Episode 156 - the Battles of Wavre & Plancenoit, the sideshows of Waterloo, with special guest Graeme Callister

Battle of Wavre & Plancenoit (1815) | Napoleon’s Last Campaign & Grouchy’s Controversial Stand

The Battle of Wavre, fought on 18–19 June 1815, was the final major engagement of Napoleon’s Hundred Days and one of the most controversial battles of the Napoleonic Wars. While Napoleon faced Wellington at Waterloo, Marshal Grouchy fought the Prussian III Corps under General Thielmann near the town of Wavre in Belgium.

Special guest & author Graeme Callister will explore how Grouchy, obeying Napoleon’s orders to pursue the Prussians after Ligny, became locked in a fierce battle just miles away from Waterloo—unable to influence the decisive struggle that ended the Napoleonic Era. We break down the strategy, key moments, and fighting along the River Dyle, and explain why Wavre remains central to the debate over Grouchy’s responsibility for Napoleon’s final defeat.

Was the Battle of Wavre a missed opportunity, or did Grouchy do exactly what he was ordered to do? And could events at Wavre have changed the outcome at Waterloo?

Battle of Plancenoit (1815) | The Fight That Decided Waterloo’s Right Flank

The Battle of Plancenoit, fought on 18 June 1815, was one of the most brutal and decisive struggles of the Battle of Waterloo. As Napoleon battled Wellington to the west, the fate of the French army hinged on this small Belgian village, where Prussian forces under General Bülow collided with Napoleon’s right flank.

This episode explores how Plancenoit became the last major French defensive stand of the Napoleonic Wars. We break down the savage house-to-house fighting, the repeated Prussian assaults, and Napoleon’s dramatic decision to commit the Young Guard and Old Guard to hold the village. Despite moments of French success, the fall of Plancenoit opened the road to Napoleon’s final defeat.Was Plancenoit the true turning point of Waterloo? And could holding the village longer have changed the outcome of the battle?

X/Twitter: @graemecallister, @andnapoleon