54 



RUSSIAN-GERMAN WAR. 



Wredc were then, with the Wiirtemberg troops, ' 

 beyond the Seine; for Napoleon had been deemed 

 suflfiiuently enfeebled to allow them to proceed 

 towards Paris in two large columns, one on the 

 Seine, the other on the Marne. This idea had 

 been, in part, recommended by the barrenness of 

 Champagne. The great triangle between the 

 Seine and Marne consequently separated them, for 

 in it stood Napoleon's army. To make a lateral 

 movement, it was necessary to cross the Seine, 

 over which there were only two points of passage, 

 at Nogent (strongly fortified) and at Bray, without 

 a bridge, but in sight of a weak French reconnoit- 

 ring party. Napoleon now hoped to gain impor- 

 tant advantages over the aimy of Schwartzenberg. 

 Wrede, united witli Wittgenstein's corps, had to 

 return across the Seine (February 17). On the 

 18th, Napoleon attacked the Wiirtembergers, at 

 Monterau, at the confluence of the Yonne and 

 Seine ; but they retired, though with loss, to the 

 left bank of the Seine. Schwartzenberg now has- 

 tened back, and passed the Seine at Troyes, to 

 renew his communication with Bliicher. Con- 

 stantly hard pressed, the allies had to continue 

 retiring; and the situation of affairs was so uncer- 

 tain that, in the head-quarters of the monarchs 

 themselves, a diversity of opinions prevailed, which 

 had an influence on the congress of Chatillon. (q.v.) 

 But in this very crisis, which inspired Napoleon 

 with such hopes that he raised his demands higher 

 at Chatillon than he had done since the battle of 

 Leipsic, a new turn was given to affairs. The 

 allies concluded the treaty of Chaumont. (q. v.) 

 After the indecisive battle of Bar sur Aube (Feb- 

 ruary 27), Napoleon marched against Bliicher, who 

 was approaching the northern army, the van of 

 which had already taken Soissons, but had lost it 

 again. But in a lucky moment, Soissons capitu- 

 lated (March 2), and Bliieher formed a junction 

 with the northern army, under Bulow, who had 

 taken several fortresses in the Low Countries and 

 Picardy, especially La Fere (February 26), with a 

 great quantity of stores, by means or general 

 Thiimen. The duke of Weimar, who arrived with 

 30,000 Saxons and other troops, had blockaded 

 the unconquered places. On the extreme left 

 wing, also, of the allied army, from Geneva, the 

 most decided advantages were gained. The count 

 of Bubna here, likewise, had been obliged to con- 

 tend, till February 25, with obstacles of all kinds. 

 Marshal Augerau, inspirited by some reinforcements 

 from Spain, had received from Napoleon orders to 

 advance on this side, and repulse the left flank of 

 the allies. All the Austrian wounded were taken 

 to Berne, and Geneva was considered in great dan- 

 ger; but when the prince of Homburg and count 

 Bianchi came up with considerable reinforcements, 

 Augerau lost his former advantages as rapidly as 

 he had gained them. Napoleon now saw himself 

 in danger of being surrounded on both flanks, and 

 confined between the Seine and Marne. He there- 

 fore (March 9) attacked Bliicher's army at Craone, 

 and, on the 10th, gave battle at Laon, and was de- 

 feated. He now returned across the Aisne and 

 Marne, took Rheims, and threw himself with impe- 

 tuosity on Schwartzenberg, at Arcis sur Aube ; but, 

 repulsed on the 20th and 21st, with loss, he resumed 

 his former plan, to approach the Rhine in the rear 

 of the allies, supported by the fortresses of the 

 Moselle, exhort the people to a general rising, 

 unita with Augerau, and intercept the retreat of 

 the allies. But the allies, merely keeping watch 



on him, made a rapid march to Paris (q. v.]; fin 

 marshal Augerau had already been driven back to 

 Lyons, which capitulated March 21. After the 

 victory over Soult at Orthes, February 27, the 

 British had gained possession of the city of Bor- 

 deaux, and driven back marshal Soult to Toulouse. 

 Finally, advices were received at head-quart ITS, from 

 Paris itself, disclosing the existence of an anti-Na- 

 poleon party, and describing the conquest of 1 1n- 

 city as easy, it being defended solely by the national 

 guards. The battle of March 30 gave them ac- 

 cess to the capital of France. Napoleon's family 

 had already fled from the city. Alexander now 

 declared that he would never treat with the em- 

 peror or his family. April 1, a provisional govern- 

 ment was organized by Talleyrand, which declared 

 Napoleon deposed, and transferred the crown to 

 the Bourbons. Napoleon hastened back too late 

 for the preservation of Paris. He approached only 

 as near as Fontainebleau. Here the fragments of 

 the troops which had left Paris, according to the 

 capitulation, were reunited; but Marmont, with 

 his corps, abandoned the emperor April 4. After 

 many negotiations, Napoleon abdicated the throne, 

 stipulating only for the imperial title, the island of 

 Elba, with entire sovereignty, two millions of 

 francs, &c., all of which were granted him. April 

 9, an armistice was concluded with all the French 

 commanders. Most of the fortresses situated with- 

 out the boundaries of ancient France, opened their 

 gates ; the others, situated within it, acknowledged 

 Louis XVIII. willingly or unwillingly. Davoust, in 

 Hamburg, hesitated the longest : he did not depart 

 till May 29. At the same time, the taking of Paris 

 decided the fate of Italy. In this country, partly 

 through the excellent precautions of the viceroy, 

 partly through the equivocal conduct of Murat, 

 king of Naples, who had left the party of Napoleon, 

 and, favoured by Austria, embraced that of the 

 allies, without doing any thing in good earnest for 

 them, the war had not taken a decisive course. 

 Since the battle which the viceroy had fought with 

 the Austrian general on the Mincia, he maintained 

 his position on this river, with an army of 30,000 

 men, at mosVagainst the same number of Neapoli- 

 tans and 50,000 Austfians. The accounts from 

 Paris gave here, also, a new direction, to affairs. 

 April 16, a truce was concluded, which allowed the 

 French troops to depart for France, and compelled 

 the Italian to remain. But an insurrection in Milan 

 made a change in regard to the condition, that the 

 fate of Italy should be decided in Paris ; arid prince 

 Eugene resigned his command of the troops to the 

 Austrian general Bellegarde (who had taken Killer's 

 place), and went, by way of Veroi'a, to Munich. 

 Meanwhile, the count of Artois had entered Paris, 

 as the representative of Louis XVIII. April 23, 

 he concluded a general truce with the allied mon- 

 archs, and a preliminary treaty respecting the future 

 conditions of peace. Louis XVIII. entered Paris 

 himself, May 3. On the 5th, Schwartzenberg re- 

 signed the chief command, and the armies retired 

 with rapidity to the Rhine, though peace was not 

 signed till May 30. (See France, since 1814.) On 

 the whole, on account of the great expectations ex- 

 cited by the hatred against France, the joy at this 

 peace was very slight, although it had taken from 

 France upwards of one hundred fortified places, and 

 twenty-five millions of souls. 



The tranquillity of Europe was soon again dis- 

 turbed. In France, Louis XVIII. did not succeed 

 in winning the love of the people, to which he had 



