The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815, near Waterloo, in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. This decisive military engagement marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte as the Emperor of France.
Background:
The Armies:
- French Army: Commanded by Napoleon, it consisted of around 72,000 men, including the Imperial Guard.
- Allied Army:
- Duke of Wellington's Anglo-allied force of approximately 68,000, with troops from Britain, Hanover, the Netherlands, and Nassau.
- Field Marshal Blücher's Prussian army, which was expected to join Wellington's forces, totaling around 50,000 men.
The Battle:
- The battle began early in the morning, with Napoleon's forces initially making significant gains, pushing back Wellington's forces.
- The terrain, especially the Hougoumont farm, played a crucial role, with intense fighting around this fortified position.
- As the day progressed, the French attempted several assaults on the Allied lines, but the arrival of Prussian reinforcements around 4 PM turned the tide.
- The final phase saw the French Old Guard launching a desperate attack, which was ultimately repelled by the Allied forces, leading to the collapse of the French army.
Outcome:
- The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Coalition forces, with Napoleon abdicating for the second and final time on June 22, 1815.
- Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
- The Battle of Waterloo led to the re-establishment of the Bourbon Restoration in France and the reshaping of European borders as decided by the Congress of Vienna.
Legacy:
- The Battle of Waterloo has become a symbol of a decisive defeat and has entered popular culture as a metaphor for any final, crushing setback.
- It is commemorated annually in Waterloo and has been the subject of numerous historical studies, books, and films.
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