Battles & Campaigns · 1815
Battle of Wavre
Wavre, Walloon Brabant, Belgium
What happened
After the Prussian defeat at Ligny, Thielmann's corps held the town of Wavre on the Dyle River while the rest of the Prussian army marched to Waterloo. Grouchy attacked from the afternoon of 18 June, and fighting over the bridges and streets went on through the night. Thielmann began to withdraw the next morning.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The French won the field, but the Prussian rearguard kept about 33,000 French soldiers away from Waterloo. That helped Blücher send troops to support Wellington.
What came next
On 19 June Grouchy learned of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and retreated toward Paris.
Did you know?
The military thinker Carl von Clausewitz was Thielmann's chief of staff at Wavre.
Timeline
- 18 June 1815Grouchy attacks Wavre; Battle of Waterloo.
- 19 June 1815Thielmann withdraws.
- 19 June 1815Grouchy learns of Waterloo and retreats toward Paris.