Battle of Waterloo

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/battle-of-waterloo

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of battle?June 18, 1815
2. What is the location of battle?Near Waterloo, present-day Belgium
3. Why did Napoleon want to fight at Waterloo?Napoleon wanted to defeat the armies of Britain and Prussia before they could join together. He thought winning at Waterloo would let him keep his power in France. He tried to split the enemies and win each part separately.
4. How did the weather affect the battle?The ground was muddy and wet from rain, which made it hard for soldiers and horses to move. The mud slowed down the French cavalry and artillery. It also made the fighting last longer.

Hundred Days: The period from Napoleon's return from exile to his final defeat and abdication in 1815.
Mont-Saint-Jean escarpment: The defensive ridge chosen by Wellington, providing a strategic advantage for the Allied army.
Imperial Guard: Napoleon's elite military unit, considered his final reserve and a symbol of French power.
Pax Britannica: A historical period of relative peace in Europe and the world, largely influenced by British naval and economic supremacy.