The Importance of Keeping Your Promise
By: Ivan Yong Wei Kit
Tags: Human Resources, History, Leadership, Trust, Startup

Wellington : Night or the Prussian Must Come

Meeting of Wellington and Blücher, from The Wars of Wellington. The British Libary.

Two days prior to the Battle of Waterloo, General Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prince of Wahlstatt, commander of the Prussian army was on his backfoot, retreating, having been defeated at the Battle of Ligny. Hot on his heels was Marshall Grouchy , with a third of Napoleon’s army, brimming with confidence in the earlier victory. Grouchy had been ordered by Napoleon to pursue the Prussians “with your swords on their backs”,which history would tell us, Grouchy, unfortunately followed stubbornly to the letter. Grouchy was eventually led by the Prussian’s rearguard to a minor battle at Wavre which he won but too far to return to aid Naploeon at Waterloo.

Grouchy had refused to listen to his subordinate’s General Gérard’s advice to “march to the sounds of the guns”

With his ally in full retreat, the Duke of Wellington, himself, was in no better shape. Wellington was also defeated at the Battle of Quatre Bras two days earlier and his motley crew of the “Seventh Coalition” of United Kingdom, Netherlands, Prussia, Hanover, Nassau, and Brunswick was about to be driven to the sea!

Wellington was also outgunned and his army, in his own words, “was an infamous army, very weak and ill-equipped, and a very inexperienced Staff”. Defeat was imminent. In fact, Napoloen was so confident of victory that he had had the time and peace of mind, to dine in silverware for breakfast on the fateful Sunday June 18, 1815 at Le Caillou, Waterloo.

History, would tell us that Waterloo was Napoleon’s last and final attempt at glory; to restore his Emperorship and the French Empire. Wellington and the rest of the continent must yield to France and France only. When the dust settled, 41,000 Frenchmen, two third of Napoleon’s finest including the undefeated Imperial Guards laid dead, wounded, captured or missing.

The Battle of Waterloo remains the most studied battle in history by military strategists and all who seek the answer as to how, Napoleon’s Armée du Nord, comprising the finest and most professional soldiers of their time were soundly defeated.

What was the key that unraveled the briliance and the might of Napoleon’s army?

Blucher kept his promise

“Night or the Prussians must come,” Wellington at Waterloo

A promise kept made the difference. Blucher, had made a promise to Wellington that he would come to his aid, not with one or two corps but his entire army even though he is on a full retreat. Whilst Napoloen had grossly underestimated the conviction of the Prussian, Wellington has put his overwhelming faith on the promise of a friend and an old warrior. Wellington would proceed to retreat to a ridge at Mont St. Jean, two and a half miles south of the village Waterloo and face the might of Naploeon’s army, betting all on a promise made.

“It was apparent to Wellington, as he was dispatched back to London after the war, that the Prussians were the deciding factor that won the epic battle in Waterloo. When Prussians came to his aid at the 11th hour, most of Wellington’s lieutenants were either killed or wounded. And he was trapped in an infantry square, a defensive position. Wellington’s center was about to be smashed, and with no reserves at hand, defeat was imminent if not for Blücher, keeping his word in coming to Wellington’s aid. After the battle of Ligny the Prussians had crucially retreated northwards, parallel to Wellington’s line of march allowing them to continue to support Welling- ton throughout, instead of going east and back toward their supply line.” (Yong & Lee, 2019)

The rest from that point was history. Many would know Waterloo as Napoleon’s final defeat but few would know about the promise of Blucher to Wellington and how based on that single conviction, history was written.

In today’s culture of broken promise and trust, we need to reach back to the past and cultivate amongst us that our word is our honor. The business world today needs to build on trust and the popular concept of authentic leadership is in its essence, keeping ones promise.

References

Yong and Lee. 2019. Department of Startup: Why Every Fortune 500 Should Have One. Business Expert Press. New York