The Battle of Waterloo took place on June 18, 1815, near the town of Waterloo in present-day Belgium. It marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and was fought between the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Seventh Coalition, which included the Duke of Wellington and Prussian troops led by Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. The battle resulted in a decisive defeat for Napoleon, leading to his abdication and exile to Saint Helena. This event significantly altered the political landscape of Europe, ending over two decades of conflict and paving the way for a period of relative peace known as the Congress of Vienna.