Who was the French commander at the Battle of Waterloo?

The French commander at the Battle of Waterloo was Napoleon Bonaparte. On 18 June 1815, Napoleon personally commanded the French Army of the North in Belgium, attempting to defeat the allied army led by the Duke of Wellington before Prussian reinforcements could arrive.

Waterloo was Napoleon’s final battle. He had returned from exile on Elba during the Hundred Days and sought to break the Seventh Coalition, which had assembled against him. His senior commanders included Marshal Michel Ney, who directed major attacks, and Marshal Emmanuel de Grouchy, who commanded a separate force pursuing the Prussians.

A common mix-up is to name Ney because he was highly visible during the battle, particularly in the large cavalry attacks against Wellington’s position. However, Ney was subordinate to Napoleon, who retained overall command. Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo led to his second abdication and ended the First French Empire.