The significant outcome of the Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815, was the definitive defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, which ended his rule as Emperor of France. The battle marked the culmination of a series of military campaigns, known as the Napoleonic Wars, pitting Napoleon's army against the Seventh Coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. This defeat not only led to Napoleon’s exile to Saint Helena but also facilitated a shift in European political dynamics, promoting a balance of power and the Congress of Vienna, which aimed at long-term peace in Europe.