Hundred Days

The Hundred Days marked a short but important period in history between March 20, 1815, and July 8, 1815. It began when Napoleon Bonaparte returned from exile on the island of Elba to Paris. He had been sent away after losing many battles, but he escaped and came back to rule again.

During this time, many countries were very worried about Napoleon coming back. While he was returning, leaders from Austria, Prussia, Russia, and the United Kingdom met and decided to stop him. They formed a group called the Seventh Coalition and promised to send soldiers to fight against him.

This led to the last big battles of the Napoleonic Wars. The most famous of these was the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon was defeated there, and after that, King Louis XVIII was put back in charge of France. Napoleon was then sent far away to the island of Saint Helena, where he lived the rest of his life. The Hundred Days showed how even a great leader like Napoleon could not escape the will of many strong nations working together.

Background

Napoleon's rise and fall

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were long and hard fights between France and many other European countries, starting in 1792. The French people overthrew their king, Louis XVI, and this worried other leaders in Europe. But instead of losing, France grew bigger under Napoleon Bonaparte, who became a famous leader and later emperor.

Napoleon's rule made other countries nervous. Even though they formed groups to fight him, he kept winning. But things changed after a terrible French invasion of Russia in 1812, where many of his soldiers died. The next year, other countries beat Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig. They kept pushing until they reached Paris in March 1814. Soon after, Napoleon gave up his power, and King Louis XVIII took over. Napoleon was sent away to live on the small island of Elba.

Exile in Elba

Napoleon lived on Elba for about 10 months. He watched what happened in France and thought many people there were unhappy with the new rulers. He believed that if he returned, people would support him again. Some leaders even talked about sending him far away or doing worse things to him.

Congress of Vienna

While Napoleon was on Elba, leaders from many countries met at the Congress of Vienna to decide how Europe should be arranged after the wars. They had many different ideas and almost fought over them. Russia wanted control of Poland, Prussia wanted Saxony, and Austria wanted northern Italy. The discussions were very tense, but they managed to avoid a big fight among themselves.

Return to France

"Napoleon's Return from Elba" redirects here. For the related 1818 painting, see Napoleon's Return from Elba (painting).

While other countries were busy, Napoleon found a way to return to France. On February 26, 1815, when the ships watching him were gone, he left the island of Elba with about 1,000 men. They arrived at Golfe-Juan, between Cannes and Antibes, on March 1, 1815. People welcomed him warmly, except in the area of Provence.

Napoleon marched toward Paris, and his group grew bigger until it became a full army. On March 5, soldiers in Grenoble joined him. Even a commander who had been loyal to King Louis XVIII, Marshal Ney, decided to support Napoleon and brought more soldiers to his side.

Main article: Charter of 1815

At Lyon on March 13, 1815, Napoleon announced plans to change the government. He wanted to create a new constitution that would allow more people to vote and guarantee freedom to speak and write. The new rules were put to a vote by the people of France, and although not many voted, Napoleon felt he had the right to lead.

Napoleon told his followers not to wait too long to act, comparing them to people who ignore danger until it's too late.

Military mobilisation

Main article: Military mobilisation during the Hundred Days

During the Hundred Days, both Napoleon and the Coalition nations prepared their armies for war. Napoleon had few soldiers when he returned to the throne, but by the end of May, he had built up his forces to 198,000 troops. He formed an army called L'Armée du Nord, which he led himself in the Waterloo Campaign.

Napoleon also spread his remaining troops across France to defend against attacks from other countries. His forces were placed in different regions, such as near Strasbourg and Lyon.

The Coalition nations, including Austria, Prussia, Britain, and Russia, also gathered large armies. These forces were positioned near France's borders, ready to stop Napoleon's attempts to regain control.

War begins

When Napoleon returned to Paris in March 1815, the big countries of Europe like Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia decided to stop him. They signed a declaration on March 13, 1815, and began the War of the Seventh Coalition. Peace was no longer possible.

These countries made a treaty on March 25, 1815, promising to send soldiers to fight against Napoleon. Britain couldn’t send as many soldiers as the others because its army was smaller and spread out, especially in Canada after the War of 1812. Instead, Britain helped pay other countries to join the fight.

The plan was to invade France on July 1, 1815, later than some leaders wanted. This gave all the countries time to prepare together. However, it also gave Napoleon more time to strengthen his defenses and army. Napoleon decided to attack first in Belgium, hoping to defeat the British and Prussian armies before they could join forces. He believed this could lead to peace talks or force his enemies to agree to his terms.

Waterloo campaign

Main article: Waterloo campaign

See also: List of battles of the Hundred Days

The Waterloo Campaign happened from June 15 to July 8, 1815. It was a big fight between the French Army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, and two other armies: one from Britain and its friends, and one from Prussia.

Napoleon started the fighting on June 15 by moving his army into places where the Prussian and British armies were camped. Over the next few days, there were several important battles. On June 18, the big Battle of Waterloo took place. The British and Prussian armies worked together to stop Napoleon's army. After this loss, Napoleon had to leave, and the French army was chased all the way to Paris. Soon after, Napoleon gave up his power, and the leaders of France agreed to let the other armies come into Paris. By July 7, the armies from Britain and Prussia entered Paris, ending the fight.

Restoration of Louis XVIII (8 July)

On 8 July, King Louis XVIII returned to Paris and was welcomed by the people. He took back his place as the ruler of France. Count Chabrol, who was in charge of the city of Paris, spoke to the king and said, "One hundred days have passed since you left Paris..."

Surrender of Napoleon (15 July)

Napoleon could no longer stay in France or leave it, so he gave himself up to Captain Frederick Maitland of HMS Bellerophon on the morning of 15 July 1815. He was then taken to the island of Saint Helena, where he lived the rest of his life.

Other campaigns and wars

Main article: Minor campaigns of 1815

See also: List of battles of the Hundred Days

While Napoleon believed the biggest danger came from the Coalition forces near Brussels, he still needed to protect France from other threats. Even though some armies were slow to move, Napoleon had to spread his forces to defend against many directions.

Neapolitan War

The Neapolitan War happened between the Kingdom of Naples and the Austrian Empire. It began on 15 March 1815 when Joachim Murat declared war on Austria and ended on 20 May 1815 with a treaty. Murat, who was made King of Naples by Napoleon, wanted to protect his rule from the European powers who wanted to give Naples back to its old rulers. He fought against the Austrians but lost, and the old king was put back in place.

Civil war

Though most areas did not rebel, there was fighting in La Vendée. The royalist forces won some battles but were later defeated and had to make peace.

Austrian campaign

Rhine frontier

General Rapp led French troops to stop the Austrian advance but had to retreat after hearing about Napoleon’s defeat. He fought a final battle before moving back to Strasbourg. Another Austrian force moved into France and captured Nancy but did not go further.

Italian frontier

Marshal Suchet invaded Savoy but, after hearing of Napoleon’s defeat, made peace and pulled back. The city of Toulon was defended until the end of July.

Russian campaign

The large Russian Army crossed into France after Napoleon had stepped down for the second time and reached Paris by mid-July.

Treaty of Paris

Main article: Treaty of Paris (1815)

The last battle of the Hundred Days took place at Issy. After that, there was a campaign against fortresses controlled by Bonapartist leaders. This ended when Longwy surrendered on September 13, 1815. The Treaty of Paris was signed on November 20, 1815, officially ending the Napoleonic Wars.

The 1815 Treaty of Paris confirmed the earlier Treaty of Paris and the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna. France was brought back to its 1790 borders and lost lands gained during the revolution. France also had to pay 700 million francs in payments over five years and host an army of 150,000 soldiers from other countries along its eastern border for up to five years. This was to help keep peace and make sure France followed the treaty’s rules.

On the same day, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia renewed the Quadruple Alliance. Other leaders were invited to join this agreement, which helped create a balanced and peaceful system of power in Europe, except for the Ottoman Empire.

Timeline of French constitutions

The timeline of French constitutions shows the changes in how France was governed over time. Each constitution marked a new way the country was led, reflecting the needs and ideas of the people during different periods. These changes happened because of events like revolutions, wars, and new leaders taking power. The constitutions helped shape the rules and rights that guided France through its history.