That fédérés of Dijon and Rennes remained at the forefront of opposition during the Second Restoration emerges clearly from the preceding casestudies, but the question remains whether these men were typical. Did fédérés elsewhere also react to repression by participating in the three main lines of resistance: rebellion, conspiracy and, when these failed, ‘constitutional’ Liberal Opposition?

The central objective of the federative movement during the Hundred Days had been to prevent reinstallation of the Bourbon Monarchy. After the Provisional Government's capitulation in July 1815, this cause was lost and fédérés had little choice but to admit the fact. After all, they were hardly capable of opposing the Allied forces victorious over the French Army at Waterloo. The man around whom they had united had again gone into exile, and federative assemblies had to cease. Fédérés entered a period of disarray and the more compromised, such as Azaiis at Nancy, had to take flight or go into hiding, as did Boyer-Fonfrede at Toulouse.

It took some time for Bourbon officials to regrasp the reigns of control. Along with containing anarchy in parts of the south, avoiding civil war in the west, preventing rebellion in the east, and controlling the remnants of the Imperial Army stationed south of the Loire, government representatives had to deal with the demands of the Allies. In certain places Allied commanders were reluctant to grant Bourbon officials any authority whatsoever; in most places their requisitioning and outright plunder caused the government serious problems.