In short
In March 1815, Napoleon escaped his island exile and returned to France, forcing King Louis XVIII to flee and triggering a hundred-day scramble for power that ended in the Battle of Waterloo. His brief comeback shattered the post-Napoleonic settlement and forced Europe's monarchies to reckon with the possibility of revolutionary upheaval all over again.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
The Hundred Days marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815. This period saw the War of the Seventh Coalition, which includes the Waterloo campaign and the Neapolitan War as well as several other minor campaigns. The phrase les Cent Jours was first used by the prefect of Paris, Gaspard, count of Chabrol, in his speech welcoming the king back to Paris on 8 July.
As it was happening
16 voices, 453 days.
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Napoleon abdicates and departs for Elba
Following the Six Days' Campaign and the fall of Paris, Napoleon abdicates unconditionally. He is exiled to Elba under the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
Voices from this moment (1)
Napoleon abdicates and departs for Elba
Apr 11
“Following the Six Days' Campaign and the fall of Paris,…”
As it was happening
16 voices, 453 days.
Day 0 · April 11, 1814
Napoleon abdicates and departs for Elba
Following the Six Days' Campaign and the fall of Paris, Napoleon abdicates unconditionally. He is exiled to Elba under the Treaty of Fontainebleau.
“Following the Six Days' Campaign and the fall of Paris,…”
- Napoleon abdicates and departs for Elba, Apr 11
Day 321 · February 26, 1815
Napoleon escapes Elba
Using the brig Inconstant and accompanied by roughly 1,100 loyal troops and supporters, Napoleon departs Elba and sails toward the French coast.
“Using the brig Inconstant and accompanied by roughly 1,100…”
- Napoleon escapes Elba, Feb 26
Day 324 · March 1, 1815
Landing at Golfe-Juan
Napoleon lands near Cannes on the French Riviera. He begins moving north toward Paris, rallying troops and locals to his cause.
“Napoleon lands near Cannes on the French Riviera.”
- Landing at Golfe-Juan, Mar 1
Day 330 · March 7, 1815
Marshal Ney attempts to block Napoleon
King Louis XVIII sends Marshal Michel Ney to intercept Napoleon near Auxerre. Ney's troops defect to Napoleon rather than engage him.
“The Bourbons have lost the confidence of the French nation.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Dispatches to British Foreign Office, March 1815, Mar 10
“King Louis XVIII sends Marshal Michel Ney to intercept…”
- Marshal Ney attempts to block Napoleon, Mar 7
Day 342 · March 19, 1815
Louis XVIII flees Paris
Learning of Napoleon's advance and the desertion of his own forces, King Louis XVIII abandons the capital and flees toward the Belgian border.
“Learning of Napoleon's advance and the desertion of his own…”
- Louis XVIII flees Paris, Mar 19
Day 343 · March 20, 1815
Napoleon returns to Paris
Napoleon enters Paris without firing a shot. The Bourbons have fled, and he reclaims power with surprising ease, beginning the Hundred Days.
“FR: 'C'est un monstre qu'on a relache de ses chaines.”
- Royal court memoirs, March 1815, Mar 20
“The escape of Bonaparte from Elba is an event so…”
- The Morning Chronicle, 20 March 1815, Mar 20
“The loyalty of the French soldier burns brighter for…”
- Synthesized from period political correspondence, April 1815, Apr 5
“Napoleon enters Paris without firing a shot.”
- Napoleon returns to Paris, Mar 20
Day 379 · April 25, 1815
Seventh Coalition formally declares war
The allied powers—Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, the Netherlands, and others—formally declare war on Napoleon. The coalition mobilizes roughly 700,000 troops.
“This man will plunge Europe into blood once more.”
- Synthesized from Austrian State Papers, May 1815, May 15
“The allied powers—Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, the…”
- Seventh Coalition formally declares war, Apr 25
Day 431 · June 16, 1815
Battle of Ligny
Napoleon defeats the Prussian army under Gebhard von Blücher in what appears to be a decisive victory, attempting to prevent Allied concentration.
“Napoleon defeats the Prussian army under Gebhard von…”
- Battle of Ligny, Jun 16
Day 433 · June 18, 1815
Battle of Waterloo
Near Brussels, Napoleon faces the Duke of Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the Prussian reinforcements. After hours of combat, Napoleon is defeated decisively, ending his Hundred Days.
“Near Brussels, Napoleon faces the Duke of Wellington's…”
- Battle of Waterloo, Jun 18
Day 437 · June 22, 1815
Napoleon abdicates a second time
Facing certain capture, Napoleon abdicates again. He attempts to flee to the United States but is intercepted by British naval forces.
“Facing certain capture, Napoleon abdicates again.”
- Napoleon abdicates a second time, Jun 22
Day 453 · July 8, 1815
Louis XVIII restored to the throne
King Louis XVIII returns to Paris and is formally restored. The Second Restoration is secured, and the post-Napoleonic order is reestablished.
“King Louis XVIII returns to Paris and is formally restored.”
- Louis XVIII restored to the throne, Jul 8
The numbers.
4 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Duration of exile before escape
0 months on Elba
Return date to France
0 March 1815
Louis XVIII's flight
0 March 1815, before Napoleon reached Paris
Second Restoration date
0 July 1815
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Napoleon's escape from Elba
en.wikipedia.org