The Battle of Waterloo brought the Napoleonic epic to a definitive end. Facing Wellington's and Blücher's coalition forces, the French army fought fiercely but succumbed to superior numbers and tactical errors.
Forces at play
Outcome: Decisive French defeat
France
- Napoléon
- Ney
- d'Erlon
~72 000 hommes
Royaume-Uni · Prusse · Pays-Bas · Hanovre
- Wellington
- Blücher
~68 000 Britanniques + 50 000 Prussiens
Battle coordinates
Waterloo
Coordonnées 50.6804°, 4.4044°
Battle narrative
Context
Returning from Elba during the Hundred Days, Napoleon had to face a coalition formed in Vienna. He decided to strike the British and Prussian armies in Belgium before they could join forces.
Forces
France: About 72,000 men. The Imperial Guard, d'Erlon's, Reille's and Lobau's corps. Marshal Ney commanded the left wing.
Coalition: About 68,000 under Wellington (British, Dutch, Hanoverians) entrenched at Mont-Saint-Jean. About 50,000 Prussians under Blücher marching towards the battlefield.
Course of the battle
On the morning of 18 June, rain delayed the start. Napoleon launched frontal attacks on the allied centre (Hougoumont farm, La Haye Sainte). French cavalry charges failed against British squares. Blücher's Prussians gradually arrived on the eastern flank. In late afternoon, the Imperial Guard attacked; it was repulsed. The rout became general.
Consequences
Napoleon abdicated on 22 June. Louis XVIII was restored. Waterloo sealed the end of the First Empire and opened the era of the Congress of Vienna.
Go further
Recommended books to dig deeper (affiliate links)
Napoleon — A magisterial biography
An exhaustive biography of the Emperor, the fruit of rigorous research.
≈ £14.99Napoleon's Army
Organization, tactics and daily life of the Grande Armée soldiers.
≈ £18.00Austerlitz 1805
The detailed account of the Battle of the Three Emperors.
≈ £12.99As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.
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