Many young Genevese soldiers perished in the campaigns of that which Ami Fillion, clock and watch maker of Saint-Gervais, named “Napoleon the Wild one” in his new memories. The rich person had the possibility of paying a substitute who was going to fight in their place.

The return to independence

The disastrous exit of the countryside of Russia closes the era of the Napoleonean victories. The battle of Leipzig, of October 1813, is completed by the retirement of the French, pursued by the united armies of Russia, Austria and Germany. On December 21st, the Austrian general Bubna reaches Basle. Its goal is to gain Geneva and Lyon through Switzerland.

In Geneva, some men are with the aguets. The events let to them hope for the return to freedom. At their head, the former Friendly syndic Lullin, who will be the true instigator of the re-establishment of independence. Those which surround it are like him aristocrats of Former regime. In December 1813, these ex-syndics and advisers form a clandestine commission of government.

Bubna arrives at Lausanne on on December 27th. The French garrison evacuates Geneva without combat the 30, after an occupation of “fourteen years, eight month, fourteen days, ten hours and thirty minutes”, Fillion with a very clock making precision notes. The same day, Bubna and ten thousand Austrian soldiers settle in the city. The commission of government sets up in provisional government, four syndics are indicated. On December 31st, a proclamation is prepared announcing independence; it will be read in the streets and on the Genevese places on on January 1st, 1814.

Men of the provisional government

It is an active minority which had restored the independence of Geneva, courageous also, because nothing proved that Napoleon was beaten definitively.

Politically, these aristocrats want a return to Geneva of before 1792. More engaged, Joseph Of Arts, had written, in 1791, one little book, published in 1816, where he writes: “The men are born and remain unequal in right”; “the inequality of fortunes establishes the inequality of the political rights”; “the sovereignty of the people is a hateful thing”.

These ideas were those of the moment. The time postnapoléonienne is reactionary; it bears the name of Restoration because it hoped as much as possible to restore the company in the state where it was before the Revolution. It was exactly the intention of controlling Genevese.

Also they met the approval of the sovereigns and the foreign statesmen. On March 15th, 1814, Hardenberg, Minister for king de Prusse, complimented them: “You gave an unambiguous proof of the good spirit which animates you while benefitting from your freedom to restore the old order of the things.”