The Battle of Wavre and Grouchy's Retreat

<p>The Battle of Wavre - ten miles from Waterloo - may have sealed Napoleon's fate.</p><p>The dazzling magnitude of the great battle of Waterloo itself has obscured a part of the campaign which is seldom studied - the battle against Thielemann and Grouchy's skilful retreat from Wavre. </p><p>This classic account serves useful lessons because the operations leading up to the battle around Wavre are of great interest; and because a campaign full of mistakes should be studied as carefully as a campaign free from error. </p><p>The long struggle of the Napoleonic wars famously culminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Undoubtedly Napoleon Bonaparte's greatest defeat this engagement would signal the end of the French emperor's 100-day return from exile. </p>