French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is considered one of the greatest minds in military history. His revolutionary approach to warfare changed the course of history, and the principles that governed his leadership style are still valued today. Although he had an illustrious career spanning over 25 years and expanded the French empire from Portugal to Russia, his reign ended at the hands of his enemies. The Battle of Waterloo was Napoleon's last stand as a military commander and will be examined for its use of operational process principles. Napoleon failed to implement these activities effectively and was ultimately responsible for losing the battle. Napoleon was capable of leading his men, but could not overcome his failures. He failed to understand the operational environment, which affected his subordinates' ability to share an understanding of the environment. He failed to direct his forces and functions, which led to a loss of initiative and a lack of violence of action. Finally, Napoleon failed to assess the battle continuously and accurately, which prevented him from adapting when necessary. After a fierce battle at Waterloo, Napoleon was defeated. Napoleon established himself as the leader of France and worked with ambition to make France the most powerful country in Europe. In 1799, Bonaparte led a coup d'état against the government of the First Republic of France and installed himself as sovereign and first consul.1 Eventually, he would make this a life post and even establish himself as the first emperor of France. Britain and its allied forces of Dutch, Belgian, German and Prussian soldiers recognized Napoleon's growing strength and declared war on France in 1803. The Napoleon that followed...... middle of paper ... ... established as one of the greatest military leaders of all time, his defeat serves as a reminder that all leaders must adhere to the principles of Mission Command.BibliographyBBC.com Staff. “The Battle of Waterloo”. BBC History. (2014) http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/battle_waterloo_01.shtml (accessed February 20, 2014). Germani, Ian. “Napoleon and Europe”. Canadian Journal of History. Spring/Summer (2008): 109 – 116.History.com Staff. “The Battle of Waterloo”. History.com. (2009) http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/battle-of-waterloo (accessed February 20, 2014). Keegan, John. The face of battle. New York: The Viking Press, 1976. Sharpe, Col. (Ret.) James Jr., and LTC (Ret.) Thomas Creviston, “Understanding Mission Command.” www.Army.mil. (2013) http://www.army.mil/article/106872 (accessed February 20, 2014).