Why did Napoleon lose the Battle of Waterloo?

Answer 1

In a way the Battle of Waterloo was a race where Napoleon had to destroy the British Army before the Prussians arrived. The Allied armies were roughly split in two, the British plus Dutch and Belgian Allies and Blucher's Prussians. However Napoleon detatched only one Corps of his army, under Grouchy, to delay the Pussians while he, with the advantage of superior numbers, planned to destroyed the British.

Why couldn't Napoleon beat Wellington before the Prussians arrived? Well Grouchy was bit clueless and failed to delay the Prussians, or even turn up, the mud reduced the effectiveness of cavalry and artillery and the Brits refused to be beaten!

Part of the reason was that Britain had a small but all-volunteer army where the troops were very well trained and disciplined according to the standards of the day. The British infantry used a line formation to maximise firepower and had the discipline to keep formation when attacked by the dense French columns, something few other armies could do. Ney threw away the French advantage in cavalry by attacking the imperturbable British infantry squares, and Napoleon was also supposed to be having a particularly bad day due to a dodgy stomach. While Napoleon directed the battle from his headquarters (presumably close to the Imperial latrine!) Wellington was active in riding around the British lines to give orders to units that were in particularly dangerous situations, so exerted more direct control over his troops.

Wellington also chose a reasonable defensive position along a ridge where the French would have to attack uphill and his reserves could shelter from the artilery fire just over the brow of the ridge.

Answer 2

Mud took Napoleon's two favorite weapons, artillery and cavalry partially out of the picture. This was before the days of exploding shells, so cannon balls needed relatively firm ground so they could bounce and roll.

Napoleon also hesitated a few times in the battle, possibly due to a lack of intelligence, I won't pretend to know for sure. Anyway, Napoleon was unable to crush Wellington's forces quick enough. Napoleon's subordinate, I forget his name but he was in charge of finding Blucher and beating him back to the battle field, failed. Blucher's Prussian army turned the tide of the battle by giving the British some relief and valuable reinforcements preventing Napoleon from breaking them and winning.

Answer 3

Because he violated one important from Sun Tzu's Art of War, though he may have read of it before.

"If the enemy holds the high ground, do not ascend and do battle with him." - He had the most part of his army, including especially the Guard, to attack the Mont-Saint-Jean hills in which Wellington's main body of his army was positioned.

The result? Disaster. He had few reserves left by the time Blucher's Prussians arrived at 7:30 p.m.

No offense, but based on this observation, Wellington may have won this battle w/ or w/o Blucher.

Answer 4

No they are nevertheless debating it, in spite of the actuality that the conflict seems without delay forward an approximately 6 hour conflict,( their are maximum of diverse bills of that conflict ),yet thinking the only element Napoleon grow to be not wanting and thats Cavalry ,certainly the finding out element grow to be the absence of his veteran cavalry commander Murat (who won the day at such battles as Borodino) incapable of commanding a armed forces himself, he nevertheless did efficient carrier decrease than the command of Napoleon. He Murat could have a minimum of spiked the British weapons they (the french cavalry)had overrun throughout the time of their assaults during the day,he could have confident Napoleon to not detach his horse Artillery faraway from him,and greater importantly with a huge variety of Curraisser (Heavy Cavalry)regiments decrease than his own command he could have a minimum of finished greater acceptable than Marshal Ney, and he could have broken Wellingtons centre,basically my opinion.

Answer 5

Napoleon didn't have enough information to make wise decisions.

Answer 6

Troop numbers he was over whelmed by resistance to his invasion of...by others.

Answer 7

Wellington was a better strategist and commander.

Answer 8

Arrogance and underestimating his enemy.

Cheers

Answer 9

Twas his turn to loose. He had to loose sometime.