Treaty of Fontainebleau, Napoleon's abdication and the Bourbon Restoration in France (1814)

The Treaty of Fontainebleau (11 April 1814) forced Napoleon's unconditional abdication, ending the War of the Sixth Coalition in France. The Bourbon Restoration followed with Louis XVIII's return to Paris, supported by the Declaration of Saint-Ouen, which balanced representative government with monarchical sovereignty. Allied sieges at Metz, Antwerp, and Mainz concluded in April and May 1814, closing the campaign's military operations.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Following the defeat at Leipzig, Napoleon retreated to France. Coalition forces invaded across the Rhine and Pyrenees, leading to negotiations for his abdication. The French Senate dethroned him on 3 April 1814, prompting the Treaty of Fontainebleau. This agreement concluded the war and forced Napoleon's unconditional abdication as Emperor of the French, paving the way for the Bourbon Restoration.

Bourbon Restoration. Louis XVIII, recognized as King after the Coalition's defeat of Napoleon, had sent the Count of Artois to France in January 1814 with letters patent appointing him Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom in the event of Louis's restoration. Louis XVIII issued the Declaration of Saint-Ouen on 2 May 1814, supporting representative government while claiming unlimited monarchical sovereignty, which paved the way for the First Restoration of the House of Bourbon.

Sieges. The campaign's sieges concluded in April and May 1814. The Siege of Metz was lifted on 10 April without the city being taken. The Siege of Antwerp ended in a French capitulation on 4 May. The Siege of Mainz also ended on 4 May as French forces left the fortress, closing the military operations of the Sixth Coalition in these regions.

People involved

Sources

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