apoleon’s greatest underestimation at Waterloo was the position of Blucher’s army. He believed the Prussians had been defeated at Ligny and were in full retreat, chased by Grouchy. Instead, they turned his flank at Waterloo. With ever greater numbers of Prussians arriving on his right flank, Napoleon saw the risk of them cutting into his rear and line of retreat by an attack on Plancenoit followed by a sweep to Maison de Roi and cutting the Charleroi road. Plancenoit itself was only 1000 yards to the east of his headquarters at La Belle Alliance. He ordered General Mouton to hold and decided to commit the Young Guard in an attempt to break the Prussian advance. It would be his last few throws of the dice in the battle. What happened in Plancenoit would determine the outcome of Waterloo: if the French could hold the village and delay the Prussians, there
