Book contents
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Key to maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume II
- Introduction to Volume II
- Part I The Nature of Warfare in the Napoleonic Era
- Part II The State of the Armed Forces
- Part III Raising and Supplying the Armies
- Part IV Napoleon’s Military Campaigns in Europe
- 17 Napoleon’s Italian Campaigns, 1796–1800
- 18 The Ulm and Austerlitz Campaigns, 1805
- 19 The Campaigns of 1806–7 in Prussia and Poland
- 20 The Peninsular War, 1808–14
- 21 The 1809 Campaign against Austria
- 22 The Russian Campaign of 1812
- 23 The 1813 Campaign in Central Europe
- 24 The Campagne de France of 1814
- 25 The Hundred Days and Waterloo, 1815
- Part V Other Spheres of War
- Bibliographical Essays
- Index
24 - The Campagne de France of 1814
from Part IV - Napoleon’s Military Campaigns in Europe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 December 2022
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Key to maps
- Tables
- Contributors to Volume II
- Introduction to Volume II
- Part I The Nature of Warfare in the Napoleonic Era
- Part II The State of the Armed Forces
- Part III Raising and Supplying the Armies
- Part IV Napoleon’s Military Campaigns in Europe
- 17 Napoleon’s Italian Campaigns, 1796–1800
- 18 The Ulm and Austerlitz Campaigns, 1805
- 19 The Campaigns of 1806–7 in Prussia and Poland
- 20 The Peninsular War, 1808–14
- 21 The 1809 Campaign against Austria
- 22 The Russian Campaign of 1812
- 23 The 1813 Campaign in Central Europe
- 24 The Campagne de France of 1814
- 25 The Hundred Days and Waterloo, 1815
- Part V Other Spheres of War
- Bibliographical Essays
- Index
Summary
In the weeks following Napoleon’s monumental defeat at the battle of Leipzig, Coalition forces failed to catch his army as it retreated through Germany and across the Rhine River. Regardless, the Allies decided to launch a comprehensive invasion of France from the North Sea to Switzerland. In late November 40,000 Prussian, British, and Russian troops invaded Holland. One month later, 200,000 Allied soldiers crossed the Upper Rhine to invade Alsace, Switzerland, and Franche-Comté. Shortly after, on New Year’s Day, an additional 75,000 men crossed the Middle Rhine and drove through Lorraine toward the fortress of Metz. By the end of January, Holland and Belgium had fallen, and two Allied armies stood at the Marne and Aube Rivers ready to march on Paris. This circumstance forced Bonaparte to leave his capital and finally assume personal command of the army. After ferocious fighting in February, Napoleon made a daring gamble. To threaten the Coalition’s lifeline across the Rhine, he decided to maneuver against the rear of the main Allied army in the hope of forcing it to withdraw from France. With the French emperor between them and the Rhine River, the Allies took advantage of the open roads to reach Paris. The city surrendered on 31 March. Six days later, Napoleon abdicated unconditionally.
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- The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars , pp. 492 - 515Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023