Battle Of Waterloo (1815)

Question 1

What did Napolean do on the 15th June?

Answer 1

Napolean took his army across the French border to try and beat the other powers of Europe

Question 2

How was the French army run?

Answer 2

Lead: Napolean
Left flank: Marshal Ney
Right flank: Marshal Grouchy

Question 3

Who was British run?

Answer 3

Lead: Duke of Wellington led British, Netherland ans German states
Field Marshal Blucher led Prussian army

Question 4

How did Napolean show good manouevring at the start?

Answer 4

Napolean successfully split the British and Prussians and sent Grouchy with 33k troops to keep getting Russians to retreat

Question 5

What was composition of Wellington’s army?

Answer 5

50k infantry, 12k cavalry, 5k gunners

Question 6

What was composition of Napolean’s army?

Answer 6

70k remaining men

Question 7

How was Wellington’s defensive position well selected?

Answer 7

Put his troops on reverse side of a ridge to reduce impact of artillery
Two positions in front of the ridge to break French assault

Question 8

Why did Napolean have to attack quick?

Answer 8

Wellington was well defended and waiting for Prussian reinforcements

Question 9

How were Grouchy’s men wasted?

Answer 9

Although 33k troops had been sent to chase Prussians, 70k Prussians escaped

Question 10

How did Napolean start the attack badly?

Answer 10

Launched an 84-gun artillery bombardment. However the soft ground absorbed the cannonballs and Wellington’s position on reverse side of the ridge meant most shits flew over British

Question 11

How did Wellington stay strong in the centre?

Answer 11

2000 Coldstream Guards resisted in a square formation

Question 12

How did Napoleans main attack backfire?

Answer 12

Prussians already arrived. Napolean sent infantry in 200 wide columns which didn’t have the firepower of an infantry line so was easily hit by enemy fire.

Question 13

How did Wellington take advantage after Napolean’s wide column mistake?

Answer 13

Deployed his main forces in squares and fired a hidden artillery behind a hedge at Papelotte

Question 14

What was Napolean’s next poor decision?

Answer 14

Carried on fighting instead of joining Grouchy’s 33k troops and fighting later. Napolean sent Ney’s troops which initially went badly but broke through as they captured the farmhouse at Wellington’s centre

Question 15

What did Wellington say after Ney’s troops captured the farmhouse?

Answer 15

‘I have never been so close to defeat’ as French artillery were finally set up

Question 16

How did Napolean make another mistake with Ney?

Answer 16

Denied Ney reinforcements from the Imperial Guard as he was annoyed at the earlier failure

Question 17

How did Wellington show himself as a good leader at the end of the battle?

Answer 17

Led a group of German troops to strengthen his centre but lined cavalry brigades behind them so they couldn’t desert. He also personally led a group of Grenadiers to plug the gap after German’s looked weak

Question 18

How did Napolean finally lose battle and what were the casualties?

Answer 18

Napolean sent in Imperial Guard too late, prussian forces arrived and Napolean’s troops were outnumbered an tired, driven from the field
25k of 75k French troops killed or wounded