The Story of Mankind [137]
said, ``to free ourselves
from this insufferable yoke.'' And they began to look
for old shotguns which had escaped the eye of the ever-present
French spies. But ere they knew what had happened, Napoleon
was back with a new army. He had left his defeated soldiers
and in his little sleigh had rushed ahead to Paris, making
a final appeal for more troops that he might defend the sacred
soil of France against foreign invasion.
Children of sixteen and seventeen followed him when he
moved eastward to meet the allied powers. On October 16,
18, and 19 of the year 1813, the terrible battle of Leipzig took
place where for three days boys in green and boys in blue
fought each other until the Elbe ran red with blood. On the
afternoon of the 17th of October, the massed reserves of Russian
infantry broke through the French lines and Napoleon
fled.
Back to Paris he went. He abdicated in favour of his small
son, but the allied powers insisted that Louis XVIII, the
brother of the late king Louis XVI, should occupy the French
throne, and surrounded by Cossacks and Uhlans, the dull-eyed
Bourbon prince made his triumphal entry into Paris.
As for Napoleon he was made the sovereign ruler of the
little island of Elba in the Mediterranean where he organised
his stable boys into a miniature army and fought battles on a
chess board.
But no sooner had he left France than the people began
to realise what they had lost. The last twenty years, however
costly, had been a period of great glory. Paris had been the
capital of the world. The fat Bourbon king who had learned
nothing and had forgotten nothing during the days of his
exile disgusted everybody by his indolence.
On the first of March of the year 1815, when the representatives
of the allies were ready to begin the work of unscrambling
the map of Europe, Napoleon suddenly landed near
Cannes. In less than a week the French army had deserted
the Bourbons and had rushed southward to offer their swords
and bayonets to the ``little Corporal.'' Napoleon marched
straight to Paris where he arrived on the twentieth of March.
This time he was more cautious. He offered peace, but the
allies insisted upon war. The whole of Europe arose against
the ``perfidious Corsican.'' Rapidly the Emperor marched
northward that he might crush his enemies before they should
be able to unite their forces. But Napoleon was no longer his
old self. He felt sick. He got tired easily. He slept when he
ought to have been up directing the attack of his advance-
guard. Besides, he missed many of his faithful old generals.
They were dead.
Early in June his armies entered Belgium. On the 16th
of that month he defeated the Prussians under Blucher. But
a subordinate commander failed to destroy the retreating army
as he had been ordered to do.
Two days later, Napoleon met Wellington near Waterloo.
It was the 18th of June, a Sunday. At two o'clock of the
afternoon, the battle seemed won for the French. At three a
speck of dust appeared upon the eastern horizon. Napoleon
believed that this meant the approach of his own cavalry who
would now turn the English defeat into a rout. At four o'clock
he knew better. Cursing and swearing, old Blucher drove
his deathly tired troops into the heart of the fray. The shock
broke the ranks of the guards. Napoleon had no further reserves.
He told his men to save themselves as best they could,
and he fled.
For a second time, he abdicated in favor of his son. Just
one hundred days after his escape from Elba, he was making
for the coast. He intended to go to America. In the year
1803, for a mere song, he had sold the French colony of
Louisiana (which was in great danger of being captured by
the English) to the young American Republic. ``The Americans,''
so he said, ``will be grateful and will give me a little bit
of land and a house where I may spend the last days of my life
from this insufferable yoke.'' And they began to look
for old shotguns which had escaped the eye of the ever-present
French spies. But ere they knew what had happened, Napoleon
was back with a new army. He had left his defeated soldiers
and in his little sleigh had rushed ahead to Paris, making
a final appeal for more troops that he might defend the sacred
soil of France against foreign invasion.
Children of sixteen and seventeen followed him when he
moved eastward to meet the allied powers. On October 16,
18, and 19 of the year 1813, the terrible battle of Leipzig took
place where for three days boys in green and boys in blue
fought each other until the Elbe ran red with blood. On the
afternoon of the 17th of October, the massed reserves of Russian
infantry broke through the French lines and Napoleon
fled.
Back to Paris he went. He abdicated in favour of his small
son, but the allied powers insisted that Louis XVIII, the
brother of the late king Louis XVI, should occupy the French
throne, and surrounded by Cossacks and Uhlans, the dull-eyed
Bourbon prince made his triumphal entry into Paris.
As for Napoleon he was made the sovereign ruler of the
little island of Elba in the Mediterranean where he organised
his stable boys into a miniature army and fought battles on a
chess board.
But no sooner had he left France than the people began
to realise what they had lost. The last twenty years, however
costly, had been a period of great glory. Paris had been the
capital of the world. The fat Bourbon king who had learned
nothing and had forgotten nothing during the days of his
exile disgusted everybody by his indolence.
On the first of March of the year 1815, when the representatives
of the allies were ready to begin the work of unscrambling
the map of Europe, Napoleon suddenly landed near
Cannes. In less than a week the French army had deserted
the Bourbons and had rushed southward to offer their swords
and bayonets to the ``little Corporal.'' Napoleon marched
straight to Paris where he arrived on the twentieth of March.
This time he was more cautious. He offered peace, but the
allies insisted upon war. The whole of Europe arose against
the ``perfidious Corsican.'' Rapidly the Emperor marched
northward that he might crush his enemies before they should
be able to unite their forces. But Napoleon was no longer his
old self. He felt sick. He got tired easily. He slept when he
ought to have been up directing the attack of his advance-
guard. Besides, he missed many of his faithful old generals.
They were dead.
Early in June his armies entered Belgium. On the 16th
of that month he defeated the Prussians under Blucher. But
a subordinate commander failed to destroy the retreating army
as he had been ordered to do.
Two days later, Napoleon met Wellington near Waterloo.
It was the 18th of June, a Sunday. At two o'clock of the
afternoon, the battle seemed won for the French. At three a
speck of dust appeared upon the eastern horizon. Napoleon
believed that this meant the approach of his own cavalry who
would now turn the English defeat into a rout. At four o'clock
he knew better. Cursing and swearing, old Blucher drove
his deathly tired troops into the heart of the fray. The shock
broke the ranks of the guards. Napoleon had no further reserves.
He told his men to save themselves as best they could,
and he fled.
For a second time, he abdicated in favor of his son. Just
one hundred days after his escape from Elba, he was making
for the coast. He intended to go to America. In the year
1803, for a mere song, he had sold the French colony of
Louisiana (which was in great danger of being captured by
the English) to the young American Republic. ``The Americans,''
so he said, ``will be grateful and will give me a little bit
of land and a house where I may spend the last days of my life