradually, however, this savage, no-quarter fighting favored the French.
Counterattacking wildly with whatever
battalions he could easiest snatch up,
Blücher fed his men into the fire of
Napoleon’s massed guns. Prussian units
became increasingly intermixed and shaken;
Blücher steadily lost control of his army.
166. Watching the battle ripen, Napoleon saw Blücher crowd more and more men into the struggling
Prussian right flank. A breakthrough around Ligny would trap at least half of Blücher’s army against
Ney, who already should be moving against the Prussian right rear. There was considerable firing in the
direction of Quatre Bras, but Ney had not reported himself unable to execute his orders. Napoleon
began forming his Guard for the decisive assault.
167. D’Erlon’s misadventure remains an enigma.
Concentrated south of Gosselies that morning, he
had been slow to move out. At Gosselies, he had
halted to investigate rumors that an Anglo-Dutch
column was advancing from Mons. Resuming his
march at about 1500 (3 pm), he was overtaken near
Frasnes by a staff officer (never definitely
identified) with a written order to join Napoleon...
168. Key French units were missing. Lobau’s VI Corps did not
arrive early enough on the battlefield, while a clash in
instructions between demands for assistance from both
Napoleon and Ney, a clash that owed much to poor staff work
and something to Ney’s temper, ensured that d’Erlon’s I Corps,
a substantial force, marched between the two battlefields but
without firing a shot in either.
Black, p. 80
169. As a result of this tragicomedy of order and counterorder, d’Erlon’s
command spent the entire afternoon and evening marching and
countermarching between the two fields of battle without firing a shot
at either; and the full irony of the situation was, of course, that the Ist
Corps’ effective intervention on either scene of action would have
resulted in a major French victory.
Chandler, p. 1052
170. ! Napoleon’s preparations
to send the Guard in were
interrupted when
Vandamme reported a
“hostile” column
advancing eastward into
his left rear
! it’s appearance shook
Vandamme’s hard-used
corps, which gave up St.
Amand-la-Haye in
something of a panic
! the wavering of this corps
led to a major Prussian
counterattack
! 1830-Napoleon’s aides
reported that the strange
column was d’Erlon.
Concurrently, it began to
recoil westward
0 1 2
171. D’Erlon said Ney recalled him; Ney, that Napoleon sent him back. Realizing
! Napoleon’s preparations that he would get no help from Ney, Napoleon determined to at least cripple
to send the Guard in were Blücher as thoroughly as possible. A thunderstorm helped conceal his
interrupted when preparations, while the Guard artillery battered the Prussians behind Ligny.
Vandamme reported a At about 2000 (8pm), Napoleon led his Guard forward, Gerard attacking
“hostile” column between its columns. Surging out of the rain, the French shattered the
advancing eastward into Prussian center at first impact.
his left rear E & E, MAP 160
! it’s appearance shook
Vandamme’s hard-used
corps, which gave up St.
Amand-la-Haye in
something of a panic
! the wavering of this corps
led to a major Prussian
counterattack
! 1830-Napoleon’s aides
reported that the strange
column was d’Erlon.
Concurrently, it began to
recoil westward
0 1 2
172. The Guard finally swept into Ligny in late evening, a bayonet attack
owing to a violent thunderstorm that prevented musket fire, and moved
northward toward Brye. Blücher still refused to admit defeat. While riding
to the attack at the head of some 30 cavalry squadrons, his horse fell dead
from a bullet and nearly killed its master by rolling on him. An aide finally
managed to extricate him and dragged him to safety….
Asprey, pp. 394-395
178. Because of the broken terrain around Ligny, effective cavalry pursuit after nightfall was impossible.
Not having heard from Ney since noon, Napoleon contented himself with attempting to maintain
contact with the retiring Prussians. Pajol would scout toward Namur; Exelmans toward Gembloux;
other cavalry… toward Tilly.
0 5 10
179. Because of the broken terrain around Ligny, effective cavalry pursuit after nightfall was impossible.
Not having heard from Ney since noon, Napoleon contented himself with attempting to maintain
contact with the retiring Prussians. Pajol would scout toward Namur; Exelmans toward Gembloux;
other cavalry… toward Tilly.
When the Prussian center evaporated
and Blücher vanished, Gneisenau had
ordered a general withdrawal on Tilly.
Thanks to the lack of pursuit, Pirch’s and
Zieten’s corps recovered somewhat
during the night. Blücher rejoined them
at Melioreux, his reappearance helping
mightily to restore morale. Blücher
wanted to fight again; Gneisenau
suggested retiring on Liege. They finally
decided to concentrate on Wavre,
whence they could either join Wellington
or retire eastward. This was the After a liberal dosage of his favorite medicine--garlic and gin--the
critical
Allied strategic decision of the dauntless warrior began to discuss the situation with
aged but
campaign. Gneisenau.
Thielmann had been crowded Chandler, p.1058
eastward towards Gembloux. Early on
the 17th, he established contact with
Bülow, who --as senior--decided to
withdraw on Wavre.
0 5 10
180. Because of the broken terrain around Ligny, effective cavalry pursuit after nightfall was impossible.
Not having heard from Ney since noon, Napoleon contented himself with attempting to maintain
contact with the retiring Prussians. Pajol would scout toward Namur; Exelmans toward Gembloux;
other cavalry… toward Tilly.
When the Prussian center evaporated
and Blücher vanished, Gneisenau had
ordered a general withdrawal on Tilly.
Thanks to the lack of pursuit, Pirch’s and
Zieten’s corps recovered somewhat
during the night. Blücher rejoined them
at Melioreux, his reappearance helping WAVRE
mightily to restore morale. Blücher
wanted to fight again; Gneisenau
suggested retiring on Liege. They finally
decided to concentrate on Wavre,
whence they could either join Wellington
or retire eastward. This was the critical
Allied strategic decision of the
campaign.
Thielmann had been crowded
eastward towards Gembloux. Early on
the 17th, he established contact with
Bülow, who --as senior--decided to
withdraw on Wavre.
0 5 10
181. Napoleon now had to choose between following up Blücher and turning on Wellington. His basic problem
was to secure enough information to enable him to make a sound decision. The direction of the Prussian
retreat was uncertain, for fugitives had followed every available road, and the thousands of deserters and
stragglers hid the tracks of the formed units. Ney had made only one brief report; at 0730, Napoleon knew
almost nothing about the situation at Quatre Bras.
While waiting for his cavalry to report, Napoleon ordered a reconnaissance westward from Ligny, and
wrote to Ney, directing him to occupy Quatre Bras without delay. If he could not, he was to report that fact
immediately, in detail, and Napoleon would move immediately to his assistance (Napoleon probably should
have gone in person to Quatre Bras).
Information gradually accumulated….The reconnaissance toward Tilly was late and feeble, and learned
nothing; that toward Quatre bras reported Wellington still there WAVRE strength, and a dispatch from Ney
and in
confirmed that. Convinced that he had hurt Blücher enough to force him to withdraw eastward, thus leaving
Wellington unsupported, Napoleon ordered...Grouchy to follow Blücher, detect any attempt he might make
to join Wellington, and generally cover Napoleon’s right flank and rear.
0 5 10
182. Wellington did not learn of Blücher’s defeat until about 0730, when his left-flank cavalry patrols reported the
Prussians withdrawing northward. (A staff officer, dispatched by Blücher the night before to warn him, had
been wounded, and his message mislaid.) At once, Wellington began preparations for a withdrawal. When one
of Gneisenau’s staff appeared around 0900--to report Blücher concentrating at Wavre and desirous of knowing
Wellington’s plans--Wellington stated that he was withdrawing to Mont-St.-Jean, where his engineers had
previously surveyed a defensive position. If assured of support by two Prussian corps, he would offer battle
there; otherwise, he would have to retire on Brussels.
BRUSSELS
WAVRE
Mont-St.-Jean
0 5 10
183. Wellington did not learn of Blücher’s defeat until about 0730, when his left-flank cavalry patrols reported the
Prussians withdrawing northward. (A staff officer, dispatched by Blücher the night before to warn him, had
been wounded, and his message mislaid.) At once, Wellington began preparations for a withdrawal. When one
of Gneisenau’s staff appeared around 0900--to report Blücher concentrating at Wavre and desirous of knowing
Wellington’s plans--Wellington stated that he was withdrawing to Mont-St.-Jean, where his engineers had
previously surveyed a defensive position. If assured of support by two Prussian corps, he would offer battle
there; otherwise, he would have to retire on Brussels.
BRUSSELS
WAVRE
Mont-St.-Jean
Almost from the start of Napoleon’s pursuit (of Uxbridge’s
cavalry, Wellington’s rear guard), a wild storm burst over
the area. The clay soil rapidly became saturated, making
movement off the main roads almost impossible, and
thereby nullifying the superior tactical mobility of the
French. Attempts to follow side roads led many units badly
astray, further disorganizing the pursuit.
0 5 10
184. On the seventeenth, Napoleon could have chosen to press either of his
opponents hard, but, with the benefit of hindsight, it was best to do so to
both. To fail to press them hard risked either or both of them moving
away, so lessening the chance for the grand strategy of the sequential
defeat….
...June 17 was the great day of opportunity for the French, and like
many days of movement rather than conflict, the day that was crucial to
the campaign, and yet it tends to receive insufficient attention.
Neither Ney nor Napoleon, however, understood, let alone grasped,
their opportunities that day until too late.
Black, pp. 84-85
185. Wellington’s withdrawal began in mid morning 17 June.
Marshal Ney as usual had not obeyed orders. While the enemy force was
moving out in considerable confusion, the French were cooking midday
dinner oblivious to the tactical opportunity presented. This idyll was rudely
interrupted by Napoleon who led whatever cavalry he could get his hands
on in pursuit of Wellington’s rearguard, Lord Uxbridge’s cavalry, a thrilling
but futile chase hindered by still another violent thunderstorm that
confined the French to the Quatre-Bras-Brussels road, just possibly saving
Uxbridge’s bacon.
Asprey, p. 395
186. An Eyewitness Account of Uxbridge’s Rear Guard
Hussars vs Lancers vs Cuirassiers
Sergeant Major Edward Cotton (late 7th Hussars). A Voice from Waterloo,
7th rev. ed. (1895), p. 51
187. An Eyewitness Account of Uxbridge’s Rear Guard
Hussars vs Lancers vs Cuirassiers
Sergeant Major Edward Cotton (late 7th Hussars). A Voice from Waterloo,
7th rev. ed. (1895), p. 51
189. Napoleon approached Mont-St.-Jean about 1830 (6:30 pm). For a moment, the rain stopped; through
the evening mist and failing light, he thought he could make out considerable numbers of troops on the
plateau before him. To determine whether he had overtaken Wellington, or merely a reinforced rear
guard, he sent forward four companies of horse artillery and deployed Milhaud’s cuirassiers, as if for a
determined charge. At once, at least 60 British guns opened fire all across his front. Satisfied that he
had Wellington’s main army before him, he dismounted and made a thorough reconnaissance of the
enemy position. The rain soon recommenced, falling heavily until 0600.
THE GUARD
190. June 17th was a day of Prussian misery. Blücher was still disabled. Zieten and Pirch had withdrawn
rapidly to Wavre, covered by a cavalry rear guard, but their troops were in considerable disorder and
THE GUARD
almost out of ammunition. The army’s ammunition train had disappeared. Gneisenau, apparently
somewhat rattled, wrote to warn Kleist, Schwarzenberg and Barclay that Napoleon might turn
suddenly upon them. Bülow and Thielmann were out of touch for most of the day. The former did not
reach Wavre until 2200 (10 pm). Thielmann came in hours later….There were also doubts as to
Wellington’s intentions. Remembering how false his promises of support had proved during the 16th,
Gneisenau had turned suspicious, but Blücher remained staunch. Finally, Napoleon’s whereabouts
remained unknown.
191. THE GUARD
Behind Wellington, Brussels was in a panic, sparked by the arrival of fugitive Anglo-Dutch service
troops. And while proclaiming Quatre Bras a great victory, won against vastly superior numbers,
Wellington thought it prudent to warn the governor of Antwerp to begin strengthening that city’s
defenses. At about 0200, he received the long-awaited reply from Blücher: Bülow would march at
daybreak for Chapelle-St.-Lambert; Pirch would follow immediately; the other two corps were
available if needed.
192. Reaching Gembloux at 1900 (7pm),
Grouchy halted for the night.
Exelmans had regained enough
energy to push a brigade of
dragoons to Tourinnes where it had
found a large force of Prussians
(Bülow’s rear guard), but had
broken contact after dark. Pajol
reported Namur evacuated. Some
time near 2000 (8pm) Grouchy
dispatched his first report to
Napoleon. Its exact text is unknown,
but it apparently stated that the
Prussians had spit into two
columns--one moving on Wavre, a
larger one probably bound for THE GUARD
Liege….If the major Prussian force
were marching for Wavre, he would
attempt to head it off from Brussels
and Wellington.
193. That night, Wellington’s second in command and cavalry commander, Henry,
Earl of Uxbridge, asked the duke what his plans were. Wellington replied by
asking whether he or Napoleon would attack first and by pointing out that “as
my plans will depend upon his, how can you expect me to tell you what mine
are? … There is one thing certain, Uxbridge, that is, that whatever happens,
you and I will do our duty.”
Black, p. 89
194. That night, Wellington’s second in command and cavalry commander, Henry,
Earl of Uxbridge, asked the duke what his plans were. Wellington replied by
asking whether he or Napoleon would attack first and by pointing out that “as
my plans will depend upon his, how can you expect me to tell you what mine
are? … There is one thing certain, Uxbridge, that is, that whatever happens,
you and I will do our duty.”
Black, p. 89
196. It is not known whether Napoleon sent Grouchy any orders during late 17
June. According to some accounts, he did direct Grouchy to move against
Wellington’s left flank, if Blücher retired on Liege or Brussels. If Blücher
concentrated at Wavre, Grouchy would merely send a detachment to feint an
attack. It also asserted that Napoleon sent Grouchy a duplicate of this dispatch
early on the 18th, but this remains equally unproven.
After a short nap, Napoleon rose at 0100 and inspected his entire outpost
line, returning to his headquarters … at first light. Here he found Grouchy’s
report. Its contents seemed to indicate that Grouchy was aware of his mission
and would move promptly, if necessary, to keep between Wellington and
Blücher. It also strengthened his preconception that the Prussians would be out
of action for some time to come. Interrogations of deserters from Wellington’s
army confirmed his impression that Wellington would fight.
Napoleon was confident and his troops’ morale was high. The water-logged
soil, however, made it impossible for the French artillery to maneuver. It would
be necessary to wait several hours for the ground to drain and dry sufficiently.
Even then, low-lying areas would remain swampy. Worse, the effect of artillery
fire would be greatly diminished: round shot would not ricochet effectively
along the sodden ground; the fragmentation of howitzer shells would be greatly
reduced. At 0500, Napoleon set the hour of attack at 0900.
E & E, commentary on MAP 162