Hundred Days Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Hundred Days

Battle of Waterloo, by William Sadler II

Date	10 March to 8 July 1815
Location	France, present-day Belgium, present-day Italy
Result	Coalition victory, Treaty of Paris, end of the Napoleonic Wars

Belligerents

Seventh Coalition

United Kingdom

Prussia
Hanover
Other German states

Austria

Russia

Sweden

United Kingdom of the Netherlands

Spain

Portugal

Sardinia
Sicily

Tuscany

French Royalists

France
Naples

The Hundred Days was a short but very important time in European history. It describes the period when Napoleon Bonaparte, a famous French leader, returned to power after being exiled. This period lasted from March 20, 1815, when he arrived in Paris, until July 8, 1815, when King Louis XVIII was put back on the throne. Even though it's called the "Hundred Days," it actually lasted 111 days! This time is also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, and it included famous events like the Waterloo Campaign.

What Were the Hundred Days?
Images for kids
See also

What Were the Hundred Days?

The Hundred Days marks Napoleon's last attempt to rule France and Europe. After being defeated in 1814, he was sent away to an island. But he didn't stay there for long. His return caused a huge stir across Europe. Many countries quickly formed an alliance to stop him. This led to some of the most famous battles in history.

Napoleon's Exile to Elba

After years of wars across Europe, Napoleon's armies were finally defeated in 1814. He was forced to give up his power as Emperor of France. As punishment, he was sent into exile on a small island called Elba. This island is located off the coast of Italy. He was allowed to rule Elba, but he was no longer the powerful leader of France. Many people thought his time as a major player in Europe was over.

The Great Escape

Napoleon, however, was not content with ruling a small island. He was a brilliant military leader and still very popular with many French soldiers. On February 26, 1815, he secretly left Elba. He sailed back to France with a small group of loyal soldiers. As he marched towards Paris, more and more soldiers joined him. The French king, Louis XVIII, sent armies to stop him. But these armies often switched sides and joined Napoleon instead.

Napoleon's Return to Power

Napoleon's journey back to Paris was like a triumphant parade. He reached the capital on March 20, 1815. King Louis XVIII had already fled the city. Without firing a single shot, Napoleon took back control of France. He quickly began to rebuild his army. He knew that the other European powers would not accept his return. They saw him as a threat to peace.

The Seventh Coalition Forms

When news of Napoleon's escape and return spread, the leaders of Europe were shocked. They had just finished a long war against him. They were meeting at the Congress of Vienna to decide the future of Europe. They immediately declared Napoleon an "outlaw." This meant he had no legal right to rule. Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, and other countries quickly formed the Seventh Coalition. Their goal was to defeat Napoleon once and for all. They gathered huge armies to invade France.

The Waterloo Campaign

Napoleon knew he had to act fast before the Coalition armies could fully unite. He decided to attack first. His plan was to defeat the British and Prussian armies in Belgium before the Austrian and Russian forces arrived. This led to the famous Waterloo Campaign in June 1815.

The Battle of Ligny

On June 16, 1815, Napoleon's main army attacked the Prussian forces at Ligny. The battle was fierce, and Napoleon won a victory. The Prussians were forced to retreat. However, they were not completely destroyed. This allowed them to regroup and play a crucial role later.

The Battle of Quatre Bras

On the same day, a part of Napoleon's army fought the British and Dutch forces at Quatre Bras. This battle was a draw. Neither side gained a clear advantage. The British commander, the Duke of Wellington, managed to hold his ground. He then retreated to a strong defensive position near a village called Waterloo.

The Big Battle: Waterloo

The most famous battle of the Hundred Days happened on June 18, 1815. This was the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon attacked Wellington's army, which was positioned on a ridge. The battle lasted all day. The French launched repeated attacks, but the British and their allies held firm. Late in the afternoon, the Prussian army, led by Marshal Blücher, arrived. They attacked Napoleon's flank, which means they hit his army from the side. This surprise attack turned the tide of the battle. Napoleon's army was completely defeated.

The End of the Hundred Days

After the defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon returned to Paris. He realized he could not continue fighting. He gave up his power for a second time on June 22, 1815. The Coalition armies marched into Paris. King Louis XVIII was brought back to rule France on July 8, 1815. This marked the official end of the Hundred Days. Napoleon was exiled again, this time to the remote island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean. He died there a few years later. The Hundred Days was his final attempt to regain his empire.

Images for kids

The journey of a modern hero, to the island of Elba. Print shows Napoleon seated backwards on a donkey on the road "to Elba" from Fontainebleau; he holds a broken sword in one hand and the donkey's tail in the other while two drummers follow him playing a farewell(?) march.
Napoleon with the Elba Squadron of volunteers from the 1st Polish Light Cavalry of his Imperial Guard
Napoleon leaving Elba, painted by Joseph Beaume
The brig Inconstant, under Captain Taillade and ferrying Napoleon to France, crosses the path of the brig Zéphir, under Captain Andrieux. Inconstant flies the tricolour of the Empire, while Zéphir flies the white ensign of the House of Bourbon.
Strategic situation in Western Europe in 1815: 250,000 Frenchmen faced a coalition of about 850,000 soldiers on four fronts. In addition, Napoleon had to leave 20,000 men in Western France to reduce a royalist insurrection.
Plenipotentiaries at the Congress of Vienna
A portion of Belgium with some places marked in colour to indicate the initial deployments of the armies just before the commencement of hostilities on 15 June 1815, with British forces in red, Prussians in green, and French in blue
Invasion of France by the Seventh Coalition armies in 1815
Napoleon on Board the Bellerophon, exhibited in 1880 by Sir William Quiller Orchardson. Orchardson depicts the morning of 23 July 1815, as Napoleon watches the French shoreline recede.
All the participants of the War of the Seventh Coalition. Blue: The Coalition and their colonies and allies. Green: The First French Empire, its protectorates, colonies and allies.