Napoleon abdicated today, the 11th April, 1814. He had been ruler of 70 million people, 30 million of them French, the rest Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, some Italian and German. He had also ruled parts of Poland and Yugoslavia. Then he attacked Russia. After the disaster that was Russia he was outnumbered two to one by a coalition of Austrian, Prussian, Russians and Swedes at the battle of Leipzig, losing this battle. This too had come after the loss of Spain to Wellington(June 1813).
On the 31st March 1814 the Allies entered Paris. His Generals persuaded him to abdicate in favour of his 3 year old son. His 10 year Empire had come to a close.
He tried to poison himself on the 12th, but ended up vomiting and not dying. On the 29th he was on his way to exile on Elba.
He would return.
