The REAL Waterloo

Cities, towns and universities have been named for it. Movies have been made of it. ABBA has sung about it. But yesterday, Perry and I toured it.

The historic Battle of Waterloo took place not far from here (about 20 km) almost 200 years ago. The Battle lasted only one day, but the cost in lives lost was high. Sixty-seven thousand French troops, led by Emperor Napoleon were defeated by sixty-five thousand allied (British, Dutch, Prussian and Belgian) troops, led by General Wellington, with a total of 9500 men killed and 33,000 wounded. The site of the battle was strategically important because Waterloo was on the road to Brussels and the terrain was such that Wellington could position his troops on the higher ridges, giving him a tactical advantage. The road was important as it was a direct route to Brussels and Napoleon’s next target.

We took a guided battlefield tour to get an appreciation of how difficult a position the French were in. Wellington had selected this particular spot for its geographic advantage. His troops were holding the higher ground. There are still remnants of some of the farms which had been used as strong-holds by both sides.

The battlefield area is also home to the Butte du Lion, or Lion’s Mound. This monument, completed in 1826, is actually a 45 meter mound of dirt, erected by King William I to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives that day. The location is the spot where William II of the Netherlands (heir to the throne) was wounded. The mound, containing 300,000 cubic meters of earth, was constructed completely by hand by ‘botteresses’ who carried the dirt on their backs in baskets. It took 3 years to complete.

The climb to the top of the mound, where an iron lion stands guard, gives an incredible vantage point to get an overall view of the entire battlefield.

There are 225 steps to the top.