Les Misérables, Book 1: Waterloo, Chapter 12 summary
Book 1: Waterloo, Chapter 12 of 365 · 3 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 12, fresh forces and a renewed English attack break the French army, while the Imperial Guard advances into overwhelming fire and refuses to retreat. Wellington rallies his Guards against the advancing battalions, and Ney exposes himself to repeated attacks but cannot find the battlefield death he seeks.
What happens
- New forces arrive, French commanders lose ground, and the English line attacks as the Guard enters the collapsing battle.
- The Guard cheers the Emperor despite expecting death, while the evening sun breaks through the clouds.
- The Guard’s ordered advance briefly frightens the enemy, but Wellington orders his concealed Guards to rise and fire.
- The Imperial Guard keeps advancing under heavy losses while the surrounding French army flees.
- Ney loses his fifth horse, challenges Drouet d’Erlon to seek death, and survives despite exposing himself to enemy fire.
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What to notice
The sentence contrasts the army’s flight with the Guard’s discipline. Its continued advance makes courage and destruction inseparable.
Quick check
What do the English Guards do at Wellington’s command?
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