The Republic of the United Provinces, called Holland for short, was in 1795 transformed - as a result of French military victories - into the Batavian Republic, and in 1806 into the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When talking about the Dutch armed forces at that time, it is worth remembering that when the wars with revolutionary France broke out (1792), the Dutch troops did not have significant combat experience, were often badly trained and poorly commanded, and did not display high morale. It is not surprising then that during the Batavian Republic (1795-1806) the emphasis was placed on reforming the land forces that had to face the British invasion in 1799. After repelling this invasion, the Dutch army took part in many campaigns in the years 1800-1810 in the areas of, among others, Germany and Austria. Among other things, they took part in the capture of Stralsund in 1807 and 1809 and, to a limited extent, in the Battle of Frederick in 1807. In 1810, the Dutch army was incorporated into the Napoleonic Grand Army and lost even the appearance of independence. Some Dutch regiments took part in the Russian campaign in 1812, where they probably suffered losses of 50-70% of their jobs. From 1814, the Dutch army fought in the anti-Napoleonic coalition, taking part in the final campaign of 1815, which led to the Battle of Waterloo.
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.