Waterloo - why does it matter
This month marks the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, a battle which is often described as changing the future of European history. It was Napoleon's last battle, a crushing defeat, but also, to use Wellington's own words 'A near run thing'. (He even said 'I don't think it would have done if I had not been there!). More recently though, historians have started to question Waterloo, and its significance. Charles Esdaile, for example has described Waterloo as 'A Glorious Irrelevance' as a battle with the same kind of impact would have happened at some point anyway. So why does Waterloo matter?
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The historical context has been addressed.
But why does it matter to me? Well, so 4 decades of reading, the investment in over a 1,000 books and magazines as well as several visits still mean something you mean?
Of all the campaigns and battles in our period, it was brief, self contained and easy to understand. There is a definitive and dramatic result. In short, it is accessible.