滑铁卢战役(1815年6月18日)

Waterloo, Battle of

拿破仑遭到彻底失败的一次战役。从此，法国与欧洲其他国家之间连续二十三年的战事宣告结束。这次战役地点在布鲁塞尔南方滑铁卢村附近。一方是拿破仑的军队72,000人，另一方是威灵顿公爵的联盟军68,000人（包括英、荷、比、德的部队）和布吕歇尔领导的普鲁士军约45,000人。拿破仑的元帅内伊和格鲁希击败了普军并将威灵顿阻止在卡特勒布拉，但均未将他们歼灭。拿破仑把开始进攻威灵顿的时间从上午推迟到中午，目的在於让土地乾燥，但由此铸成大错。普鲁士军队恰好获得奔赴滑铁卢驰援威灵顿所需的时间。法军的四次主攻都末达到重创联盟军和突破阵线的目的。当内伊成功的夺占联盟军战线中部的农庄，并要求增援步兵，遭拿破仑拒绝。此时，威灵顿及其武力虽受到重创，但已重整旗鼓，又得到蔡滕（H. E. K. von Zieten）指挥的普鲁士军队的支援。在联盟军展开最後攻击时，法军大乱，惊慌逃窜。此役拿破仑军共伤亡25,000人，被俘9,000人。威灵顿军则伤亡15,000人，布吕歇尔军伤亡大约8,000人。四天後，拿破仑被迫第二次逊位。

English version：

1815年6月18日

Waterloo, Battle of

Final defeat of Napoleon and French forces in the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was fought near Waterloo village, south of Brussels, by Napoleon's 72,000 troops against the duke of Wellington's combined Allied army of 68,000 aided by 45,000 Prussians under Gebhard von Blucher. After the French defeated the Prussians at Ligny and held Wellington at Quatre-Bras in secondary battles on June 16, Napoleon's marshals, including Michel Ney, failed to eliminate either enemy while they were separated. Napoleon delayed his attack at Waterloo until midday, to allow the ground to dry, which enabled Blücher's main force to escape the pursuing French and join Wellington. Four French attacks on the Allied center failed to break through, and Napoleon had to move troops to meet the Prussian flanking attack. When Ney succeeded in capturing a farmhouse at the center of the Allied line, his call to Napoleon for reinforcements was refused. Wellington and his forces, though vulnerable after heavy losses, repulsed the final French assault and turned to advance against the French, forcing them into a disorganized retreat. The French suffered 25,000 casualties, Wellington's army suffered 15,000, and Blücher's suffered 8,000. Four days later, Napoleon abdicated for the last time.