Which battle marked Napoleon’s final defeat?

The Battle of Waterloo marked Napoleon’s final defeat. Fought on 18 June 1815 in present-day Belgium, it ended his attempt to regain power after escaping exile on Elba.

Napoleon faced an allied army commanded by the Duke of Wellington, while Prussian forces under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher arrived during the battle and attacked the French flank. Their coordination helped prevent Napoleon from breaking Wellington’s position.

Late in the day, Napoleon committed the Imperial Guard, his most prestigious troops, to a final assault. When the attack failed, the French army collapsed into retreat. Napoleon abdicated for the second time on 22 June 1815 and eventually surrendered to the British.

Borodino, Trafalgar, and Leipzig were also major battles involving Napoleon, but none was his final defeat. Borodino occurred during the 1812 Russian campaign, Trafalgar was a naval defeat in 1805, and Leipzig was a major 1813 setback. Waterloo ended the Hundred Days and Napoleon’s political career.