FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2022-070 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (April 11, 2022) – In Issue 2022-069 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps, we learn how French could have been our primary language.

IF NAPOLEON WON AT WATERLOO, WE WOULD ALL BE SPEAKING FRENCH

On April 11, 1814, Napoleon, Emperor of France, abdicated the throne and was banished to the island of Elba, off the coast of Italy.

In his ten years as Emperor, Napoleon proved to have a sharp military and legal mind.  His Code Napoleon is the basis for much of France’s current civil law.

In April of 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to Paris to proclaim himself Emperor once again.  He ruled for a period called the Hundred Days, ending in his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June of 1815.

Napoleon’s loss at Waterloo ended France’s domination in Europe and signaling the rise of the British Empire.

The great general was exiled once more, this time to the island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic where he lived until his death.

Here is Bowyer’s map and view of Elba with Napoleon’s portrait and signature from 1815.

Island of Elba with Napoleon’s signature -1815 (Credit Steve Kovacs)

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.