The Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815, marked the beginning of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte. This decisive battle saw Napoleon's French forces face a coalition army led by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. After a series of tactical maneuvers and fierce fighting, Napoleon's army was ultimately defeated. The loss forced Napoleon to abdicate and led to his exile on the island of Saint Helena. The defeat at Waterloo effectively ended his rule and ushered in a period of relative peace and stability in Europe known as the Congress of Vienna.