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By: HISTORY.com Editors

1814

Napoleon’s forces defeated in Paris

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: February 09, 2010Last Updated: January 31, 2025

European forces allied against Napoleonic France march triumphantly into Paris, formally ending a decade of French domination on the Continent.

Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, seized control of the French state in 1800, and in 1804 was crowned emperor. By 1807, he controlled an empire that stretched across Europe. In 1812, however, he began to encounter the first significant defeats of his military career, suffering through a disastrous invasion of Russia, losing Spain to the Duke of Wellington, and enduring total defeat against an allied force in 1814.

Exiled to the island of Elba, he escaped to France in early 1815 and raised a new Grand Army that enjoyed temporary success before its crushing defeat at Waterloo. He was then exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he died six years later.

The Rise of Napoleon

In the wake of the French Revolution, a young Napoleon Bonaparte begins a meteoric rise to power.

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Citation Information

Article Title: Napoleon’s forces defeated in Paris
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-30/allies-capture-paris

Date Accessed: October 21, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: January 31, 2025
Original Published Date: February 09, 2010