Battle of Wavre

Quatre Bras - Ligny - Waterloo - Wavre

The Battle of Wavre was one of the last battles of the Napoleonic Wars. They occurred from June 18th to June 19th, 1815 between the Prussian rearguard under Johann Adolf von Thielmann and a French force under Emmanuel de Grouchy. Their importance derives the Battle of Wavre, therefore, that the Prussian troops ultimately about 30,000 French soldiers kept away from the Battle of Waterloo and so the defeat of Napoleon with enabled.

• 3.1 The beginning of the battle on 18 June
• 3.2 The further action by Grouchy
• 3.3 The battles for Limal
• 3.4 The continuation of the battle on 19 June

The enemy troops

Listed are the commanding officers and the assistant team strengths.

The French Associations

The command of Marshal Emmanuel de Grouchy were under the following troops:

• III. French Army Corps Vandamme ( 13,500 )

• 8th Infantry Division Lefol ( 5500 )
• 10th Infantry Division Habert ( 4100 )
• 11th Infantry Division Berthezene ( 3,900 )

• IV Corps 13,400 Gérard

• 21st Infantry Division Teste ( 3200 ) extracted from the VI.Korps and added as a General Reserve
• 2nd Cavalry Corps Exelmans ( 2,550 )

• 9th Cavalry Division Strolz ( 1550 )
• 10th Cavalry Division Chastel ( 1000 )

• 4th Cavalry Division Soult (1200 )

The Prussian troops

• III. Army Corps Lieutenant General von Thielmann originally about 27,000 men, after the battle of Ligny possibly only 24,000 men

• 9th Infantry Brigade of Major General von Borcke ( 7,000 ) 5,000 men of the brigade were mistakenly followed the I and II Corps and participated only on 19 June at the Battle
• 10th Infantry Brigade of Major General von Krauseneck ( 3,900 )
• 11th Infantry Brigade Colonel v.Luck (4,000)
• 12th Infantry Brigade Colonel Stülpnagel ( 5,900 ) 30th Infantry Regiment
• 31st Infantry Regiment

• Artillery of the III. Corps Colonel Monhaupt

Although the corps of four so-called infantry brigades were placed under, which appear to be rather French divisions

Since the III. Prussian corps at the Battle of Ligny had suffered fewer losses than the other two Prussian corps - as it did not withstand the attack of the main French offensive - its operational strength was probably declined by only 3,000 men.

After the Battle of Ligny

After the Prussian troops were defeated at the Battle of Ligny, the Prussians had to withdraw partially disordered. Here Grouchy was commissioned by Napoleon in the pursuit of retreating Prussian associations. The hesitant persecution by the French troops allowed the Prussian army to rally and march off to the command of Blücher toward Waterloo. During the First Corps departed from among Zieten and the II Corps under of Pirch from Wavre to Waterloo, the IV Corps marched under General von Bülow before these two corps. The III. Corps under Lieutenant-General von Thielmann fanned formed between Wavre (23 battalions ), Bierges (9 Battalions ) and Limal a locked position, which was to defeat the French persecution. On June 17, the bulk of the French troops marched under Grouchy about 15 kilometers further pursuit was taken on June 18, around 10:00 clock, the onset from 11.30 clock cannon was first ignored, although Gérard Grouchy pressed to rush there held that in itself his orders and continued the march continued to Wavre.

The Battle

The beginning of the battle on 18 June

Shortly after the French force had come into contact with Prussian associations, reached the III. French corps under Vandamme Wavre; followed by the Second Cavalry Corps under the Exel 's. The commander of the III. French corps commanded in the following several attacks on the city Wavre, which was occupied by Prussian infantry easier. All attacks across the stone bridge to the Prussian positions were repelled. Also, additional attacks on the Prussian positions at Bas -Wavre failed by and Bierges.

The further action by Grouchy

Meanwhile Grouchy reached a command of his emperor to march immediately and intervene in the fighting of the Battle of Waterloo. In fact, Grouchy also ordered some associations of the IV Corps to march and run this command. Nevertheless, Vandamme attacked before Wavre to continue, a total of French infantry across the bridge of Wavre than a dozen assaults counted. This fighting lasted through the collapse of Dunkelkheit addition of up to about 23.00 clock.

The battles for Limal

To 18 clock reached the I. French Cavalry Corps Limal, which was merely defended by a Prussian infantry regiment and some cavalry. The Attack of the French cavalry threw the Prussians from Limal, more French troops ( including the Reserve Division under tests) nachrückten over its bridge. However, Prussian troops were sent as reinforcement direction Limal, total tried Thielmann to form a coherent defensive front. Also a first Prussian counter-attack, which was launched after dark, was intercepted. In return, the French troops extended their sphere of influence from behind to Limal. This had the consequence that the III. Prussian corps was separated from the Anglo - Allied army and the Prussian army.

The continuation of the battle on 19 June

After the Prussian troops on the night of June 19 more reinforcements ( including the remaining troops ) had received, they began before dawn a surprise attack on the French. These were located in the superior power and began to command Marshal Grouchy with artillery support a counterattack. This attack was followed by further attacks, which ultimately led to the Prussians had to leave the battlefield. After the Prussian troops evacuated the field, Marshal Grouchy learned of the defeat of his Emperor at the Battle of Waterloo, whereupon Grouchy ordered the withdrawal of troops to France.

Losses and meaning

The battle ended in a French victory since the Prussian troops were driven from the battlefield. Due to the fighting in Wavre, however, the intervention of French Associations in the battle of Waterloo was prevented what Napoleon before the defeat could have saved. The fighting on 18 and 19 June the Prussian troops had cost 3,200 man, however, the French lost only 2,200 soldiers.

Belletristische reception

Stefan Zweig The world minute of Waterloo processes these events in the narrative in his work moments of humanity.