Battle of Waterloo $1.69 AUD
Category: Crime, War & Conflict
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18th June 1815 between Napoleon’s French Army and the British, Dutch, Belgian and German forces commanded by the Duke of Wellington. It is one of the most famous battles in the world and one of the most decisive events in history.
Waterloo marked the endpoint of an extremely turbulent period. In 1789, the French Revolution destroyed the old order of king and church, in the name of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality. Soon the Revolution was immersed in faction fighting and terror. King Louis XVI was executed and Europe’s monarchs, horrified at what the Revolution might mean for them, invaded France. A young army commander, Napoleon Bonaparte, seemed the only one capable of defending France. In 1799, he seized power and in 1804 crowned himself Emperor.
Napoleon was a modernising influence for France, but he was also a conqueror. At his peak, he had invaded and occupied almost all of Europe. These Napoleonic Wars lasted until 1814, when Napoleon was fought to a standstill by the armies of Europe.
