Paris under Napoleon Each of the twelve arrondissements had its own mayor, but their power was limited to enforcing the decrees of Napoleon's ministers. After he crowned himself Emperor on December 2, 1804, Napoleon began a series of projects to make Paris into an imperial capital to rival ancient Rome. He built monuments to French military glory, including the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the column in Place Vendôme, and the future church of the Madeleine, intended as a temple to military heroes; and began the Arc de Triomphe. To improve the circulation of traffic in central Paris, he built a wide new
Abdication of Napoleon, 1815 unexpected appearance of the Emperor Napoleon himself, which gave rise to the most gloomy anticipations. Napoleon arrived in Paris only two hours after the news of the defeat at Waterloo had arrived. His arrival temporarily caused those who were conspiring against him to cease their machinations. Napoleon's calculated return to Paris may have been a political mistake, because it was seen by some as a desertion of his men and even an act of cowardice. If he had remained in the field the nation might have rallied and perhaps fortune might have favoured him. Had the Chambers received the news