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472 General History of Europe which had at last learned the necessity of cooperating against their powerful common enemy, were preparing to cut him off from France, he retreated early in October and was totally defeated in the tremendous " Battle of the Nations," as it has since been called, in the environs of Leipzig (October 16-19). 835. Break-up of Napoleon's Empire. As the defeated em- peror crossed the Rhine with the remnants of his army the whole THE ABDICATION OF NAPOLEON' THE DOCUMENT IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING fabric of his political edifice in Germany and Holland collapsed. The members of the Confederation of the Rhine joined the allies. Jerome Bonaparte fled from his kingdom of Westphalia, and the Dutch drove the French officials from Holland. During the year 1813 the Spanish, with the aid of the English under Wellington, had practically cleared their country of the French intruders. 836. Napoleon's Abdication (April, 1814). In spite of these disasters, Napoleon refused the propositions of peace made on condition that he would content himself henceforth with his dominion over France. The allies consequently marched into France, and the almost superhuman activity of the hard-pressed emperor could not prevent their occupation of Paris (March 31, 1814). Napoleon was forced to abdicate and renounce all rights to the throne for himself and his family. He was permitted to retain his title of Emperor and was granted full sovereignty over the tiny island of Elba in the Mediterranean, where he was really