Key Facts
- Date
- 30–31 March 1814
- Duration
- 2 days
- Attacker coalition
- Russia, Austria, Prussia, Württemberg
- Defender
- First French Empire under Joseph Bonaparte
- Result
- Allied victory; French evacuation of Paris
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 30 March 1814, Coalition forces comprising Russian, Austrian, Prussian, and Württemberg troops launched a coordinated assault on Paris's eastern suburbs. French troops under Marshals Marmont and Mortier mounted determined resistance but were overwhelmed by superior numbers. By late afternoon the French position was untenable, and the two marshals negotiated a ceasefire with Allied commanders Tsar Alexander I, King Frederick William III, and Field Marshal Schwarzenberg.
01 / The Origins
By early 1814, the Sixth Coalition had pushed deep into France after Napoleon's catastrophic 1812 Russian campaign and defeat at Leipzig in 1813. With Allied armies advancing from multiple directions, the French capital became the final objective. Napoleon was maneuvering in the field while Paris, poorly garrisoned, was left under the nominal command of his brother Joseph Bonaparte, creating a critical vulnerability at the heart of the Empire.
03 / The Outcome
Under the terms agreed with the Allied leaders, French forces evacuated Paris on 31 March 1814. The fall of the capital effectively ended the War of the Sixth Coalition. Napoleon, unable to rally sufficient forces to retake Paris, was compelled to abdicate and was subsequently exiled to the island of Elba, ending his first reign and allowing the Bourbon monarchy to be restored under Louis XVIII.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
4 belligerents
Tsar Alexander I of Russia, King Frederick William III of Prussia, Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg.
Side B
1 belligerent
Joseph Bonaparte, Marshal Auguste de Marmont, Marshal Édouard Mortier.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.