The famous Battle of Waterloo marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and occurred on June 18, 1815. This decisive confrontation pitted the forces of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte against a coalition army led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army under Field Marshal Blücher. The battle resulted in a significant defeat for Napoleon, who was forced to abdicate and was subsequently exiled to Saint Helena. Waterloo reshaped the political landscape of Europe and signaled a shift towards a balance of power that would dominate international relations for the next century, solidifying Wellington's reputation as a military leader.