Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 120 views

    Battle of Waterloo

    Uploaded by

    api-242293933

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Battle of Waterloo

    Uploaded by

    api-242293933
    120 views2 pages

    Original Title

    battle of waterloo

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    120 views2 pages

    Battle of Waterloo

    Uploaded by

    api-242293933

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 2

    Carl Hencey French 111 French History The Battle of Waterloo On June 18th, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte led

    the French forces into one of the fiercest battles in history. Nearly 80,000 French soldiers were up against over 67,000 allied troops on a plain in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, just a few miles south of Brussels. Due to Napoleons recent escape from Elba and reclamation of his title of Emperor of France, many of the nations that stopped his previous escapades came running to remove him from power once again. Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia all played major roles in the opposition of France in the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleons grand scheme was to defeat the massed allied force at Brussels, thus giving him access to nearly all of Europe. His strategy was to divide and conquer the allied forces as individual countries. To do this, he sent many of his troops on June 15th to attack the Dutch army, which was separated from its allied partners. Unfortunately for the French, reinforcements were able to arrive in time and beat back the French troops. A stalemate would continue until the morning of the 18th, when the full scale Battle of Waterloo took place. Wellington, the leader of the allied forces, used sneaky tactics to deceive Napoleons generals. Initially, he hid the majority of his forces out of sight just over a ridge. When they were most needed, those troops would play a key role in preventing Napoleons reinforcements from reaching their destination, effectively isolating an entire French flank. Later in the battle, Wellington made it appear as though he was retreating, which resulting in Napoleon sending the majority of his cavalry

    charging after them. Instead of finding the retreating troops, the French cavalry ran headlong into an ambush. Both of these tactics were extremely successful and resulted in many French casualties. By the end of the day, the French were in full-fledged retreat. Although he entered the battle with many more troops than his opponents, Napoleons army was poorly trained and lacked leadership from its generals. Instead of trained troops, Napoleon had haphazardly thrown together a group of misfits, including peasants and war veterans. As a result, he was beaten badly by his opponents. The defeat of the French at the Battle of Waterloo was the last time Napoleon would lead his nation. He would be returned to exile in St Helena shortly after his defeat and capture. Although the Battle of Waterloo is not typically seen in a positive light in French culture, it certainly brought about several changes that benefitted the common man in France. The defeat at Waterloo marked the end of the French Empire, and at long last, an end to the Napoleonic Wars. Slowly, France would develop into a democracy, where the opinions and needs of all could be heard. Equality came into much more focus after Napoleons long reign of dominance was snapped. The end of Napoleons reign marked the start of a new French era, which included several developments that would move France forward into the 20th century and beyond.

    Sources 1. http://www.britishbattles.com/waterloo/waterloo-june-1815.htm 2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/battle_waterloo_01.shtml

    You might also like