# Second abdication of Napoleon (1815)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1815-second-abdication-of-napoleon
Location: Paris
Categories: ruler-change

Napoleon gave up the throne after Waterloo and was later exiled to Saint Helena. Within the broader Consulate & Napoleonic Empire period, Napoleon consolidated many revolutionary reforms while concentrating power, building an empire and waging continental war. French institutions and armies reshaped Europe before military defeat restored the Bourbons. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Napoleon I (Emperor of the French (Hundred Days)). Second abdication of Napoleon mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Second abdication of Napoleon mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Louis XVIII](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-xviii-1815)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Second abdication of Napoleon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Second+abdication+of+Napoleon&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Second abdication of Napoleon](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Second+abdication+of+Napoleon)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)