Header

The Battle of Waterloo - The Defeat of the French

After its unsuccessful attack on the Allied centre, the Chasseur Division of the French Imperial Guard rallied to their remaining (Old Guard) Battalions that were just to the south of La Haye Sainte. Here they made a last stand against the Anglo-Dutch Army. A charge from Major General Adam's British 3rd Brigade with the Hanoverian 2nd Duke of York's Landwehr Militia Battalion from Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton's 2nd Division threw the French Guardsmen into a state of confusion. Those that still formed semi-coherent units carried out a fighting retreated towards La Belle Alliance and it was during this last stand that Colonel Hugh Halkett, the commander of the 3rd Hanoverian Brigade, took the surrender of General Cambronne the commander of the 1st Regiment of Chasseurs (Old Guard). This happened during the destruction of one of the retreating semi-coherent squares from the area south of La Haye Sainte towards La Belle Alliance.

At about same time as the Chasseur Division of the Imperial Guard was pushed back from La Haye Sainte; the Prussians finally drove the French out of Plancenoit. Lieutenant General Ziethen's Prussian I Army Corps pushed into the gap that had formed between Lieutenant General d'Erlon French I Army Corps and Lieutenant General Lobau's French VI Army Corps to essentially take the French position from the rear. With this the whole of the French line began to disintegrate under the general advance of the Anglo-Dutch Army from their front and the Prussians from the rear.

The last coherent French force remaining on the battlefield was two battalions of the Old Guard at La Belle Alliance. They were the final reserve and a personal bodyguard of the Emperor. Any possibilities that Napoleon had of holding his now defeated L’Armée du Nord together to prevent a complete rout seemed to melt with the Prussian arrival. As the leading elements of the Anglo-Dutch Cavalry approached the two battalions of the Old Guard form squares to protect their Emperor, one on either side of inn. Napoleon commanded the square that had been formed on rising ground to the west of the inn until he was persuaded to leave the field. The Prussians engaged the square to the left, and General Adam's Brigade charged the square on the right. As dusk fell both squares withdrew in relatively good order away from the battlefield towards France, but the rest of the L’Armée du Nord fled in panic. The Anglo-Dutch cavalry continued to pursue the fleeing Frenchmen until 23:00 hrs, whilst the Prussians harassed them throughout the night.

A Battle had been won and lost. Wellington and Blücher met following the battle at La Belle Alliance at 21:00 hrs, they had jointly won the battle. Napoleon had left the field when the last of his Imperial Guard had formed their squares to defend him. He had lost the day and with it any chance he had as establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of France.

Wellington's Anglo-Dutch suffered around 15,000 dead and wounded, and Blücher's Prussians some 7,000. Napoleon's L’Armée du Nord lost 25,000 dead and injured, plus 8,000 taken prisoner.


Arranging a battlefield tour

To arrange a battlefield tour with In the footsteps please click here to access our online tour enquiry form or email an outline of your requirements to enquiries@inthefootsteps.com.

Your enquiry is important to us and we will get back to you as soon as possible with a proposal to meet your requirements.

Satisfaction Guarantee Logo


Related Books and DVDs in association with Amazon


Site Map | Terms & Conditions |Copyright |Privacy Policy |Disclaimer | ©2008 In the footsteps...