An Important Event in British History: Battle of Waterloo-The End of Napoleon

Napoleon waged a 25-year war in Europe and established an empire extending from Spain to Russia. On the other side of the English Channel, Britain is still free under the protection of the navy. Her army could not decisively defeat the French emperor on land, but the allies forced him to abdicate and go into exile in 18 14. 18 15 At the beginning of this year, Napoleon escaped from prison and regrouped his army. This will be his last election, and he will eventually lose in Waterloo, ending his political ambition and letting Europe enjoy peace for nearly half a century.

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1865438+April 6, 2004-May 30, 2004 Napoleon abdicated-February 26, 2005 Napoleon began to exile the island of Elba-June 20051865438+March 65438. Louis Stanislas Xavier fled on March 25th/KOOC-0/8/KOOC-0/5-Britain, Prussia and other allies agreed to send more troops to defeat Napoleon/KOOC-0/8/KOOC-0/6 June-the Battle of Wood/KOOC-0/8/KOOC-0/7 June 05-

Arthur wellesley, Duke of Wellington (England), Prince Gebad von blucher (Prussia), Prince William, Prince Orange (Netherlands), Emperor Napoleon (France) and Marshal Michel Nye (France) ended up with an emperor.

Failure, abdication and exile may have weakened Napoleon's ambition, but they did not crush it. 18 15 At the beginning of this year, he watched the events in Europe on the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. After the disastrous battle in Russia and the subsequent collapse, he was exiled there. The major European powers gathered at the Vienna Conference to hold peace talks for post-Napoleonic Europe. Their efforts are still premature.

Napoleon did not accept his compulsory retirement, but quietly followed the development of France and Europe. He learned that the restored French monarchy was unpopular and got the news that there was a crack in the Vienna conference. When all European countries were paying attention to the development of Vienna, Napoleon managed to board a French ship and escaped the ships guarding the waters of the island. His return to France was almost warmly welcomed by the whole world. Louis Stanislas Xavier hastily retreated to Belgium and handed over France to Napoleon, which will be his last 65,438+000 days as emperor.

Napoleon put all his eggs in one basket and launched an attack quickly, hoping to hit the British and Prussian troops stationed in Belgium before the remaining allies could mobilize. He plans to deal with each army separately, hoping to take them to an unprepared place before they have a chance to unite. He chose to fight the Prussian army of Marshal blucher first. The two sides met in Lini and fought fiercely all day. The French gained the upper hand and blucher retreated. Napoleon thought that the Prussians had been completely defeated and were retreating to Prussia. He ordered Marshal grouchy to lead 33,000 troops to pursue Prussia, but blucher was able to regroup in the north. From this position, the Prussians are still within the British defense line, allowing communication and support. Blucher assured Wellington that he would join the inevitable battle.

After Lini defeated Prussia, Napoleon turned to Wellington, and Wellington joined his army after learning the news of Napoleon's radical advance at a dance in Brussels. The Dutchman, under the command of Prince Orange, was at the crossroads of Quartbras in Brussels. The two armies fought on June 17, but Wellington retreated and occupied the position near the small village of Waterloo, Belgium.

Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington's two armies are now ready to fight. Wellington's army consists of professional soldiers, but there are few veterans. Many experienced soldiers were sent to North America to participate in the 18 12 war, but they have not come back yet. Therefore, Wellington left an army, which he described as "very weak and poorly equipped", with "very inexperienced people" leading the staff of the Ministry of Education. Prussians are also at a disadvantage. They have untrained infantry and cavalry, although this situation is alleviated by a group of particularly powerful officers. On the other hand, Napoleon had an army of veterans, and was fortunate to have powerful cavalry and cavalry.

Wellington does have a superior position. He deployed his troops behind a low ridge in northern France to provide them with some measures to resist enemy fire. About the center of the British defense line, stretching for about 2.5 miles, there is an elm tree under which Wellington directs the battle. At one end of the British defense line is Haugumont Manor, and at the other end is Lott Village in Pape, both of which are fortifications in Wellington. Wellington also controls an abandoned sand mining site and a farmhouse, Hailashengde.

To the south of Wellington's army, Napoleon withdrew his troops and couldn't see Wellington's position. His strategy is "shock and awe", aiming at launching a transfer attack, then shelling the front line, and then a full-scale frontal attack led by heavy cavalry. Theoretically, he has an advantage in the number of infantry and cavalry. If he can defeat Wellington before the Prussians rally, he is the winner.

The first shot was fired in the late morning. Napoleon began a transfer attack on Huguenot, hoping that Wellington would deploy troops from the front and strengthen the infantry stationed in the manor. In this case, the situation is just the opposite. The guards tenaciously defended their positions. The French army mobilized more and more soldiers to try to capture Hugumen, turning the transfer into a full-scale battle, while Wellington gained a firm foothold and maintained the integrity of the front line.

At about 1: 30 pm, Napoleon launched infantry in the center of the British defense line. Although the defenders held fast to the Three Seas, causing heavy casualties, the French army captured Lott in Pape and surrounded the Three Seas. The British infantry were ordered to advance, and they successfully repelled the French. Wellington sent heavy cavalry. The cavalry is brave, but inexperienced. They swept the enemy infantry, but they did not turn back, but crossed the French front. Here, they were surrounded by French dragoons and armored brigades and suffered heavy casualties.

Wellington evacuated his men to the ridge and regrouped. His left wing and Napoleon's right wing were severely weakened. Without the Prussians, Wellington could hardly take advantage of the chaos in France, so it had to hold its ground until they arrived. He did order the evacuation of the wounded along the road to Brussels and through the valley noticed by the French. Marshal Nye thought he saw the retreat, so he decided to launch a cavalry attack.

The second dragoon was behind the ridge, and the British had anticipated the attack of the French cavalry. Wellington ordered the infantry to form a phalanx. This is a classic tactic to resist cavalry attacks. About 500 people form a hollow square with at least two rows deep on each side. The soldiers fitted bayonets, then volleyed, one platoon reloaded and the other fired. Shooting will be delayed until the stormtroopers get close, causing devastating casualties. Fallen horses and people will pile up, making it more difficult for people behind to reach the square. Usually, a commander and reinforcements will stay in the center of the square. Wellington decided that his artillery would continue to fire at the French until the last moment, and then take refuge in the square. The only threat to the square is that the soldiers will break through the team under the attack of cavalry. The British army gained a foothold, and Napoleon's cavalry was not forcibly defeated, but suffered heavy losses. The war turned to Wellington.

France has achieved some success. They drove the Santa Hella away, but now the Prussians are approaching them, and Napoleon is worried that they will be prevented from reaching Wellington. He sent troops to meet them at Pleasenoit and then began to attack the front line in Wellington. At 7: 30 in the evening, he ordered his most elite troops, the unbeaten legendary imperial guard, to advance to Wellington.

Britain and Holland are exhausted now, but they joined forces to repel the attack. The imperial guards attacked fiercely, but in the end the situation reversed and the French army retreated. The sight of the guards retreating was devastating to the morale of the French. Wellington took advantage of the retreat to hear the news that the Prussians were nearby. He was excited and sent a general signal of progress. At 9 o'clock in the evening, Prussian cavalry chased the rest of the French from the battlefield. Napoleon met with waterloo.

After his attempt to escape to North America failed, Napoleon surrendered to Britain and was sent to St. Helena in the South Atlantic. His final defeat ended the war that swept across Europe since the French Revolution in 1789. For nearly half a century, Europe has freely enjoyed peace and prosperity. In particular, Britain can benefit from peace, turn from war to industry, and establish its position as a leader of the industrial revolution.

The Duke of Wellington's victory at Waterloo consolidated his reputation. He became a national hero and politician, and served as Prime Minister twice.

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The sentence "Meet Waterloo" is translated into English, which means that if you meet your opponent, you will fail.

Visiting the battlefield of Waterloo is a direct tourist attraction, and tourists' carriages arrive from Brussels the next day. Now, there is a huge mound with a lion statue as a monument. This area is full of mass graves for the victims.

Wellington's home, Stratfield Say, Hampshire, is still owned by his family, and some houses can be arranged to visit. There is a permanent exhibition in Wellington, including his hearse, which was melted from the French cannon captured in Waterloo.

Apsley Tower, also known as the first building in London, is located at the corner of Hyde Park. The family is still using the well-preserved townhouse in Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington, which the public can visit. There are many beautiful paintings, porcelain and silverware here, which are the relics of the Duke.

Not far from Apsley Palace is the Wellington Arch, which is the Duke's national monument. There used to be a statue of the duke riding a horse on the arch. This statue is now in Aldershot and has been replaced by a statue symbolizing the victory of peace over war.

The Duke only met another hero of the Napoleonic Wars, Admiral Lord Nelson once in his life. When they died, they were next to St Paul's Cathedral in London.

If you visit the Tower of London, you must pay attention to the 6-pound French field gun captured at Waterloo in 1970.

In Waterloo in film and television, Rod Stanger played the Duke of Wellington with Christopher Plummer in Waterloo and became a part of Napoleon. There is a DVD version.

There is a series about Napoleon in the history of war, which ends with the last scene of Napoleon's Waterloo. There is a DVD version.

Further research If you feel that you missed the opportunity to participate in the Battle of Waterloo, you still have a chance to participate. The BBC has a simulation game where you can play the role of Wellington or Napoleon-you may change the course of history! "

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Mark Adigun wrote a comprehensive guide to war, which was published in 200 1: waterloo companion: a complete guide to the most famous land war in history.

Death, greatness, soldiers