Napoleon's Return


Would France have really risen up in his support? He was respnsible for a lot
of widows and orphans!!
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They did once before. When he escaped from Helena he landed on the south coast of France and made his way toward Paris. Partway there he was intercepted by a brigade of royal troops who demanded his surender. According to the accounts he went forward and called, "If you would kill your Emperor, do so now!" They were all veterans who had served under him and to a man they bowed down and renewed their oath to him. The rest of the army quickly acknowledged him and the French government collapsed.

It became known as "The Hundred Days" and ended shortly after the Battle of Waterloo. With the army defeated and routed he had no support in Paris (the people feared the British would ransack the city) so he was forced to stand down and surrender himself to the British again, who took him to Elbe' this time, where he spent the last years of his life.

Ironically, had he NOT marched on Belgium, there would have been an outside chance he could have kept the throne. France's border garrisons were strong, her army well equipped and mobilized, and likely he could have negotiated a peace with his enemies. The consumption that ultimately killed him was already present and known about; he knew he didn't have all that long to live. He might have lived long enough to see his son take the throne.

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Actually he escaped from Elba and ended up in St Helena after Waterloo. The Allies would never have allowed Napoleon to retain the throne. He attacked because he thought it was his only option. Defeat the British and Prussians before they can organize an attack and then negociate form strength. To my knowledge people did not know about his stomach ailment, if it even existed yet. He didn't believe he was dying, not yet anyways.

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The basis for a lot of Europe's Republics are based on his "Napoleonic Code". After he was sent to Elba the Bourbons once again took over. They removed all of his reformations which turned land owners back into tenant farmers. Though Napoleon's rule was flawed he was better than the monarchies of Europe.

If he doesn't split his forces after the battle of Ligny/Quatra Bras or if Marshal Grouchy followed his standing order "March to the sound of the guns" history might have been different.

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