Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau and his forced abdication, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled and landed at Portoferraio on the island of Elba on May 4, 1814. But Napoleon's life on Elba was far from that of a prisoner. He was allowed a personal guard of several hundred men plus a household staff. He was given the title of Emperor of Elba and given authority to rule over the island's 100,000 inhabitants, and he did in fact carry out a series of economic and social reforms while on Elba. In February 1815, just after 300 days of exile, he managed to escape back to France with his small army.

Questions or comments about this page?