Why was 1815 important

Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French army during the French Revolution, seized control of the French government in and became emperor in Through a series of wars, he expanded his empire across western and central Europe. In , 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 Europe.

In , Napoleon led a disastrous invasion of Russia in which his army was forced to retreat and suffered massive casualties. Afterward, Napoleon retreated to France, where in March coalition forces captured Paris. On April 6, , Napoleon, then in his mids, 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, , Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland with a group of more than 1, supporters. On March 20, he returned to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. 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.

However, the French were unable to totally destroy the Prussian army. Two days later, on June 18, Napoleon led his army of some 72, troops against the 68,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, who had gained prominence fighting against the French during the Peninsular War.

By some estimates, the French suffered more than 33, casualties including dead, wounded or taken prisoner , while British and Prussian casualties numbered more than 22, Reportedly fatigued and in poor health during the Belgian campaign, Napoleon committed tactical errors and acted indecisively. Although more cavalry were committed to attack, the soggy ground hampered the French.

They could not make an impression on the British squares, which held firm despite suffering casualties from artillery fire. The French commander Marshal Ney called for reinforcements to push home his advantage.

But Napoleon decided first to send troops to recapture the village of Plancenoit from the Prussians. This gave Wellington time to strengthen his position. Bloodstained jacket worn by Lieutenant Henry Anderson who was wounded during the final repulse of the Imperial Guard. At about 7pm, in a last bid for victory, Napoleon released his finest troops, the Imperial Guard. They marched up the ridge between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte, but had chosen to attack where Wellington was strongest.

Under a withering fire from British guardsmen and light infantry, the Imperial Guard halted, wavered, and finally broke. Their defeat sent the rest of the French into panic and eventually retreat. This continued all night, with the French harried by the Prussian cavalry. Napoleon lost nearly 40, men killed, wounded or captured. The Allies suffered 22, casualties. Napoleon was defeated. He spoke of fighting on, but was forced to abdicate when the Allies entered Paris on 7 July.

He spent the rest of his life in exile on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic. Two armies face him: a Prussian army under Field Marshal Blucher and a multi-national force under the Duke of Wellington. But the main French army defeats the Prussians at Ligny.

The Prussians retreat. The Prussians withdrawal obliges Wellington to retreat as well. He falls back to a ridge near the village of Waterloo. Wellington plans to fight there until the Prussians come to his aid.

The victorious allies enter Paris. Napoleon surrenders to the British and is exiled to St Helena. The Duke of Wellington received a hero's welcome on his return to Britain. He was showered with further honours, eventually becoming prime minister in , and again in Waterloo ended the wars that had convulsed Europe since the French Revolution Waterloo inaugurated a general European peace that, apart from the brief interruption of the Crimean War , lasted until In the years that followed , France and Britain were brought closer together, fighting as partners in the Crimea and remaining allies through two World Wars.

King William I of the Netherlands built it in on the spot where he believed his son the Prince of Orange had been wounded. Visible for miles around, the mound dominates the area. Many other memorials dot the surrounding landscape.

He led a series of cavalry charges at the battle, but was wounded in the right leg by one of the last cannon shots of the day. Uxbridge was taken back to his headquarters, a farmhouse in the village of Waterloo, where surgeons amputated the limb. After the operation, the farmhouse owner, Monsieur Paris, asked if he could keep the leg. He buried it in his garden and created a shrine, complete with a headstone.

The grave of Uxbridge's leg became a popular tourist attraction and earned Monsieur Paris and his descendants a healthy income!

Throughout Britain and the Commonwealth, Waterloo has been commemorated in the names of streets, railways stations, bridges and parks. The name 'Waterloo' itself has entered the English vocabulary. A person who has been defeated after a run of success is said to have 'met their Waterloo'. Get our History Newsletter.

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