#WaterlooRemembered Day 8: Waterloo - Why does it matter? In a shorter episode today I explore some of the key reasons why Waterloo remains important (and end up roasting myself!) Post your thoughts below. Loads more material and a couple of surprises coming this week. https://anchor.fm/the-napoleonicist/episodes/Waterloo-Remembered-Day-8-Why-does-Waterloo-matter-efak1j
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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.