The arts and Waterloo
The victory at Waterloo was celebrated through the arts — especially painting and sculpture — and these works in turn have shaped our memory of the battle and its heroes.
Course: Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo
Battlefield Tourism: Battle of Waterloo
Visiting battlefields was not a new phenomenon that developed in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo. There was a long tradition of visiting these sites: for example, there had …
The Waterloo Banquet
In 1816, the Duke of Wellington purchased an impressive London residence, Apsley House, befitting his stature as a national hero. Known as Number 1, London, this was the first house …
The Waterloo Museum
Waterloo was to exert a powerful influence on the public imagination. Commemorations and celebrations of the battle manifested themselves in different ways. In Great Britain, at one end of the …
Battle of Waterloo: How Was Waterloo Commemorated?
The news of the Battle of Waterloo was momentous. There was widespread rejoicing at the conclusion of the war: this was an occasion equivalent to VE or VJ Day at …
Commemoration
Victory over Napoleon and the French at Waterloo was marked by celebrations across Britain — and it was seen as a very British victory, despite the vital Prussian involvement. There …
Extended reading
If you would like to take your interest in this week’s topics further, the books listed below are recommended reading. For some of them, you will probably need access to …
Your questions answered
In this video (10 minutes) Chris answers four of the questions you asked – about the aftermath of the battle, Wellington’s role in the peace deliberations, the treatment of soldiers …
The Occupation of France after the Battle of Waterloo
This article looks at the allied occupation of France, in 1815‒18. As an activity in this article, you might like to consider what it was like to be a soldier …
Stability for France after the Battle of Waterloo
The military convention of 3 July 1815 brought a formal cessation of hostilities, but there remained much to be done if France was to have peace. This article takes you …
The Bourbons
The revolutionaries of 1792 had intended that by abolishing the monarchy — and by guillotining Louis XVI early the following year — the rule of France by the Bourbon family …
Battle of Waterloo: Exile of Napoleon
Although Napoleon attempted to rally his troops and wanted to continue to fight, it was apparent particularly to the politicians in Paris that he had no future, and that the …
Battle of Waterloo: The Capture of Paris
The Battle of Waterloo, decisive though it was, did not bring the campaign against Napoleon to a conclusion. The allies now had to complete their victory by taking control of …
After the battle
Winning the peace is often harder than winning the war, and the Allied Powers needed to move quickly to stabilise France and reestablish an acceptable and legitimate authority. An army …
A historian’s view: why Waterloo is significant
Zack White, a Masters graduate from the University of Southampton, explains why he thinks Waterloo is such a significant and long-remembered event in European history.