First Restoration
This article treats first Restauration.
Since catastrophic the countryside of Russia, in November 1812, the empire is fragile. Following the Countryside of Germany in 1813, and in particular the defeat of Leipzig, the October 15th, the fall appears inevitable. The empire capitulates after the countryside of France, whereas Paris is occupied by the allied troops of the coalition. The Senate and the legislative body declare the forfeiture of the emperor the April 2nd and request from Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI, then emigrated in England, to go up on the throne. Napoleon sign his abdication the April 6th 1814 with Fontainebleau. The May 3rd 1814, Louis XVIII returns to Paris. It gains the palate of Tileries only after having intended to sing a Te Deum with the Notre-Dame cathedral. The allies do not wish, however, to restore the Absolute monarchy of before 1789, but consider necessary the édiction of a Constitution. The charged commission to prepare the project takes as a starting point the French constitutions of 1791 and 1795, as well as British institutions. For the first time in France, a parliamentary mode must be set up, since it is expected that the ministers must belong to the rooms and be responsible in front of them.
In May, peace is concluded with the Allies: it is the first Traité of Paris which restores France in its borders of 1792 with some territorial profits intended to spare the feelings of the French. This treaty does not compromise the chances of the new mode: the kingdom does not have to suffer from occupation or war indemnities. If they regard as a humiliation the abandonment of the revolutionary and imperial conquests, the French are still too close to joursdouloureux to the foreign invasion not to be grateful to the new king to have brought back peace for them.
This reassuring character of the Restoration does not last: the latter is moulted quickly in a dangerous reaction. The emigrants return, after two decades of absence, while speaking about reprisals and while requiring the restitution of their goods. The clergy imposes processions, prohibited the balls of Sunday and refuse even sometimes the sacraments with the owners of national goods. The French company is fractured; the survivors of the Imperial Guard are dispersed in remote garrisons, and do not include/understand the honors which are sometimes made with the emigrants having rendered services in the hostile armies with the Republic and the Empire. The opposition awakes, and some jacqueries are noted. Plots are organized; Fouché envisages even the fall of the mode and dream a time to replace Louis XVIII by the duke of Orleans.
In spite of all these fractures and oppositions, the king posts a will of forgiveness, lapse of memory and national reconciliation. The June 4th 1814, Louis XVIII grants on his subjects the Charte of 1814 - constitutional, pledge of peace for the kingdom: it maintains the conquests social of the Revolution, as well as the major part of the Napoleonean institutions, while binding the new mode to the French history and the Old Mode.
The Restoration, which seems well left in spite of some " râtés" , is shortened by the return of Napoleon in March 1815, which obliges Louis XVIII to flee with Ghent and to give up the control of the capacity temporarily.
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