The Battle of Waterloo: The Campaign in Belgium

Napoleon Bonaparte, the brilliant strategist who had conquered French half Europe by 1812, faced inevitably toward its end. After the disastrous campaign to Russia (where he lost 570.000 men) his great army veteran (Le Grand Armee) should address the list of coalition countries, awaiting their return. Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal, joined forces to defeat Napoleon was stationed in Germany and Poland, but the wily Gallic general they inflicted a serious defeat at the Battle of Dresden (August 26, 1813 ) which ended with the death of 100,000 Allied soldiers. It seemed that luck smiled again to the emperor, but the sixth coalition forces (plus Sweden and Austria) manages to defeat him in the famous Battle of the Nations (Leipzig) on ​​October 12, 1813. The defeat in German camps is critical to the future of warfare. Napoleon, forced by his enemies, should go back to French land in the hope of organizing a new offensive. When is disappointed. After the 120,000 casualties of the last battle, the French understand that it is impossible to stop the offensive power of the Cyclopean Coalition. In March 1814, the allied force, consisting of more than 500,000 men, has no problem in taking Paris on 31 March.

Napoleon, playing his last letters, he abdicated in favor of his son but his marshals, fearing a wave of executions, you are advised to resign unconditionally. On April 11, the winners of the contest sign the Treaty of Fontainebleau, by which it was agreed unanimously by the exile of the French leader to the small island of Elba, 20 km from the Italian coast. It remains there for eleven months. Diminished by the closure but still lucid, the emperor examines the various possibilities of remaking its past glory. Very soon realizes that the victors of the war, especially Russia, were leaving for their personal ambitions to dominate, making it impossible for an agreement. The onerous war reparations demanded by the Tsar Alexander I, and the refusal of the powers assembled at the Congress of Vienna to grant it, put very tight situation. The turbulent situation, think of Napoleon, is ideal for a new insurrection. While his enemies not yet decided what to do with him, he takes an oversight of the guard of the island to escape with his most faithful servants. One Out: The military action on 26 February 1815, in command of 600 men, mocking the French and British security of the Italian coasts and lands on 1 March in the Gallic town of Antibes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur .

The news of his arrival immediately runs across the country and within hours, the accessions to his cause in the thousands. By March 14, about 10,000 men available to go to Paris threaten to which finally arrive five days later. Louis XVIII, the king restored to the throne, escapes from the rebels and contact the enemies of Napoleon. Despite great sympathy that the soldier wakes up in the country, it is not fooled. He knows I prefer only the rule of a king nasty sensual self-centered and want to take this situation as much as possible. To do this it was necessary to annihilate their enemies at home and changing political stance. Felon, tends to throw promises of reform and new constitution, although he knows very well that everything is just a game of appearances. What he wants is to have all the power and reach the possibility of rebuilding a new army. For it was necessary to mislead the powers with a new more democratic attitude. Meanwhile, without firing a single bullet, it is the head of the country. Under pressure from all sectors, Napoleon takes great care in making the reforms that had been proclaimed and is no stranger who wanted to even get the role of a constitutional monarch.

So, Napoleon received the news of some armed uprisings against him (as the Duke of Angouleme) which was quickly suppressed. However, the main danger is to amend the Constitution and that it has consensus.

On March 13, 1815, Napoleon issued a decree dissolving the old legislative chambers and set as top priority modifying the Constitution of the Napoleonic Empire, just a document that had been the architect. This new planting position in Europe and special powers in a climate of extreme skepticism. Everyone thinks that everything is just a ploy to buy time and perhaps his famous ill health, has troubled the minds of the Emperor too. In fact, as already pointed out several of his biographers, his stay in exile (and not the failure of Russia as commonly believed) had undermined his health. But much remained to Napoleon's feet. Written by Benjamin Constant de Rebecque (philosopher, writer and French politician of Swiss origin) in accordance with the Emperor, was finally published L'Acte additionel (document that was supplying the constitutions of the Empire), which gave France a hereditary chamber Peers and a House of Representatives elected by the "electoral college? the Empire. The measures soon disillusioned liberals, who proved that the document was made to be compatible with the interests of Napoleon and was restrictive for voters with only 1,532,527 votes guaranteed the next referendum, less than half the usual.

Growing discontent made known to Napoleon that he should make the most of the time before new revolts broke out. The new international situation (in which a number of countries rested from his wounds) required quick action, unique and compelling. And that could only be war. Furthermore, once held elections for the new Speaker of the House, Napoleon suffered a setback following the election of a strong liberal stance to the emperor: Jean Denis Lanjuinais. It took a lot of work to the emperor not to annul the result, but had to. If you know a Lanjuinais, would be unmasked again autocratic and intolerant preferences and security, would be general disapproval. In late May 1815, Napoleon and has all ripe for the final offensive play in which all or nothing. The Emperor knew his only chance of staying in power was to attack their enemies before the allies could muster overwhelming force. If he could destroy the existing Allied forces in Belgium before the reinforcement would be able to attack the British leading to the sea, while expelling the Prussians of the war. The last chains that held back the inevitable war had broken even from the March 13, 1815, when all the powers ignored his regime.

Four days later, the United Kingdom, Russia, Austria and Prussia undertook to bring 150,000 men into battle to end his government. Efforts were to no avail Napoleon to separate the mighty Coalition Austria. The letters were drawn already. Napoleon went to Belgium the second week of June 1815. The Belgian campaign: Prelude to Waterloo Napoleon had to move very fast. Despite a number of difficulties, the French managed to increase its strength to 284.000 men. Of these, 124.500 were the first Northern army under his personal command, the rest was divided between the armies of the Rhine, the Loire, the Alps and the Pyrenees, and other formations, deposits and strengths. The armies of the north, were the mainstay hope with which Napoleon had. These had a total of 84.415 soldiers with infantry, cavalry 23.595, 11.578 and 344 artillery guns. The Allies, who had formed the anti-Napoleonic coalition seventh, engaged in the task of collecting five armies. One Anglo-Dutch than 93,000 men under the command of General Arthur Wellesley notable, Earl of Wellington, and another 117,000-Prussian command of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher.

Besides these, were the order of an Austrian army of 210,000 men, a Russian army of 150,000 men, and finally, an Austro-Italian than 75,000 men. The allies, given their greater number, to annihilate Napoleon thought the weight of its overwhelming numerical superiority. Napoleon, a great concept, decided to attack both armies to divide and rule quickly. Then try to deal with Austrian and Russian forces approaching from the east to France. To carry out his plan, he distributed his men in two lines of offense and a strategic reserve pool made up of loyal veterans (known as the 'Old Guard'). On June 15, 1815, as referred to above, Napoleon crossed the Belgian border, which surprised the Allied command to even imagine the way to attack Napoleon from France. The rival had aback cunning rivals, they did not expect that the French take lines of attack. Here begins your journey through the lands Belgian final. After crossing the Sambre river (tributary of the Meuse, between France and Belgium), the French began their actions by defeating the Prussian vanguard expected to join the other troops in the city of Charleroi.

The victory of the first encounters forced Napoleon to act as quickly as possible. It was then ordered the Marshal Michel Ney, who commanded the left wing of his troops, attacking a brigade of Wellington's cavalry was in the region of Quatre-Bras, just 19 km north of Charleroi. The advance of Napoleon's army was spectacular and surprising. The talent and experience of the French veterans did wonders where it seemed impossible for the resistance. Without wasting any more time, the next step was to send Napoleon intended to attack the right wing, commanded by General Emmanuel de Grouchy and attack in the East Prussian leading a brigade in the town of Gilly. Grouchy, excellent military, completed his mission and moved to a point near the town of Fleurus, where a regiment was concentrated Blücher. Napoleonic tactics to attack separately and their different sides, had yielded results. Napoleon had succeeded in placing his army between the advance elements of Wellington and Blücher, while the bulk of its troops was located so he could head west, against the Anglo-Dutch, or to the east, to attack Prussian troops.

Only the genius of Napoleon had achieved success in a desperate moment and although his troops fewer in number, could stand against the enemy battle under ideal conditions. Avoiding the herd of such forces, the next field of operations would move to the region of Ligny and Quatre Bass. The course of the campaign would eventually fall to Napoleon at Waterloo, the Belgian town where Napoleon would face their final destination. If you got the victory, the hegemony of the empire would move immediately to Europe. To lose, would be the end of his legacy and France could face a new territorial transformation that the emperor was unwilling to accept.