Waterloo Remembered Day 8: Why does Waterloo matter?

I think the level of importance given to Waterloo and the claim that it was the climax of the Napoleonic Wars unfairly overshadows the richer history of the long struggle that ended with the campaigns of 1813/14. As someone who has studied plot structure, if you were plotting the wars as fiction 1814 and the first abdication would be the climax. Waterloo would be the entirely unnecessary epilogue that would probably be cut from the second draft.

As soon as Napoleon left Elba there was no possibility of the outcome ending with anything other than his defeat. If he had won at Waterloo he would have lost later when the other allies came up. I always liken Waterloo to the bit in a horror film when you think the monster is dead but suddenly he jumps out again, only to be slain once and for all. The final death is as inevitable as the credits rolling.

It is always entertaining to listen, thanks for all the effort.

Belle Alliance - it mattered in that case that it ended the European / French wars from 1792 - 1815 - and not without reason Plotho titles his book about 1815 - The War of the allied Europe against France in 1815, Berlin 1818.

This was a pan European conflict - and finally it ended, it well mattered for all.

After 1815 - Europe wasn't such a peaceful spot at all, those are the wars which come to my mind - there must be more.

In Spain, the Carlist Wars - and wasn't there even a French army again - this time with greater success?

The Revolutions in 1848 - see for example Baden, quite a few military actions and shake up.

The Wars of the Italian unification seeing again amongst else French against Austrians.

The German - Danish War of 1864 (not only Prussia took part in this one)

The German - German war of 1866 (again not only restricted to Prussia and Austria)

The German - French war of 1870 / 71

But in the end those wars - despite huge armies - weren't pan European and did not last over 20 years.