18th June 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte defeated at the Battle of Waterloo

On the 18th June 1815, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. Having escaped from exile on the island of Elba, he landed on the mainland on the 1st March and successfully secured support of a small army whom he marched to Paris. His arrival on 20th March led to Louis XVIII fleeing the city.  This signaled the start of a period of Napoleonic government we now call the Hundred Days. Napoleon’s return from exile was met with enormous hostility from the other European powers. Having alr...