Editing Six Days' Campaign (section)

==Aftermath==
Following his successful campaign against Blücher, Napoleon hurried south to face Schwarzenberg. Although his forces were outnumbering Napoleon's by six to one, Schwarzenberg ordered a retreat upon hearing of Napoleon's approach, and left a [[rearguard]] under the [[William I of Württemberg|Prince of Württemberg]] to fight the French at [[Battle of Montereau|Montereau]].{{sfn|Agha Al Barazi|2021}}

On 22 February, a council of war was held near [[Troyes]] by Coalition leaders. Frightened by his recent streak of victories, they offered Napoleon an [[armistice]] whose terms would allow him to keep his throne in exchange for the restoration of the French borders of 1791. Napoleon refused unless they agreed to the terms of the 1813 [[Frankfurt proposals]].{{sfn|Agha Al Barazi|2021}}

On 28 February, Coalition forces resumed their advance. Napoleon inflicted further defeats on both Schwarzenberg's and Blücher's armies. Thus after six weeks fighting the Coalition armies had hardly gained any ground. However, after the [[Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube]] on 20 March, where the Austrians outnumbered his dwindling army 80,000 to 28,000, Napoleon realised that he could no longer continue with his current strategy of defeating the Coalition armies in detail and decided to change his tactics. He had two options: he could fall back on Paris and hope that the Coalition members would come to terms, as capturing Paris with a French army under his command would be difficult and time-consuming; or he could copy the Russians and leave Paris to his enemies (as they had left Moscow to him two years earlier). He decided to move eastward to [[Saint-Dizier]], rally what garrisons he could find, and raise the whole country against the invaders and attack their lines of communications.{{sfn|Maude|1911|pp=232–233}}{{sfn|Lieven|2009|pp=262–263}}

A letter containing an outline of his plan of action was captured by his enemies. The Coalition commanders held a council of war at [[Pougy]] on the 23 March and initially decided to follow Napoleon, but the next day Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia]] and King Frederick of Prussia along with their advisers reconsidered, and realising the weakness of their opponent, decided to march to Paris (then an [[open city]]), and let Napoleon do his worst to their lines of communications.{{sfn|Maude|1911|pp=232–233}}{{sfn|Lieven|2009|p=263–265}}

The Coalition armies marched straight for the capital. Marmont and Mortier with what troops they could rally took up a position on [[Montmartre]] heights to oppose them. The [[Battle of Paris (1814)|Battle of Paris]] ended when the French commanders, seeing further resistance to be hopeless, surrendered the city on 31 March, just as Napoleon, with the wreck of the Guards and a mere handful of other detachments, was hurrying across the rear of the Austrians towards [[Fontainebleau]] to join them.{{sfn|Maude|1911|pp=232–233}}

Napoleon was forced to announce his unconditional abdication and sign the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]].{{sfn|Alison|1860|p=205}}{{sfn|Lamartine|1854|pp=202–207}} Napoleon was sent into exile on the island of [[Elba]]{{sfn|Lamartine|1854|pp=202–207}} and [[Louis XVIII of France|Louis XVIII]] became king.{{sfn|Turk|1999|p=68}} The [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]], signed by representatives of the French monarchy and the Coalition powers, formally ended the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]] on 30 May 1814.{{sfn|Turk|1999|p=68}}