Waterloo 1815 (2): Ligny

by John Franklin, Gerry Embleton (Illustrator)

Overview

Waterloo 1815 is a captivating study of the battle of Waterloo, one of the defining campaigns in European history. In particular it focuses on the desperate struggle for Ligny, which saw the Prussians pushed back after heavy fighting by the French Army in what was to be Napoleon's last battlefield victory. With Wellington unable to assist his Prussian allies in time, the Prussian centre was overwhelmed as night began to fall, although the flanks were able to retreat in some semblance of order.

Stunning illustrations augment the drama of the fighting in this area while considerable new research drawn from unpublished first-hand accounts provide a detailed and engaging resource for all aspects of the battle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472803665
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/17/2015
Series:	Campaign , #277
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	510,539
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

John Franklin is a professional military historian based in Switzerland who specializes in the Napoleonic period, and the Waterloo campaign in particular. A Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society (FINS), and a graduate of the University of Bern, he has been engaged in one of the most comprehensive investigations of the campaign ever undertaken, with the aim of providing a wealth of previously unpublished material on the various armies and contingents present during the dramatic climax to this important period of European history. The vast majority of his work is based on manuscript and archival sources, with the emphasis on primary research. He is the author of the acclaimed books of correspondence on the Hanoverian and Netherlands armies, with further publications on the French and Prussians scheduled. The author lives in Bern, Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Napoleon escapes from the island of Elba

The long march to Paris and return to power

Chronology 9

Opposing Commanders 13

French commanders

Prussian commanders

Opposing Forces

The command and composition of the French Army

The command and composition of the Prussian Army

Orders of battle

Opposing Plans 29

The Campaign Opens 30

The French advance and the capture of Charleroi

The Prussian withdrawal and the combat at Gilly

Movements on the morning of 16 June

Important decisions for the three commanders

The struggle for the crossroads commences

Final preparations at Fleurus and Sombreffe

Vandamme attacks the village of St Amand

Gérard begins the offensive against Ligny

Orders to envelop Brye and St Amand

Zieten launches a counterattack at Ligny

Blücher intervenes in the fighting at St Amand

The contest escalates at St Amand la Haie

Urgent reinforcements bolster the attacks

Il Korps enters the fray at Wagnelée

A column approaches from Villers Perwin

Gneisenau sends a messenger to Quatre Bras

Fateful decisions in the heat of battle

Determined resistance at St Amand and Ligny

Napoleon orders the Garde Impériale to attack

Cavalry charges in the fields before Brye

The Prussians retreat north towards Tilly

Wellington holds the French at Quatre Bras

Aftermath 90

The Battlefield Today 92

Further Reading 94

Index 95