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The Final Moments of the Battle of Waterloo (La Belle Alliance) on June 18, 1815 (19th Century)

The text accompanying the image describes the “last moment” of the Waterloo battle. After a speech by Napoleon, French troops (blue uniforms) under his personal command attempted to take a hill against concentrated artillery fire and determined resistance from British infantry (red uniforms). Excerpts from the caption read: “Six to eight thousand men greeted the [French] Guards columns with small arms fire and slashed at them with bayonets. Everyone in the French column shouted, doubtless urged on by Napoleon who was in their midst – ‘en avant!’ But then they all turned around and fled down the hill” [“Ungefähr 6. Bis 8000 Mann empfingen sie, die Gardenkolonne, mit einem Kleingewehrfeuer, und giengen mit dem Bajonet auf sie los, alles schrie in der französischen Kolonne, vermuthlich von Napoleon, der in der Mitte war, angetrieben: en avant!”]. Colored copperplate engraving by an unknown artist, nineteenth century.

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The Final Moments of the Battle of Waterloo (La Belle Alliance) on June 18, 1815 (19th Century)

© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Original: Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin