Prussians helped win Waterloo (1815), where a coalition led by Prussia, England and France fought Napoleon’s French. Napoleon opened the battle at 13:00 with his long-ranged artillery. The French continue their assault on the Anglo-Saxon allies by using infantry and cavalry attacks, followed by cannonfire. The Prussians attack the French flank at 19:30. Napoleon sends out his old guard to decimate the French army. Napoleon flees and is chased by Prussians at 21:00. (“The Defeat”)Napoleon suffered defeat at Waterloo as a result of Prussian involvement.
Napoleon made several physiological errors that are attributed to Prussians. Napoleon made many physiological errors during the battle that can be attributed to the Prussians for example due too that Napoleon knew the Prussians were coming and he would have high disadvantage he took a great risk and send in the elite force of the French army the old guard which then got dedicated by the Anglo-Allies.Factors, why the French led by Napoleon lost the battle, was because they had the numerical disadvantage. Prussians were involved directly in shifting number advantage from French to Anglo-Allies. The French outnumbered Anglo-Allies 73000 to 67000 at the start. (Barbero 60-61). The French also had a better arsenal than the Anglo Allies. They had about 100 cannons more. The Prussians cleared up the disparity. They had 25,000 infantrymen (the “Fifteen”) and 3000 cavalry. Their artillery consisted of 88 cannons. (Barbero 60-61). Napoleon was no longer in favor, but the newly-formed alliance of Prussians & Anglo allies. The Alliance now outnumbered France by 110000 to 73,000. This was a major disadvantage for France. (Barbero 60-61). The Anglo-Saxon allies gained a great advantage because most battles were won at this time by those who had the best guns, artillery, and sacrificed the most people. This gave them a huge advantage and led to the victory. Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo is largely due to the strategic disadvantages that the Prussians gave him. Prussians who had recovered from their defeat to the French were one of these strategic disadvantages. Napoleon feels the pressure of the Prussians flanking the French army, so he sends 15000 men in order to stop a force that is 40000 strong (GREAT CAMPAIGNS 230). The French are defeated in this battle and the Prussians eat into the French flank at the end. (Clayton 432). Prussians can also offer a strategic edge to their anglo-allied allies, and not just the French. Wellington said “Give me Blucher or night” when he arrived in Germany. This quote highlights the moral responsibility that the Prussians had because Wellington knew he’d win. Wellington could do more from his position because he was more confident. His troops also felt more confident after seeing the Prussians’ advance. The French were now in retreat. This gave the Prussians a major advantage. Napoleon’s physiological mistakes, which are ascribed to the Prussians, were a major factor in his downfall.
Wellington’s choice of terrain was the biggest reason Napoleon lost. It had been a wide open field the night before, and it had rained. This favored Wellington the defender. The mud slowed down the cavalry, infantry and most importantly the artillery. The French had significantly more artillery in the battle than their anglo-allied allies. Napoleon knew the Prussians would arrive and that if he didn’t defeat the Anglo-allied forces before they arrived, he’d be in a worse position. The second reason why the Prussians played a crucial role at Waterloo is that Napoleon made mistakes due to the psychological pressure the Prussians put on him. Napoleon was prone to making mistakes because of the Prussians putting on phycological stress. “Might Break Wellington… In the Process Find the Prussians Smashing Into His Army From the Rear” (GREAT COMMAGES 231).
Because he was rushing to get things done, he gambled big. He sent the old men into battle before he did good recon. Wellington, in response to the Prussians’ advance, sent his old guard into battle without good recon. He knew that if they fell it would demoralize his own men.
Napoleon, knowing that he was going to hit his own men, ordered the cannons to fire on the Anglo-Allies after the French had seen this. (“The Defeat” 42-45). The Prussians caught him when he fled and tried to build a second army. They then handed him over to Britain to prevent another war. Napoleon was defeated and an era ended. It was a coalition that brought him down. If countries had not collaborated against a common foe, Napoleonic would likely have prevailed. Prussians, who had the numerical advantage in the coalition were also a large part. Prussians helped to provide the strategic edge by helping Wellington and Wellington’s troops destroy Napoleon’s front and morally supporting them.
The Prussians were also instrumental in forcing Napoleon to make tactical errors. Napoleon sent too few troops against the Prussians, risking the flank of his army. He also sent the old guard into battle without doing any scouting. All of these things had to work together to defeat Napoleon.
