History in Hindsight

On March 30,1814, Russian troops marched through the streets of Paris, having defeated Napoleon's forces, forcing the Emperor out of power and into exile for the first time. Napoleon had by that time taken control of most of Europe, but after a failed invasion of Russia in 1812, Tsar Alexander I led a coalition of 400,000 troops from every occupied European country to chase him back west, and in a years time, they would become the first foreign army to parade through Paris in 400 years. The coalition had not encountered much resistance upon entering France, as 25 years of war and revolution had made them too weary to mount a resistance, some even welcoming them. The battle for the capital was fought without Napoleon in charge, as he had been chased away by what he thought were the bulk of coalition forces, and by the time he realized that the center of the action was in the city itself, he was too far away to return. After a day of fighting, the Emperor had lost the city and 3 days later, his crown. The Russian troops were greatly impacted by not only the victory, but the campaign itself, putting what had been mostly serfs in contact with modern society for the first time. They brought the ideas and culture they observed back with them after the war, eventually leading to revolution and overthrow of their own monarchy. The Russians would also impact the French as well, and it has been said that Russian troops celebrating their victory at La Mère Catherine had asked for their drinks "bystro" (quickly), coining the term that would define casual French restaurants around the world ever since.

# @ La Mère Catherine