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Napoleon 28 Defiance 29 Elba

France in trouble; N. calls for patriotism to defend it against Allies, led by Brits. . . . Disappointed that there is no guerrilla movement in France similar to what he faced in Spain . . . "Public opinion is an invisible, mysterious power." . . . Only 120,000 answer call to arms to defend France,  . . . Minimum age and height requirements ignored . . . high taxes . . .  N. knows he faces long odds .  . . "I fought too many wars." . . . The advantage of a smaller army is that N. is in complete control . . . the people who turn on him had turned on him before, yet N. had never imprisoned, let alone executed, any of them. (Talleyrand, Fouche, etc.) . . .  Armistice discussions here and there, but N. won't give up Belgium . . . Allied armies ener Paris on April 1, 1814 . . . Parisians, unlike Russians, show no interest in burning down Paris . . . N. fights on until Marmont betrays him by turning his entire army over to the Allies

29 Elba  Treaty and exile to Elba . . . N. takes high road and doesn't subject France to any more war . . . attempts suicide . . . abdicates when suicide fails . . . Praises the English! . . .  Elba for 10 months--N reorganizes defences, distributed $ to the poor, installed water system that works today, read voraciously, walked coastline, grew mulberry trees, reformed tax system, built a hospital, repaired barracks, organized trash collection, planted vineyards, paved roads.  Irrepressible energy.

Josephine dies at 50 . . . Bourbons make an endless series of errors .  . . N watches closely for opportunity to return to power . . . February 1815--eye on Paris! . . .  Lands with a very small force in southern France . . . takes mountain road north . . . dangerous, single file "Route Napoleon." Stone Eagles along it now . . . 190 miles in 6 days . . . He's back!

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