Thursday, June 18, 2015

Waterloo

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 Europa's powers began the task of restoring their continent to normality and rehabbing peace.

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 freaked out and formed the Seventh Coalition,armies. reassembled their armies and prepared to resume the war to overthrow the Emperor yet again.

There are two huge coalition forces assembled near the northeast border of France commanded by Prussia's von Blucher and Great Britain's Wellington. Napoleon had planned to attack the said forces before they can unite with the other members of the Coalition in coordination of France invasion.

Waterloo

The three-day engagement of the Waterloo Campaign happened in the Battle of Waterloo on June 16-19, 1815. The Battle of Waterloo was quoted by Wellington as the “nearest run thing you ever saw in your life.”

Until noon of June 18, 1815, Napoleon delayed granting of the battle to let the ground get dry. The army of Wellington had positioned across the Brussels Road along the Mont St Jean escarpment. Repeated attacks by French take place along the road until evening but the army remained standing. The army of Prussians arrived in full force and eventually broke through the right border of Napoleon.

During the breakage of the Prussians army towards Napoleon’s border, the British made a counter-attacked, and the Napoleon's Gurad Corps fought til annihilation to save the day.

The Coalition drove the French army in chaos from the field. The forces of the Seventh Coalition have successfully entered France and reinstate Louis XVIII to the French throne.

Napoleon resigned from the throne and surrender to the British government. In 1821, he was exiled to die at Saint Helena.

Pic - "The closest run thing you ever saw!"

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