NAPOLEON

Napoleon has mounted a horse and approaches the government

troops at a gallop. He reigns up about 10 yards from

their front ranks.

NAPOLEON

Hello, men of the 5th -- do you

recognize your Emperor?

VOICES

(from the crowd)

Yes!

Mixed in with this, there are a considerable amount of

cheers.

NAPOLEON

I recognize you -- we are old

friends. I know you from Friedland

and Borodino. And, you there,

Sergeant Monestier, how are you?

More cheers from the ranks.

NAPOLEON

My good friends, I am told that

Marshal Ney has promised the King to

bring me back to Paris in an iron

cage. I have sent word to my old

friend, Marshal Ney, that he can

make that a wooden box, if he is

able to manage it, but I certainly

must refuse an iron cage -- I'm not

as young as I used to be, and I

can't accept such drafty

accommodations!

Laughter and cheers from the ranks.

NAPOLEON

Men of the 5th, your general has

invited me to surrender myself and

my men, but I come to make you an

offer -- Men of the 5th, will you

join me?

There is a thunderous cheer from the ranks and the men

rush forward surrounding Napoleon. Some soldiers fling

themselves at his feet, kissing his coat and his hands.

Napoleon's eyes fill with tears.

NAPOLEON

(to a grenadier)

I shall have to send a message to

Louis VXIII, in Paris, and tell him

not to send any more troops -- I

have enough already.

INT. TUILERIES DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Napoleon dines alone at a large table. He picks at his

food in no special order -- dessert, fish, soup, potatoes.

He is absorbed, reading a thick report.

NARRATOR

After the dizzying magic of the

return, came a sense of

disenchantment -- and some anxious

second thoughts. The allies had

quickly patched up the differences

that had divided them for almost a

year, at the Congress of Vienna, and

on which Napoleon had counted to

give him some breathing space. To

make matters worse, they refused to

have any diplomatic dealings,

declaring him a criminal beyond the

protection of the law.

His valet enters the room silently and crosses the long

room to the table.

VALET

Excuse me, Your Majesty.

NAPOLEON

(without looking up)

Yes?

VALET

Madame Avrillon has arrived, sire.

Napoleon listlessly looks up from a spoon full of pudding.

NAPOLEON

Oh -- where is she?

VALET

I have shown her to your bedroom,

Your Majesty.

Napoleon stirs his coffee and glances at his wrist watch.

NAPOLEON

(gloomily)

Please ask her to get undressed, and

tell her I'll be along as soon as I

can.

VALET

(bowing)

Yes, sire.

He goes back to his report.

ANIMATED MAP

Illustrates the narration.

NARRATOR

The allies were preparing to move on

the frontiers of France with more

than a million men. Strung along

the Belgian frontier was an army of

100,000 English and German troops,

under Wellington, separated by ten

miles from a force of 120,000

Prussian troops, under Blucher.

Napoleon calculated the huge Russian

and Austrian armies could not reach

his Eastern frontiers before July.

This gave him the opportunity to use

a favorite tactic and strike quickly

against Wellington and Blucher,

hoping to defeat them separately,

before they could unite their

forces. On June 16th, Blucher was

defeated at Ligny, and Wellington

was forced to retreat from Quatre

Bras, but neither victory was

decisive, nor were they followed up

as they should have been, due to

Napoleon becoming ill, and to

mistakes by his generals. But what

would prove disastrous for Napoleon,

was that he believed the Prussians

to be out of the battle for good,

and retreating away from Wellington,

whereas Blucher, still full of

fight, was marching north to join

him.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD - DAY

The opposing French and British armies.

NARRATOR

On the morning of June 18th,

Napoleon, with 74,000 men faced

Wellington with 67,000, on a

battlefield near the village of

Mount St. Jean, ten miles south of

Brussels. Confident that the

Prussians were out of action, or

contained by Grouchy's pursuing

cavalry, Napoleon's only fear was

that Wellington would retreat.

EXT. BRITISH POSITIONS - DAY

Wellington and entourage ride along ridge. Troops cheer.

NARRATOR

But Wellington had decided to fight

it out, on Blucher's assurance that

at least one Prussian corps would

reach him by mid-day. He had chosen

his favorite defensive position, on

a rise, where the reverse slopes

would shelter his infantry from

plunging artillery fire.

EXT. NAPOLEON HQ - DAY

Napoleon, surrounded by officers, bent over a map.

NARRATOR

Napoleon was in no hurry to start

the battle and he waited until mid-

day to allow the ground to dry, so

that his heavy guns could get into

position. This was to prove to be a

crucial mistake. Had the battle

begun at day-break, Wellington

would probably have been defeated

before the Prussians intervened.

ANIMATED MAP

Shows position of both armies on the battlefield and

Napoleon's plan of attack.

NARRATOR

Napoleon ignored the warning of his

Peninsular war generals about the

fire-power of the English infantry,

and decided on a frontal attack on

the center, preceded by an attack on

the Hougoumont farmhouse, which

anchored the English right flank.

EXT. FRENCH ARTILLERY - DAY

Opens fire.

EXT. HOUGOUMONT FARM - DAY

The farm is in the valley below the British positions.

French troops beaten back by the English in fierce

fighting.

NARRATOR

In the opening moves of the battle,

the French could not dislodge the

English from the Hougoumont farm.

EXT. TREE TOP OBSERVATION POST - DAY

Napoleon and his staff have their telescopes trained on

what appears as a cloud of dust, at a distance of some six

miles. The staff talk, somewhat absently, concentrating

on their telescopes.

GENERAL SIMON

I think it is only some dust

blowing.

Pause.

GENERAL MARCHADIER

I though for a moment, then, that I

could just make out the color of

French uniforms.

GENERAL SIMON

Yes -- a bit of blue and red. I

thought so, too.

GENERAL LABESSE

Let us hope it is Marshal Grouchy.

GENERAL MARCHADIER

How far away do you make it?

GENERAL SIMON

I should say, five or six miles.

GENERAL MARCHADIER

At least that.