5. Battle of Waterloo (1815)
The Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815, marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, ending his rule and the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon’s forces faced a combined army of British, Dutch, Belgian, and German troops under the Duke of Wellington, along with Prussian forces led by Gebhard von Blücher. The defeat led to Napoleon’s abdication and exile to Saint Helena, reshaping European politics and paving the way for the Congress of Vienna and a new balance of power. This outcome prevented French dominance and led to nearly a century of relative peace in Europe (time.com).
