Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney played a crucial part in the events which unfolded on 18th June. Described by Napoleon himself as 'a lion' and commonly referred to as 'the bravest of the brave', Ney was one of the Grande Armee's most celebrated marshals. He distinguished himself during the Russian campaign of 1812 when he took control of the heroic rear-guard in the retreat from Moscow. However, in 1814, it was Ney who led the other marshals in persuading Napoleon to abdicate. Furthermore, when news filtered to Louis XVIII that Napoleon had escaped from Elba, it was Ney who promised to bring him back to Paris 'in an iron cage'. As it turned out, Ney did no such thing and sheepishly reverted to Napoleon's side when the two met face to face. He was given command of two of Napoleon's corps at Waterloo, the entire left wing of the French army. The disastrous consequences of this appointment have been generally considered to be the major contributing factor to Napoleon's defeat on the day. This may appear to be somewhat harsh; it is true that Ney's leadership of the massed French cavalry charges betrayed poor timing, a reckless disregard for his own safety and a clear lack of understanding of the concepts of cavalry attacks on infantry squares, but it could be argued that there were still opportunities for Napoleon to win the battle after this point. In fact, it could be argued that Ney's heroic, personal leadership of, first the cavalry, and then the French infantry reserve, had all but defeated Wellington by about 6pm.
- Blucher
- The End