Napoleon And Wellington

When people speak of towering arrogance and catastrophic defeat, they speak of Waterloo. It was the 1815 battle in which the balance of world power changed, in one afternoon, for a hundred years to come. The players of the most famous battle in history were of epic stature. Leading the French was Napoleon Bonaparte, the greatest military commander since Alexander the Great. Leading the British was Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, a commander some consider "the greatest man England ever produced." There was so much on the line at Waterloo that Wellington was told his task was to save the world. Over 140,000 men, 30,000 horses, and 400 canons were at the disposal of these two grand masters of war. In a bloody clash that seesawed back and forth all afternoon, the battle came down to one fateful decision, and one key moment. The Battle of Waterloo has become part of the world's language, a legend of epic proportions. But what really happened? This feature-length presentation reveals the answers and tells the whole story through historical and military experts, including the views of the present day Duke of Wellington.

• documentary