Introduction: Wellington vs. Napoleon: Aftermath of Waterloo (03:59)

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The Duke of Wellington emerged victorious over Napoleon Bonaparte's army at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815. Without the French Revolution, there would have been no European conflict. Bonaparte created modern France and imposed a new legal system. (Credits)

Leadership Style (03:35)

The Duke of Wellington assumed all responsibility on himself and never gave up. Napoleon was charismatic, clever, and handsome. Both men used trigonometry to place artillery on the battlefield.

Battle of Waterloo (03:40)

France was at war with England and other parts of Europe for 20 years. After abdicating the throne and being exiled in Elba, Napoleon escaped and seized control of France. Prussian forces arrived and provided reinforcements for the Duke of Wellington's men.

Napoleon Defeated (04:08)

The Duke of Wellington occupied Paris. Napoleon surrendered and hoped for asylum in Great Britain but was exiled to St. Helena. He was not allowed direct contact with the outside world.

Exile on St. Helena (05:52)

Captain Cook and Charles Darwin also visited the island. Napoleon spent his first night in a boarding house and was later relocated to Briars before settling in Longwood.

Longwood House (04:23)

The weather was cold, wet, and windy. Napoleon used the billiard room to dictate his memoirs. The former emperor became ill and depressed.

Death (02:18)

Napoleon could have died from arsenic but the official cause of death was stomach cancer. He was buried in a tomb in a secluded valley in St. Helena until the British allowed the French to return his remains to Paris.

Waterloo Gallery (04:22)

Wellington returned to England a national hero, bought a home next to Hyde Park, and amassed a large art collection from Spain. The Tsar of Russia gave the Duke two torchieres. Napoleon commissioned a sculpture of himself.

Dining Room (02:44)

A table service commissioned by the prince regent of Portugal was used every year to celebrate the victory at the Iberian Peninsula. King George IV gave the Duke of Wellington a portrait that he did not pay for.

Entering Politics (01:41)

The Duke of Wellington became prime minister and created the Catholic emancipation act.

Returned to France (03:34)

Napoleon's corpse left St. Helena and was interned at Les Invalides. Louis XIV built the Church of the Dome as a royal chapel. The sarcophagus was not completed until twenty years later; Joseph Bonaparte died in Rome.

Napoleon's Legacy (02:45)

Napoleon commissioned the column at the Place Vendome to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz. The original metal used was taken from Austrian canons; it has been torn down three times. Napoleon established the Banque de France, wrote the Napoleonic Code, initiated construction on the Arc de Triomphe, and reinvented Paris.

Wellington's Later Life (02:13)

The Duke's house was converted into a museum. Louis XVIII gave him a tea service Napoleon commissioned for Josephine. Copenhagen, the horse Wellington rode at Waterloo is buried at Stratfield Saye House.

Wellington's Legacy (04:17)

The funeral carriage was constructed from guns captured at the Battle of Waterloo. The procession ended at St. Paul's Cathedral. Napoleon believed his life was a novel and was very ambitious.

Credits: Wellington vs. Napoleon: Aftermath of Waterloo (00:44)

Credits: Wellington vs. Napoleon: Aftermath of Waterloo