The Battle of Waterloo (The Wounded Eagle Monument) - Waterloo, Belgium - Specific Wars Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, combined with a Prussian army under the command of Prince Blücher. Two large forces under Wellington and Blücher assembled close to the north-eastern border of France. Napoleon chose to attack in the hope of destroying them before they could join in a coordinated invasion of France with other members of the coalition. Waterloo was the decisive engagement of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last. The defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French, and marked the end of his Hundred Days return from exile.

Waterloo cost Wellington around 15,000 dead or wounded and Blücher some 7,000 (810 of which were suffered by just one unit: the 18th Regiment, which served in Bülow's 15th Brigade, had fought at both Frichermont and Plancenoit, and won 33 Iron Crosses). Napoleon's losses were 24,000 to 26,000 killed or wounded and included 6,000 to 7,000 captured with an additional 15,000 deserting subsequent to the battle and over the following days.

In 1820, the Netherlands' King William I ordered the construction of a monument. The Lion Mound (visit link) , a giant mound, was constructed here using 300,000 cubic metres. Apart from the Lion Mound, there are several other monuments throughout the battlefield.

This monument "The Wounded Eagle" is dedicated to the last combatants of the Imperial Guard.It was erected on the spot where the last square of the Guard stood and were, as the legend tells, General Cambronne shouted "Merde" at the British in the spirit of the Guard dies but never surrenders.

On one side of "The Wounded Eagle" there's a plaque dedicated to the members of the Polish Lancers squadron of the Imperial Guard Cavalry.

War: Napoleonic Wars Is it permanently accessible to the public?: yes Is it necessary to pay a fee to gain access to the place?: no Year of the memorial or monument: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
At least a picture taken by yourself is requested. Try to provide a descriptive log of your visit to the local.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   09/28/2016 Tumbrel visited it