Three in four are clueless about Waterloo: One in seven believe that French were victorious at the Battle 

  • At Waterloo bicentenary, research shows adults know little about the battle
  • Only just over half polled knew the Duke of Wellington led British forces
  • One in eight between 18-24 said they had never heard of the famous battle
  • Young people likely to associate Waterloo with Abba and London station

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

My, my. At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender. So go the opening lyrics to Abba's Eurovision winner. But it seems the message hasn't got through to the majority of us.

Research has revealed that three out of four people have little or no knowledge about the Battle of Waterloo.

Only just over half (53 per cent) know the Duke of Wellington led the British forces, while one in seven believe that it was the French who were victorious in 1815.

Veeker's rendering of the battle between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the French: Forty-seven per cent of 2,070 adults polled said they didn't know who led British forces against France in the battle

Veeker's rendering of the battle between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the French: Forty-seven per cent of 2,070 adults polled said they didn't know who led British forces against France in the battle

The survey, by the National Army Museum ahead of the 200th anniversary on June 18, also showed that young people are more likely to associate Waterloo with the London railway station or the Abba song than the actual battle – with one in eight of those aged 18-24 saying they'd never heard of it. 

Forty-seven per cent of 2,070 adults polled said they didn't know, or they thought the man in charge was either Sir Francis Drake, Sir Winston Churchill, King Arthur or even Harry Potter's wizardry mentor Albus Dumbledore.  

More than a quarter of all the people polled (28 per cent) have no idea who won the Battle of Waterloo, while one in seven (14 per cent) wrongly believe the French were victorious over the British. Two-thirds (67 per cent) are unaware that June 18th this year is the bicentenary of Waterloo.

Now the National Army Museum, together with Waterloo 200 - the organisation approved by the government to support the anniversary - and other cultural organisations, are planning a series of events to bring Waterloo to life

Janice Murray, Director-General at the National Army Museum, said: 'Despite the Battle of Waterloo being an iconic moment in British history, UK public awareness is dramatically low.

'The National Army Museum is seeking to bridge this knowledge gap through the creation of a series of innovative pop-up events and regional exhibitions around the country making the dramatic story of the battle accessible for all.'

Abba at the 1974 Eurovision song contest: Young people are more likely to associate Waterloo the Abba song than the actual battle

Abba at the 1974 Eurovision song contest: Young people are more likely to associate Waterloo the Abba song than the actual battle

Young people were also likely to associate the battle with the London Station, with one in eight of those aged 18-24 saying they'd never heard of the battle

Young people were also likely to associate the battle with the London Station, with one in eight of those aged 18-24 saying they'd never heard of the battle

The Battle of Waterloo took place on June 18th, 1815, when British and Prussian forces, under the command of Duke of Wellington, halted the advance of French Army in Belgium. 

The bloody battle claimed the lives of 65,000 of the 200,000 men that took part, and saw the defeat of Napoleon, ending his reign as Emperor of France and ushering in a period of peace following years of war in Europe.

The National Army Museum, based in Chelsea, west London, is currently closed for redevelopment. It is due to reopen next year

 

Most watched News videos