Napoleon's tactics at Waterloo - the post mortem

[rich p]

blah blah blah blah...
...In my opinion, four principal causes led to this disaster: The first, and most influential, was the arrival, skilfully combined, of Blücher, and the false movement that favoured this arrival, the second was the admirable firmness of the British infantry, joined to the sang-froid and aplomb of its chiefs; the third, was the horrible weather, that had softened the ground, and rendered the offensive movements so toilsome, and retarded till one o'clock the attack that should have been made in the morning; the fourth, was the inconceivable formation of the first corps, in masses very much too deep for the first grand attack.
I rest my case.

 

[ColinJ]

I think his mistake was not reacting quickly enough to enemy advances. Once he saw that they were gaining an advantage he should have jumped down off his horse, run across to the enemy lines brandishing his gold-encrusted sword, and defeated them single-handed.

 

[slowmotion]

The French Cav stayed too near the English squares.....simple.

 

[Ajay]

Yes, but if he'd deployed the Imperial Guard earlier in the day to chase down the breakaway......(snorzzzzzzzzz)

 

[lukesdad]

If he hadnae gone for a pee he wouldnae missed his train.

< with noods accent >

 

[marinyork]

Just like today, the issue is where is the cannonball going.

Quite impressed you can remember Waterloo, you'd only have been five and a half years old at the time rich.

 

[montage]

if it wasn't for richard sharpe, napoleon would have done alreet

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I detect the OP is designed to be a red rag to a platypus, bear, whatever to flush ye argumentative troublemakers, bullies out. Don't fall for it!

 

[ufkacbln]

I think his mistake was not reacting quickly enough to enemy advances.

... and allegedly not reacting to Josephine's advances?

 

[ufkacbln]

if it wasn't for richard sharpe, napoleon would have done alreet

Richard Sharpe left army after Waterloo and did not in fact retire happily ever after to an idyllic country existence... that was a cover for the real story

Richard Sharpe is now Josephine!

 

[Red Light]

Napolean can get his tictacs from the WH Smiths outlet on the main concourse.

 

[raindog]

Another factor was that almost a whole battalion of French said they had to be at a wedding that day.

 

[yello]

The selection was all wrong imho. Nicole Cooke should not have been in the team.

 

[rich p]

You ignorant fools - I knew I'd weed out the shoot-from-the-hip armchair generals if I kept my powder dry long enough.
Only those who have led a battalion in the field are qualified to reply although whist players above parish level will of course be granted dispensation.

 

[Risex4]

To be fair, I don't believe you've ever commanded Her Majesty's Armed Forces or been exiled to a small island off the west coast of Italy, so I'd like to know your credentials for posting this?

They were never going to attack properly up the slope to the sunken road, they should have done more on the flat. They made too much of a meal of the farm at Hugomount. There was also a very clear lack of a blan p, which further highlighted that NB was tactically past his sell-by date.