The next paragraphs are intended to impart a little controversy into the proceedings and to provoke some of you in to making some kind of contribution. The "What if" scenario has been put forward many times. This little exercise is just like selecting your all time greatest football team. I intend to resurrect some of the Generals that were slain in previous battles and campaigns and use them as alternative commanders. Do you think that with these leaders the result at Waterloo may have been different.?

First of all, I shall bring back to life, for my money, the greatest of all Napoleonic soldiers, even ahead of Massena at his best, and Davout, the brilliant and popular Marshal Jean Lannes who took a mortal wound at Aspern-Essling on 22nd May 1809. Another certainty for my line up would be the legendary hussar commander General Antoine-Charles-Louis LaSalle who was among the slain at Wagram in July of the same year. Also recalled are cavalry commanders Montbrun (Borodino), Bruyere (Reichenbach), d'Espagne (Aspern-Essling), d'Hautpoul (Eylau), Auguste de Colbert (Cacabellos) two artillery commanders LaRiboisiere (Koenigsburg) and Senarmont (Cadiz), engineers Jean-Baptiste Eble (Koenigsburg) who died from the effects of his exertions at the crossing of the Berezina and Andre-Bruno Frevol LaCoste (Sarragossa) and infantry commanders Alexis Delzons (Maloyaroslavets), Gudin de la Sablonniere (Valutina Gora) and Desaix (Marengo). Add to these Alexandre Berthier then those who switched to the Bourbon cause in 1814, or were given posts in other theatres etc. Prince Eugene, Lepic, Nansouty, Suchet and Rapp, and finally Joachim Murat.

Duroc, Caulaincourt etc would have been on Napoleon's staff, but you will see I have no room for Saint Hilaire, Sorbier, Broussier, the Caffarelli brothers, Castex, Gazan, Coehorn, Doumerc, Poniatowski, Dorsenne, Haxo, Junot, Kleber, Latour-Maubourg, Boudet, Compere, Suchet, Marmont and a host of other notables, though some would have received commands in other theatres. I have also dispensed with the services of some of those who held commands at Waterloo but Soult, Ruty, Grouchy, Drouot, Duhesme, Lefebvre-Desnouettes, Guyot, Reille, Mouton Lobau, Pajol, Exelmans, and Milhaud would all have been accommodated in an alternative command at Waterloo or elsewhere.