MCJones1810 wrote:
Walt, I was responding to your statement as follows:
"Todd
What source are you quoting that Wellington advised Blucher of ANYTHING other then he would support him if attacked ? which as we know he didn't follow through with. It took the Guard to push the Prussians out of Ligny, a largely inexperienced Prussian army at that. An inexperienced Prussian army that gets beaten at Ligny,rallies and marches most of the night and the next day making it to Waterloo in time to support Wellington if not to save the day,personally I think its the latter."
In my opinion, your question concerning Wellington's advice to Blucher to deploy on the reverse slope was rather the smallest part of your comment. The larger part to me was your suppostion that the Anglo-Allied Army did not march to the aid of the Prussians and the implication that the Prussian Army won this campaign single handedly. That is no way the truth, and smacks of Prussian propaganda to as much a degree as any of Siborne's writings favor the Britsh Army. The truth, as is most often the case, lies somewhere in the middle.
Regarding deployment on the reverse slopes, for all of his other shortcomings, I think everyone would readily agree that Wellington was in fact a masterful, defensive tactician. Blucher was a man disposed entirely towards offensive action. Now, I personally would agree that offensive action is the more effective of the two, provided that it is not recklessly conducted. Blucher would sometimes be reckless in this regard. I would conjecture that the Prussian Army under Blucher's command, and this is a singularly significant point, was probably the only army in the world that would have rallied so quickly after thier defeat at Ligny to march so many miles to the salvation of thier allies at Waterloo. I would further conjecture that the Anglo-Allied Army under Wellington's command was perhaps the only army in the world that could have ever survived at Waterloo long enough for the Prussians to arrive. These two leaders, with thier vastly differing skills, indelibly shaped the outcome of the conflict. It was not one or the other, it was decidedly the combination of both that won the day.
First and foremost at no time in this discussion did I state that the Prussians won the hundred days campaign singlehandedly.....That sir is a gross exaggeration on your part. What I did say is that in my opinion the Prussians arrived at Waterloo in time to save the day. That sir is my opinion and like you I am entitled to it.I base my opinion of the situation at Waterloo on the following.
1. Zieten's 1st corp arrives in time to secure Wellingtons left enabling him to shorten his line and reinforce his center.
2. The attack bye Bulows IVth corp in the vicinity of Plancenoit consumes 25 of the 36 infantry battalions Napoleon starts the day with in reserve including 8-10 battalions of the Imperial Guard ( numbers vary on that point,some say 8 and others 10 Siborne states that it was 12 and this doesn't take into account Lobau's corp) which at that point in the battle leaves Napoleon 8 battalions of FRESH troops for his attack on the Anglo Allied armies center.
3. The affect of the Prussian arrival on the moral of the French army. For that lets look at Siborne's statement probably the most nationalistic Pro-Britsh author of his time on the subject.
“The vigorous attack which was made by Bulow upon Lobau’s line simultaneously with the last assault on Plancenoit, contributed most materially to the general and fatal panic which seized upon the whole French army.”
That quote was to be found on page 397 of my copy of his "History of the war in France and Belgium in 1815"
The above three reasons and a number of smaller events forms the basis of my opinion that the Prussians were instrumental in the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. It was clearly a joint effort of both the Anglo-Allied army and Bluchers Prussians,and I have never stated otherwise nor have I ever made a statement belittling the success Wellingtons forces at Waterloo. I admit that I am somewhat less then impressed with Wellingtons actions preceding that battle and his behind the scenes finagling in the months before the campaign but that is of course a matter of opinion.
I leave you gentlemen to your discussion......have a nice day
Regards
Walt
NWC
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