Hundred Days and Waterloo

The events that happened between Napoleon's return to Paris on March 20, 1815, after his exile on Elba, and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII to the throne of France on July 8, 1815, are known as "the hundred days" or the “Napoleon 100 days.” Within five days of Napoleon's return, the European powers convened the Congress of Vienna, declaring him an outlaw and promising to increase military troops on the ground to put an end to his rule forever.

The Waterloo Campaign - hundred days and waterloo (June 15 – July 8, 1815), a series of battles between the French Army of the North and the Anglo-Allied and Prussian armies that culminated in the decisive Battle of Waterloo and the end of Napoleon's reign, took place during this time period. This is the combined explanation of “hundred days and waterloo.”

Let us understand more details on the napoleon 100 days from this article.

Napoleon’s Journey

Napoleon’s Exile to Elba

In 1814, Napoleon I and officials from the Austrian Empire, Russia, and Prussia signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which had 21 articles. Napoleon's powers as ruler of the French Empire were withdrawn from him by the terms of the agreement, although Napoleon and Marie-Louise of Austria were allowed to keep their titles as emperor and empress, respectively.

All of Napoleon's successors and family members were prohibited from succeeding to the throne of France. The treaty also created Elba, Napoleon's exiled island, a distinct principality to be controlled by him. The agreement guaranteed foreign powers' recognition of Elba's sovereignty and flag, but then only France was allowed to assimilate the island.

The British stated that the French people were in rebellion and that Napoleon Bonaparte was a usurper. Lord Castlereagh explained that he would not sign on behalf of the United Kingdom's king because it would acknowledge Napoleon's legitimacy as French emperor, and also exiling him to an island over which he had sovereignty and close to France and Italy, both of which had strong Jacobin factions, could easily lead to further conflict.

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Fig: After the end of the Sixth Coalition War, Napoleon was exiled to Elba, as seen in this 1814 British etching. On the "journey to Elba" from Fontainebleau, Napoleon is seated backwards on a donkey in this print. While playing a farewell march, two drummers accompany him, one holding a broken sword in one hand and the donkey's tail in the other.

The First Bourbon Restoration

The restoration of Louis XVIII to the throne in 1814 was assisted by Talleyrand, Napoleon's former foreign minister, who convinced the victorious Allied Powers of the need for Bourbon restoration. The 1814 Charter established a bicameral legislature with a hereditary/appointive Chamber of Peers and an elected Chamber of Deputies, which Louis approved.

Only the King had the power to propose or sanction laws and appoint or recall ministers, hence it served as a consultative body (except on taxation). Just men with significant property holdings were able to vote, hence only 1% of the population could vote. Many of the revolutionary period's legal, administrative, and economic reforms were intact, including the Napoleonic Code.

Escape from Elba

Napoleon escaped from Elba in February 1815, separated from his wife and son who had fled to Austria, cut off from the allowance provided by the Treaty of Fontainebleau. He was aware that he was likely to be exiled to a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean, according to rumours. He arrived on the French mainland two days later in Golfe-Juan and began travelling north. The 5th Regiment was sent to track him down, and they made contact just south of Grenoble. Napoleon approached the regiment alone, dismounted his horse, when he was within the gun's short range, shouted to the soldiers, “Here I am. Kill your Emperor, if you wish.”

"ViveL'Empereur!" shouted the soldiers. Marshal Michel Ney, who had pledged allegiance to Louis XVIII, the restored Bourbon king, kissed his former emperor affectionately and forgot his oath of devotion to the Bourbon ruler. With a growing army, the two marched together towards Paris. After realising he had little political support, Louis XVIII fled to Belgium. The powers at the Congress of Vienna declared Napoleon an outlaw on March 13th. On the 20th of March, Napoleon arrived in Paris and governed for the Hundred Days (or Napoleon 100 days).

Constitutional Reform: The Charter of 1815

In an attempt to strengthen the public's trust in the restored royal power, Napoleon began a constitutional reform that resulted in the Charter of 1815, which was signed on April 22, 1815 and authored by Benjamin Constant. The "Additional Act to the Empire's Constitutions" amended (virtually replaced) the previous Napoleonic Constitutions considerably (Constitution of the Year VIII, Constitution of the Year X, and Constitution of the Year XII).

The Additional Act reframed the Napoleonic constitution in the manner of Louis XVIII's Bourbon Restoration Charter of 1814, while ignoring the Bourbon charter's existence in general. It was liberal in spirit and granted the French people liberties they had never had before, such as the freedom to elect mayors in communes with populations of less than 5,000 people. It took the form of an ordinary legislative act "additional to the constitutions of the Empire" because Napoleon treated it as a mere continuation of the previous constitutions.

The Seventh Coalition

The Great Powers of Europe, which are Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia, including their allies declared Napoleon an outlaw both at the Congress of Vienna, and the Seventh Coalition War began, which was on March 13, 1815 that took place with the signed declaration. The dreams of Napoleon 100 days for peace had gone; war was now inevitable. The Treaty of Alliance against Napoleon was ratified on March 25, and each of the European nations pledged 150,000 soldiers to the upcoming fight.

Great Britain could not assemble such a force since its standing army was smaller than its peers' and its men were scattered throughout the globe, with many units still placed in Canada, where the War of 1812 had recently concluded. As a result, it accounted for its numerical deficiencies by giving subsidies to other powers and European countries that would contribute contingents.

Key Points on Napoleon's Waterloo Defeat

Let us look at some key points on hundred days and waterloo here.

• The invasion of France was planned for July 1, 1815, some time after the allies began mobilising. This invasion date, which some military leaders thought would be later, allowed all invading Coalition armies to be ready at the same moment.

• However, the postponement of the invasion allowed Napoleon to strengthen his forces and defences. Napoleon preferred to attack, which meant hitting his opponents before they were fully assembled and ready to cooperate.