The Emperor’s Beloved Flower

Napoleon Bonaparte’s fascination with violets was no mere aesthetic preference—it became a potent political symbol during his tumultuous reign. The delicate purple bloom adorned his first wife Joséphine at their wedding and flourished in the gardens of his second empress, Marie Louise of Austria. But in April 1814, as Napoleon departed for exile on Elba, the violet transformed into a clandestine emblem of loyalty. His supporters, forbidden from displaying the imperial tricolor, wore artificial violet bouquets instead.

Coded phrases like “Do you like violets?”—answered not with a simple “Yes” but “Eh bien!” (Well then!)—identified fellow Bonapartists. They toasted their “Little Corporal of the Violets,” while artists hid Napoleon’s profile within floral engravings. This botanical resistance movement set the stage for history’s most audacious comeback.

The Escape from Elba

On February 26, 1815, Napoleon made good on his promise to return “when violets bloom.” Slipping past British guards monitoring his Mediterranean prison, he embarked with 1,026 veterans—grenadiers of the Old Guard, Polish lancers, and Corsican light infantry. Landing near Cannes on March 1, he faced a critical choice: march north through royalist Provence or take the treacherous Alpine route.

Choosing the mountains, Napoleon followed what’s still called Route Napoléon. At Laffrey, royalist troops blocked his path. In a legendary moment, he opened his gray greatcoat and declared: “Soldiers of the Fifth! If any wish to kill their Emperor, here I stand!” Not a musket fired. Instead, cries of “Vive l’Empereur!” erupted as troops defected en masse.

The Hundred Days Unfold

By March 20, Napoleon entered Paris without firing a shot. Louis XVIII fled to Ghent as France’s elite units—including Marshal Ney, who’d vowed to bring Napoleon back “in an iron cage”—switched sides. The restored emperor faced dual challenges: legitimizing his rule and preparing for inevitable war.

His political strategy blended revolutionary rhetoric with pragmatism:
– Abolished noble titles and seized émigré properties
– Promised constitutional reforms to liberals
– Appealed to soldiers by distributing Imperial Eagle standards

Yet skepticism lingered. As one officer confessed: “We knew all was lost, but followed orders.” The army, though experienced, lacked cohesion after hasty reorganization.

Europe Responds

The Vienna Congress, then redrawing Europe’s map, declared Napoleon an outlaw on March 13. By month’s end, Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia pledged 150,000 troops each. Two coalitions formed:

Wellington’s Anglo-Allied Army
– Core of British/King’s German Legion veterans
– Dutch-Belgian troops of questionable loyalty
– Brunswick’s “Black Legion” mourning lost sovereignty

Blücher’s Prussians
– Reformed after 1806’s humiliation at Jena
– Mixed veterans and untrained Landwehr militia
– Patriotic fervor but chronic supply shortages

Napoleon exploited their tensions, leaking documents about Britain’s secret anti-Prussian pact. Yet the allies overcame distrust through personal diplomacy—particularly between Wellington and Blücher’s chief of staff Gneisenau.

The Clash of Titans

Napoleon’s strategic dilemma crystallized:
1. Defensive Option: Fortify Paris and await attack (politically risky)
2. Offensive Gambit: Strike Belgium before Russian/Austrian forces mobilized

Choosing aggression, he massed 128,000 men near Charleroi by June 15. His plan: wedge between Wellington and Blücher, defeating each separately. The stage was set for a four-day campaign culminating at Waterloo—where violets would bloom on unmarked graves.

Legacy of the Violet Spring

Napoleon’s return reshaped European consciousness:
– Military Innovation: Demonstrated morale’s power over materiel
– Nationalism: Fueled German unification movements
– Cultural Symbolism: Violets remained Bonapartist icons for decades

As Wellington later reflected: “Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won.” The Hundred Days proved both—a tragic coda to the Revolutionary era, yet a testament to one man’s ability to make continents tremble at the scent of flowers.