#WaterlooRemembered Day 4: Forgotten Foreign Forces - Prussia In the final installment of the Forgotten Foreign Forced triple bill, I speak to Vanya Bellinger about the vital role of the Prussians in the campaign, and how they have been written out of the Waterloo story. Please share widely and post your questions or comments. https://anchor.fm/the-napoleonicist/episodes/Waterloo-Remembered-Day-4-Forgotten-Foreign-Forces---Prussia-ef4s6d
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Just listening to the podcast I have to correct the statement, that the battle was known as "Belle Alliance" in Germany. Up to the end of the Kingdom of Hanover in 1866 the battle was always known as "Waterloo", after the annexation of Hanover by Prussia in 1866 the official name was "Belle Alliance", althoug guelphish circles stuck to "Waterloo". In 1899 Emperor Wilhelm II. gave the traditions of the Hanoverian army to some of the Prussian regiments from the province of Hanover, and from then on the battle was named "Waterloo" in Hanover. These Hanoverian regiments were the only ones with "Waterloo" as a battle honour on their Pickelhaube, all other Prussian regiments with a "Waterloo" tradition had "Belle Alliance" on their helmets.
Very interesting again, Vanya Bellinger - what nationality is she, certainly not a Yank.
Clausewitz, much studied - but usually ignored, isn't he advocating that defense is stronger and easier than offense, yet the Germans, and not only them cherish the idea of the initiative and keeping it regardless of what coast.
Vanya Bellinger is quite right that the Prussians were quite upset to wage this war - again. Prussia was extremely humiliated, not only after the defeat of 1806/ 07 campaign (1807 gets ignored again) but it was shabbily treated in 1812 - when being Allied to the French it was much plundered by them and the Prussian King had even to move out of his capital to avoid confrontation with them, some French officers made Boney aware of this, that this wouldn't do good for the future.
The Prussian Kings risked to get Prussia wiped out from the map - in case they would loose against Boney, the stakes are at quite another level than for Britain. He got his arms twisted by Yorck by the convention of Tauroggen.
In my view, and I changed it quite a bit, there was a strong trust between Wellington and Blücher, they both were professionals, and they both knew - they had to work together - hell bent - to defeat Boney.
Gneisenau couldn't of course speak English with Wellington when Blücher was present who couldn't understand it.
Blücher cannot be seen without Gneisenau and in case we like to speak of "modern" staff - here we have it. Already in 1813 they worked well together controlling such hot head like Yorck.
The much debated meeting happened at the windmill of Brye.
In case you like to read from a German point of view - read
Pflugk-Harttung, Julius von. "Die Verhandlungen Wellingtons und Blüchers auf der Windmühle bei Brye (16. Juni 1815)" in the Historisches Jahrbuch, Bd. 23 (1902), S. 80-97:
https://books.google.com/books?id=BaIyAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA80
Please read it and let me know what you think.
My view is, it was blown up out of proportion, those chaps acted in good faith according to the circumstances they knew then.
In case there would have been no strong trust between both commanders neither Wellington would have made a stand - nor Blücher making the huge effort to come to his aid with his whole army.
Didn't Wellington remark that Blücher was a splendid fellow?
I agree that ignoring the Prussians has a lot to do with 20th century politics and also that maybe some very good German works weren't published due to the out brake of the WW1.
The Prussian Army of Blücher was indeed not homogeneous at all, Landwehr wasn't Landwehr, you had the old regiments fighting from 1813 onward and new ones - like the Westphalian Landwehr of recent stock (and also they could vary in quality as well).
A lot of units were re organized, made up for example from several different units like the Lützow Freikorps and the Russo German Legion - etc.
The best Prussian troops - the "old" regiments as well as the peak of the cavalry (cuirassiers) and the Guards - were still approaching and not there.
Even Boney, the former God of War, which he wasn't any longer after 1808 - underestimated the Prussians. According to his calculations they would need several days to re - organize after their severe defeat at Ligny.
The Prussian army proved to be resilient and this is in my view one of the great achievements in military history that a beaten army, rallies in one day and delivers the deadly punch at the next day, much to the consternation of Boney.
My initial position, Wellington betraying the Prussians, swung completely to the opposite, and I see it as a strong allied victory against a difficult overall situation, coalition warfare at its best.
Still I see with pity that even historians who understand this well, speak about a British victory at Quatre Bras, wouldn't be an Allied victory or even better a victory of Wellington's army the better choice?
Isn't it high time to brake the monopolization to call Waterloo a British victory? Or Quatre Bras for that as well?
Alexander Mikaberidze wrote some very good books about the Russian campaign, and refreshingly he points out that it wasn't a French Army which invaded but indeed an Allied Army.
Good history should change our perspective of view.