BOURBON RULE NEGATES REPUBLIC OF FRANCE
While Napoleon mourned on Elba, France stagnated under the return of Bourbon rule under King Louis XVIII.
Resetting the time clock of France, the king erased every symbol of the republic.
VIOLETS SECRET SYMBOL OF THE BONAPARTISTS
Yearning for the return of Napoleon, Bonapartists used the violet as their symbol.
Ladies wore violet-colored dresses, men carried watch-chains of that color. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p385
After Napoleon heard how the public yearned for his return, he made it happen.
When he landed in France with a thousand men behind him, Napoleon made his way to the French army, while wanting to avoid civil war.
Along the way peasants unknowingly met him, one handing him a bouquet of violets, another negotiating the cost of his horse when asked by the passerby.
Napoleon simply replied: More than I can afford, my friend.
TRICOLORS WHIPPED OUT IN SUPPORT
Advancing towards Grenoble soldiers of the 5th line, Napoleon had the tricolor fly high and the Marseillaise played…all banned since the end of his rule.
As the soldiers prepared to open fire, Napoleon stopped and drew apart the lapels of his overcoat, exposing his white waistcoat. ‘If you want to kill your Emperor,’ he called in a loud voice, ‘here I am.’…Back came a tremendous shout of ‘Long live the Emperor!’ -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p391
Throwing off their white cockades of the Bourbons, the soldiers removed their tricolors from within their coat pockets to boldly display on their hats, as they cheered and ran towards Napoleon.
‘The Bourbons have no legal right to their throne, because it wasn’t given them by the nation as a whole…Isn’t it true that you’ve been threatened with tithes, privileges, feudal rights and all the other abuses you fought to get rid of?’ ‘Yes, Sire,’ chorused the 5th. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p392
That evening the people of Lyon welcomed Napoleon into their city. Not a shot fired. The grey overcoat, the battered black bicorne, and the Marseillaise had proved sufficient. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p393
A few days later when King Louis XVIII drove to a meeting, the troops lining his route shouted ‘Long live the King!’ but added, in a whisper, ‘of Rome’. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p 394
Determined to arrive in Paris on the birthday of the King of Rome (his son) on March 20, Napoleon faced growing support on his march.
KING FLEES TO BELGIUM
On the night of the 19th, the king slipped away from the palace without a word to anyone, headed for Belgium.
In the Tuileries, abandoned by Louis’ courtiers, Napoleon’s old servants were making up his bed, and in the throne room ladies spent half an hour on hands and knees pulling off the lilies which had been sewn over the bees in the carpet. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p394-5
NAPOLEON ARRIVES IN PARIS
Back in his old study, Napoleon turned his attention first to finances, reminiscent of his previous start in government.
Quickly addressing problems found there, he soon turned his attention to forming a new government for the new will of the people.
In his absence English ideas arrived to the Continent, so even the old Constitution of the Empire needed updating, along with the newer Bourbon Constitution.
While providing the best from the days of the Empire, extra safeguards were desired.
Without conscription, Napoleon raised an army of over 300,000, two-thirds of which had been led by King Louis.
Fortifying Paris, Napoleon designed the layout of needed earthworks: redoubts, couronnes, and lunettes.
WATERLOO
Despite all this…Napoleon met his Waterloo.
According to Cronin, Napoleon wasted the morning, misjudged the English, and was overconfident. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p403
After returning to Paris, Napoleon proclaimed: I am sacrificing myself to the hatred of France’s enemies…My political life is at an end, and I proclaim my son Napoleon II Emperor of the French. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p404
Then on 30 June, Wellington arrived outside Paris: in the absence of the Tsar, it was the victor of Waterloo who called the political tune. Wellington informed the Assembly that a change of dynasty would be a revolutionary act entailing the dismemberment of France. The Assembly took his hint, and no more was heard of Napoleon II. -Napoleon Bonaparte, Cronin, p404-5
Napoleon’s final days are played out in the finale of this book that we used for our homeschool rhetoric studies, by Vincent Cronin, Napoleon Bonaparte: An Intimate Biography, which I highly recommend.
