A play-by-play thread to commemorate the 205th anniversary of the pivotal Battle of #Waterloo, which ended the Napoleonic Wars and changed the course of history, using clips from film depictions of the battle. Napoleon's 74k men faced Wellington's 67k Anglo-Dutch army. 1/7

Napoleon sent his II Corps to take the Château d'Hougoumont to draw forces from the allied center, which he hoped to smash w/ artillery & his I Corps. Hougoumont held, Wellington countered & the French attacks stalled. British Gen. Picton was killed leading a bayonet charge. 2/7

The battle seesawed. British cavalry was mauled by Napoleon’s lancers & French artillery kept the Anglo-Dutch forces close to their defensive positions. Brazen French Marshal Ney, w/o support, threw two cavalry divisions v. allied infantry squares & was decimated. 3/7

Napoleon anxiously waited for Marshal Grouchy & 30k reinforcements to arrive. Grouchy was tasked w/ keeping Blücher’s Prussian army away from Wellington. Napoleon launched an all-out assault v. La Haye-Sainte farm on Wellington’s left. 4/7

It was now late afternoon, Napoleon had few reserves & learned that Blücher - not Grouchy - was approaching the battlefield. The hapless Grouchy failed to keep the allies apart. Napoleon ordered his Imperial Guard to launch a final assault on Wellington’s center. 5/7

Grouchy continued to Wavre as Blücher’s Prussians arrived at Waterloo to attack Napoleon’s right flank. Wellington, whose infantry mauled the Imperial Guard w/ ferocious volleys, ordered a general advance. Napoleon’s position became critical. 6/7

Blücher & Wellington rejoined at the aptly named La Belle Alliance inn &, w/ numerical superiority, finished off the remaining French forces. Napoleon withdrew from the field w/ a personal escort, abdicated four days later & was exiled to Saint Helena. His career was over.