Seventh coalition
The seventh coalition is formed in all haste in 1815 after the return of Napoleon I {{er}} and before its entry to Paris. The March 13rd, six days before Napoleon does not reach the capital, the powers with the Congrès of Vienna declare it outlaw. Four days later the the United Kingdom, the Russia, the Austria and the Prussia manage to mobilize 150.000 men to put an end to his presence to the head of France.
See also: Hundred Days
The members of the seventh coalition are: the the United Kingdom, Russia, Prussia, the Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and a certain number of German States.
After the failure of the attempts to dissuade at least one from the allies to invade France, Napoleon knows that its only chance of success is to attack before the coalition does not assemble a crushing force. If it can destroy the forces present in Belgium before they are reinforced by quotas of others allied, it will be able to push back the British with the sea and to pare the Prussians out of the war. It is a strategy already used successfully several times before.
The principal battles of the seventh coalition were those of Ligny (June 16th), of Four-Arm (June 16th), of Wavre (18 and June 19th) and of Waterloo (June 18th).
The June 16th, on the field of Battle of Ligny, the French under the orders of Napoleon put the Prussians in confusion. In a separated action, with Four-Arm the same day the left wing of the French Army, ordered by the marshal Ney, blocks the britannico-allied army coming using the Prussians who fight with Ligny. The June 18th, the important decisive engagement of the countryside takes place with Waterloo. During all the day, under the orders of Napoleon, the slightly higher French Army of number attacks the britannico-allied army placed on the top of an escarpment. Towards the end of the afternoon, the arrival of the Prussians and not of the troops of the marshal Grouchy gives a decisive victory to the allies. Wavre is perhaps a French victory, but by retaining the continuation, the Prussian rear-guard, mobilizes troops whose presence in Waterloo would have perhaps avoided in Napoleon losing his ultimate battle, and the war.
See too
- First Coalition
- Second Coalition
- Third Coalition
- Fourth Coalition
- Fifth Coalition
- Sixth Coalition
- Battles of the Seventh Coalition:
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