At the time of writing, the following link will take you to a map showing the positions of the armies at Waterloo:

Transcription

1 Teaching notes These activities are designed to give students a sense of the chronology of the events at Waterloo, as well as looking at the roles of the three key players in the battle, how the battle was won by Wellington, and the aftermath of the battle. Suggested tasks Students are to read the material (p.2-3) and fill in the cloze activity. The students will need to use a bit of lateral thinking and detective work to find all of the information for the gaps. The information needed appears in various places on the accompanying sheets. This activity links well with clips from the movie Waterloo which can be found on YouTube. If you type in Waterloo movie, various parts of the film appear. The relevant parts are: Part 9 start of the battle and attack on Hougomont Part 10 includes the charge of the Scots Greys Part 11 includes the French cavalry charge and the British infantry squares Part 12 has the march of the Imperial Guard Part 13 the end of the battle. Once the cloze has been done, the students can produce their own map of the Battle of Waterloo, with battle lines drawn up, the positions of the armies, and use the chronology information to label the battle with events at specific times. An outline copy of the map has been provided, but it is up to the students how they represent and label their map in terms of showing the stages in the battle. At the time of writing, the following link will take you to a map showing the positions of the armies at Waterloo: Students could then use this information to produce a newspaper report from the point of view of either the British or French forces, describing the battle and what they perceive to be the reasons for their victory or loss Page 1 of 6

2 Overview of the battle The start was delayed due to heavy rain the night before which caused muddy conditions in the valley. The battle lasted for just over nine hours, and by the end there had been 47,000 casualties between the two sides. It was a close-run thing, but it was a great victory for the British and Prussians, and it was the end for Napoleon. He died six years later in exile. Chronology of events 18 June The battle starts Wellington s army gathers on the hill. At the French attack Hougomont farm hoping that Wellington will send men down to defend it and weaken his position on the hill. 2. French infantry advance The French advance is beaten back by musket and cannon fire. 3. Charge of the Scots Greys The British cavalry charge gets bogged down in the mud and is repulsed by mounted French lancers. 4. French cavalry charge The British infantry form squares to fight off the French cavalry. 5. Napoleon sends in the Imperial Guard Napoleon throws in his best troops in a final attempt to win the battle before the Prussians arrive in force. 6. The Prussians arrive The Prussians arrive and the French are forced into full retreat Page 2 of 6

3 The three key players in the Battle of Waterloo About Napoleon: Image: -=Duke One= After the defeat against Russia in 1812, the French people began to lose confidence in Napoleon. In 1814 he was forced to abdicate and was sent to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. The next year he returned to France and immediately found support among his old soldiers. They marched north to face the Prussians. After defeating them, Napoleon faced the British at Waterloo. He was defeated when the Prussians arrived late in the day to help the British. Napoleon surrendered and was exiled. This time he was sent much further away to the island of St Helena in the Atlantic Ocean. About Marshal Blücher, the leader of the Prussians: In June, Napoleon took Blücher by surprise and defeated the Prussians at Ligny. Blücher was buried under his horse and badly hurt, but he was determined to lead his men. He even gave orders to be tied to his horse if necessary. Napoleon called Blücher an old devil and said, If he was beaten, he would a moment later, show himself to be ready to fight again. Blücher was determined to get to Waterloo to help the Duke of Wellington win the battle. The Prussians arrived at six o clock with Blücher leading their charge to win the battle. About the Duke of Wellington, the leader of the British army: Wellington decided to place his army on some low hills near the village of Waterloo. Wellington was cautious but courageous. Napoleon admired these qualities. Before the battle he rode amongst his troops to inspire them. He knew that if he waited for the Prussians, then he would definitely win. At 4.20 pm he said, The battle is mine and if the Prussians arrive soon, there will be an end to the war. After the battle Wellington was a hero in England. Later he became Prime Minister and he died in Image: Ell Brown, 2011, Page 3 of 6

4 Read the story below and fill in the gaps using the information sheet provided: After his defeat against in 1812, Napoleon was forced to give up the throne of France. He was sent into exile on the island of. In 1815, however, he escaped and returned to France. Many of his old soldiers were still willing to fight for him and he marched his army north to fight the. After winning this battle, Napoleon now faced the British army led by the of. Wellington had placed his army on some low hills three miles from the village of. On the morning of the battle Napoleon was unable to attack until am because of. When the battle started, Napoleon ordered some of his troops to attack a farm called. Then, the French sent columns of men towards the British, but they were cut down by. Wellington decided that the time was right to send in the Scots, a cavalry regiment. They charged successfully at first, but then became slowed by the. The French cavalry counter-attacked and killed many of the Scots. By this time, the French had captured another farm called La Haye Sainte and Napoleon decided to send in his cavalry. The British infantry formed and fought them off. Napoleon knew that the were arriving, so he sent in his best troops, the. The British guns stopped their advance and, at six o clock, Marshal led the Prussian charge onto the battlefield. The combined forces of the British and Prussians forced the French to retreat, and the battle was won. The battle had lasted over hours and resulted in casualties. Napoleon was exiled far away to the island of in the Southern Ocean, where he died in. The Duke of Wellington went on to become and died in Page 4 of 6

5 Map of the battlefield Page 5 of 6

6 Answers What happened at the Battle of Waterloo? After his defeat against Russia in 1812, Napoleon was forced to give up the throne of France. He was sent into exile on the island of Elba. In 1815, however, he escaped and returned to France. Many of his old soldiers were still willing to fight for him and he marched his army north to fight the Prussians. After winning this battle, Napoleon now faced the British army led by the Duke of Wellington. Wellington had placed his army on some low hills three miles from the village of Waterloo. On the morning of the battle Napoleon was unable to attack until am because of muddy conditions in the valley. When the battle started, Napoleon ordered some of his troops to attack a farm called Hougomont. Then, the French sent columns of men towards the British, but they were cut down by musket and cannon fire. Wellington decided that the time was right to send in the Scots Greys, a cavalry regiment. They charged successfully at first, but then became slowed by the mud. The French cavalry counter-attacked and killed many of the Scots. By this time, the French had captured another farm called La Haye Sainte and Napoleon decided to send in his cavalry. The British infantry formed squares and fought them off. Napoleon knew that the Prussians were arriving, so he sent in his best troops, the Imperial Guard. The British guns stopped their advance and, at six o clock, Marshal Blücher led the Prussian charge onto the battlefield. The combined forces of the British and Prussians forced the French to retreat, and the battle was won. The battle had lasted over nine hours and resulted in 47,000 casualties. Napoleon was exiled far away to the island of St. Helena in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, where he died in The Duke of Wellington went on to become Prime Minister and died in Page 6 of 6