Page 17 Visuals available for the press

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2 Page 3 Press relase Page 5 Schedule of the event Page 6 Waterloo, a battle that has left its mark on history Page 12 Our institutionals partners Page 13 The Waterloo Battlefield Page 16 Practical information Page 17 Visuals available for the press 2

3 Although certain battles have been able to change the course of a war, Waterloo quite simply changed the course of History, putting an end to an extraordinary epic and opening the way to a new era in Europe and in the world. In the space of a weekend, we are offering you the chance to relive this major battle through its re-enactment. Nearly re-enactors in uniform will come from numerous countries (Germany, Belgium, France, the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine) to bring to life again a battle that marked history. The year 2009 will stand out through a true professionalisation of the event: seats in the grandstand, online ticketing, an official Internet site, etc. Grandstands will be set up bordering the battlefield so that people can follow this great show under the best possible conditions. Seated places, better visibility, everything will come together to make this moment an exceptional experience. Please note that the places are limited; do not hesitate to reserve them starting now via our Internet site or through FNAC s site! For an event of this magnitude, it has been necessary to create an official site where everyone can find all the useful information for organising their weekend. But beyond a purely practical aspect, this site will plunge you into the Napoleonic era with its bivouacs, its colourful uniforms and its valiant soldiers. The objective chosen was to give priority to large, exceptionally high quality visuals allowing you to be literally transported into the heart of these last Napoleonic battles. To find it go to the following address: 3

4 Sequence of the events On 18 and 19 June, Culturespaces will offer you a foretaste of the great weekend of the reenactment with special shows at Hameau du Lion: cannons firing, fanfares, arrival of the regiments and beginning of setting up the bivouacs (19 June) and more. Starting the day after and throughout the weekend, travel into the heart of the Napoleonic bivouacs. Learn about the daily life of these families. Come and meet the groups of re-enactors and plunge into an imperial atmosphere. You will be able to obtain information about the bivouacs, the weapons, the equipment, attend the preparation of meals and relive scenes of daily life in a camp: rifles and cannon firing, changing of the guard and patrols will follow one another. Two locations are planned for bivouacs: the French at the provincial museum Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon (Genappe, 4 km from the Lion Mound) and the Anglo-Dutch and the Prussians near the Hougoumont farm (Braine l Alleud). On Saturday 20 June the battles of Plancenoit will take place. The troops will leave their bivouacs at around 6 p.m, and at 8 p.m the battle will be joined between the Allied and French troops in the fields near the village square. On Sunday 21 June the re-enactment of battles making up Battle of Waterloo will take place in the fields near the Hougoumont farm (Braine-l Alleud) between the Allies and the French troops. The ticket offices and the grandstands will be open starting at 8.30 a.m. The battles will begin at precisely 10 p.m and will end at around noon. The troops will then retreat toward the Hameau du Lion in a great procession. 4

5 18 and 19 June, Anniversary of the battle A foretaste of the great weekend of the re-enactment, starting on 18 June, the anniversary of the battle. Special programmes on the Battlefield of Waterloo: cannon fi rings, fanfares, setting up the bivouacs From 9.30 a.m to 6.30 p.m 20 and 21 June, Re-enactment of the battle Saturday, 20 June 10 a.m: opening of the two bivouacs (French troops and allied troops) a.m: inauguration of the event of the Last GQ of Napoleon. 1 p.m: lunch of Napoleon and his general staff at the Last GQ. 5 p.m: closing of the bivouacs. 6 p.m: departure of the troops for a march to Plancenoit (Lasne). 8 p.m: battle at Plancenoit between the troops. Sunday, 21 June 8 a.m : opening of the ticket office. 9 a.m: opening of the grandstand. 10 a.m 12 a.m: re-enactment of the Battle on Hougoumont (with grandstand). 12 a.m -1 p.m: parade of the troops at the Lion Hamlet in Waterloo. 2 p.m : grand banquet at the Hameau du Lion (booking required). 2 p.m: visit to the bivouacs being dismantled. 2 p.m-6 p.m: historic events in the Lion Hamlet. 6 p.m: closing of the event. 5

6 Bivouacs Two bivouac places are planned: the French at the provincial museum Dernier Quartier-Général de Napoléon (Genappe), the English-speaking Dutch and the Prussians at the Hougoumont farm (Braine-l Alleud). Visitors will get acquainted with recreation of history groups and become imbued with an imperial ambience. They will get explanations about bivouacs, weapons, equipments, assist to meals making up and brings back to life the old military camps: cannons and guns firing, inspection, guard changing and patrols will follow up. The bivouac will be opened on Saturday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m and on Sunday from 1 p.m to 4 p.m. Animations Saturday at 1 p.m: the audience can assist to the Napoleon s diner at the Dernier Quartier- Général of Napoleon. Meals representative of imperial cookery will be presented to the Emperor and to his state staffs. Sunday around 2 p.m: in the museum s orchard, after the French troops come-back from the Hougoumont battle, doctors and ambulance drivers in vintage uniforms will try to save injured men and give First-Aids to the least wounded with tools and typical implement from the Napoleonic period. Napoleonic Market at the little farm (free entrance) Guided tours, information kiosks and sale of Napoleonic objects. A playful and historical path for children from 6 to 12 years old will be opened on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Refreshment room and snacks at disposal on the site. 6

7 The historical context In a Europe where French influence was very considerable, the events of 1789 found an enormous echo. That revolutionary heritage, the spread of Enlightenment ideas and the virtually unbroken period of wars lasting from 1792 to 1815 threw the continent of Europe into a state of upheaval both geopolitically and from the point of view of ideas: the Revolutionary armies and the armies of the Empire exported the principles of liberty, equality and the right of self determination, thereby helping to awaken nationalist sentiments in the countries conquered or annexed by Napoleon. Blowing in from revolutionary France, it was not long before the wind of freedom began unleashing storms in the rest of Europe. The people, frequently under the guidance of intellectual elites, dreamed of freeing themselves from the Ancien Régime and of creating a united nation based on the French model. But this national sentiment was merely exacerbated by French occupation Napoleonic domination simply intensified awareness of their own identity in the conquered people. After the failure of the Russian campaign (1812), Napoleon abdicated on 6 April 1814 and thus signalled the collapse of the Empire. When they met in September 1814 at the Congress of Vienna to redraw the frontiers of the Europe of Napoleon, the Austrian, Russian, English and Prussian monarchs claimed that they were seeking to restore civilisation, that is to say get rid of anything new that was introduced in Europe by the spirit of the French Revolution. The return of the Island of Elba on 1 March 1815 and the 100 Days Campaign which united the Allies against Napoleon led to a resumption of the Napoleonic offensive against the coalition of England, Prussia, Russia and Austria, supported by Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. It was the Belgian campaign that eventually led to the battle of Waterloo. The forces present in the Belgian campaign The French Grande Armée: 125,000 men. It consisted of conscripts (compulsory service, inherited from the Revolution, for a period of five years). Excellent units, seasoned troops, survivors of the Empire, survivors of the Spanish War The Allies: 210,000 men An English army made up, for half of them, of English soldiers, for the rest of German mercenaries, well-trained and with an iron discipline. Reputation for being resolute in defence. A Dutch army forming an integral part of Wellington s forces and commanded by the Prince of Orange-Nassau. 7

8 A Prussian army, extremely strongly motivated, driven by a growing sense of German nationalism and by a spirit of vengeance against France. Not very experienced and not too hardy, but numerous. The course of the battle Having escaped from the island of Elba, Napoleon was in Paris on 20 March He re-formed his army with astounding speed and 128,000 men were massed at the frontier of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the region of Beaumont, on 14 June. The Allies, joining together at the Congress of Vienna, had decided at the end of March to intervene in France and to invade over all its borders. But their forces had been demobilised since They could not advance until July. In addition Napoleon had the idea of outdistancing them and taking the initiative. Only the British and Dutch-Belgian forces under the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army of Blücher were ready for action. But the former were dispersed over the western part of Belgium, and the latter in the east. The French numbers were greater than those of Wellington and those of Blücher separately, but significantly lower than those of the adversaries if they succeeded in uniting. Napoleon had decided on the following plan: take his concentrated forces to a central position, the Quatre-Bras, the crossroads of the routes from Brussels to Charleroi and from Nivelles to Namur, located 13 km south of Waterloo; then hit one of the two adversaries with all forces united, while blocking the other, then turn on it and crush it in turn. The Emperor was at Charleroi on 15 June. The next day was given over to two battles: one part of the French army, commanded by Napoleon in person, beat the Prussians on the battlefield of Ligny, a village located 15 km to the north-east of Charleroi; another faction of the imperial forces, under Marshall Ney, encountered elements of Wellington s army at Quatre-Bras and was not able to seize the crossroads. Blücher had promised his British ally to withdraw to Wavre. The Duke then decided to accept battle on the plateau of Mont-Saint-Jean which he had reconnoitred many times. On the 17 th, in a driving rain that followed the intolerable heat of the preceding days, the British and Dutch-Belgian forces withdrew in good order to the chosen position. The 18 th of June In the morning, the positions were taken: On the one side, the Anglo-Dutch army, 67,000 men, commanded by Wellington and deployed over the plateau of Mont-Saint-Jean in the north, and on the other side, the 74,000 French camped on the plateau of Belle-Alliance in the south, and led by Napoleon and Marshall Ney. The English also occupied the castle and farm of Hougoumont. The Prussian army commanded by Blücher, in the east, was being pursued by the French troops of Marshall Grouchy. 8

9 11.30 a.m French diversion attack led by the division of Prince Jérôme, Napoleon s brother, against the farm of Hougoumont. There was a ferocious battle without the French succeeding in seizing any of the buildings a.m Preparation of the artillery of the French Grand Battery of eighty cannons on the centre and the centre left of the Allied line p.m Attack to the east of the roadway of the seventeen thousand foot soldiers of the 1 st Corps of Drouet d Erlon. Received by volleys of shots, pushed back by a bayonet attack of Picton s troops, these men were then charged by the British heavy cavalry. It was a slaughter, and the 1 st Corps surged back in disorder. Carried away by the action, the riders climbed back up the small valley to attack the Grand Battery. Scattered, their mounts tired, they were then counterattacked by the French lancers, who inflicted heavy casualties on them. 3 p.m The Allied line had held; Napoleon had already lost the Battle of Waterloo 4 p.m Beginning of the charges of the French cavalry, directed against the Allied centre right (current site of the Lion s Mound, between la Haie-Sainte and Hougoumont). Led by Marshall Ney for nearly two hours, these successive charges would align up to ten thousand cavalry on a front of less than ten thousand metres. On the plateau on the counter slope, the Allied infantry, formed in a square, resisted and held well, helped by what was left of the Allied cavalry, and above all the artillery, posted on the crest, whose gunners returned to their guns between charges, the French neglecting each time to spike their cannons or to take them with them. 5 p.m The IV Corps under Bülow went on the attack against Plancenoit, where they fought hand to hand. Napoleon had to send in the Young Guard under Duhesme p.m Very critical situation for Wellington, after the fall of la Haie-Sainte, where Ney was able to put some cannons in a battery and enfilade the Allied line. When Ney requested the infantry from Napoleon to exploit this success, the latter exhausted all his reserves, with the exception of a few battalions of the Guard that he hesitated to commit. Wellington dealt with the danger. He tightened the ranks in the centre while weakening his left flank. He knew that Blücher would arrive to relieve it p.m Napoleon knew it as well, and after re-taking Plancenoit, he decided on a final attack to break through the Allied line before the arrival en masse of the Prussian troops. The Imperial Guard went back up the little valley, where they attacked the cavalry, supported by every able-bodied soldier that remained in the French army. The faithful Old Guard of legend advanced imperturbably under the volley of shots. They bent under the numbers, though, because Wellington had called all his reserves to the front: the Guards, Colborne, Detmers pushed back the Imperial Guard. 8 p.m The Prussians arrived en masse on the field of battle. The French troops, seeing the Guard retreat, fell out while shouting treason. Grouchy had been announced to them, but it was Blücher It was a rout; Wellington raised his cocked hat to give his men the order to advance. 9 p.m The French surged back in retreat, with the sole exception of two squares of the Guard who succeeded in protecting the Emperor s flight. Wellington and Blücher met and shook hands before the Belle-Alliance: their armies had won. As night fell, the battlefield looked like the apocalypse: nearly twelve thousand killed, thousands of injured moaning or dying, the bodies of thousands of horses lay strewn over the field where pillagers and highwaymen had already appeared The last of the wounded were helped only three days later 9

10 Waterloo the day after the battle For both Napoleon and Wellington, this was to be their last battle. It led one to ignominy and exile, the other to glory, but for both men it marked the start of their myth. Wellington was hailed as a national hero on his return from Waterloo after the brilliant victory. Even though his popularity with the public had undergone some occasional downturns, in old age he was still cheered in the streets. From 1815 to 1818, as Commander-in-Chief of the army of occupation in France, he made her an ally of England. In 1830, as Prime Minister, he called a Conference of European Powers in London which allowed Belgium its independence. His death on 14 th of September 1852 at the age of 83 was followed by a magnificent state funeral. He was buried with great pomp and ceremony in St. Paul s Cathedral in London. Napoléon, the deposed Emperor was exiled on the island of St. Helena, 7000 km from France. He spent his time reflecting on the opinion that posterity would have of him, while the Allies celebrated their victory over the monster. While in captivity he composed an a posteriori justification of his policy and his campaigns. His memoirs, published only after his death under the title Mémorial de Sainte-Hélène portray him as a fundamentally liberal man and a democrat. In France at the same time a black legend about Napoleon grew up in royalist circles, just as grotesque and extreme as that which was being put about abroad before the fall of the hangman. Fiery writers Mme de Staël, Chateubriand, Vigny depicted the prisoner of St. Helena as an ogre, an Attila or a Nero. Within only a very short space of time after the battle, the site and the name of Waterloo itself were to become shrouded in myth. Waterloo in fact marked a turning-point in European history and as such constitutes a place of memory. The various political parties in Belgium and Europe would soon seize the site and use its symbolism for their own ends. Belgian patriots and separatists of the French party, revisionists and those with nostalgic feelings for the lost Bonapartist Empire, disappointed at the restoration of Louis XVIII, looked upon Waterloo as a wound, as the ruin of their ideals. They turned Waterloo into a place of mourning and would wallow in the memory of the sacrificed soldiers. On the other hand, the victors, mainly the English and Dutch, turned the site into a symbol of European solidarity and of the victory of monarchy. But above all, it was the unprecedented ferocity of the battle that so struck people s minds that the curious have been flocking there since 1815 in order to take note. It is the bodies still resting there, having been thrown higgledy-piggledy into communal ditches scattered all over the site, that gives Waterloo its sacred dimension. 10

11 Pilgrimages dedicated to the heroes of Waterloo are organised, commemorative ceremonies take place every 18 June, armies of people arrange for commemorative plaques to be laid, nations raise funds to put up monuments, former soldiers set themselves up as tour guides. Visits are also made to the general quarters Le Caillou farm for Napoleon and the inn at Bodenghien for the Allies. The building of local railway lines serving Wavre and Braine l Alleud makes it easier to visit the Battlefield. Little by little, the place of devotion is becoming a tourist site, and pubs, hotels, and places of entertainment are springing up just about everywhere. Waterloo, source of artistic inspiratione For Victor Hugo, epic is History heard through the doors of Legend. It was perhaps because he sensed that Waterloo would become a real legend that he used the epic genre when writing The Punishments. The battle inspired a great many 19 th century artists. Indeed, the romantic movement felt a strong fascination for the dramatic and emotional dimension of this event. A great many painters have depicted the Battle (including Ernest Crofts, Sir William Allen, Théodore Géricault, Félix Phillippoteaux, and others), numerous works have described it contemporary witness accounts, novels, historical analyses, etc., and in particular Victor Hugo s The Punishments, Stendahl s The Charterhouse of Parma and Lord Byron s Child Harold. In the 20 th century the cinema came to the fore and took the subject over. Today, the fame of Waterloo has spread well beyond the frontiers of Europe, and just about everywhere in the world towns and villages have adopted this famous name. 11

12 La province du Brabant wallon Le Musée provincial Dernier Quartier Général de Napoléon La commune de Braine-l Alleud La commune de Genappe La commune de Lasne La commune de Waterloo La Maison du tourisme de Waterloo La 8 ème demi-brigade de ligne Le Commissariat général au Tourisme de la Région wallonne L ASBL «Bataille de Waterloo 1815» 12

13 The Lion Mound This 41-metre high tumulus was erected at the spot where it is believed the Prince of Orange ( ) was wounded prior to becoming King of the Netherlands (from 1815 to 1840). It took three years, from 1823 to 1826, to erect this immense cone of earth. The Lion perched at the summit of the mound symbolises the victory of monarchies. As its architect was to write later, it announces the peace that Europe won on the fields of Waterloo. From the top of the mound, the visitor s gaze takes in the whole of the Battlefield. He is able to see at a glance where the infantry formed into their squares, how the cavalry was deployed. Seeing this landscape it is easy to see why this site was chosen for the battle: it needed a plain, as vast as possible, for the 300,000 soldiers assembled there to be able to confront each other! The visitor can in this way have a general view of the terrain and follow the actions from place to place where they occurred, with the aid of guide tables showing the defensive positions at various stages of the battle. Audiovisual Presentation A large-scale model of 10 m 2 represents the space in which the various army corps were deployed. During the show, this model lights up and moves according to the advance of the troops, offering a dynamic impression of the progress of events. The timescale of the action is realistically represented and can be readily followed by anyone. The sound and light effects locate the forces involved in the combat, the strategic places and the main phases of the battle. Finally, images of the Battlefield as it is now, as well as contemporary paintings, are projected onto a large screen above the model to place it in its proper context. The film After the historical approach of the Audiovisual Presentation, the film offers a journey through time based on the imagination and on personal experience. The film is allegorical, showing a group of children playing war games and then suddenly finding themselves transported to the real Battlefield. From behind the innocence of these childish games there emerges the true seriousness and horror of war. 13

14 The images are impressive. They are drawn from Waterloo, a well-known film from 1970 by the Russian director Sergei Bondarchuk. Here the scenes of combat are re-enacted on a vast scale horses brought plunging to the ground, men lying wounded, terrifying charges, soldiers marching inexorably to their death, cannon-fire, poignant music All calculated to enable men of today to experience images from a collective past. The Panorama Painted by Louis Dumoulin, this giant canvas was painted in 1912 in preparation for the celebration of the first centenary of the battle. The fresco is of spectacular dimensions, worthy of its eminently dramatic subject: 100 metres in circumference by 12 metres in height. The animation and the sound installation were completely redone in 2004 using the latest techniques (24 speakers with a 8-track digital audio system). The clash of sabres, cavalry charges, cannon-fire, the sound of bugles and the cries of the infantrymen plunge visitors into the heart of the battle. Renovated in 2008, this panorama is sadly one of the few sites of genuine historical heritage that remain today. These major historical reconstructions were commonplace at the start of the 20 th century, but have become increasingly rare since then. Spectators are literally immersed in the action: surrounded on every side by the painting, they feel themselves drawn into the scenes of combat and have the illusion of actually being there. The movement and the emotion are painted with considerable realism. The soldiers seem to be right there, within hailing distance. In full action. The cannon-fire is enough to drive you mad! The Wax Museum In a hotel where Sergeant-Major Cotton once passed some time, the main protagonists in the battle have been immortalised in wax figures made in 1949 by artists from the Musée Grévin in Paris. They are faithful portraits of the heroes of the battle and enable visitors to put faces to the famous names. The visit is accompanied by a new audio commentary remastered in French and English, which guides the spectator from one scene to the next. 14

15 Hougoumont Farm This fortified farmhouse was the setting for some of the most ferocious fighting in the battle. Being in an advanced position and protecting the right flank of the Allied lines, it was here that Napoleon launched his initial assault. What was only intended as a diversionary tactic was to become on of the deadliest moments of the battle. The assaults by the French were terrible, but in vain. The main part of the house was burnt down. The house that is visible today is in fact the former gardener s house. The place is authentic. Victor Hugo devoted two chapters to it in his Les Misérables. The Battlefield Tour The Battlefield Tour is a new activity introduced by Culturespaces in 2006 to enable visitors to explore the entire Battlefields from an unusual perspective. A specially-appointed all-terrain vehicle takes visitors round the site s strategic points while they listen to explanations about how the military operations of the two opposing camps unfolded. This dynamic discovery tour lasting 45 to 50 minutes is vital to the understanding of this major event in the history of Europe. Commentaries are available in several languages. Both historical and anecdotal, they bring vividly to life the events of the battle and the confrontations between the 350,000 soldiers present on the field of battle on18 June This historical trail across the Battlefield invites you to relive the battle of Waterloo through the eyes of the soldiers who took part in it. As the Battlefield has been preserved in its original state, the visitor is able to see the sites where the action took place exactly as they were in

16 Waterloo Battlefield The Lion Mound Hamlet Route du Lion 315 B-1410 Waterloo Tel. : Fax : Access By road: Ring Est, junction 25 From the centre of Brussels, bus route 365 Train: Brussels-Charleroi line A vast car-park is available at the Site. Prices Re-enactment pass with grandstand Battle of 20 June + Show from the grandstand on 21 June + Access to the bivouacs + Lion Hamlet Pass Full rate: 20 / concessions: 18 / children: 14 / group rate: 18 Shows/Grandstand/Bivouacs Ticket Battle of 20 June + Show from the grandstand on 21 June + Access to the bivouacs Full rate: 15 / concessions: 13 / children: 10 / group rate: 13 Where to buy your ticket? Website Websites et Fnac Belgium / Swiss / France On the Waterloo Battlefield, to the Visitors s Centre 16

17 A high definition visual is available for each of these pictures from Caracas agency upon request or download on Culturespaces Jirka Venclik Culturespaces M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol Culturespaces Culturespaces Culturespaces M. Fasol M. Fasol Culturespaces M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol M. Fasol 17