The Battle of Waterloo marked the final defeat of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. After returning from exile on Elba, Napoleon raised an army but was met by a coalition of British, Dutch, and Prussian forces led by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard von Blücher. The battle was fought in grueling conditions on muddy ground. The defeat ended the Napoleonic Wars, which had reshaped Europe for nearly two decades. Napoleon was forced to abdicate for a second time and was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died. The term 'Waterloo' has since become a synonym for a final, crushing defeat. The victory solidified Britain's status as the world's leading superpower for the remainder of the 19th century.