"Greatests" Military Blunders

[Johnny_H02]

Waterloo : not a blunder. I know that the english like to stick to that legend by the angloallies army was the only winner and that it smashed the french army (in that case the angloallies army is often transformed in English army alone) In fact the angloallies army was close not to be defeated tactically (would have much more looked for a stalemate) but ratherwas close to fall back on the road to Anvers. Wellington himself gave these orders around 16-17 PM. Have the prussians been late a little more, it would have been a strategical victory for Napoleon as it was planified (forcing the Angloallies to retreat and eventually re-embark and afterthat take care of the Prussians).
the battle itself was poorly conduced from Napoleon standard though but the strategical move with lower number of troops was the best that could have been done and may have succeded

I think that the battle was poorly managed by Napoleon and equally poorly staffed. D'Erleons Corps being marched between Ligny & Quatra Bras being a good indication the corps was completely useless in both battles when they were sorely needed. Had Napoleon won the battle (Wellington's centre breaks or Blucher doesnt arrive or arrives too late) then it is possible that Napoleon could beat both armies piece-meal however he would still have the full might of an Allied Prussian (those not engaged at Waterloo), Austrian & Russian + other European principalities to deal with which in my opinion and the opinion of Historian Jeremy Black would have been too much for Napoleon to handle in 1815. The British if anything would have had far less say in the outcome and fate of France after the war.

So one could argue that a victorious Napoleon at Waterloo would only bring greater disaster to France (IE Soviets overrunning Germany in WWII). Looks like Hitler held off the Western Allies just long enough to achieve greater destruction and I don't see a scenario where Napoleon could restore France to its 1790's early 1800's Empire after the 1814 Vienna Peace & the 7th Coalition against Napoleonic France.


Just my 2cents of course.

[PsihoKeke]

Napoleon's strategic position was terrible. Even if he won the battle there was another Prussian army on the Rhine, Austrians defeated Murat and were marching into France, Russians were ariving, while he was without reserves, unable to replace losses from the Waterloo campaign.