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==The Grand Empire==
The First Empire of France was centered on the actual empire, the lands legally belonging to France, surrounded by semi-independent satellite states and independent allies.<ref name="GrandEmpire"/>

The Empire reached its peak around the time of Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia in 1812.<ref name="Timeline">[http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/napoleonchron.html Timeline of Napoleon's Empire (1798-1821)]. ''thelatinlibrary.com''. Retrieved October 26, 2016.</ref> Napoleon abdicated from the throne on April 11, 2014 and went into exile on the island of [[Elba]] only to take control of France again on March 20, 1815.<ref name="Timeline"/> After his defeat in the [[Battle of Waterloo]], Napoleon abdicated on June 22, 1815 for the last time.<ref name="Timeline"/> France's borders were mostly reverted to before the territorial expansion and the empire ended.<ref name="Timeline"/>