At the Battle of Waterloo, why did the French army throw so many troops into the fight for Hougoumont?
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It's a mistake to consider this a diversionary attack. Hougoumont overlooked a narrow valley which was sheltered from the British artillery fire. If the French had taken Hougoumont, they would have been able to get round the adjacent flank of Wellington's army in safety. In fact, the ridge Wellington had chosen to defend was untenable if Hougoumont fell, and this had been clear to Napoleon as well as Wellington.
So Wellington had to hold it, which was why the Foot Guards were there in strength, and had been through the previous night, preparing to defend it.
One can argue that the French should have given up on trying to take the position, but that's not clear for most of the battle. Wellington's troops on the ridge grew gradually weaker as they fought off French attacks, so rolling them up from the flank became more and more practical, if Hougoumont could be taken.
Source: The Battle of Waterloo, David Howarth, p53.
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