The battle of Waterloo, one of the most decisive battles in history, was fought two centuries ago on June 18, 1815 outside the city of Brussels in present-day Belgium. The opposing armies were commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, both reputed to be military geniuses of their time. The tactics and strategies employed during the one-day conflict were so ingenious that they have become classics in military history and are still dissected and studied in defense academies. The outcome of the battle changed the political landscape of Europe, its repercussions echoing far and beyond the continent.
The bicentenary of the battle in June this year set off a worldwide interest in its history, unleashing a flurry of books and publications on the subject. The formal ceremonies at the old battlefield, showcasing battle scenes, were attended by high-level dignitaries from nations that had participated in the fight against the French – the British, the Germans and the Dutch. Belgium expects a surge of curious tourists and history buffs this year, giving a major boost to its tourist industry. The French, understandably, have shown only scant enthusiasm for the show. Paradoxically, Napoleon’s mystique, his storied career and legends of his colorful personality have endured over time, and overshadowed the reputation of his rival, the Duke of Wellington. According to a report in the New York Times, “Stalls set up near the battlefields were filled with tributes to Napoleon – statues, busts, books, death masks as well as posters and knickknacks – all bearing his image.”
Medal awarded to the troops at the Battle of Waterloo
Some British officers went into one of the first battles, still wearing silk stockings from the previous night's ball
The Battle of Waterloo came about entirely unexpectedly. Napoleon had been defeated in April 1814 by allied forces under the command of Czar Alexander II of Russia. He was banished to the tiny Mediterranean island of Elba with a population of 12,000, and it was assumed that the European problem was solved for good. The terms of exile were generous, and Napoleon was permitted the use of the ridiculous title “Emperor and Sovereign of the Island of Elba” and was designated the ruler of the island. He seemed reconciled to his fate, and started assembling the trappings of an imperial court. “What is a throne anyway? A bit of wood covered with velvet,” he proclaimed. A borrowed sofa, festooned with paper flowers, was improvised as his official throne at the court. Although he spent less than a year in exile on Elba, he made some remarkable improvements in agriculture, road building and mining and ordered a radical overhaul of the island’s legal and educational systems.
Napoleon, meanwhile, was not oblivious to political developments in France and attentive to any opportunity to escape and reclaim his throne in Paris. In September 1814, European royalty and representatives from 216 states gathered at the magnificent capital of the Hapsburg Empire, Vienna, for what has become known as the Congress of Vienna. In between ceaseless strings of banquets, balls, romantic liaisons and revelry, the delegates also found time to carve up the territories that had formed Napoleon’s former empire and delineate new national boundaries. The Congress, moving at a glacial pace, concluded in June 1815, reaching decisions that ushered in an era of unparalleled peace in Europe that lasted until the outbreak of the First World War.
Both Bonaparte and Wellington had connections to India, especially with Tipu Sultan of Mysore
Even before the kings and ambassadors left Vienna, Napoleon escaped from Elba and landed in France, forcing King Louis XVIII to flee without a fight. In his highly praised book, Vienna 1814, David King describes the consternation with which the news of Napoleon’s escape was received in the waning days of the Congress of Vienna. Emperor Francis of the Hapsburg Empire exclaimed, “Our business is to secure for the world the peace that he has troubled all these years. I am prepared to order my army once again to march back into France.” Soon, the allied forces from Britain, the Netherlands and Prussia (the predecessor of Germany) were gathering under the command of the Duke of Wellington to confront Napoleon’s French army for the famous battle of Waterloo.
Some interesting anecdotes are associated with the battle. With Napoleonic forces fast approaching, the Duchess of Richmond, a member of English aristocracy residing in Brussels, decided to throw a glittering ball in honor of Wellington, which was attended by over 600 guests. Late at this extravagant event, Wellington asked his host for an area map and, while browsing over it, casually put his finger on a village named Waterloo. It was the place he would confront Napoleon, he announced. Early the following morning, some of the British officers went into one of the first battles, still wearing silk stockings and formal dresses from the previous night’s ball.
Bonaparte as he saw himself
"What is a throne anyway? A bit of wood covered with velvet"
The Battle of Waterloo lasted only a day, but at the end, the French were routed out. It was a colossal carnage, with at least 47,000 dead or wounded on both sides. Today, no nation would accept these many casualties. Even at that time, the bloodshed evoked moral outrage. A month after the victory, the Duke of Wellington wrote to a friend, “It is quite impossible to think of glory. I am wretched even at the moment of glory, and I always say that next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained. I never wish for any more fighting.” For the French, the loss was psychologically devastating, prompting the celebrated 19th century novelist, Victor Hugo, to comment, “It wasn’t a battle, it was a change of direction for the universe.” Napoleon, who very much wanted to be allowed to settle in England after his humiliating defeat, was exiled to St Helena, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821.
Sir Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, and Bonaparte's nemesis
Curiously, both Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington had had, at one time in their careers, connections to India, especially with Tipu Sultan of Mysore. But their motivations were directly opposite. Even before Napoleon came to power, Tipu Sultan, threatened by the territorial ambitions of the East India Company, had sent an emissary to Paris in 1786 during the reign of Louis XVI to seek alliances with France to help oust the British. Not much came of this contact since the French revolution (1789–99) overthrew the monarchy and ultimately brought Napoleon to power.
Napoleon dreamt of ousting the British from India as well, and according to Charles Talleyrand, the chief French diplomat, his plan was, “to occupy Egypt and send a force of 15,000 men from Suez to India to join the forces of Tipu-Saheb and drive away the English.” Although Napoleon in 1798 easily defeated the Mameluk forces near Cairo, who were equipped with obsolete weapons, his army was routed in 1799 at Acre (Israel now) by the Ottoman Sultan Salim III with British support.
British Army surgeon Charles Bell painted graphic pictures of those wounded in battle
Though Napoleon never reached India, Wellington, whose family name was Arthur Wellesley, arrived in India at the young age of 28 while his brother Richard Wellesley was the governor general under the East India Company. Arthur Wellesley was dispatched by his brother to fight Tipu Sultan’s army at Seringapatam. Unfortunately for India, Tipu Sultan lost the battle. In his excellent biography of Wellington, Richard Holmes quoted him as saying, on leaving India, “I have served as long in India as any man ought to who can serve anywhere else.” He returned to England and, after rising ultimately to serve as Prime Minister, died in 1852.
