Gebhard von Blücher
"Marshal Forwards," who still led charges in his seventies and decided the outcome at Waterloo.
Life
Marshal Forwards
Blücher served in the Swedish army in his early years; captured by the Prussians in the Seven Years' War, he switched to Prussian service. Brave in battle and hot-tempered, he was called "Marshal Forwards" by his soldiers.
Leipzig
In the War of Liberation of 1813 he commanded the Army of Silesia and distinguished himself at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig, and in 1814 he entered Paris.
Waterloo
In 1815, aged seventy-two, he fell from his horse at the Battle of Ligny and was trampled by cavalry, yet he still led his army on a forced march, reached the field at Waterloo in the afternoon and attacked the French flank, sealing Napoleon's final defeat. He died in 1819.
Legacy
Blücher was one of the key figures in defeating Napoleon, and his timely arrival to the rescue decided the outcome at Waterloo.
Did you know? After the battle Wellington acknowledged that the timely arrival of the Prussian army was vital to the victory at Waterloo; that evening the two men met at the La Belle Alliance farm and congratulated each other.
Key dates
- 1760Switched from the Swedish to the Prussian army
- 1813Led the Army of Silesia in the War of Liberation
- 1814Entered Paris
- 1815Fell from his horse at Ligny; rushed to the rescue at Waterloo
- 1819Died