It was only because of the Dutch-Belgians who held their ground between Nivelles and the crossroads of Quatre Bras, that at the latter place on 16 June 1815 a battle took place to halt the French armies marching further to Brussels. For more than an hour the Dutch-Belgians held their positions against an overwhelming number of French troops.
When the Duke of Wellington arrived at the scene, after his talk with the Prussian fieldmarshall Blücher at Ligny, he could only agree with the dispositions of the troops made by the Prince of Orange. And above all the duke acknowledged the fact that in his absence the young prince had meanwhile ordered further reinforcements and deployed Picton's 5th British Division.
Read all about the Dutch-Belgian perpsective on the battle in our book "Quatre Bras, Perponcher's gamble".
