Grouchy, who was entrusted with the important task

The Congress of Vienna (Congress of Vienna) was a meeting of European monarchs held in Vienna between 1814 and 1815 after Napoleon abdicated for the first time. is being held. Strategies and means to play with power in social dances, flirting, joking, and playing power. In the middle of the quarrel with each other, the news came like a whizzing cannonball: Napoleon [Napoleon (1769-1821)] French statesman and military strategist. Participated in the French Revolution. In 1799, the coup of 18th Brumaire was launched and a ruling government headed by him was established. In 1804, he established the First French Empire and appointed himself emperor, called Napoleon I. He implemented a series of reforms in administration, justice, military, finance, etc., and established a centralized bourgeois state. He repeatedly defeated foreign anti-French coalition forces, invaded and occupied many countries on the European continent, and destroyed and shaken the feudal order and autocratic system throughout Europe. Due to the resistance of the people of the occupied European countries and the combined attack of European feudal forces, the First Empire collapsed in 1814. Napoleon stepped down and was exiled to the Island of Elba (in the Mediterranean). He returned to Paris in 1815 and established the "Hundred Days Dynasty". On June 18, 1815, he fought with the British and Prussian forces at Waterloo and was completely wiped out. On June 22, he was forced to announce his abdication again and was exiled until his death. , the trapped lion broke out of his cage on Elba Island on his own. Immediately afterwards, other messengers came galloping on horseback: Napoleon had captured Lyon [Lyon] in southeastern France. ; he drove the king away; the army went over to his side with fanaticism and banners; he returned to Paris; he took up his residence at the Tuileries. ——Battle of Leipzig ① [Battle of Leipzig] From October 16 to 19, 1813, 160,000 French troops and 320,000 anti-French allied forces fought in Leipzig, southwest of Berlin. The French army was outnumbered and finally failed. And 20 years of massacre of souls [creatures] here refers to the common people. The war was all in vain. As if grabbed by a sharp claw, the ministers who had just been complaining and quarreling with each other gathered together again and hurriedly mobilized a British army, a Prussian army, an Austrian army, and a Russian army. . They must now unite once again to defeat this usurper once and for all. Never before had the rightful emperors and kings of Europe been so terrified. Wellington (Wellington (1769-1852)) was a British marshal, the first Duke of Wellington, one of the Allied commanders in the anti-Napoleonic war, and famous for commanding the Battle of Waterloo. After 1828, he successively served as British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. Beginning to march towards France from the north, a force led by Blücher (1742-1819), the Prussian marshal and the commander-in-chief of the anti-French allied forces during Napoleon's Hundred Days. In the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's army collapsed due to his timely reinforcements. The Prussian army under his command, as his reinforcements, advanced from the other direction. Schwarzenberg, Field Marshal of Austria. On the banks of the Rhine, they were ready to go; and the Russian legion, as a reserve army, was carrying all the baggage (zī) heavy goods such as ordnance, food, grass, clothing and other materials carried by the transport troops during the march. , moving slowly through Germany.

Napoleon immediately saw this fatal danger. He knew he could not wait until the hounds were gathered together in a pack. He must separate the Prussians, the British, and the Austrians before they could unite into a European allied force, and defeat them individually. He must act quickly. At 3 o'clock in the morning on June 15, the leading troops of Napoleon's army crossed the border and entered Belgium. On the 16th, they encountered the Prussian army at Ligny and defeated the Prussian army. This was the lion's first blow after breaking out of the cage. The blow was very powerful, but not fatal. The Prussian army, which was defeated but not eliminated, marched towards Brussels ① [Brussels] the capital of Belgium. Located in central Belgium. retreat.

Napoleon now prepared for a second thrust, an attack on Wellington's troops. He didn't allow himself to breathe, nor did he allow the other party to breathe, because every day of delay meant adding strength to the other party. On the 17th, Napoleon led the entire army to the high ground of Four Arms Village. Wellington, a cool-headed and strong-willed opponent, had fortified the high ground and was ready. And all Napoleon's deployments have never been as meticulous and thoughtful as on this day. His military orders have never been as clear as this day.

Not only did he repeatedly consider the attack plan, but he also fully estimated the various dangers he faced, that is, Blücher's army was only defeated but not eliminated. He dispatched a part of his troops to track the Prussians to prevent them from joining the British army.

He handed over the pursuit force to Marshal Grouchy. Grouchy was a soldier in Napoleon's army during the French Revolution. He was appointed major general in 1794. Commanded the cavalry reserve at the Battle of Waterloo, defeating a detachment of General Blücher at Ligny on 16 June 1815, but he failed to prevent Blücher's main force from joining Wellington's force, and himself He also failed to reinforce Napoleon in time. Napoleon was exiled for a time after his defeat. In 1831, he was appointed Marshal of France, and in 1832, he was appointed as a member of the House of Lords. , a moderate temperament (zhongyong) refers to ordinary virtue and talent. A man who is honest, reliable and conscientious. He served in the army for 20 years and participated in military campaigns from Spain to Russia, from the Netherlands to the Netherlands, Belgium and other places. to the various campaigns in Italy. He rose slowly, step by step, to the rank of marshal. It cannot be said that he has no achievements, but no special contributions. It was the Austrian bullets, the Egyptian sun, the Arab daggers, and the Russian cold that killed his predecessors one after another, thus making room for him. He did not rise to the highest military rank straight away, but after 20 years of war, he succeeded naturally.

Napoleon probably also knew that Grouchy was neither a heroic hero nor a strategist. A counselor, he is just an honest, reliable and well-behaved person. But half of his own marshals are already in Huangquan, also called Jiuquan, an underground spring. It refers to the place where people are buried after death, and superstitious people refer to the underworld. Below, the others are very tired of this endless military life of sleeping in the open air and are staying in their own manor unhappily. Out of helplessness, Napoleon had to entrust this mediocre man with important tasks.

At 11 a.m. on June 17, Napoleon handed over independent command to Marshal Grouchy for the first time. Napoleon's orders were clear: when he himself attacked the British army, Grouchy must lead one-third of the troops entrusted to him to pursue the Prussian army. At the same time, he must always stay in touch with the main force.

Marshal Grouchy accepted the order hesitantly. He is not used to acting independently. It was only when he saw the emperor's genius gaze that he felt at ease and agreed without hesitation. He was reassured that base camp was nearby. In just three hours of forced march, his troops would join the emperor's.

The morning of Waterloo

Before the battle began, Napoleon once again rode his white mare [female (pìn) horse] female horse. , along the front line, reviewing it from beginning to end. In the howling cold wind, the flag bearers raised the battle flag, the cavalry waved their swords heroically, and the infantry raised their bearskin caps with the tip of their bayonets to pay tribute to the emperor. All the war drums were beating feverishly, and all the bugles were happily blowing clear sounds towards their commander.

At 11 o'clock - two hours later than the scheduled time, the gunners received orders to use howitzers to bombard the British soldiers in red on the hilltop. Next, Ney ① [Ney] Marshal, Duke, and Prince named by Napoleon. He was the bravest among Napoleon's generals, and later became war-weary. In April 1814, he asked Napoleon to abdicate and later became loyal to Louis XVIII. During the Hundred Days Dynasty in 1815, he was unable to cope with the sudden change in the situation and felt conflicted, so he returned to Napoleon's service. He was sentenced to death by the Bourbons in December 1815 and shot on the 7th of the same month. ——This "hero among heroes" led the infantry to charge. The moment that decided Napoleon's fate began.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the French division attacked the highlands and once occupied the village and positions, but was repulsed and then launched another attack. Already, the empty, muddy hillsides were covered with ten thousand corpses. But apart from massive consumption, nothing was achieved. The armies on both sides were exhausted, and the commanders on both sides were anxious. Both sides knew that whoever received reinforcements first would be the victor. Wellington awaited Blücher; Napoleon awaited Grouchy.

Grouchy's mistake

Grouchy did not realize that Napoleon's fate was in his hands. He just followed the order and set out on the evening of June 17, heading in the expected direction. Pursuing the Prussian army.

However, the enemy never appeared, and no trace of the defeated Prussian army's retreat was ever found.

While Marshal Grouchy was hurriedly eating breakfast at a farmer's house, the ground under his feet suddenly shook slightly. Everyone listened attentively. Repeatedly there was a dull, fading sound from the distance: the sound of cannon, of artillery firing in the distance, but not too far away, only three hours away at most. Several officers fell to the ground in Indian posture, trying to hear the direction further. The dull echoes from the distance still rumbled incessantly. Grouchy asked for advice. Deputy Commander Gérard demanded urgently: "Move immediately to the direction of the cannon fire!" The second officer who spoke also agreed: "Hurry and move to the direction of the cannon fire, just quickly!" Everyone had no doubt that the emperor An attack on the British army had been launched, and a major battle had begun. But Grouchy couldn't make up his mind. He is accustomed to obeying orders① [obeying orders], doing whatever he is told, and obeying absolutely. , he timidly clung to the clause written on the paper - the emperor's order: pursue the retreating Prussian army. Seeing his hesitation, Gérard became excited and said hurriedly: "Hurry up to the place where the cannon is fired!" The deputy commander made such a request in front of 20 officers and civilians, speaking in a tone of voice It was almost like giving an order rather than a request. This made Grouchy very unhappy. He said in a more stern and blunt tone that after the emperor withdraws his orders, Cheng Ming (成明) refers to orders, decisions, etc. that have been issued. Previously, he would never deviate from his duties. The officers despaired, and the roar of the cannon fell ominously silent.

Gérard could only make his last effort. He earnestly requested that he could at least be allowed to lead a division of his own troops and some cavalry to that battlefield. He said he would make sure to arrive in time. Grouchy thought about it. He thought about it for just a second.

The moment that decided world history

However, the second that Grouchy considered decided his own fate, Napoleon's fate and the fate of the world. If Grouchy had had the courage and courage at this moment not to adhere to the emperor's orders, but to believe in himself and the obvious signals, France would have been saved. It's a pity that this opinionated guy will always obey the rules written on the paper, but never listen to the call of fate.

Grouchy shook his hand vigorously. He said that it would be irresponsible to further disperse such a small force and that his mission was to pursue the Prussian army and nothing else. The officers fell into sullen silence. There was silence around him. And the decisive second disappeared in this silence. It was gone forever, and no words or actions could make up for it in the future.

The troops continued to move forward. Soon Grouchy himself became uneasy. As the hours passed he became less and less sure, for curiously the Prussians never showed up. Intelligence officers reported various suspicious signs, indicating that the Prussian troops had moved in several directions to the battlefield where fierce fighting was taking place during the retreat. If Grouchy quickly led his team to reinforce the emperor at this time, it would still be too late. But he was still waiting for news and the emperor's order to return with increasing uneasiness. But no news came. Only the low rumble of artillery shook the earth, but the sound of the artillery was getting farther and farther away.

Afternoon in Waterloo

The time has reached 1 pm. Although Napoleon's four attacks were repulsed, there were obviously gaps in the defense of Wellington's main position. Napoleon was preparing for a decisive attack. He intensified his bombardment of British positions. Before the smoke of the artillery fire blocked the hilltop like a screen, Napoleon looked over the battlefield one last time.

At this time, he found a black stream in the northeast. ① [黑 (xūxū)] describes darkness. The crowd rushed towards me, as if they were jumping out of the woods. A new army! All telescopes were immediately pointed in this direction. Could it be that Grouchy boldly disobeyed orders and miraculously arrived in time? But no! A prisoner brought up reported that this was General Blücher's vanguard and was a Prussian army. At this moment, the emperor had a premonition for the first time that the defeated Prussian army had escaped the pursuit in order to join the British army first; but he, Napoleon himself, used one-third of his troops to do useless things in the open space. , a movement that loses its goal. He immediately wrote a letter to Grouchy, ordering him to move closer to him at all costs and prevent the Prussian army from gathering on the battlefield at Wellington.

Throughout the afternoon, charge after charge was launched towards Wellington's heights. The battles became more brutal each time, and more and more infantry were used. They rushed into villages that were destroyed by shells several times, and were driven out several times. Then they swarmed toward the scattered phalanx with flying flags. But Wellington remained tall and upright. Not moving. But there was still no news from Grouchy. When Napoleon saw the Prussian vanguard approaching, he murmured uneasily: "Where is Grouchy? Where on earth is he staying?" Marshal Ney threw all his cavalry into the battle. As a result, 10,000 armored cavalry and infantry who fought to the death trampled the British phalanx, hacked to death the British artillery, and broke through the last few lines of defense of the British army. Although they themselves were once again forced to retreat, the British army's fighting capacity was nearly exhausted. The tight defense line on the top of the mountain began to loosen. When the French cavalry, which suffered heavy casualties, was driven back by artillery fire, Napoleon's last reserve, the Old Guard, was struggling to attack the hilltop. The fate of Europe depends entirely on whether this mountain can be captured.

Decisive Battle

Since the morning, four hundred cannons from both sides have been bombarding continuously. The front line resounded with the sound of the iron hooves of the cavalry charging towards the firing phalanx. The banging of war drums coming from all directions was deafening, and the entire plain was shaking! But on the hills on both sides, the commanders of both sides seemed unable to hear the noisy voices. They just listened to the fainter voices.

The two watches were ticking like the hearts of birds in the hands of the commanders of both sides. The gentle sound of the clock surpassed all the thunderous roars. Napoleon and Wellington each held their own timers, counting every hour and every minute, calculating how much time was left until the final decisive reinforcements should arrive. Wellington knew that Blücher was nearby. Napoleon hoped that Grouchy would be nearby. Both sides now have no reserves. Whoever gets reinforcements first will win the battle. Both commanders were peering through binoculars at the edge of the woods. Now the vanguard of the Prussian army began to appear there like a puff of smoke. Are these just some skirmishers being chased by Grouchy? Or the main force of the Prussian army being pursued? At this time, the British army could only make a final resistance, and the French troops were exhausted. Just like two onomatopoeias of wheezing 咻廻①〔廻廻（xiūxiū）〕, simulating the sound of breathing. The wrestling opponent, with his arms paralyzed, gasped for breath before the last contest: the decisive last round has arrived.

The sound of gunfire finally rang out from the Prussian flank. Was there an encounter? Only the sound of light firearms was heard! Napoleon took a deep breath and said, "Grouchy is finally here!" He thought his flanks were now protected, so he concentrated all the remaining troops and launched another attack on Wellington's main position. This main position is the door bolt of Brussels, which must be destroyed. This main position is the door of Europe, which must be broken through.

However, the burst of gunfire just now was just a misunderstanding. This misunderstanding encounter quickly stopped. Now, a large number of Prussian troops came out of the woods without any resistance. ——The oncoming troops were not the troops led by Grouchy at all, but Blücher's Prussian army. The news spread quickly among Napoleon's troops. The troops began to retreat, but there was still some order. But Wellington seized this critical moment, rode his horse to the edge of the hilltop that he was holding on to, took off his hat, and waved it over his head towards the retreating enemy. His soldiers immediately understood this gesture as a sign of victory. All the remaining British troops jumped up and rushed towards the retreating enemy. At the same time, the Prussian cavalry also rushed towards the exhausted French army from the side, and only heard a horrified scream: "Escape for your lives!" In just a few minutes, this majestic army It turned into a panic-stricken stream of people being chased away. It swept away everything, including Napoleon himself. Until midnight, the body is covered with dirt ① [dirt (gòu)] dirt accumulated on people or objects. The dizzy Napoleon was lying tiredly on an armchair in a low country inn. At this time, he was no longer an emperor. His empire, his dynasty, and his destiny were all over.

Epilogue

On the second day, only one person still had no idea what had happened in Waterloo, even though he was only four hours away from this fateful place. He is Grouchy. He still clung to the order to pursue the Prussian army. Strangely, he never found the Prussians. This made him uneasy. disturbed. The sound of cannons coming from nearby became louder and louder, as if they were shouting for help. The earth trembled. Every shot seemed to hit my heart. Now everyone understands that this is by no means a small encounter, but a huge battle, and a decisive battle has begun.

Grouchy rode his horse and walked in confusion among his officers. The officers avoided conferring with him because he had completely ignored their previous suggestions.

When they encountered an isolated Prussian army near Waver, Blücher's rearguard, they all thought that the chance to save had arrived, so they rushed towards the Prussian fortifications like crazy. go. As night fell, Grouchy's troops captured the village, but they seemed to feel that the victory achieved by this small rearguard no longer meant anything. Because the battlefield over there suddenly became silent. Grouchy finally received the note from Napoleon asking him to come to Waterloo for emergency reinforcements. The Battle of Waterloo must have been a decisive battle, but who won this huge battle? Grouchy's troops waited another whole night, but in vain! No more news came from Waterloo. It was as if the great army had forgotten them. They stood helplessly in the darkness, surrounded by nothingness. In the early morning, they dismantled the camp and continued their march. They were all exhausted, and had long since realized that all their marches and movements were entirely aimless. At 10 o'clock in the morning, an officer from the General Staff finally galloped over on horseback. They helped him off the horse and asked him a lot of questions, but his face was full of panic, his hair on his temples was wet, and his whole body was shaking due to excessive tension... After listening to his depressing words, it even made people feel sad. Reported of paralysis, Grouchy looked pale, trembling all over, and supported his body with his saber. He knew that his time for martyrdom had come. He was determined to make amends for all his faults by taking on tasks beyond his capabilities.

Grouchy, who missed that second, showed his full strength as a soldier in the current hour - but it was too late! When he regained his self-confidence and no longer adhered to written orders, all his noble virtues - prudence, ability, thoroughness, and sense of responsibility were clearly displayed. Although he was surrounded by an enemy force five times his own, he was able to lead his troops back through the encirclement without losing a single soldier or a single cannon - this was an outstanding command. He was going to save France, to rescue the last army of Napoleon's empire. But when he returned there, the emperor was no longer there. He came too late! It's always too late!

That crucial second was a terrible revenge. In earthly life, such a moment rarely comes. When it befalls a man unintentionally, he does not know how to make use of it. All the virtues of the citizen—caution, obedience, industry, prudence—are of no avail in the great moment of fate. Fate scornfully rejects those who are timid. Destiny - another god in this world, is only willing to lift the brave high with its warm arms and send them to the paradise of heroes.

******

The Battle of Waterloo is a famous battle in the world's military history. This battle completely ended Napoleon's political life, and also left many lessons worth learning from the tactical and strategic perspectives for future generations. Reading this article by Zweig, you will find yourself involuntarily following the author's pen and looking at this great battle that affected the entire course of European history with the eyes of a historical reviewer. After reading, discuss with your classmates: What mistakes did Napoleon himself make during the Battle of Waterloo? Why was Grouchy so different before and after the defeat of the French army?

When describing a battle like the Battle of Waterloo with so many threads, it is difficult to decide which side to write about first, which side to write about later, and how to arrange the structure. This article writes about the two warring parties, mainly focusing on the French army. The lens shifts between Napoleon and Grouchy. The Allied side is mostly written from Napoleon's perspective, while the Prussian army's movements range from after retreating to before appearing on the front line. , omit them altogether.

Think about it, what are the benefits of this arrangement?

Accumulate the following words:

The baggage is black and ready to go, the clouds will rise and the water will come true

Planning strategies, following the rules, sleeping in the open, unhappy

Only in silence and perseverance Tired of moving and running for your life

It is useless to be afraid of the head and tail