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"Made in Belgium :: Books"
"The Best Belgian Autors and Books about Belgium"
Search online for books, book reviews and summary,
novels and romans, discount on magazines subscriptions
Many history books, order and buy online at discount prices.
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"Waterloo Battle : Biography and Books"
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The Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815) was the last battle of the Napoleonic wars and the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and French forces. The battle was fought near Waterloo village, south of Brussels, Belgium.
Three armies were involved in the battle: the French Armé’e du Nord, a multinational army under Wellington, and a Prussian army under Blücher. Napoleon fielded 72, 000 men and 346 guns. Arthur Wellesley (later to be named duke of Wellington) led an allied force of British, Dutch and German troops with 68, 000 men and 156 guns. Two and a half Prussian army corps, or 48 000 men under the command of Gebhard von Blücher, appeared last-minute on the battlefield.
In June 1815, Napoleon struck into Belgium, choosing to attack Wellington’s army, rather than wait for them to unite with the Prussians and cross into France. Wellington withdrew to battle position at Waterloo and would give battle provided Blücher would send him at least a corps; otherwise he would retreat towards Brussels.
Waterloo was a strong position. It consisted of a long east-west ridge with a deep sunken lane along the crest. The French army formed on the slopes of another ridge to the south. Wellington's strength could not be seen by the French except for his skirmishers and artillery. Due to the weather, Napoleon delayed his attack at Waterloo for several hours. This gave Blücher's main force time to escape the pursuing French and join Wellington.
The battle began around 11.30 a.m. with an unsuccessful attack on Hougoumont, a fortified farmhouse in the west of the battlefield. The arrival of Prussian forces compelled Napoleon to send part of his Imperial Guard to the eastern side. And at 1 p.m. Napoleon's grand battery of 84 guns opened fire on the Allied centre, but because of the reverse slope it had little effect. Prussian support on the British left began in the afternoon, increasing steadily. The allied forces and the Prussians counter-attacked Napoleon’s army and by 8 p.m. the combined action had defeated the French.
The French suffered 25,000 killed and wounded, and 9,000 were captured; Wellington's casualties were 15,000, and Blücher's were about 8,000. Napoleon abdicated as emperor a few days after this final defeat, and a few weeks later he was captured and sent into exile to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821. The Treaty of Paris was signed on 20 November, 1815. Louis XVIII was restored to the throne of France.
The current terrain of the battlefield is very different from in 1815. Lion's Hillock, is a large artificial hill constructed as a monument on the spot where the Prince of Orange was wounded during the battle. To construct the mound, 300,000 cubic meters of earth taken from other parts of the battlefield, including Wellington's sunken road. Wellington visited the site years later and complained ‘They've spoiled my battlefield!’
Because of its pivotal role in European and world history the Battle of Waterloo has a prominent place in military history and is frequently mentioned in popular culture. Waterloo has also become a general term for a decisive, final defeat.
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