from The Battle of Austerlitz
The fact that the French managed to overtake the heights was very fortunate and only happened at the last moment. After St. Hilarie’s unit had approached the heights, Allied commanders moved some of the delayed detachments of the fourth column into this bitter struggle. Over an hour of fighting destroyed much of this unit. The other men from the second column, mostly inexperienced Austrians, also participated in the struggle and swung the numbers against one of the best fighting forces in the French army, eventually forcing them to withdraw down the slopes. However, gripped by desperation, St. Hilaire’s men struck hard once more and forced the Allies out of the heights.
from The Battle of Waterloo
Colin Halket’s brigade front line consisting of the 30th Foot and 73rd traded fire but they were driven back in confusion into the 33rd and 69th regiments. Halket was shot and seriously wounded and the whole brigade retreated in a mob. Other Anglo-allied troops began to give way as well. A counterattack by the Nassauers and the remains of Kielmansegge’s brigade from the Anglo-allied second line, led by the Prince of Orange, was also thrown back and the Prince of Orange was seriously wounded. General Harlet brought up the 4th Grenadiers and the Anglo-allied center was now in serious danger of breaking.
It was at this moment that the timely arrival of the Dutch General Chassé turned the tide in favour of the Anglo-allied army.[157]Chassé’s relatively fresh Dutch division was sent against them, led by a battery of Dutch horse-artillery commanded by Captain Krahmer de Bichin. The battery opened a destructive fire into the 1st/3rd Grenadiers’ flank.[158] This still did not stop the Guard’s advance, so Chassé ordered his first brigade (Colonel Hendrik Detmers) to charge the outnumbered French with the bayonet; the French grenadiers then faltered and broke.[159] The 4th Grenadiers, seeing their comrades retreat and having suffered heavy casualties themselves, now wheeled right about and retired.[160]
from The Battle of the Marne
The biggest miracle of all is the inexplicable order from the German high command to retreat. Historians do not fully understand why the command was given and how the command came to be given by someone not in position to make the decision. Von Kluck vigorously opposed the decision because he believed – likely correctly – that his army was on the verge of a breakthrough (despite all its mistakes). Wikipedia records it as follows: “Moltke, at OHL in Luxembourg, was effectively out of communication with the German army HQs. He sent his intelligence officer, Oberstleutnant Richard Hentsch to visit the HQs. On 8 September, Hentsch met with Bülow, and they agreed that the 2nd Army was in danger of encirclement and would retreat immediately. On 9 September, Hentsch reached the 1st Army’s HQ, met with von Kluck’s chief of staff, and issued orders for the 1st Army to retreat to the Aisne River.[32] von Kluck and von Kuhl vigorously objected to this order as they believed their army was on the verge of breaking the Sixth Army. However, Hentsch reminded them he had the full power of the OHL behind him, and that 2nd Army was already in retreat. Von Kluck reluctantly ordered his troops to pull back.” In other words, Hentsch’s authority was based on the fact that he claimed to have the power of the German High Command, not actual authority! Furthermore, his argument was that they had already retreated so they should retreat further was non sensible! Also, the German army retreat (described in #8) was not a real retreat, but simply a fallback from a position where they would be vulnerable to a furious counterattack. The French had given their all but without really changing the situation at the front. The German army merely needed to regroup and march their armies together and were poised for a victory. However, this regrouping was used by Colonel (not General!) Hentsch as support for a continued and full-fledged retreat!
