Escape from Elba
By the end of 1814 Napoleon had begun to consider quitting Elba and raising his standard again in France. The initial novelty and challenge of ruling his island empire had …
Course: Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo
The Congress of Vienna – The Diplomatic Aims
When the Emperor of Austria invited his fellow sovereigns, the Tsar of Russia and the King of Prussia, to Vienna in the summer of 1814, it was never the intention …
Napoleon’s escape and the road to war
The long war against Napoleon was over, and the Allied Powers and France gathered in Vienna to negotiate the peace. Then came the shocking news that Napoleon had escaped from …
The settlement of 1814
Following the abdication of Napoleon in April 1814, and the cessation of war with France, the allies were faced with the prospect of settling the peace. It was a process …
The Rise of Napoleon’s Empire: How Did He Come to Power?
In this article we look at the division of the world with the rise of Napoleon’s empire — and the extension of British dominion overseas. Gilray’s cartoon, ‘The plumb-pudding in …
The Abdication of Napoleon
This article considers the remarkable conclusion to Napoleon’s great empire with his unconditional abdication as Emperor of the French on 6 April 1814, at Fontainebleau. This marked an end to …