Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did the Battle of Waterloo end Napoleon I’s return to power?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Jacques-Louis David: The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries — Napoleon I *The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries*, oil on canvas by Jacques-Louis David, 1812; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, was the decisive military engagement that ended Napoleon I’s return to power, known as the Hundred Days.

Following his escape from Elba and return to Paris, an alliance of Austria, Britain, Prussia, and Russia formed against him. At Waterloo, Napoleon’s forces were defeated by the duke of Wellington’s army, bolstered by the arrival of Prussian forces under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. The crushing defeat resulted in 25,000 French casualties and 9,000 captured, leading to a disorganized retreat and the collapse of Napoleon's military position.12

Returning to Paris on June 21, Napoleon abdicated his throne for the second time the following day. His subsequent attempt to flee to the United States was blocked by the British navy, forcing his surrender. He was ultimately exiled to the remote island of St. Helena, where he remained for the rest of his life, while Louis XVIII was restored to the French throne.23