Battle of Waterloo - British History - HISTORY.com Battle of Waterloo A+E Networks Introduction The Battle of Waterloo, which took place in Belgium on June 18, 1815, marked the final defeat of French military leader and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), who conquered much of continental Europe in the early 19th century. Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French army during the French Revolution (1789-1799), seized control of the French government in 1799 and became emperor in 1804. Through a series of wars, he expanded his empire across western and central Europe. However, a disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812, coupled with other defeats, led to his abdication and exile in 1814. He returned to France in 1815 and briefly resumed power. The Battle of Waterloo, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by the British and Prussians, signaled the end of his reign and the end of France’s domination in Europe. After Waterloo, Napoleon abdicated and later died in exile.

Google Napoleon’s Rise to Power Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. The year before his birth, France acquired Corsica from the city-state of Genoa, Italy. Although Napoleon’s parents were members of the minor Corsican nobility, his family was not wealthy. Did You Know? Today, the expression that someone has “met his Waterloo” means the person has suffered a decisive or final defeat or setback. After graduating from a French military academy in 1785, Napoleon joined an artillery regiment of the French army. The French Revolution began in 1789, and within three years revolutionaries had overthrown the monarchy and proclaimed a French republic. During the decade-long revolution, Napoleon rose rapidly through the ranks of the military and proved himself a talented and daring leader. After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he was given the title of first consul and became France’s leading political figure. In 1804, he crowned himself the emperor of France in a lavish ceremony.

Under Napoleon, France engaged in a successful series of battles against various coalitions of European nations, and the French empire expanded across much of western and central continental Europe. Napoleon’s Abdication and Return In 1812, Napoleon led a disastrous invasion of Russia in which his army was forced to retreat and suffered massive casualties. At the same time, the Spanish and Portuguese, with assistance from the British, drove Napoleon’s forces from the Iberian Peninsula in the Peninsular War (1808-1814). In the 1813 Battle of Leipzig , also known as the Battle of Nations, Napoleon’s army was defeated by a coalition that included Austrian, Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops. Afterward, Napoleon retreated to France, where in March 1814 coalition forces captured Paris. On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, then in his mid-40s, was forced to abdicate the throne. With the Treaty of Fontainebleau, he was exiled to Elba, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Italy.

Less than a year later, on February 26, 1815, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland with a group of more than 1,000 supporters. On March 20, he returned to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The new king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), fled, and Napoleon embarked on what came to be known as his Hundred Days campaign. Napoleon Marches on Belgium Upon Napoleon’s return to France, a coalition of allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians and Russians–who considered the French emperor an enemy began to prepare for war. Napoleon raised a new army and planned to strike preemptively, defeating the allied forces one by one before they could launch a united attack against him. In June 1815, Napoleon’s forces marched into Belgium, where separate armies of British and Prussian troops were camped. At the Battle of Ligny, on June 16, Napoleon defeated the Prussians under the command of Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher (1742-1819). However, the French were unable to totally destroy the Prussian army.

The Battle of Waterloo Two days later, on June 18, Napoleon led his army of some 72,000 troops against the 68,000-man British army, which had taken up a position south of Brussels near the village of Waterloo. The British army, which included Belgian, Dutch and German troops, was commanded by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), who had gained prominence fighting against the French during the Peninsular War. In a critical blunder, Napoleon waited until midday to give the command to attack in order to let the waterlogged ground dry after the previous night’s rainstorm. The delay gave Blucher’s remaining troops, who, by some accounts, numbered more than 30,000, time to march to Waterloo and join the battle later that day. Although Napoleon’s troops mounted a strong attack against the British, the arrival of the Prussians turned the tide against the French. The French emperor’s outnumbered army retreated in chaos.

By some estimates, the French suffered more than 33,000 casualties (including dead, wounded or taken prisoner), while British and Prussian casualties numbered more than 22,000. Reportedly fatigued and in poor health during the Belgian campaign, Napoleon committed tactical errors and acted indecisively. He also was blamed for appointing inadequate commanders. Ultimately, the Battle of Waterloo marked the end of Napoleon’s storied military career. He reportedly rode away from the battle in tears. Wellington went on to serve as British prime minister, while Blucher, in his 70s at the time of the Waterloo battle, died a few years later. Napoleon’s Final Years On June 22, 1815, Napoleon once again abdicated. That October, he was exiled to the remote, British-held island of Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean. He died there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most likely from stomach cancer.

Napoleon was buried on the island; however, in 1840, his remains were returned to France and entombed in a crypt at Les Invalides in Paris, where other French military leaders are interred. Tags The Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815 War: Napoleonic Wars Date: 18th June 1815 "Scotland for ever!" Lady Butler's iconic picture of the Charge of the Royal Scots Greys, 2nd Dragoons, as part of the Union Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo. Place: South of Brussels in Belgium Combatants: British, Germans, Belgians, Dutch and Prussians against the French Grande Armée Generals: The Duke of Wellington, Marshal Blucher and the Prince of Orange against the Emperor Napoleon Size of the armies: 23,000 British troops with 44,000 allied troops and 160 guns against 74,000 French troops and 250 guns. Winner: The British, Germans, Belgians, Dutch and Prussians The Duke of Wellington and officers and soldiers of the Allied army at the end of the Battle of Waterloo.

Prince William of Orange lies wounded on the stretcher: picture by Jan Willem Pieneman in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam British Regiments present at the battle: 1st Life Guards now the Life Guards 2nd Life Guards now the Life Guards Royal Horse Guards now the Blues and Royals King’s Dragoon Guards now the Queen’s Dragoon Guards Royal Dragoons now the Blues and Royals Royal Scots Greys now the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 6th Inniskilling Dragoons later the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and now the Royal Dragoon Guards 7th Hussars later the Queen’s Own Hussars and now the Queen’s Royal Hussars 10th Hussars later the Royal Hussars and now the King’s Royal Hussars 11th Hussars later the Royal Hussars and now the King’s Royal Hussars 12th Light Dragoons now the 9th/12th Lancers 13th Light Dragoons later the 13th/18th King’s Royal Hussars and now the Light Dragoons 15th Light Dragoons later the 15th/19th Hussars and now the Light Dragoons 

16th Light Dragoons later the 16th/5th Lancers and now the Queen’s Royal Lancers 18th Light Dragoons later the 13th/18th King’s Royal Hussars and now the Light Dragoons Royal Artillery 1st Foot Guards now the Grenadier Guards 2nd Coldstream Guards 3rd Foot Guards now the Scots Guards 1st Foot now the Royal Scots 4th King’s Own Regiment of Foot now the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment 14th Foot later the West Yorkshire Regiment and now the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers 27th Foot, the Inniskilling Fusiliers and now the Royal Irish Regiment 28th Foot later the Gloucestershire Regiment and now the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment 30th Foot later the East Lancashire Regiment and now the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment 32nd Foot later the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and now the Light Infantry 33rd Foot the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment 40th Foot later the South Lancashire Regiment and now the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment 42nd Highlanders

 now the Black Watch (the Royal Highland Regiment) 44th Foot later the Essex Regiment and now the Royal Anglian Regiment 51st Light Infantry later the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and now the Light Infantry 52nd Light Infantry later the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and now the Royal Green Jackets 69th Foot later the Welsh Regiment and now the Royal Regiment of Wales 71st Highland Light Infantry now the Royal Highland Fusiliers 73rd Highlanders the Black Watch 79th Highlanders later the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, then the Queen’s Own Highlanders and now the Highlanders 92nd Highlanders the Gordon Highlanders and now the Highlanders 95th Rifles later the Rifle Brigade and now the Royal Green Jackets British Cavalry Charge Background to the battle: In 1814, twenty five years of war finally came to an end with the surrender of the Emperor Napoleon and his banishment to the Mediterranean island of Elba.

The European powers began the task of restoring their continent to normality and peace. The Emperor Napoleon at Waterloo On 1st March 1815 Napoleon escaped from Elba and landed in France. Nineteen days later he was in Paris and resumed his title as Emperor. His army rallied to him. The soldiers who had been captured during the years of fighting had been released enabling Napoleon to reform his Grande Armée. The European allies reassembled their armies and prepared to resume the war to overthrow the Emperor yet again. The Emperor Napoleon addresses his Guard during the Battle of Waterloo Napoleon resolved to attack the British, Prussian, Belgian and Dutch armies before the other powers could come to their assistance. He marched into Belgium. Vivien Hussey’s British Hussar Brigade attacking French infantry at the Battle of Waterloo Click here or image to buy a print The Prussians under Marshall Blucher were defeated at Ligny and driven away to the East. Napoleon sent Marshall Grouchy in pursuit while he advanced on Wellington’s army. The first battle was at the cross roads called Quatre Bras. The British and their allies were forced to withdraw towards Brussels.

Assured by Blucher that he would join him for the conclusive battle, Wellington on the afternoon of 17th June 1815 halted on the ridge athwart the Brussels road south of Soignies where he resolved to give battle to the French. Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815 : Order of Battle at the Outset of the Battle Map 1 of 3 by John Fawkes. The Battle of Waterloo : The positions of the armies The Duke of Wellington took up a position on the Brussels road where it emerges from the woods of Soignies south of the village of Waterloo. The road crosses a low ridge and descends into a valley before rising on the other side to a further ridge. In the valley, below the first crest, lay La Haye Sante Farm and on the road at the southern side of the valley, below the second crest, stood La Belle Alliance Farm. During most of the battle the Germans occupied La Haye Sante and the French used La Belle Alliance as a headquarters. French Cuirassiers attacking a Highland square Click here or image to buy a print To the North of the first crest the Namur road crossed the Brussels road.

The main British, German, Belgian and Dutch positions lay along the Namur road, behind the first crest. The French approach to the battle was up from the country to the South of La Belle Alliance. King's Dragoon Guards attacking French Dragoons In the valley to the front of the right wing of the British line stood Hougoumont Farm, the key to Wellington’s right flank. Held by the light companies of the Coldstream and Third Guards, there would be fighting around Hougoumont all day. "The Battle of Waterloo at 2pm : D'Erlon's infantry attack past La Haye Sainte" (this map appears in the best selling book, The Dangerous Book for Boys by Gonn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden, in the section Famous Battles-Part Two) Lying by the road leading to the centre of Wellington’s position the capture of La Haye Sante was a crucial goal for the French army. To the East of the Duke’s army lay Papelotte, another farm that would be the centre of a ferocious struggle, particularly as the Prussian Army appeared on the field at the end of the afternoon.

In the Duke’s centre stood the farm of Mont St Jean, used as a headquarters and hospital. It rained heavily during the night of 17th June 1815. The French artillery commanders insisted that the attack did not begin until the ground had dried out sufficiently for the guns to manoeuvre without sticking in the mud. The French attack began at 11am. The Charge of Ponsonby's Union Brigade The Battle of Waterloo: The morning and afternoon of the 18th June 1815: At 11am the French bombardment of Hougoumont Farm, on the extreme right of the Allied line, began the battle. The British artillery on the ridge behind the farm replied, cannonading the French infantry massed for the attack on the far side of the valley. At midday Prince Jerome ordered the assault on Hougoumont and the French infantry columns of his division moved forward to begin the day long struggle around the farm buildings.

At about 1.30pm Marshal Ney brought forward 74 French guns over the ridge opposite La Haye Sante followed by the 17,000 infantry of D’Erlon’s corps to begin the attack on the Duke of Wellington’s centre and left. Marshall Ney's massed cavalry attack on the Allied line during the Battle of Waterloo French Cuirassiers fight it out with a Highland Regiment by John Atkinson Click here or image to buy a print The French cannonade began and was later described by veterans as the heaviest they had experienced. The Duke ordered his infantry battalions to move behind the ridge and to lie down. This had the effect of shielding them from the worst of the cannonade. Only Bilandt’s Belgian-Dutch Brigade was left on the exposed slope and suffered heavily. Above and Below : Ney's massed cavalry attack on the Allied line at the Battle of Waterloo After half an hour the barrage stopped, giving way to the roar of drums as Ney’s columns advanced to the attack. The French infantry passed La Haye Sante and marched up to the crest of the ridge, where Picton’s 5th division was positioned.

As part of the advance a furious assault began on La Haye Sante, held by the King’s German Legion, which was to continue intermittently for the rest of the day until the German troops ran out of ammunition and were finally overwhelmed. As the French infantry approached the hedge at the top of the ridge the line of British infantry stood, fired a volley and charged, driving back the massed French columns. The Duke of Wellington watches the French advance during the Battle of Waterloo Cavalry formations were ordered to charge in support of the infantry attack; the Household Brigade (1st and 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards), the Union Brigade (Royals, Scots Greys and Inniskillings) and Vivian’s Hussar Brigade (10th and 18th Hussars and 1st Hussars, King’s German Legion). It is notoriously difficult to pull up cavalry committed to an attack and the British regiments did not readily respond to the recall orders. In particular the Union Brigade continued to attack across the valley. These regiments charged up to the French gun line on the far ridge where they were in turn overwhelmed by French cavalry. General Ponsonby, commanding the Union Brigade was killed.

It is of note that of the three regiments in the Union Brigade two, the Greys and Inniskillings, had not served in the Peninsula and lacked battle experience. King's German Legion in action at the Battle of Waterloo The time was 3pm and there was a lull in the battle, the only active fighting being the continuing attack on Hougoument at the western end of the line which had been sucking in more and more of Reille’s corps. The battle began slowly swinging in the Allies favour as Blucher’s Prussian Army arrived on the field in the South-East. Napoleon ordered Ney to capture La Haye Sante, considering the farm to be the key to the Allied position. Ney launched this assault with two battalions he found to hand and during the operation formed the view that the Allied army was withdrawing. It is likely that the movements he saw were casualties or prisoners moving to the rear. French Cuirassiers, during Ney's cavalry attack, tumbling into the sunken road that ran along the allied position Click here or on image to buy a Print It was on this impetuous assumption that Ney launched the massive cavalry attack on the Allied line.

Initially the attacking force was to be Milhaud’s Cavalry Corps of Cuirassiers. Before the French could reach the Allied line the infantry formed squares interlaced with artillery batteries. The French cuirassiers flowed around the squares but were unable to penetrate them. During the next three hours some twelve cavalry attacks were made up to the ridge and back. Napoleon while deprecating the initial attack as premature felt bound the commit increasing numbers of cavalry to support the assault. Battle of Waterloo 18th June 1815 : 4pm Ney's Great Cavalry Attack Click here or image to buy a print Within fifteen minutes Wellington appeared on the skyline and waved his hat to give the signal for a general attack in pursuit of the French troops. The British, Belgian, Dutch and German troops poured forward and the French retreat became a route. Three battalions of the Old Guard fought to the end to enable the Emperor to escape from the battlefield as the Allied troops including the Prussians closed in. General Cambronne is reputed to have answered a call to surrender with the words “The Guard dies but does not surrender”.

The Line Will Advance The Battle of Waterloo : Hougoumont Chateau The small chateau of Hougoumont stood before the extreme right of the Allied position. The Duke of Wellington formed the view that the chateau was the key to his flank and garrisoned it with the light companies of the Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards under Lieutenant Colonel James MacDonnell of the Coldstream Guards. Nassauers and guardsmen held the woods to the front of the building. The British guards defending Hougoumont The British troops took over the range of buildings on 17th June and spent the night fortifying them, building fire steps and loop holing the walls. All the gates were blocked other than the main gate on the northern side to provide access. At 11am on 18th June Prince Jerome’s division began the battle with his attack on Hougoumont, the French driving the Nassauers out of the woods and attacking the chateau. After the battle : Burying the Casualties The French surged around the buildings and rushed the main gate in the face of a rush of British guardsmen headed by Colonel MacDonnell to keep them out.

The gate was damaged and there ensued a struggle by the British to shut the gate and by the French to force it open. MacDonnell and his party of officers and sergeants forced the gate shut and Sergeant Graham of the Coldstream put the bar in place. The few French who had penetrated the farm were hunted through the farm buildings. The Château of Hougoumont During the rest of the day Hougoumont was subjected to a sustained attack by Jerome’s troops with assistance from a further division. The garrison was reinforced with more companies from the two Foot Guards battalions of Byng’s Guards Brigade, 2nd/2nd and 2nd/3rd Guards. Closing the gates of Hougoumont When, during the afternoon the supply of ammunition in the chateau became critically low, Sergeant Fraser of the 3rd Guards returned to the main line and returned with a wagon of cartridges, thereby enabling the defence to continue. By the end of the battle the chateau had been set ablaze by howitzer fire and the buildings were heaped with British casualties. The French were unable to capture Hougoumont and their casualties filled the woods and fields.

The Light Companies of the 2nd and 3rd foot guards hold the Chateau of Hougoumont The two battalions that defended Hougoumont suffered 500 dead and wounded out of strengths of 2,000. Some years later an English clergyman bequeathed £500 to be given to the bravest Briton from the battle. The selection was referred to the Duke of Wellington who nominated Lieutenant Colonel McDonnell of the Coldstream Guards for his defence of Hougoumont. Colonel McDonnell gave half the sum to Sergeant Graham. Annually the Coldstream Guards celebrate the defence of Hougoumont with the ceremony of the hanging of the brick. 52nd Attack a French Battery La Haye Sante Farm The farm of La Haye Sante stood on the west side of the main Brussels road beneath the ridge, two hundred metres in front of the centre of the Allied position. As the Emperor Napoleon urged on Marshal Ney, La Haye Sante was the key to the Allied line and had to be taken at all costs.

The King's German Legion under Major Baring fighting to defend La Haye Sante The garrison to whom it fell to resist the French attack that began soon after D’Erlon’s assault was found from the Major Baring’s 2nd Light Battalion of Colonel Baron Ompteda’s 2nd King’s German Legion Brigade. The farm of La Haye Sante The King’s German Legion had expected only to spend the night in the farm and did not discover until the morning that they were to hold it for the battle. By then the main gates had been used on the camp fires and few preparations could be made to put the farm in a state of defence in the time left. The garrison were largely spectators as D’Erlon’s attack swept past and up the ridge to the main Allied position to be pursued back to their lines by the British cavalry counter-attack. La Haye Sante from the Waterloo cross roads It was then that Ney’s attack on the farm was launched on the direction of the Emperor. From that moment the King’s German Legion troops fought for their lives until late in the afternoon, when with ammunition finished and the farm in flames, the garrison was annihilated or driven out.

39 of some 360 survived. La Haye Sante after the Battle of Waterloo Casualties: The British, Belgians, Dutch and Germans lost 15,000 casualties or 1 in 4 engaged. The Prussians lost 7,000. The casualties of the French army are estimated at 25,000 dead and wounded, 8,000 prisoners and 220 guns lost. The Prussian Army fights through the village of Plancenoit Click here or image to buy Follow-up: Waterloo decisively saw the end of 26 years of fighting between the European powers and France. The French star was eclipsed and the German began its ascendancy. For Britain, Waterloo is not just a battle. It is an institution. Regimental anecdotes and traditions: The Royal Dragoons captured the eagle of the French 105th of the Line in the charge of the Union Brigade and subsequently adopted the eagle as its badge. It is now worn as an arm badge by the Blues and Royals, the successor regiment. As with the Greys the regiment was given the nickname of the “Bird catchers”.

Wellington and Blucher meet after the Battle of Waterloo Click here or image to buy a print The Battle of Waterloo and The Royal Scots Greys and Sergeant Charles Ewart: After the battle the 1st Foot Guards were given the title “the Grenadier Guards” to commemorate the regiment’s role in overthrowing the French Grenadiers of the Old Guard. All ranks were given the bearskin cap to wear. 14th Foot: The 3rd Battalion of the regiment fought at Waterloo. The battalion had been newly raised and was awaiting disbandment, having seen no service, when Napoleon escaped from Elba. The battalion crossed to Belgium and won the battle honour for the regiment. Most of the soldiers were under 20 years of age. The Emperor Napoleon, some years before Waterloo, presented to each of his marshals a silver snuff box. Marshal Ney’s snuffbox was looted from his carriage after the battle by a British officer. Some years later the snuffbox was presented to the officers of the 19th Foot, the Green Howards, who used it in their mess for formal occasions.

The 27th Inniskilling Fusiliers, in the course of Ney’s cavalry attacks was bombarded by a French horse battery. By the end of the battle the battalion had suffered 478 casualties from a pre-battle strength of 750. An officer from a nearby battalion, Captain Kincaid, commented that the 27th seemed to be lying dead in its square. Kincaid, a veteran of the Peninsular War, said “I had never thought there would be a battle where everyone was killed. This seemed to be it.” The Duke of Wellington spent his early army service as the lieutenant colonel of the 33rd Foot. After the Duke’s death Queen Victoria permitted the 33rd to adopt the title “the Duke of Wellington’s”, a fitting attribution for one of the army’s most persistently successful regiments of foot. 79th Cameron Highlanders: As the French cavalry approached for the attack the regiment formed square. Piper Mackay marched around the square playing the pibroch “Peace or War”. The King subsequently presented Mackay with silver mounted pipes.

In spite of their presence in the film “Waterloo”, the 88th Foot, Connaught Rangers, were not present at Waterloo. They were on the far side of the Atlantic fighting the Americans. The 95th had three battalions at Waterloo. After the battle the regiment was given the title of the “Rifle Brigade” in place of its number, which was reallocated to a newly raised infantry regiment. In the closing moments of the battle a cannon ball struck the Earl of Uxbridge as he rode with the Duke of Wellington. The Duke said “By God you’ve lost your leg.” The Earl said “By God, so I have.” The remains of the leg were amputated in a house nearby and the owner buried the leg in his garden where it was a place of interest for some years. Every year after 1815 the Duke of Wellington held a “Waterloo” banquet for his officers. The banquet is still held. The Waterloo medal issued to British troops at the battle. Thanks to Historik Orders of Greenwich, Conn, USA.

Umbrellas at Waterloo: Captain Mercer of the British Horse Artillery described the miserable night he and his troop spent on the field of Waterloo before the battle: “My companion (the troop’s second captain) had an umbrella, which by the way afforded some merriment to our people on the march, this we planted against the sloping bank of the hedge, and seating ourselves under it, he on the one side of the stick, me on the other side, we lighted cigars and became-comfortable”. The Duke, who was indifferent to the way his officers chose to dress, drew the line at umbrellas. “At Bayonne, in December 1814,” writes Captain Gronow of the First Foot Guards, “His Grace, on looking round, saw, to his surprise, a great many umbrellas, with which the officers protected themselves from the rain that was then falling.

Arthur Hill came galloping up to us saying, Lord Wellington does not approve of the use of umbrellas during the enemy’s firing, and will not allow the “gentlemen’s sons” to make themselves ridiculous in the eyes of the army.” Colonel Tynling, a few days afterwards, received a wigging from Lord Wellington for suffering his officers to carry umbrellas in the face of the enemy; His Lordship observing, “The Guards may in uniform, when on duty at St. James’, carry umbrellas if they please, but in the field it is not only ridiculous but unmilitary.” Standing orders for the army in the Peninsula and in the Waterloo campaign stated categorically “Umbrellas will not be opened in the presence of the enemy.” However the surgeon of Captain Mercer’s troop of Horse Artillery was seen to be sheltering under the forbidden item during the early part of the Battle of Waterloo.

Designed and maintained by Chalfont Web Design © Britishbattles.com 2002 - 2016; BBC - iWonder - The Battle of Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate The Battle of Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate Before the battle 20:30, 18 JuneNapoleon is defeated An epic contest In 1815 two men faced off in a muddy field in Belgium. Wellington, with his British and Allied army, and Napoleon with his French Imperial Guard. One decisive battle could end 20 years of bloody conflict on the continent. It was a showdown between two of history’s military giants. They were the same age, formidable strategists and had a string of victories behind them. By 18 June, the outcome hung in the balance and the victor would determine the fate of Europe. Before the battle Getty Images Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor of France in 1804. To understand Waterloo, it’s important to know Napoleon had been trying to establish a European empire under his military dictatorship since 1804.

The British defeated him at Trafalgar in 1805, but Napoleon went on to invade countries across Europe before being forced to abdicate. He returned to Paris in March 1815, prompting Britain, Prussia, Russia and Austria to declare war. In June, Napoleon invaded Belgium, hoping to capture Brussels. He sent troops to fight Wellington, and led a battalion against General Blucher's Prussian troops. Wellington's army wasn't defeated but Blucher retreated. The scene was set for a final, decisive battle. Taking positions The positions of Wellington, Napoleon and the Prussians the night before the battle. Before the battle, Wellington stayed at a Waterloo inn while Napoleon was three miles south. Their men slept out as rain fell throughout the night. Wellington knew success the next day rested heavily on the arrival of General Blucher and his Prussian reinforcements. They were recuperating in Wavre, 18 miles east of Waterloo. With the Prussians and Allied armies separated, Napoleon was confident he could defeat Wellington and make his way to Brussels. His presence on the field made the difference of forty thousand men.

Wellington on Napoleon The first tactical move The positions of Wellington and Napoleon's troops on the morning of June 18. Wellington established a strong defensive position, blocking the road to Brussels in order to stop Napoleon’s advance towards the capital. Wellington knew he was outnumbered – approximately 68,000 Allied troops versus Napoleon's 72,000 – so he positioned his men behind a ridge and three garrisoned farms. The farm of Papelotte was on his left, Le Haye Sainte in front and Hougoumont to his right. The combination of the incline, fields of high corn and well-placed garrisons meant Wellington had both a good vantage point and cover to shield his troops. From here he could try to hold the ground until the Prussians arrived. He is a bad general and the English are breakfast! Napoleon on Wellington Mary Evans Napoleon with the French army at Waterloo. Napoleon's mind was also on the terrain. It was sodden from the night's rainfall, making it difficult to move his men and guns into position. Napoleon decided to delay his first major attack until the ground had dried out.

It was a dangerous strategy – it could allow time for Blucher's Prussian army to arrive and join Wellington on the ridge. Yet, having the French infantry and cavalry wade through mud risked tiring them out in the early stages of the battle. For now, Napoleon decided to draw out the British and make a dent in their defensive position. He launched a diversionary attack on Hougoumont farm. 11:30, 18 June Napoleon advances Napoleon's troops advanced on Hougoumont and made territorial gains around La Haye Sainte. With Wellington's right flank busy defending Hougoumont, Napoleon seized the opportunity to do some damage to the centre of the British line. He sent 18,000 infantry along the road to Brussels to strike a decisive blow. They captured the farm of Papelpotte and the area surrounding La Haye Sainte. It looked like victory was now within Napoleon’s grasp. If he took La Haye Sainte, he could attack the remaining British troops at close range. But at around 13:00, peering through his telescope, Napoleon spotted movement in fields to the east. He ordered a troop of cavalry to go and investigate.

14:20, 18 June Getty Images The British cavalry charge at the French infantry. Napoleon had spotted the Prussians but they were still far off. A desperate Wellington sent reinforcements to La Haye Sainte, driving back the French. Lord Uxbridge, Wellington's cavalry commander, had two brigades of cavalry over the ridge. With Napoleon's men advancing towards the British line, now was their moment – the cavalry charged and hit the French infantry, slicing through the soldiers on the ground. Napoleon’s line had been brutally weakened but Wellington’s left flank was also damaged – he couldn’t afford to launch another attack without reinforcements. 15:30, 18 June The Prussians at Plancenoit Napoleon's troops attacked La Haye Sainte. He sent another battalion to meet the Prussians in the east. Napoleon's cavalry at last reached Blucher's troops near Plancenoit, a village 5 miles east of the battlefield. The Prussians soon captured the high ground north-east of the village. They attacked the French hard: Napoleon was forced to commit more troops over the course of the afternoon as the territory changed hands several times.

Although Blucher was unable to reach Wellington at the main battle, his efforts meant the French were under pressure and had to split their resources. Wellington could hear the cannon fire in the distance – he knew Blucher had formed his own formidable front line, as promised. We must give air to the English army! General Blucher, during the battle of Waterloo 16:00, 18 June The battle for La Haye Sainte Getty Images The battle for the crucial garrisoned farm of La Haye Sainte. Napoleon was increasingly stretched – his men were fighting on both the west and east sides of the battlefield. He ordered Marshal Ney to capture La Haye Sainte, Wellington’s central stronghold. For the next two hours, wave after wave of heavily armoured French soldiers on horseback charged at the Allied line. In response, the Allied line changed formation into squares. They fended off the 4,000-strong French cavalry but their new formation made them vulnerable to Napoleon's heavy artillery fire. One British battalion, the 27th Regiment, lost nearly 500 of its 747 men. By God, those fellows deserve Bonaparte. They fight so nobly for him!

British soldier, being charged by the French cavalry 18:15, 18 June Wellington loses La Haye Sainte Getty Images Napoleon makes a final attempt to break Wellington's line. With the Allied centre weakened, Napoleon knew Wellington desperately needed Prussian support. He wasted no further time. Napoleon sent 6,000 French soldiers across the field up towards Wellington on the ridge, marching between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte. On the left, they suffered fire from the British-held garrison of Hougoumont but those on the right, facing the French-held garrison of La Haye Sainte, made it up over the ridge unhindered. 19:15, 18 June Wellington stands firm The French retreat as Wellington's troops advance, joined by the Prussians arriving from the east. As the French Imperial Guard advanced, swords drawn, Wellington's men waited in the long grass behind the ridge. At last, the French had broken through the Allied front line. When they reached the ridge, Wellington gave the order to stand and fire. His men fired at almost point blank range – muskets tore through the French soldiers, forcing them back.

At last, Blucher's forces were now arriving on Wellington's left. The Allied army advanced, pursuing the Imperial Guard. Wellington had a chance to kill Napoleon but ordered his men to hold fire. The Emperor was shielded by his men as they fled. 20:30, 18 June 200 years later, experts seek to unearth the Battle of Waterloo’s secrets | Fox News 200 years later, experts seek to unearth the Battle of Waterloo’s secrets Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print Performers take part in the re-enactment of the battle of Ligny, during the bicentennial celebrations for the Battle of Waterloo, in Ligny, Belgium, June 14, 2015. (REUTERS/Yves Herman) On June 18, 1815 the course of European history was changed when French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte found himself outmatched on the fields near Waterloo, Belgium. Britain's Duke of Wellington would become a celebrated hero and eventually Prime Minister, while Napoleon would retreat to Paris and soon after head into exile on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. It all came down to a cool day in June that began with heavy rains.

By nightfall some 10 hours after it began, the battle was over, as was the French leader's 100-day comeback. For 200 years the Battle of Waterloo has been debated time and time again. In part it has been argued that it was a battle Napoleon could have won, and even should have won. However, the modern thinking is that the battle actually might not have been as decisive as suggested. Related: First complete Battle of Waterloo skeleton identified as German soldier "In the end, the battle probably did not matter much. Had Napoleon won, it would have been very embarrassing for the British, and Wellington's reputation would not have been as great," Professor Michael Broers of the history department at the University of Oxford, told FoxNews.com. "However, there was a very large, battle hardened Russian army in Western Europe, which would have seen Napoleon off. The Allies were not prepared to give in." A Smaller Battle One other facet of Waterloo that is often overlooked is that in terms of Napoleonic Era battles it wasn't the largest by any means.

While Napoleon is remembered for being on the short side, a common misconception is that Waterloo was the titanic battle to end all battles, but this is far from the truth. It was an important battle, no doubt, but when compared to other engagements Waterloo was quite smaller. "There had been much bigger battles," Paul O'Keeffe, author of “Waterloo: The Aftermath” told FoxNews.com. "The Battle of Leipzig in 1813 had some 90,000 dead and wounded, whereas Waterloo had some 45,000 dead and wounded." Related Image Expand / Contract Frenchman Frank Samson takes part in the re-enactment of the battle of Ligny, as French Emperor Napoleon, during the bicentennial celebrations for the Battle of Waterloo, in Ligny, Belgium, June 14, 2015. (REUTERS/Yves Herman) This is still a tragically high number, O'Keeffe agreed, but the other significant detail is that these men fell in a relatively small patch of land in Belgium on that fateful June day.

"Waterloo was fought on a much smaller area than other battles of the era, just five square miles," said O'Keeffe. "Compare that to Leipzig, which was fought over 21 miles. The carnage at Waterloo was thus horrific with so many dead, as well as some 7,000 dead and maimed horses!" Napoleon may have met his Waterloo but he didn't technically surrender there and instead retreated back to Paris. Throughout the summer of 1815 there were a number of small engagements and the final peace wasn't signed until November 20, 1815. So why does Waterloo earn its place in history? "While there was still fighting this battle in essence brought to an end of nearly 20 years of continuous warfare in Europe," said O'Keefe. "There were decisive battles but this was really a conclusive battle as it knocked out the French entirely." The Fog of War If there is one word that could truly describe the situation on the ground on June 18, 1815 it was probably "confusion." This is noted by several authors and historians.

Part of the reason was that the colorful uniforms of the day didn't make it easy to distinguish friend from foe. At one point the British 12th Light Dragoons, who wore blue coats as opposed to the more infamous "red coats" that were donned by the British infantry, came under friendly fire; while later in the day the Prussian black uniforms may have been mistaken for French blue. That latter and seemingly simple mistake may have cost Napoleon the battle and his empire. "Napoleon knew that Marshal Grouchy was following the Prussians, and he hoped it was Grouchy who was approaching in the late afternoon," said Tim Clayton, author of “Waterloo: Four Days that Changed Europe's Destiny”. The Prussians were not the only British allies at Waterloo who from a distance resembled their foes! Clayton noted that the Dutch Orange-Nassau Regiment wore blue uniforms with tall French style shakos, or hats. "That added an extra layer of confusion and that took a little while to sort out," he told FoxNews.com. "This may have caused Napoleon to be even more optimistic especially as the advancing Prussians fired on the Nassau Regiment (who were in fact their allies).

This may have helped convince Napoleon that the Prussians were actually Grouchy's troops after all! Waterloo is a classic example of the fog of war. If only they had mobile phones." Beyond phones the French could have benefitted from GPS – or at least better maps. But even without the most accurate maps, this may have had little effect on the battle. "The last little 'sensation' reported around Waterloo is that Napoleon was using a map that was wrongly printed and therefore 'lost' the battle, or the result may have been different," explained Robert Kershaw, author of “24 Hours at Waterloo: 18th June 1815”. "As an ex-military man, anyone trying to explain a map topographical error affecting the outcome of a battle such as this has got to be wired to the moon. What people tend to miss is that the battle certainly was, as Wellington explained, 'a close thing.'" Wellington, known as “the Iron Duke” refused to comment on the battle for years. "During a battle it is clear no one knows what the hell was going on," said O'Keeffe. "But afterward the Duke of Wellington refused to give any account of the battle.

There were 40 publications in the [following] six months that brought out account of battle. Wellington refused and didn't give account. The Duke did suggest that the battle was like a ball or dance, where you don't know what is happening on the other side of the room. Simply put no-one could understand what was going on beyond their sector." Napoleon's Health The general wellbeing and health of Napoleon has also been called into question since his defeat at Waterloo. It has been argued over the years that he wasn't feeling well and even the brief time he spent in the saddle may have been far more than he could handle. "It is very difficult to know how ill he was," added Clayton. "We must too remember he wasn't the young man he had been at the outset of his career and he must have been exhausted by that stage of the 100 days since his return from exile." Not only did he have a military campaign to manage but he had to dictate to his secretaries about the state of the government and happenings in Paris each night. Rest might have helped, but it could also be argued that the respite from the front may have cost him the battle.

"On June 15 he reportedly had a comfortable night sleep in the town of Charleroi, yet he said in exile he wished he had stayed at the front lines so he could have kept better track of the Prussians," noted Clayton. Digging the Battlefield What is beneath the ground in Waterloo in the Belgian countryside could also shed more light on the battle. Recently the first complete skeleton of a soldier killed at the battle was recovered, and identified as Friedrich Brandt, a member of the King's German Legion who served under Britain's King George III. Brandt, who was reportedly just 23-years old when he fell, was killed when a musket ball lodged in his ribs. This soldier's remains likely won't be the last to be recovered. "The entire battlefield was cleared almost as soon as the fighting ended as locals and soldiers looted it for anything of value," said O'Keeffe. "Moreover it is really a mass grave as the soldiers were buried or burned in the thousands. We have to remember this was a time before there were war cemeteries." The Waterloo Uncovered project, which began this year, aims to explore the battlefield and reveal secrets that may have been buried for the last 200 years.

An international team began the first major excavation at Hougoumont Farm, which proved to be a decisive position in the British lines as 4,000 British troops successfully held off some 15,000 French soldiers throughout the afternoon. "I suspect they are hoping to find the mass burial pits located near the farm," said Clayton. "Already excavations have found a surprising number of bullets, but because the battlefield has been looted there is still a question about how much this or other efforts will find." It isn't just archaeologists and historians who are helping sift through the dirt at Waterloo. In April experts in soil sensing from Ghent University in Belgium used mobile multi-receiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors as well as magnetometers to survey the landscape. This will help pinpoint areas that could be of potential interest to archaeologists. The focus is on the Hougoumont Farm, explained Tony Pollard, director of the centre for battlefield archaeology at the University of Glasgow, who has been working closely with the Waterloo Uncovered project. "The farm buildings still exist, apart from the chateau, which burned down during the battle.

We began with a geophysical survey, which gives us an impression of below ground activity as magnetic or electrical anomalies," he told FoxNews.com. "Metal detector survey has demonstrated that illegal metal detecting has denuded the amount of battle related material, such as buttons and musket balls, in the ground. There is still enough left to tell us a story about how and where things occurred but if things continue as they are Hougoumont will be 'hoovered' (vacuumed) up by relic collectors over the next few years." He added that the scatter of musket and pistol balls may suggest that the road into the woods nearby was hard fought over – possibly harder fought than past understanding. "Even after just a few days’ work we have learned a lot more than we knew before - we are not going to change the course of the battle through the archaeology but it is providing a new level of detail, specifically at the moment in the area of the wood," Pollard said.

"It is very early days yet and we hope in the long term to move out onto other areas of the battlefield." While this year marks the 200th anniversary of the famous battle the Waterloo Uncovered project will continue over the coming five years with the next phase due to start in summer of 2016. Perhaps these discoveries will shed more light on the battle that reshaped the political map of Europe for the next 100 years. Napoleon defeated at Waterloo - Jun 18, 1815 - HISTORY.com Napoleon defeated at Waterloo Publisher A+E Networks At Waterloo in Belgium, Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history. The Corsica-born Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army during the late 1790s. By 1799, France was at war with most of Europe, and Napoleon returned home from his Egyptian campaign to take over the reigns of the French government and save his nation from collapse. After becoming first consul in February 1800, he reorganized his armies and defeated Austria.

In 1802, he established the Napoleonic Code, a new system of French law, and in 1804 was crowned emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral. By 1807, Napoleon controlled an empire that stretched from the River Elbe in the north, down through Italy in the south, and from the Pyrenees to the Dalmatian coast. Beginning in 1812, Napoleon began to encounter the first significant defeats of his military career, suffering through a disastrous invasion of Russia, losing Spain to the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula War, and enduring total defeat against an allied force by 1814. Exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, he escaped to France in early 1815 and set up a new regime. As allied troops mustered on the French frontiers, he raised a new Grand Army and marched into Belgium. He intended to defeat the allied armies one by one before they could launch a united attack.

On June 16, 1815, he defeated the Prussians under Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher at Ligny, and sent 33,000 men, or about one-third of his total force, in pursuit of the retreating Prussians. On June 18, Napoleon led his remaining 72,000 troops against the Duke of Wellington’s 68,000-man allied army, which had taken up a strong position 12 miles south of Brussels near the village of Waterloo. In a fatal blunder, Napoleon waited until mid-day to give the command to attack in order to let the ground dry. The delay in fighting gave Blucher’s troops, who had eluded their pursuers, time to march to Waterloo and join the battle by the late afternoon. In repeated attacks, Napoleon failed to break the center of the allied center. Meanwhile, the Prussians gradually arrived and put pressure on Napoleon’s eastern flank. At 6 p.m., the French under Marshal Michel Ney managed to capture a farmhouse in the allied center and began decimating Wellington’s troops with artillery.

Napoleon, however, was preoccupied with the 30,000 Prussians attacking his flank and did not release troops to aid Ney’s attack until after 7 p.m. By that time, Wellington had reorganized his defenses, and the French attack was repulsed. Fifteen minutes later, the allied army launched a general advance, and the Prussians attacked in the east, throwing the French troops into panic and then a disorganized retreat. The Prussians pursued the remnants of the French army, and Napoleon left the field. French casualties in the Battle of Waterloo were 25,000 men killed and wounded and 9,000 captured, while the allies lost about 23,000. Napoleon returned to Paris and on June 22 abdicated in favor of his son. He decided to leave France before counterrevolutionary forces could rally against him, and on July 15 he surrendered to British protection at the port of Rochefort. He hoped to travel to the United States, but the British instead sent him to Saint Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa.

Napoleon protested but had no choice but to accept the exile. With a group of followers, he lived quietly on St. Helena for six years. In May 1821, he died, most likely of stomach cancer. He was only 51 years old. In 1840, his body was returned to Paris, and a magnificent funeral was held. Napoleon’s body was conveyed through the Arc de Triomphe and entombed under the dome of the Invalides. Related Videos Waterloo: 7 Reasons Why The Battle is Still Important SHARE Dan Kitwood—Getty Images Historical re-enactors on horseback take part in a practice drill in the Allied Bivouac camp in Waterloo, Belgium on June 18, 2015. The United Nations, the rise of superpowers and the upsurge in nationalism owes much to the decisive battle It might be 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo on Thursday, but those nine hours of bloodshed on a field near the Belgian town of Waterloo changed the course of history.

It all began on June 18, 1815, when allied forces, consisting of British, Dutch, Belgian and German soldiers, thwarted the attempts of European domination by the French general and emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. The battle marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), which took the lives of 5 million people. The anniversary is being celebrated in Europe by heads of states and the ancestors of some of the protagonists but the repercussions of the battle are still being felt today. Waterloo laid the groundwork for Nato and the United Nations Only 36% of Wellington’s army were actually British, the rest comprised of Dutch and Belgian nationals and soldiers from various German duchies. Then there was the 50,000 strong Prussian army (Prussia later became a part of Germany), which worked in alliance with Wellington’s forces to defeat the French, which explains why U.K.’s former defence chief Lord Bramall called Waterloo “the first Nato operation.” In Lord Byron’s poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, “united nations” was mentioned in the Waterloo Passage.

This was picked up by Winston Churchill when discussing the allied war aims after Pearl Harbor and the term was eventually used to name the famous global organisation. It paved the way for the U.K. to become a global power The Vienna Treaty that followed Waterloo didn’t give the U.K. land in Europe, but it did hand over territorial possessions, such as modern day South Africa, Trinidad and Sri Lanka. These become the strategic naval bases the U.K. subsequently used to control its vast colonial empire. France had been the world’s superpower for centuries, with it out of the way, there was no one to compete with Britain until the U.S. emerged as a power in the 20th century. And laid the foundations for the eventual emergence of the U.S. as the world’s superpower With war disrupting European industry, demand for American products increased massively during the Napoleonic Wars, with its neutrality allowing it to sell to both sides. Although trade was occasionally disrupted by British and French blockades and navies,(and the 1812 Anglo-American War) in the end need for American grain and cotton trumped other considerations.

The battle heralded an age of German nationalism, eventually leading to World War II The Prussians’ contribution to the defeat of the French Army at Waterloo entered the mythology of the Prussian state, creating a sense of nationalism which then played a key part in the formation of the new German Empire after 1870. Ultimately, this led to the hyper-nationalism which enabled the rise of the Nazi party and the Third Reich. It has implications for the future of the European Union Waterloo was not just a military battle. It was also a battle between the concepts of the nation state and the supranational state. The U.K. and its allies were fighting Napoleon’s desire to impose a single state in Europe, which he would control. Napoleon’s defeat meant the victory of the nation state over other concepts such as Napoleon’s French Revolutionary Empire and Holy Roman Empire before it. Two hundred years later, the idea of a pan-European state has become more fashionable but is resisted by many. The French are, understandably, still a little prickly about that day Earlier this year, the French tried to block the Belgians from minting a Battle of Waterloo euro coin. The French government has also shown little interest in the week’s anniversary events.

While the U.K. and the Netherlands sent members of their royal family to the commemoration ceremony on Wednesday, the only French representative was their ambassador to Belgium. It inspired a series of famous quotes “His presence on the field made the difference of forty thousand men.” Wellington describing Napoleon. “It has been a damned nice thing — the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life.” Wellington “Waterloo is not a battle; it is the changing face of the universe.” Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” A quote that is commonly misattributed to Lord Wellington, but was in fact said by George Orwell Sign up for

Question: In which year was the Battle of Waterloo?
Answer: 1815