Essay on Napoleon at Waterloo - 819 Words

The battle of Waterloo is universally associated with the last stand of Napoleon. It is (for all intents and purposes) the most significant blow to Napoleons final attempt at a return to power, Napoleons loss sealed his fate and consequently lost his empire (once and for all). However was it truly Napoleon’s faults that resulted in the loss at Waterloo? Or as many have stated was it more accurately Marshal Ney’s inability to follow Napoleons orders and command his troops in a custom that Napoleon not only expected but had spent years refining. Before the battle of Waterloo Napoleon ordered 30 000 troops under the command of Marshal Grouchy to separate from the main force, splitting off in order to (in theory) catch and eliminate the†¦show more content†¦Marshal Ney made a threefold of mistakes; Firstly Ney noticed that a portion of British troops appeared to be retreating over the ridge in the center of Wellington’s army, seeing this as an opportunity, N ey dispatched his remaining cavalry and â€Å"makes a series of cavalry charges against Wellingtons forces on the ridge †¦ but there are many problems with this charge †¦ the British forms into squares †¦ making it very difficult of the cavalry to charge through †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Marshal Ney’s First mistake is seen in the exemption of ordering infantry attacks along with his cavalry, this though a forgivable mistake was compounded once his other mistakes are made. Infantry and cavalry are so often used in tandem precisely because when cavalry attacks infantry alone, the infantry has only to form strategic â€Å"squares† and the cavalry is easily repelled, this however the formation of squares is easily prevented with the use of infantry, rows of infantry can easily shoot down a square with little to noShow MoreRelatedEssay on Napoleon at Waterloo1452 Words   |  6 PagesOn March 20, 1815 Napoleon returned to Paris from his exile on the island of Elba. This day marked the beginning of â€Å"Napoleon’s 100 Days†, as many historians have dubbed the brief episode , which ended July 8, 1815 when Louis XVIII was reinstated as the King of France. Within a period of two months Napoleon, capitalizing on France’s enormous population, conscripted an army roughly 280,000 strong . 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The French were nearly unbeatable under his leadership. As a child he was also timid and lacked any sense of power. He read a lot on history and military campaigns. Although he was very smart in the art of war his sense ofRead MoreThe Battle Of Waterloo And Its Effect On Today s Artillery1482 Words   |  6 Pages The Battle of Waterloo and its Effect on Today’s Artillery SSG Aviles-Torres, SSG Blackburn, SSG Letalu, SSG Mageo, SSG Rodgers 13B40 001-18 Senior Leaders Course SFC Metz The Battle of Waterloo and its Effect on Today’s Artillery Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the world’s greatest military strategists, led the French at the Battle of Waterloo. During his time as a General, even in defeat, his tactics in the way he used artillery were beyond reproach. His successes and errors madeRead MoreNapoleons Return to France Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesNapoleon returned to home to France with only about 10% of his Army still alive. 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