Battle of Waterloo
Taking place June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo is considered one of the turning point battles of all time. The defeat of Napoleon at this time put a final end to his tyranny and allowed Europe to develop into the continent it is today. The above mound was built on the battlefield by the Duke of Orange in order to commemorate the spot where his son was injured during this battle - many, including Wellington, disapprove of this monument as it's building completely re-scaped the land where the battle took place. Each year a small re-enactment is held, with a larger one being held every 5 years. This is the 5th year and time for the bigger one!
The French were up against two armies - the Anglo-Allied Army commanded by the Duke of Wellington and the combined Prussian Army and Seventh Coalition commanded by Gebhard Von Blucher. They would also be joined by a Scottish force as well. Above we see the armies of Wellington.
And here are the French coming onto the battlefield...
Casey, Amanda, and Sonya wait for the battle to start. Our conversation was intense, with us wondering who might win the battle!
Our position to watch was closer to the French army...
And now we are back to the Anglo-Allied side...
Nice smoke ring - too bad there is a crane there that will have to be removed at some point....
The French fire their cannons and march out to fight
But the Anglo-Allied forces are just too much, especially once the Prussians arrive!
The great battle ensues
Napoleon comes out onto the battlefield to lead his troops...
The back lines of the French campaign
Napoleon again rides to the front lines...
But the Allied armies push forward, with the Scots playing their bagpipes
And Napoleon is defeated and led away by the Allies!
No surprise ending after all!
Amanda, Alex, and Casey check out the cannons at the Allied camp
Allied soldiers training after the battle
Wellington's tent
French soldiers trained at their camp after the battle as well.
A very interesting way to learn about the battle!