Could You Survive the Battle of Waterloo?
Survive History
497,081 views
On 18th June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo decided the fate of Napoleon and reshaped Europe forever. But what did this epic clash really feel like for the ordinary soldiers in the mud, smoke, and chaos of battle?
#BattleOfWaterloo #NapoleonicWars #SurviveHistory
A big thanks to our sponsor @HungryMindsArt! You can get the 'The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilisation' at this link 👉 https://mdsh.io/survivehistory
Don't forget to use Promocode: SURVIVEHISTORY10 (valid for 1 month)
#thebook #howtorebuildcivilization #hungryminds
In this full-length immersive episode of Survive History, presenter Louee Dessent travels to the actual Waterloo battlefield in Belgium for the 210th anniversary to relive the struggle through the eyes of the 42nd Highland Regiment – the Black Watch.
🔥 Experience the brutal reality of Napoleonic warfare:
Endure sleepless marches, freezing nights, and meagre rations.
Face the thunder of Napoleon’s Grand Batterie, unleashing 246 cannons.
Confront French infantry columns, deadly skirmishers, and the elite Imperial Guard.
Hold the line in tight infantry squares against relentless French cavalry.
March across mud-choked ground with limited visibility, weapons clogged with powder and dirt.
Witness the grim aftermath of Waterloo – nearly 50,000 casualties, battlefield looting, and the trade in “Waterloo teeth.”
From Quatre Bras to the desperate final stand on Mont St Jean ridge, Louee steps inside the world of the rank-and-file soldier. Discover musket drills, survival tactics, primitive 19th-century medicine, and the sheer will it took to endure one of history’s bloodiest days.
💥 Could you survive the Battle of Waterloo? Join us for this historically accurate journey into the heart of the Napoleonic Wars and find out.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell to explore more survival stories from history’s greatest battles.
#Napoleon #Wellington #LivingHistory #MilitaryHistory
00:00 Introduction
02:08 The background to Waterloo
03:11 The Duke of Wellington's Allied Army
05:24 The Battles of Qatre Bras and Ligny
12:50 The miserable night before Waterloo
15:57 My chat with the Duke of Wellington
23:13 The armies prepare for battle
27:59 The Battle of Waterloo begins
29:28 The French infantry attack
34:52 Defending against the French cavalry
38:23 Blucher's Prussians arrive
39:51 The Imperial Guard advance
41:22 Allied victory
42:30 Counting the cost of Waterloo
20 Comments
(YOU HAPPY NOW?-)
That attempt at an accent is hilarious. It switches between Flemish and German, but manages to avoid any semblance of French 😊.
"hmm!"
lol
The French Middle Guard, with supporting artillery, had managed to drive back the 5th (British) Brigade under command of Major General Sir Colin Halkett, when they were hit by a counterattack lead in person by the Dutch Prince of Orange, who was seriously wounded in the process. The counterattack failed, but it bought enough time for the 5th brigade to regain some semblance of order and reform a line to try and halt the French advance once more.
It was at this moment that General Chassé decided to spring into action. Acting on his own initiative he first sent forward a battery of horse artillery under command of Captain Krahmer de Bichin that poured a deadly fire into the French flank. Next, Chassé ordered forward the 1st Brigade under command of Colonel Hendrik Detmers and some of the 19th Militia under command of Captain De Haan. According to general Chassé, the Dutch forces were wild with excitement, advancing in his own words; "Drumming and shouting, with their shakos on the top of their bayonets they dashed into the fray cheering 'Long live the House of Orange! Long live the king!" The Dutch and the French Guard traded volleys for a short while, but when the Dutch charged with bayonets, the Middle Guard finally broke and fled. 10-15 minutes before Wellington would order the general advance, the Dutch were already pursuing the fleeing Guard.
7:29 one fun fact: at the Battle of Eylau in 1807 the temperatures were so low that the wounded soldiers who weren't rescued in time literally froze to death during the night. That was part of the reason why the French had to introduce those ambulances
Erik Thomas Müller,
Chief Commentator/Moderator of the battle Reenactment of Großgörschen (Lutzen 1813), Osterfeld/Stossen 1813 and Rossbach 1757
Could You Survive the Battle of Waterloo?
Survive History
497,081 views
On 18th June 1815, the Battle of Waterloo decided the fate of Napoleon and reshaped Europe forever. But what did this epic clash really feel like for the ordinary soldiers in the mud, smoke, and chaos of battle?
#BattleOfWaterloo #NapoleonicWars #SurviveHistory
A big thanks to our sponsor @HungryMindsArt! You can get the 'The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilisation' at this link 👉 https://mdsh.io/survivehistory
Don't forget to use Promocode: SURVIVEHISTORY10 (valid for 1 month)
#thebook #howtorebuildcivilization #hungryminds
In this full-length immersive episode of Survive History, presenter Louee Dessent travels to the actual Waterloo battlefield in Belgium for the 210th anniversary to relive the struggle through the eyes of the 42nd Highland Regiment – the Black Watch.
🔥 Experience the brutal reality of Napoleonic warfare:
Endure sleepless marches, freezing nights, and meagre rations.
Face the thunder of Napoleon’s Grand Batterie, unleashing 246 cannons.
Confront French infantry columns, deadly skirmishers, and the elite Imperial Guard.
Hold the line in tight infantry squares against relentless French cavalry.
March across mud-choked ground with limited visibility, weapons clogged with powder and dirt.
Witness the grim aftermath of Waterloo – nearly 50,000 casualties, battlefield looting, and the trade in “Waterloo teeth.”
From Quatre Bras to the desperate final stand on Mont St Jean ridge, Louee steps inside the world of the rank-and-file soldier. Discover musket drills, survival tactics, primitive 19th-century medicine, and the sheer will it took to endure one of history’s bloodiest days.
💥 Could you survive the Battle of Waterloo? Join us for this historically accurate journey into the heart of the Napoleonic Wars and find out.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell to explore more survival stories from history’s greatest battles.
#Napoleon #Wellington #LivingHistory #MilitaryHistory
00:00 Introduction
02:08 The background to Waterloo
03:11 The Duke of Wellington's Allied Army
05:24 The Battles of Qatre Bras and Ligny
12:50 The miserable night before Waterloo
15:57 My chat with the Duke of Wellington
23:13 The armies prepare for battle
27:59 The Battle of Waterloo begins
29:28 The French infantry attack
34:52 Defending against the French cavalry
38:23 Blucher's Prussians arrive
39:51 The Imperial Guard advance
41:22 Allied victory
42:30 Counting the cost of Waterloo
A big thanks to our sponsor @HungryMindsArt! You can get the 'The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilisation' at this link 👉 https://mdsh.io/survivehistory
Don't forget to use Promocode: SURVIVEHISTORY10 (valid for 1 month)
A huge thank you to the 42nd Highland Regiment 1815 and Napoleonic Association ⚔
Thank you to the 2025 event organisers Domaine de la Bataille de Waterloo - you can find them on social here 👇
https://www.waterloo1815.be
https://www.facebook.com/domainebataillewaterloo1815
And finally a thank you to our camera op and editor Damiano Petrucci - Petrucci Productions. Believe it or not this entire episode was filmed by one person! 🎥