The Consequences of The Battle of Waterloo for Napoleon...

The Battle of Waterloo was a bloody and gruesome battle for everyone involved. Perhaps one of the worst consequences of the battle, however, was that it tarnished the reputation of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon, who was at one time, regarded as a tactical genius and prodigy for his day, became the laughing stock of the world after a number of foolish military mistakes that probably would not have been made if the French forces been commanded by another military leader. Nevertheless, the Battle of Waterloo was a crucial battle for many reasons. The Battle of Waterloo was fought between the French army, under the command of Bonaparte and the Allied powers, made up of Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, leading the United Kingdom as well as Allied forces from the Netherlands, Belgium, and German states, totaling about 67,000 soldiers (BBC). In addition, Prussian Marshal Gebhard von Blucher commanded about 100,000 troops, and merged together with Wellington in Belgium, on the northeast border of France, in order to consolidate their forces and increase the size of both of their armies (BBC). Realizing the importance of keeping the armies of Wellington and Gebhard von Blucher separate, Napoleon came up with the strategy of plowing right down the middle of the armies, effectively cleaving the mass of soldiers in two, and destroying the armies one at a time, or at least that was the plan (BBC). This strategy seemed to fit with Napoleons overall technique, whichShow MoreRelateddomestic and foreign policies of Napoleon Bonaparte1431 Words   |  6 Pagesdown and going against the kings orders. They ended up killing the king and queen, and that is when Napoleon Bonaparte eventually came into the picture as a new leader after assassinating Maximilien Robespierre. In 1797, by the help of Pope Pius VII, Napoleon Bonaparte became first consul after overthrowing the Directory and establishing the Consulate. During his time as a leader of France, Napoleon appeared in some respects to be an enlightened ruler like his Civil Code, him ending feudalism, centralizingRead MoreHow Far Does Luck Explain the Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte?3147 Words   |  13 PagesHow far does luck explain the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte? Napoleon Bonaparte like many others rose to prominence during the turbulent times of the French revolution- he was therefore lucky to have been born at such a time in to justify his advancing position. However his reputation as a skilled tactician and strategist enabled him to initially capitalize on the reforms of the French Revolution to improve the lives of French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as an important figure for re-establishing