Prelude Waterloo Campaign

napoleon leaving elba joseph beaume

napoleon returned exile on island of elba on 1 march 1815, king louis xviii fled paris on 19 march, , napoleon entered paris next day. meanwhile, far recognising him emperor of french, great powers of europe (austria, great britain, prussia , russia) , allies, assembled @ congress of vienna, declared napoleon outlaw, , signing of declaration on 13 march 1815, began war of seventh coalition. hopes of peace napoleon had entertained gone — war inevitable.

plenipotentiaries @ congress of vienna

a further treaty (the treaty of alliance against napoleon) ratified on 25 march in each of great european powers agreed pledge 150,000 men coming conflict. such number not possible great britain, standing army smaller 3 of peers. besides, forces scattered around globe, many units still in canada, war of 1812 had ceased. in mind made numerical deficiencies paying subsidies other powers , other states of europe contribute contingents.

some time after allies began mobilising, agreed planned invasion of france commence on 1 july 1815, later both blücher , wellington have liked both armies ready in june, ahead of austrians , russians; latter still distance away. advantage of later invasion date allowed invading coalition armies chance ready @ same time. deploy combined numerically superior forces against napoleon s smaller, thinly spread forces, ensuring defeat , avoiding possible defeat within borders of france. yet postponed invasion date allowed napoleon more time strengthen forces , defences, make defeating him harder , more costly in lives, time , money.

napoleon had decide whether fight defensive or offensive campaign. defence entail repeating 1814 campaign in france larger numbers of troops @ disposal. france s chief cities, paris , lyon, fortified , 2 great french armies, larger before paris , smaller before lyon, protect them; francs-tireurs encouraged, giving coalition armies own taste of guerrilla warfare.

napoleon chose attack, entailed pre-emptive strike @ enemies before assembled , able co-operate. destroying of major coalition armies, napoleon believed able bring governments of seventh coalition peace table discuss results favourable himself, namely peace france himself remaining in power head. if peace rejected allies despite pre-emptive military success might have achieved using offensive military option available him, war continue , turn attention defeating rest of coalition armies.

napoleon s decision attack in belgium supported several considerations. first, had learned british , prussian armies dispersed , might defeated in detail. other major coalition armies of russia , austria not able reinforce prussians , british. because russian army still moving across europe , austrian army still mobilizing. also, british troops in belgium largely second-line troops; of veterans of peninsular war had been sent america fight war of 1812. in addition, army of united netherlands reinforcing british. these dutch troops ill-equipped , inexperienced. and, politically, french victory might trigger pro-french revolution in french-speaking belgium.