The battle that marked the beginning of the end for Napoleon was the Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815. This decisive encounter took place near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, where Napoleon's forces faced a coalition army led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher. The defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French and marked the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. It led to his exile to Saint Helena, where he lived until his death. Waterloo is often regarded as a significant turning point in European history.