Waterloo, 1815 ⚔️ The Truth behind Napoleon's final defeat

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➤ Narration: Alexander Doddy

➤ Special thanks to Stephen M. Beckett II for collaborating with us on this video. Make sure to check out his awesome books on this topic, links are below.

➤ Sources:

#napoleon #waterloo #france

[HistoryMarche]

🚩 Go to bit.ly/thld_cs_historymarche and use code HISTORYMARCHE to save 25% off today. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.

[jannestiemes]

History class: “Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, now let’s move on to WWI.” HistoryMarche: “There was a staircase next to Napoleons possible office in 1815.”

[zenoist]

Napoleons shortage of horses was mainly due to his disastrous Russia campaign of 1812. He also lost a lot of his best seasoned troops.

[EpaminondastheGreat]

This is one of the most articulate videos on the Waterloo Campaign I 've ever watched...It is indeed rare to find videos which focus on the most decisive factor that shapes history...the damn detail! Well done! Truly well done!

[jerseymontolalu]

"Merde!!!"

~ a random French soldier in the Napoleonic War

[BarryWolfeMusicPgh]

In all the reading I've done on this campaign, authors are content only to describe Soult's "bungling" of the concentration orders. Your timeline and the associated maps are a stunning revelation on what might have happened. Thanks so much!

[Nimish]

Many of us underestimate the importance of spies in war. Great generals are remembered but not great spies. Excellent video, this truly demonstrates the importance of intelligence in warfare. Could you please make some videos on famous spies in WW2? It would be pretty interesting. Marvelous video and hope to see more in the future. And what about Ain Jalut or my boy, Hannibal?

[Knowledgia]

I will take some popcorn, and I will come back!

[Freedom]

There were three major mistakes at Waterloo: 1) wasting good troops trying to take Hougoumont due to a miscommunication, 2) Marshal Ney wasting some of the best cavalry going against armed squares without first using cannon to break up the squares, and 3) Grouchy and his 30, 000 troops not coming to support Napoleon when they heard the cannon, despite the pleas of his second-in-command. There was also some bad luck, with torrential rains softening the ground delaying the French deployment of the cannon and cavalry, and Napoleon being ill on the day of the battle.

[settekwan]

Not to mention all other "divine interventions" like that rain happened the night before the battle, the sudden absence of Napoleon during the battle because of his illness. You don't see things like these happened in Austerlitz . It appears that Fortuna herself didn't want Napoleon to win.

[michaelbarrett]

My understanding of this battle was that the Prussians arrived at the last minute, just as the old guard broke. I didn’t know the British and Prussian generals were so close that they were able to meet in person. Good video.

[napoleonibonaparte]

Pesky “Infiltrate” game feature. If only I could use the command comsole

[sahhaf]

It would be much better if the road network of the area is shown in the maps.. It was the configuration of the roads which dictated the battle plan..

[robertreynolds]

A very interesting perspective. Without the spies and confusion, Napoleon would have gained an easier march on Brussels. But with them he fought two major engagements...Ligny and Waterloo. At Waterloo, the French were tactically incompetent. Cavalry against formed squares, not disabling the Allied cannon, not burning Hougoumont, not beginning battle earlier or even scouting out the direction of Blucher's withdrawl from Ligny. They even messed up D'Erlon's march onto the Prussian rear...which would have achieved a decisive victory at Ligny. However, would this have been a pin prick on an elephant if Napoleon had won? He still had to face Russian and Austrian armies? I feel his only victory would have been to prolong the war.

[aaqibqureshi]

The small details are truly what most people miss, but you are not one of them, well done my friend.

[expertstrategy]

At Waterloo, the French were betrayed when a cuirassier deserted to the Allies and warned them of the impending attack of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, half an hour in advance. Wellington was able to shorten his lines in response.

[hocestbellumchannel]

This is great, HistoryMarche the machine gun of quality!

[acspectator]

“If Berthier had been there, I would not have met this misfortune.”
~Napoleon

[katherinestives]

As I understand it, Marshal Berthier was the aide who composed most of Napoleon's orders into written form. Napoleon was (or so I understand) very confusing when giving verbal orders and Berthier had a knack for piecing together what Napoleon really meant. When Napoleon returned from exile, Berthier didn't rejoin him, and the confusion in orders could be due to having someone translating the verbal orders into written form who wasn't experienced or completely understanding of how to do that translating.

[everGompie]

The true hero of Waterloo:
David Hendrik Chassé
In 1815 he distinguished himself as commander of the 3rd Division at the Battle of Waterloo. During this battle, the division was initially positioned entirely on the right flank, around the village of Braine-l'Alleud. Soon the order came to position themselves in reserve behind the center of the Allied line. Chassé noticed that the British troops ahead of him were fleeing and the artillery was no longer firing. He soon saw that Napoleon was sending the Imperial Guard towards the center; He then ordered his artillery to take position and fire on the enemy, while in the meantime he had Colonel Detmers' brigade lined up in columns for the counterattack. After a short firefight he opened the attack on the French guard, who eventually had to give way. Detmers' brigade continued the attack, driving the French Guard from a last position at La Haye Sainte and pursuing the fleeing French as far as the Maison du Roi at Plancenoit, where they encountered Prussian troops.
To the horror of Chassé and his officers, the Duke of Wellington made no mention of the attack by Chassé's division in his report. Despite assurances from British general Lord Hill, who recognized the Dutch role in the battle of Waterloo, this omission was never corrected.
King William I appointed Chassé Commander of the Military William Order on July 8, 1815 because of his services in Waterloo.[3]
He was praised by Napoleon after the Battle of Waterloo.