re: So if Napoleon wins Waterloo, does it merely prolong the inevitable?

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I don’t think Napoleon was in a winnable situation at all, but attacking Wellington’s army was his only option. He was hemmed in without a realistic opportunity to deny his enemies a pitched battle and delay. Beating Wellington’s army before the Prussians arrived was a risky move, but it was the only one that left any possibility for success, albeit a low one.

However, Napoleon’s situation, at this point, was so dire, that even had he defied the odds and routed Wellington and Blucher one after another, he is still doomed.

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Yes, I understand that from your posts. I agree.

There are some folks who will argue that, with regard to the Battle of Waterloo alone and without regarding the 100 Days Campaign at all, that Nap could have routed the Duke's Anglo Allied Army before the Prussian Army crashed into Nap's deep right flank. And I'm saying that I'm not sure that I agree with them. I need to see more analysis from them. Tell me about which military units in particular would have achieved the breakthrough and rout of the Anglo Allied Army.

When I look at the particular military units involved, I'm not sure that Nap's position was winnable on that field of battle on 18 June 1815.

But that's why there are plenty of table top wargamers, board wargamers and computer war gamers out there playing simulations of this battle! - to figure it out for themselves !!

Battle for Ligny just dropped. The battle before Waterloo. Good watch for those interested in this thread.

Ligny. Napoleon's last victory. If D'Erlon's First Corps had arrived as planned, the Prussians would not have escaped.

They say Nap kept his best general in Paris for political reasons - to help maintain political power for Nap.

If Napoleon had won at Waterloo in 1815, he probably wouldn’t have been able to simply restore the First French Empire to its pre-1814 position. However, a victory could have significantly altered the political situation. At that point, the Allies were determined to remove him from power.