During the Hundred Days of 1815, both the Coalition nations and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte mobilised for war. This article describes the deployment of forces in early June 1815 just before the start of the Waterloo Campaign and the minor campaigns of 1815.
French Upon assumption of the throne, Napoleon found that he was left with little by the Bourbons and that the state of the Army was 56,000 troops of which 46,000 were ready to campaign. By the end of May, the total armed forces available to Napoleon had reached 198,000 with 66,000 more in depots training up but not yet ready for deployment.
Waterloo Campaign
By the end of May, Napoleon had deployed his forces as follows: I Corps (Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon) cantoned between Lille and Valenciennes. II Corps (Honoré Charles Reille) cantoned between Valenciennes and Avesnes. III Corps (Dominique Joseph Vandamme) cantoned around Rocroi. IV Corps (Étienne Maurice Gérard) cantoned at Metz. VI Corps (Georges Mouton, Count de Lobau) cantoned at Laon. Cavalry Reserve (Emmanuel, marquis de Grouchy) cantoned at Guise. Imperial Guard (Édouard Mortier, Duke of Trévise) at Paris.
The preceding corps were to be formed into L'Armée du Nord (the "Army of the North"), led by Napoleon Bonaparte and would participate in the Waterloo Campaign.
Armies of observation For the defence of France, Bonaparte deployed his remaining forces within France observing France's enemies, foreign and domestic, intending to delay the former and suppress the latter. By June, they were organised as follows:
V Corps – Armée du Rhin (Jean Rapp), cantoned near Strassburg. 15th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Henri Rottembourg) 16th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Joseph Jean-Baptiste Albert) 17th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Charles Louis Dieudonné Grandjean) On 20 June 1815 Rapp's three infantry divisions contained 28 Battalions. These 28 Battalions consisted of both Line and Light Infantry Regiments. Belonging to the above three Infantry Divisions were the following Line Infantry Regiments: 18th (3 Battalions), 32nd (2 Battalions), 36th (2 Battalions), 39th (2 Battalions), 40th (2 Battalions), 57th (3 Battalions), 58th (2 Battalions), 101st (2 Battalions), 103rd (2 Battalions) and the 104th (2 Battalions). The 7th Light Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and the 10th Light Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) also belonged to Rapp's Infantry Divisions. 7th Cavalry Division (Commanded by General Christophe Antoine Merlin) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General François Grouvel) 2nd and 7th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Favier) 11th and 19th Dragoon Regiments National Guard Brigade (Commanded by General Sigismond Frédéric de Berckheim) The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Battalions of the National Guard of the Bas-Rhin and the 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions of the National Guard of the Haut-Rhin. Two National Guard Lancer Cavalry Regiments also appear to have been attached to Berckheim's command – a Haut-Rhin National Guard Lancer Regiment (137 men) and a Bas-Rhin National Guard Lancer Regiment (405 men) Artillery: 46 guns Total 20,000–23,000 men.Armée du Rhin men 20,000 20,4056. 23,000.
VII Corps – Armée des Alpes (Suchet). Based at Lyon, this army was charged with the defence of Lyon and to observe the Austro-Sardinian army of Frimont. Its composition in June was: 22nd Infantry Division (Commanded by General Michel-Marie Pacthod) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Jean Mesclop) 7th Line Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and the 14th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Jean Louis Eloi Bouvard) 20th Line Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and the 24th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 23rd Infantry Division (Commanded by General Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Jean Montfalcon) 67th Line Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and the 6th Light Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions). The two battalions of the 6th Light Infantry Regiment had been detached to Marshal Brune's II Corps of Observation – see below 2nd Brigade (Commanded by Brigadier General (Jean Revest) 42nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 battalions) and the 53rd Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 15th Cavalry Division (Commanded by General François Jean Baptiste Quesnel) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Bernard Meyer de Schauensee) 10th Chasseurs à Cheval and the 18th Dragoon Regiments. This division had only one brigade. 6th National Guard Infantry Division 7th National Guard Infantry Division 8th National Guard Infantry Division 42–46 gunsArmée des Alpes guns 42 guns. 46 guns. Total 13,000–23,500 menArmée des Alpes. Men 13,000–20,000 23,500 15,767
I Corps of Observation – Armée du Jura Based at Belfort and commanded by General Claude Lecourbe, this army was to observe any Austrian movement through Switzerland and also observe the Swiss army of General Bachmann. Its composition in June was: 18th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Louis Jean Nicolas Abbé) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Martel) 6th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) and the 52nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Clavel) 62nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) and the 102nd Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 8th Cavalry Division (Commanded by General Bertrand-Pierre Castex) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Charles-Claude Meuziau) 2nd and 3rd Hussar Regiments 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Rambourg) 13th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment 3rd National Guard Infantry Division 4th National Guard Infantry Division Artillery: Three foot artillery batteries – two of which replaced a horse artillery battery which was sent back to Rapp's V Corps (24 guns) Total 5,392–8,400 menArmée du Jura: men 5,392 8,400
II Corps of Observation – Armée du Var. Based at Toulon and commanded by Marshal Guillaume Marie Anne Brune, this army was charged with the suppression of any potential royalist uprisings and to observe General Bianchi's Army of Naples. Its composition in June was: 24th Infantry Division; 25th Infantry Division; Belonging to the above two infantry divisions were the following Line Infantry Regiments: 9th (3 Battalions), 13th (2 Battalions), 16th (2 Battalions), 35th (2 Battalions) and 106th (2 or 3 Battalions). The 14th Light Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) also belonged to one of these divisions. Attached to Brune's army were two battalions of the 6th Light Infantry Regiment detached from Marshal Suchet's VII Corps. Cavalry: 14th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment; Artillery: 22 guns Total 5,500–6,116 men.Armée du Var: men 5,500 6,116
III Corps of Observation – Army of the Pyrenees orientales. Based at Toulouse and commanded by General Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen, this army observed the eastern Spanish frontier. Its composition in June was: 26th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Jean Isidore Harispe); 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Beauvais) 3rd Light Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Bagnetis) 66th Line Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and the 94th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) Cavalry: 5th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment (Commanded by General Cavrois); Artillery: Three foot artillery batteries (24 guns); Total 3,516–7,600 men.III Corps of Observation, Men: 3,516 7,600
IV Corps of Observation – Army of the Pyrenees occidentales. Based at Bordeaux and commanded by General Bertrand Clauzel, this army observed the western Spanish frontier. Its composition in June was: 27th Infantry Division (Commanded by General Philibert Fressinet) 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Joseph Charras) 60th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) 2nd Brigade (Commanded by General Dauture) 79th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) and the 81st Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) Cavalry: 15th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment (Commanded by General Guyon) Artillery: Three foot artillery batteries (24 guns) Total 3,516–6,800 menIV Corps of Observation 3,516 6,800.
Army of the West – Armée de l'Ouest (also known as the Army of the Vendée). Commanded by General Jean Maximilien Lamarque, the army was formed to suppress the Royalist insurrection in the Vendée region of France, which remained loyal to King Louis XVIII during the Hundred Days. The army contained line units as well as gendarmes and volunteers. Its composition in June was: One Un-numbered Infantry Division (Commanded by General Michel-Sylvestre Brayer); 1st Brigade (Commanded by General Etienne Estève) III/8th Light Infantry Regiment, a Battalion of the 27th Line Infantry Regiment, I/47th Line Infantry Regiment and Foot Gendarmes (170 men) 2nd Brigade (Commanded by Colonel Mosnier) 2nd Young Guard Tirailleur Regiment (2 Battalions) and the 2nd Young Guard Voltigeur Regiment (2 Battalions) One Un-numbered Infantry Division (Commanded by General Jean-Pierre Travot); 1st Brigade (Commanded by Colonel Levavasseur) Parisian Gendarmes (80 men), Marine Artillerymen (240 men), 15th Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions), 43rd Line Infantry Regiment (2 Battalions) and the II/65th Line Infantry Regiment 2nd Brigade (Commanded by Colonel/General Prevost) III/14th Line Infantry Regiment, 26th Line Infantry Regiment (3 Battalions) and some volunteer Vendée Chasseurs (28 men) Cavalry: The 4th Squadrons of the 2nd Hussar Regiment, 13th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment, 4th, 5th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th Dragoon Regiments Artillery: Three foot artillery batteries (24 guns); Total 10,000–27,000 men.Army of the West, men: 10,000. Upwards of 20,000 men. 27,000 men.
Seventh Coalition
The Seventh Coalition armies formed to invade France were:
Overview The forces at the disposal of the Seventh Coalition for an invasion of France amounted to the better part of a million men. According to the returns laid out in secret sittings at the Congress of Vienna the military resources of the European states that joined the coalition, the number of troops which they could field for active operations—without unduly diminishing the garrison and other services in their respective interiors—amounted to 986,000 men. The size of the principal invasion armies (those designated to proceed to Paris) was as follows: cites: Plotho iv., Appendix, p. 62; and Capefigue, i., 330, 331. IArmy of Upper Rhine—(Schwartzenberg) consisting of : Austrians 150,000 Bavarians 65,000 Württemberg 25,000 Baden 16,000 Hessians, etc., 8,000IArmy of Upper Rhine—(Schwartzenberg), Total264,000II Army of Lower Rhine—(Blücher) Prussians, Saxons, etc.155,000III Army of Flanders—(Wellington) British, Dutch, Hanoverians, Brunswickers155,000IV First Russian Army—(Barclay de Tolly)168,000 Total742,000
Waterloo Campaign
Wellington's Allied Army (Army of Flanders) Cantoned in the southern part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, in what is now Belgium, Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington commanded a coalition army, made up of troops from the duchies of Brunswick, and Nassau and the kingdoms of Hanover, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
In June 1815 Wellington's army of 93,000 with headquarters at Brussels was cantoned: I Corps (William, Prince of Orange), 30,200, headquarters Braine-le-Comte, disposed in the area Enghien–Genappe–Mons. II Corps (Lord Hill), 27,300, headquarters Ath, distributed in the area Ath-Oudenarde–Ghent. Reserve (under Wellington himself) 25,500, lay around Brussels. Reserve Cavalry (Lord Uxbridge) 9,900, in the valley of the Dendre river, between Geraardsbergen and Ninove. Dutch light cavalry observed the frontier into the west of Leuze and Binche