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Why did the Imperial Guard’s final attack fail at the Battle of Waterloo?

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Historical battle map showing troop positions at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, near Brussels, Belgium. Red lines represent Anglo-Dutch infantry and cavalry under Wellington, positioned north of French forces. Blue lines show French infantry and cavalry under Napoleon, with both armies facing each other across a central road. Key locations like Chateau de Goumont (Hougoumont) and Plancenoit are labeled, and an inset map highlights the location within present-day Belgium and Europe. — Battle of Waterloo Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815.

The Imperial Guard’s final attack at the Battle of Waterloo failed primarily due to the timing of the assault and the resilience of the Allied defenses.

By the time Napoleon released the Imperial Guard to Marshal Ney after 7:00 pm, the opportunity for a decisive breakthrough had passed. During the delay, the Duke of Wellington had successfully reorganized his defensive lines, bolstered by the timely arrival of a Prussian corps under Hans Ernst Karl von Zieten. When the Guard finally launched its assault, it was met by the concentrated firepower of the Allied infantry, which shattered the tightly packed ranks of the French troops.

This repulse at 8:00 pm, occurring alongside the pressure from Prussian forces on the eastern flank, caused the French army to panic and retreat, marking the definitive end of Napoleon’s final campaign.1