On this date 210 years ago - on June 18, 1815 - the legendary Battle of Waterloo was fought near Brussels, in present-day Belgium. This is the last major military clash of Napoleon Bonaparte, which finally puts an end to his rule and the entire Napoleonic era in Europe.
The battle involves the united forces of the Seventh Coalition - mainly the British army under the command of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army of Field Marshal Blücher - against the French army, personally led by Napoleon. After a prolonged and fierce clash, the French forces are defeated. This crushing defeat forces Napoleon to abdicate for the second time. He is sent into exile on the island of Saint Helena, where he dies in 1821.
The Battle of Waterloo radically changes the political map of Europe and marks the beginning of a long period of relative peace - the so-called Vienna System. Today the battlefield is a popular tourist destination and a symbol of the end of one of the most dramatic eras in history.