Question

Why were the french so eager for napoleon to return to france after his escape from elba?

Answer 1

During the Napoleonic Era, Napoleon introduced and established many changes that favored most of the French population instead of the aristocracy. For example, he signed an agreement with the Catholic Church which provided freedom of worship; he let the peasants keep the lands that had been taken away from its previous owners (the clergy); he improved the educational system by creating secondary schools called Lycees and a University; he boosted employment and French economy by creating The Central Bank of France which loeaned money to traders and manufacturers; he also created a fairer taxation system from which noblemen and clergymen were no longer exempt.

Low and middle-class people feared that when King Louis XVIII was restored to power, he would eliminate many of these changes that favored them. For this reason, when Napoleon returned from exile, they welcomed him as they thought Napoleon's rule would continue to support the growth and betterment of the low and middle-class population.