The Battle of Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815 and was the last battle commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte with the French forces. It is assumed that on the French side, about 65,000 soldiers and 250 guns took part in the battle, while on the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian sides, a total of about 123,000 men, with about 160 guns (excluding Prussian artillery) fought. The French side was led, of course, by the emperor of the French, the allies - Arthur Wellesley, Fr. Wellington, and the Prussians - Gebhard von Blücher. British-Dutch troops, awaiting the arrival of the Prussians, but also based on the experiences of Fr. Wellington, learned from the fighting in Spain, adopted a defensive stance, and their position was supported by farm buildings. The battlefield with boggy ground, soaked with water after intense rainfall, also favored the defenders, as it made it difficult to develop a cavalry attack. The battle began around 11.30 with the French artillery cannonade, and later - with the attacks of the French infantry on the British-Dutch positions. Initially, the fight for the Hougomont farm was fought, but later also on the right flank and in the center of the Allied formation. The next phase of the battle was the British cavalry charges, which were intended to relieve the fighting infantry, which initially brought great success to the British, but were finally repulsed with considerable losses. Despite fierce fighting and attacks led by Marshal Ney, around 4.30 pm, the British positions seemed to be intact, and the Prussians, commanded by Gebhard von Blücher, were already approaching the battlefield. Finally, around 19.30, the 1st Prussian Corps entered the fight - it meant that the scales of victory were tilted towards the allies, despite the Old Guard's attack on British positions. The immediate aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo was Napoleon's abdication and the end of the Napoleonic era in the history of Europe.
Revolucionāro karu laikā (1792-1799) un - īpaši - Napoleona periodā (1799-1815) Francijai, iespējams, bija visefektīvākā kara mašīna Vecajā kontinentā, kas gandrīz noveda pie tās ilgstošas hegemonijas pār Eiropu. Tas būs patiesība teikt, ka šīs mašīnas galvenais elements bija Francijas armija. Kavalērijai šajā armijā bija ļoti svarīga loma. Tā rindās kā patstāvīgi pulki tikai konsulāta laikā (1799-1804) parādījās kirasieru vienības, no kurām pirmās tika izveidotas no t.s. smagā kavalērija 1801.-1802.gadā. 1803. gadā kirasieru pulku skaits tika noteikts divpadsmit. Līdz 1807. gadam kirasieru pulkā bija aptuveni 780 vīru, kas bija sadalīti četrās eskadronās, katrā pa divām rotām. Savukārt kopš 1807. gada kirasieru pulkā bija 5 eskadras un 1040 pilna laika vīri. Pamata franču kirasieru bruņojums bija AN IX platais zobens (līdz 1805. gadam), un vēlāk tas tika aizstāts ar AN XI plato zobenu. Sekundārie ieroči bija kavalērijas pistoles AN IX, kas sver 1,29 kilogramus un kalibru 17,11 mm. Vēlāk sāka izmantot arī pistoles AN XI. Viņiem galvā bija dzelzs ķiveres, un ķermeni aizsargāja aizmugures plāksne un krūšu plāksne. Kā kuriozu var minēt, ka 1805.-1815.gadā tika lietoti pat trīs veidu kiras, kas tomēr nedaudz atšķīrās savā starpā. Franču kirasieri bija klasiska smagā kavalērija, kas bija piemērota galvenokārt kaujas laukam, bet kam bija maza nozīme t.s. mazs karš. Starp labākajiem šī formējuma komandieriem ir, piemēram, ģenerālis d'Hautpuls, kurš īpaši izcēlās Austerlicā (1805), un ģenerālis Espaņs, kurš lieliski paveica Kaldjē kaujā.