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How did the Battle of Waterloo change the treatment of France in the second Treaty of Paris?
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Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815.
The second Treaty of Paris, signed on November 20, 1815, was significantly harsher toward France than the first treaty of 1814, primarily because Napoleon Bonaparte had escaped from exile and resumed hostilities, which only concluded with his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.1
While the 1814 treaty had offered generous terms to the restored Bourbon dynasty, the 1815 agreement abandoned that lenient spirit. The consequences for France included:1
- Territorial Losses: Franceâs frontier was rolled back from the 1792 boundary to that of January 1, 1790, resulting in the loss of the Saar and Savoy.1
- Financial Indemnities: France was required to pay an indemnity of 700,000,000 francs.1
- Military Occupation: France was forced to support an army of 150,000 Allied occupation troops on its soil for a period of three to five years.1
This shift in policy reflected the Allies' determination to prevent further French aggression following the instability of the Hundred Days.12