V. BLUCHER MARCHES TOWARDS MONT ST JEAN WITH THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH CORPS 100 VI. THIELEMANN’S INSTRUCTIONS AND HIS DISPOSITIONS AT WAVRE 108 VII. THE BATTLE OF WAVRE 115 VIII. GROUCHY’S RETREAT 133 IX. NOTES AND COMMENTS 153 INDEX 165 MAPS PAGE 1. ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS OF 15TH-20TH JUNE 1 2. THE BATTLE OF WAVRE--POSITIONS AT DAYBREAK, 19TH JUNE 115 3. ILLUSTRATING GROUCHY’S RETREAT FROM NAMUR 133 [Illustration: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS OF JUNE 15^{ṬḤ} TO 20^{ṬḤ} 1815. _William Stanford & Company, Ltd._, _The Oxford Geographical Institute._ John Murray, Albemarle St., W.] THE BATTLE OF WAVRE AND GROUCHY’S RETREAT CHAPTER I BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE EARLIER OPERATIONS--UP TO LIGNY The Allied troops in the Netherlands had begun to concentrate as early as the 15th of March. They were cantoned from Trèves and Coblentz to Courtrai. But their commanders were away in Vienna--both Wellington and Blucher. The largest number that could be concentrated to meet a sudden attack on Belgium in April was 80,000 men. Of these, 23,000 were Anglo-Hanoverian troops, 30,000 were Prussians, 14,000 were Saxons, and the remainder Dutch-Belgians. The spirit of discipline was almost wholly wanting among the Saxons and Dutch-Belgians; the greater part of them had, at one time or another, served Napoleon, and were not to be trusted. Kleist, commanding the Prussians on the Rhine, had arranged with the Prince of Orange, who commanded the troops in the Netherlands, that, in the event of a French attack, they would retire together on Tirlemont; thus leaving Brussels exposed, and giving the enemy a firm footing in Belgium. By the 1st of April, Napoleon could have mustered a force of 50,000 men on the frontier near Charleroi. He could have marched direct on Brussels (as the Prince of Orange and Kleist had agreed to fall back). With Brussels in his hands, he could have turned and repeated his favourite strategy by falling upon the allied armies in turn. Wellington was dreading such an attack.