Napoleon's Defeat
On the 18th June, 1815, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated during the Battle of Waterloo. The battle, which was described by the Duke of Wellington as a "near run thing", was fought between Bonaparte's French army, an Anglo-allied army under Wellington and a Prussian army led by General Gebhard von Blucher.

Waterloo was a decisive battle in history, ending a series of European wars and heralding nearly 50 years of peace. Why did Napoleon lose? It's widely held that he had chosen the wrong leaders, had communication problems on the day and that the weather was against him – solid rain during the night meant that the ground was very muddy on the morning of the battle. This caused Napoleon to postpone the main attack until 1pm, which gave the Prussians time to advance towards the battlefield.