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Wellington defeated!

-- The Battle of Waterloo, fought on 18 June 1815, was Napoleon Bonaparte's last battle. His defeat put a final end to his rule as Emperor of the French. After Napoleon returned from exile and was restored to power, many states which had previously resisted his rule formed the Seventh Coalition and began to mobilize armies to oppose him. The first two armies to assemble, close to the French north eastern border, were a German army under the command of Gebhard von Blücher and an English-allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon chose to attack them in the hope of destroying them before they, with other members of the Seventh Coalition, could join in a coordinated invasion of France. The campaign consisted of four major battles - with Waterloo proving to be the decisive battle.

-- It is reported that at the close of the Battle of Waterloo, the English people were anxiously awaiting news of the result. Their only means of communication was a system of signal lights flashed across the English Channel. The fog became so dense that only a part of the message was made out. It read, "Wellington defeated." Gloom settled upon the English. But imagine their joy when the fog lifted and they received the whole message, "Wellington defeated the enemy."

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