# Battle of Waterloo (1815)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1815-battle-of-waterloo
Location: Waterloo
Categories: battle, main-event

British-led and Prussian armies defeated Napoleon in his final campaign. Within the broader Consulate & Napoleonic Empire period, Napoleon consolidated many revolutionary reforms while concentrating power, building an empire and waging continental war. French institutions and armies reshaped Europe before military defeat restored the Bourbons. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Napoleon I (Emperor of the French (Hundred Days)). Battle of Waterloo mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Battle of Waterloo mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Louis XVIII](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-xviii-1815)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Waterloo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Waterloo&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Waterloo](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Waterloo)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)