Why the Battle of Waterloo?

Decision making game designed to get over the choices Napoleon faced from Elba to Waterloo

Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba. He was to spend the rest of his life regretting what he’d done.

1. The Congress of Vienna have decided that you (Napoleon) the greatest living general who once bestrode Europe like a colossus ruling from Moscow to Portugal however, recently defeated, shall now rule the Island of Elba population 12,000 and half the size of the Isle of Wight. What do you do? 1.You accept your fate and try to make the best of a bad lot by taking up DIY. Not literally but you will set about improving the island’s infrastructure by building a new hospital, schools and roads. 2.You choose to write your biography where you can defend yourself to future generations. 3.You could sit and fume, scheme and plot for your triumphant return. They haven’t seen the last of you yet.

1. The Congress of Vienna have decided that you (Napoleon) the greatest living general who once bestrode Europe like a colossus ruling from Moscow to Portugal however, recently defeated, shall now rule the Island of Elba population 12,000 and half the size of the Isle of Wight. What do you do? 1.You accept your fate and try to make the best of a bad lot by taking up DIY. Not literally but you will set about improving the island’s infrastructure by building a new hospital, schools and roads. 2.You choose to write your biography where you can defend yourself to future generations. 3.You could sit and fume, scheme and plot for your triumphant return. They haven’t seen the last of you yet.

2. Despite trying to make improvements to your new ‘empire’ the money from King Louis XVIII was not forthcoming. This means you have had rather too much time on your hands and not much to do. Your English gaoler, Sir Neil Campbell, has left the island to see his doctor (or mistress). What do you do now? 1.Sit tight and await funds for your improvement scheme. Louis cannot withhold the funds forever. 2.Although you only have 1,000 men you could sail to mainland France to see what welcome awaits you. 3.You could kill time by helping your sister, princess Borghese, organise a ball to keep both your spirits high.

2. Despite trying to make improvements to your new ‘empire’ the money from King Louis XVIII was not forthcoming. This means you have had rather too much time on your hands and not much to do. Your English gaoler, Sir Neil Campbell, has left the island to see his doctor (or mistress). What do you do now? 1.Sit tight and await funds for your improvement scheme. Louis cannot withhold the funds forever. 2.Although you only have 1,000 men you could sail to mainland France to see what welcome awaits you. 3.You could kill time by helping your sister, princess Borghese, organise a ball to keep both your spirits high.

3. Vive l’Emperor! France welcomed you back with open arms. You have reached Paris without firing a shot as promised and soldiers have flocked to your call. Meanwhile, fat Louis XVIII, flees Paris for Ghent (in the kingdom of the Netherlands) to see what happens. What do you do next? 1.Stay in Paris and plead with the allied powers that you will be a good boy and rule as a constitutional monarch just like the British royal family. 2.Send a ‘hit-squad’ to kill the king in exile and launch an attack on your nearest enemy. 3.Build fortress France. Construct a series of forts along France’s borders and recruit an army to protect against foreign invasion.

3. Vive l’Emperor! France welcomed you back with open arms. You have reached Paris without firing a shot as promised and soldiers have flocked to your call. Meanwhile, fat Louis XVIII, flees Paris for Ghent (in the kingdom of the Netherlands) to see what happens next. What do you do next? 1.Stay in Paris and plead with the allied powers that you will be a good boy and rule as a constitutional monarch just like the British royal family. 2.Kill the king in exile and launch an attack on your nearest enemy. 3.Build fortress France. Construct a series of forts along France’s borders and recruit an army to protect against foreign invasion.

4. The Allied powers have rejected your offer of becoming a constitutional monarch. You rapidly build an army. By early summer 1815 you have approximately 360,000 trained men under your command. Facing you, but not yet fully assembled, could be an army of over 600,000 men from four countries. What do you do? 1.Use the map on the following slide to determine the course of action to take. Think about: – Where your enemies are (numbers, how quickly can they get to you?) – Who poses the greatest threat? – What are your aims – domination of Europe or force the allies to back off and let you rule France?

5. You have decided that the immediate threat comes from the British and Prussians. You can use your Army du Nord which numbers 125,000 experienced soldiers against them whilst the rest of your troops hold the borders. Get rid of the British army and their government will fall and the alliance may collapse without British money. Many French speakers in Belgium are sympathetic and may even join with you as well. Successfully you have marched your army undetected to where the Sambre river crosses into Belgium. However, together their armies number in the region of 200,000 and they are watching the borders closely. What do you do? 1.Split your forces – they may outnumber you but you are a better general. Wellington is too cautious and Blucher, too old! Tackle them quickly and one at a time so they can’t join forces. 2.Find a good place to stay put and let them to try to knock you off. If they want to put you back in a prison they are going to have to do it the hard way. They will soon get tired and make mistakes and lose. 3.Withdraw from the area altogether. You have gambled and lost it’s time to go home and defend Paris. There are too many of them.

Brussels this way! Blucher & 120,000 men Wellington & 92,000 men Wellington has his base at Ostend this way

6. You have successfully taken the central position at Charleroi and are in between the British and Prussian army. Your top marshall (Ney) has been sent to Quatre Bras to take the crossroads whilst another marshall (Grouchy) has been sent to Ligny to tackle the Prussians. Ney doesn’t take the crossroads but he does stop the British army from helping Blucher at Ligny where Grouchy is successful and the Prussians are in retreat. You need to make some big decisions. 1.You could chase, hound and harrass the Prussians from the area. Inflict one last defeat upon your largest opponent and then turn and take on Wellington – the one general you have not yet faced in battle. 2.As the Prussians are retreating you could shadow them to make sure they play no further part in the forthcoming battle against the British. This would mean you have more troops to take on Wellington – the one general you have not yet faced in battle. 3.Blucher is on the run, it looks like he is going back to Prussia, so you can afford to use ALL your men against Wellington. As Wellington is the one general you have not yet faced in battle you want a show of strength against him.

7. Daybreak, June 18 th, You have chosen to split your army and Grouchy, with 33,000 men is ordered to follow Blucher to make sure he does not join with Wellington. You thought Wellington was on the run but your scouts have reported that he has made camp on a ridge called Mont St Jean, astride the Brussels road. A significant part of his army is partly made up of ‘unreliable’ Dutch allies and few of his British troops are veterans. With approx. 70,000 men each, your armies are evenly matched in size. You have nearly twice as many cannon as Wellington, but it has been raining all night and the ground is far too wet to move your cannon with ease. Your final battle plan is what? 1.A head-on attack. Smash Wellington and his army right in the centre. The road to Brussels will be yours. 2.Outflank him. Move a large force of your men to your left and cut off Wellington’s supply lines. He won’t be able to fight on after that. 3.Await news on Blucher and the Prussians before you fight Wellington, make absolutely sure they are withdrawing to the east before you attack.