Page 47 - All About History - Issue 26-15

Waterloo: The Fall of Napoleon

Hero Zero
to
The battles that marked Napoleon’s
epic rise and disastrous fall

Battle of Austerlitz
2December1805
AlsoknownastheBattle
of the Three Emperors,
Austerlitz sees Napoleon
facingthearmiesofTsar
Alexander I of Russia
andHolyRoman
Emperor Francis II.
Napoleon’s tactical genius during the battle is
virtually unparalleled and leads his smaller force to a
definite and crushing victory. The victory brings an
endtotheWaroftheThirdCoalition,leadstothe
dissolutionoftheHolyRomanEmpireandpavesthe
way for French domination of Europe.
Battle of Rivoli
14-15 January 1797
Part of Napoleon’s
campaign in Italy, his
force of 23,000 easily
defeat an Austrian force
of 28,000. Using his
military genius,
Napoleon is able to take
advantageofhisenemy’smistakesanddestroysthe
opposingarmy.Widelyupheldashisgreatestvictory
It is said that, facing a regiment
upon his return to France, at the time, his success allows the French to go on
Napoleon stepped forward and and take northern Italy.
proclaimed: “Here I am. Kill your
emperor, if you wish” Battle of Dresden
26-27August1813
Outnumbered as usual,
theBattleofDresden
pits 135,000 French
Empire troops against a
combined force of
214,000 Austrian,
Prussian and Russian
troops. Initially the French forces positioned in
Dresdenstruggletoholdthecity,butwhen
Napoleonarrives,thebattleisturnedonitsheadand
victory is snatched from defeat. However,
Napoleon’sfailuretofollowuponthesuccessofthis
battle will cost him dearly.
Battle of Leipzig
16-19October1813
The largest European
battle before World War
I,Leipzigistheclimaxof
Napoleon’s 1813 German
Campaign. Napoleon
experiences his first
decisive defeat at the
handsofthealliedtroopsandisforcedtoreturnto
France with a tarnished reputation. The defeat at
Leipzig marks the end of the French Empire east of
theRhineandinlessthanayear,theemperorwillbe
forced to abdicate his throne.
Battle of Trafalgar
21 October 1805
A combined fleet of
French and Spanish
ships face the might of
the English Navy during
the war of the Third
Coalition. Despite having
the greater fleet
numerically, Napoleon’s forces are destroyed by the
British. This victory assures English naval supremacy
and although Napoleon is far from defeated at this
Marshal Ney, pictured leading the
cavalry, was executed by firing point, it puts in motion the series of failures that will
squad after Napoleon’s exile as an lead to Napoleon’s final fall.
example to his supporters
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