Napoleon Forges an Empire

1799 - 1815

Learning Target

• Explain how Napoleon built and lost an empire.

Napoleon: Why he is important!

• He was a short man only 5’ 3” tall.

• He was one of the world’s greatest military geniuses.

• In four years from 1795-1799, Napoleon rose from obscurity to become the master of France.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Biography• Napoleon was born in 1769 on

the Mediterranean Island of Corsica (Italian island annexed by France) .

• In 1785, at the age of 16, he was made a lieutenant in the French army in charge of artillery.

• In October of 1795, when royalists marched on the National Convention, Napoleon and his gunners greeted the thousands of royalists with a cannonade.

• The attackers fled in panic, and Napoleon became a hero.

Napoleon Bonaparte: Biography

• By the age of 25 Napoleon was made a brigadier general by the Committee of Public Safety.

• He led armies against the Kingdom of Austria winning major victories using speed deception and surprise.

• Expanded France’s Empire by thousands of miles

• He returned to France in 1797 as even a bigger hero.

Napoleon : Failure in Egypt• Napoleon took over an army

training to invade England.• Knowing that the French

were not ready to take on England, Napoleon convinced the Directory to attack Egypt instead.

• Napoleon failed to take Egypt in an attempt to prevent British trade with India.

• Napoleon abandoned his army and returned home to France.

Napoleon’s Coup ď État of the Directory

• In 1799, the Directory had lost control of the political situation and the confidence of the French people.

• Napoleon plotted with members of the Directory and the Council of 500 while his wife Josephine met with wealthy influential backers.

• The Coup occurred on November 9, 1799 when Napoleon was put in charge of the military and ended the next day when he drove out members of the Council of Elders.

• The legislature voted to end the Directory and placed in charge of France was a Consul of thee persons, one of which was Napoleon. Napoleon was only 30.

Napoleon as First Consul• The plebiscite (a vote by which the

people of an entire country or district express an opinion for or against a proposal especially on a choice of government or ruler ) of 1800 gives Napoleon the mandate to play a role for which he is well suited both in character and in terms of his 18th-century education - that of the enlightened despot

• Napoleon as First Consul controlled the entire government.

• He appointed members of the bureaucracy, controlled the army, conducted foreign affairs, and influenced the legislature.

• France was still a Republic• 1802 Napoleon was made Consul for

life!

Napoleon as Emperor

• In 1804, Napoleon decided to make himself emperor and the French voters supported him.

• On December 2, 1804 Napoleon was to be crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral by the Pope.

• Napoleon, however took the crown from the Pope and placed it on his own head. Demonstrating that he was above the church in many ways.

Napoleon’s Domestic

Policy

Napoleon: Concordat with the Roman Catholic Church

• Napoleon made peace with the Church to restore stability to France.

• He himself was an Enlightenment believer in reason, and believed religion was a political matter.

• Bonaparte approved of religion in its role of preserving an orderly society.

• In 1801 Napoleon made an agreement with the Pope that recognized Catholicism as the religion of most of France.

• The pope gave up asking for the return of church lands.

The Napoleonic Code, or Code Civil, entered into force on

March 21, 1804. Even though the Napoleonic code was not

the first legal code to be established in a European

country— it is considered the first successful codification and strongly influenced the

law of other countries.The Napoleonic Code, formally said, dealt only with civil law issues, such as filiation and property; It also did not deal

with how laws and regulations were to be passed — which is reserved for a constitution.The Code, with its stress on

clearly written and accessible law, was a major step in

establishing the rule of law.

Napoleon’s Civil CodeNapoleonic Code

• The Napoleonic Code recognized:– Equality before the law– The right to choose a

profession– Religious toleration– The end of serfdom and

feudalism– Outlawed unions and

strikes– Safeguarded all property

rights.– Government employment

based upon ability.

Napoleonic Code

• The Code had several key concepts at its core:

1.Equality of all in the eyes of the law 2.No recognition of privileges of birth (i.e.

noble rights inherited from ancestors.) 3.Freedom of religion 4.Separation of the church and the state 5.Freedom to work in an occupation of one's

choice

Napoleonic Code

6. Strengthening the family by:• Placing emphasis on the husband and

father as the head of the family • Restricting grounds for divorce to three

reasons: adultery, conviction of a serious crime, and grave insults, excesses or cruelty; however divorce could be granted by mutual agreement, as long as the grounds were kept private.

• Defining who could inherit the family property

Napoleonic Codes: Accomplishments

• The Code in effect did several things:1.It preserved the social aims of the

Revolution. 2.It protected the interests of the rising

middle class. 3.It guaranteed civil liberties.

Napoleonic Code: Weaknesses

1. A woman could not vote. 2. A wife owed obedience to her husband,

who had total control over their property. 3. A unmarried woman had few rights and

could not be a legal guardian or witness wills.

4. It was easier for a man to sue for divorce on grounds of adultery, while a man had to cohabit with his mistress for two years for his wife to justify a divorce.

Napoleonic Code: Weaknesses

5. If a man surprised his wife in bed with another man, he could kill her legally. If a woman did so, she could be tried for murder.

6. Minors had few rights. (A father even could place his child in jail for up to six months.)

7. Illegitimate children had no rights of inheritance.

Napoleon Brings Order After the RevolutionThe Economy!!!

Goals of the Revolution

Equal taxation

Lower inflation

Napoleon’s Napoleon’s ActionsActions

Set up fairer tax code

Set up national bank

Stabilized currency

Gave state loans to businesses

Results

Equal taxation

Stable economy

Napoleon Brings Order After the RevolutionGovernment & Society

Goals of the Revolution

Less Government Corruption

Equal Opportunity in Government

Napoleon’s Napoleon’s ActionsActions

Appointed officials by merit

Fired corrupt officials

Created lycées: Government Run Public Schools

Created Code of Law

Results Honest Competent Officials

Equal opportunity in government

Public education

Napoleon Brings Order After the Revolution: Religion

Goals of the Revolution

Less powerful Catholic Church

Religious tolerance

Napoleon’s Napoleon’s ActionsActions

Recognized Catholicism as “faith of Frenchmen

Signed concordat with the Pope

Retained seized church lands

Results

Religious tolerance

Government control of church lands

Government recognition of church influence,

Conclusion: Napoleon’s Domestic Policy

• In his domestic policy Napoleon was the preserver of much of the revolutionary spirit of France.

• On the other hand liberty was replaced by despotism.– Napoleon shut down 60 of

France’s 73 newspapers.– Mail was opened by

government police.– All manuscripts must be

inspected before they are printed.

Napoleon’s Empire

Building the Empire

• When Napoleon was made first consul France was at war with Austria, Great Britain and Russia.

• Napoleon needed peace to settle the present French government, and to save the world from chaos.

• Napoleon achieved a peace treaty in 1802.

Napoleon hoped to expand his empire in Europe and the New

World.In 1803, Bonaparte faced a

major setback when an army he sent to re-conquer Haiti and establish a base was

destroyed by a combination of yellow fever and fierce

resistance. Recognizing that the French possessions on the

mainland of North America would now be indefensible,

and facing imminent war with Britain, he sold them to the

United States —the Louisiana Purchase—for less than three cents per acre. The dispute

over Malta provided the pretext for Britain to declare

war on France in 1803 to support French royalists.

Building an Empire: War Against the Third Coalition

• In 1803 war resumed with Great Britain who was later joined by Austria, Russia and Prussia.

• Napoleon’s Grand Army defeated the Austrian, Russian, and Prussian armies in three successive battles Ulm, Austerlitz and Jena (1805-07)

• He used these victories to create a new European order.

http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/microsites/line_of_fire/

The New European Order

• Napoleon’s Grand Empire was composed of three elements.– Enlarged France

reaching to the Rhine– Dependent States– Allied States

                                                  

Napoleonic Empire

Spreading the Principles of the Revolution

• Legal Equality• Religious toleration• Economic freedom• Quote on page 348…• In the inner and

dependent states Napoleon tried to destroy the old order.– The clergy and the nobility

lost their privileges.– Equal opportunity for all

Two Major Reasons why Napoleons Empire Collapsed.

• Survival of Great Britain

– Sea power; as long as they controlled the waves they were invulnerable to attacks

– At the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, British defeat of the French-Spanish fleet, destroyed any attempt to invade Britain.

• Force of nationalism– A unique cultural identity

of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols.

– The Spirit of Nationalism in France was great for Napoleons empire, but he did not realize the spread of liberalism beyond France indirectly spread nationalism as well.

The Battle of Trafalgar in 1804 was a humiliating defeat for France

The defeat prevented any possibility of an invasion of England for Napoleon.

Force of Nationalism

• The French aroused nationalism in two ways.– First, they were hated

as oppressors. This hatred stirred the patriotism in other countries.

– Second, France demonstrated to the people of Europe what a nation in arms could accomplish.

The End of Napoleon

Russian Winters and Waterloo

The Continental System

• Since Napoleon could not defeat the British navy he turned towards economic warfare.

• He planned to cut off all British trade with the European continent.

• Despite initial drops in exports and domestic unrest the British economy survives.

• Continental System hurts European nations however.

• Napoleon ignores the advice to turn Europe into a free trade zone, and French tariffs make people angry.

Why did Napoleon invade Russia in spite of the risks of invading a large country?

• In 1807 the Czar of Russia had agreed not to trade with Britain, but due to poor economic conditions he continued the trade in timber.

• The Russians refused to remain in the Continental System leaving Napoleon with little choice but to invade Russia.

What did the Russians do that prevented

Napoleon from achieving a quick victory? • Napoleon desired to

achieve a quick victory over the Russians in Lithuania.

• He formed an army of 600,000 men to invade Russia. It was the largest army Europe had ever seen but within six months 9 out of 10 were dead.

• The Russian army contained 200,000 men.

How did the Russian army deprive Napoleon of the food supplies they needed?

• The Russians refused to give battle and simply retreated.

• As they retreated they burned their own villages and countryside to prevent Napoleon’s army from finding food.

• This is called the scorched earth policy.

What did Napoleon’s army discover when

they entered Moscow? • Moscow was completely

abandoned.• The day after Napoleon

took Moscow it went up in flames.

• Napoleon waits 8 weeks for the Czar to surrender. He refuses.

• He says, “My campaign, led by General Winter is just beginning.”

Napoleon in Moscow!

• Napoleon was far from home with a badly damaged army.• Lacking adequate supplies as winter was quickly

approaching in an unfriendly country.• By October, Napoleon was forced to retreat.

Napoleon’s Retreat

Conditions on the journey home.

• During the march, men and horses both starved because there was no food and no time to gather any. Horses died in the thousands from overwork and starvation – no time to graze. Men were seen quenching their thirst with horse urine, because water was unobtainable or polluted.

Conditions on the journey home.

• Temperatures plummeted to 40 degrees below zero.

• Napoleon lost 25,000 troops just crossing the Berezina river when the Russians burned the only two bridges to cross the river trapping thousands on the wrong side of the river to be captured by the Cossacks who drove them naked back into Russia.

How many soldiers made it back from Moscow to Poland alive?

• Less than 40,000 out of the 600,000 made it back alive.

• Napoleon himself abandoned his army and rode back to France to organize another army. Men were easy to get, but the horses lost in the battle would cost Napoleon a victory in the next battle.

The European Coalition• Napoleon returns to Paris and

raises an army of 350,000 men.• The nations of Europe (Grand

Alliance: Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden ) are reluctant to go to war with Napoleon and try to negotiate a peace treaty that would have left Napoleon in power over a weakened France.

• He refused saying, “I am an upstart soldier. My dominion will not survive the day when I cease to be strong.”

Napoleon’s Defeat

• Napoleon’s Grand Army was defeated by the Grand Alliance (Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Austria) in the Battle of Nations or Leipzig.

• Napoleon is exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy to live out the rest of his days.

An alliance of Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Austria attacked France and defeated Napoleon’s Army in 1813 at Leipzig. The Battle of Leipzig or

the Battle of the Nations (16-19 October 1813) was the largest conflict in the Napoleonic Wars and the

most decisive defeat suffered by Napoleon Bonaparte. Fought on German soil, it also involved German troops on both sides, as a large proportion

of Napoleon 's troops actually came from the German Confederation of the Rhine.  

Mistake #1In 1806

Napoleon attempted to

blockade British ports to

hurt their economy. This

Continental System was to

make the continent more self sufficient.

The British Navy put their own blockade around Europe

which weakened Europe’s economy.

Mistake #2 Napoleon made his brother King of Spain in 1808.

The Spanish people were loyal to their

own king. The peasant fighters called guerrillas fought against Napoleon in a war called The

Peninsular War.

The Collapse of

Napoleon’s Empire

Mistake #3In 1812

Napoleon attempted to

conquer Russia.The Russians

retreated and followed a

scorched-earth policy leaving no livestock or grain for the

French Army. The onset of

Winter, attacks and deserters

left only 10,000 of the original

400,000 troops.

The Battle of WaterlooThe Final Defeat

Where was Napoleon exiled after his capture in Paris?

• The island of Elba off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.

Napoleon Escapes

• During Napoleon’s stayed on Elba in 1814, he was not content. His thoughts kept wandering back to his ambitions of a grand empire.

• After awhile, Napoleon couldn’t stand it any longer. He planned an escape with some of his most trusted advisors.

• In February 1815, Napoleon sailed from the island with 1,000 or so followers. He landed near Cannes on March 1 and marched toward Paris. Napoleon gathered supporters along the way.

Napoleon Escapes

• Napoleon escaped from the island and returned to France.– When troops came to capture

him he opened his coat and screamed,

– “Soldiers of the 5th regiment, I am your Emperor…if there is a man among you who would kill his Emperor, here I am.”

– He then shouted, “Vive l’Empereur.” (long live the Emperor.).

Napoleon Escapes• Nineteen days later he

was in Paris and resumed his title as Emperor.

• He declared a new constitution that limited his powers.

• His return to power was known as “The Hundred

Days”• His army rallied to him.

The soldiers who had been captured during the years of fighting had been released enabling Napoleon to reform his Grande Armée.

What happened to Louis XVIII?

• After Napoleon’s defeat the Bourbon monarchy had been restored. Louis XVII had died in prison from tuberculosis.

• The newly enthroned monarch Louis XVIII fled to Belgium as Napoleon made his way towards Paris.

To Belgium to Attack the Allies

Napoleon resolved to attack the British, Prussian, Belgian and Dutch armies before the other powers could come to their assistance. He marched into Belgium.

Battle of Waterloo

• On June 18, 1815, in Waterloo, Napoleon met a combined British and Prussia army, Napoleon Suffered a bloody defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington.

• The allied forces exiled him to the St. Helena, small island in the South Atlantic.

• The fear of him escaping, haunted the French political life for years to come

The Effects of The French Revolution

These were felt in several ways in countries outside France.  Due to the people's revolt against the monarchy, the Russians succeeded in overthrowing the Czar and transferring from an Absolute Monarchy to Communism.  England also benefited from this.  The people rebelled against the monarchy and caused the English monarchs to lose all power and control over the people. "The French Revolution was a step towards replacing traditional aristocratic forms of government with more open, elective systems. Along with the American Revolution, it inspired

reformers throughout the western world."    

Questions

1. What was the significance of the Napoleon’s Civil Code?

2. Why did Napoleon want to stop British goods from reaching Europe?

3. Why did being a sea power help Britain to survive the attack from the French?

4. Explain how nationalism contributed to Napoleon’s defeat. Be sure to discuss how French nationalism produced nationalism outside of France

5. Using the diagram below, identify the reasons for the rise and fall of Napoleon’s Grand Empire

Questions

5. Using the diagram below, identify the reasons for the rise and fall of Napoleon’s Grand Empire

Rise FallNapoleon’s Rise & Fall

The Congress of Vienna1814

Who was invited to the Congress of Vienna?

• Czar Alexander I– The Czar of Russia– Wants Poland

• Viscount Robert Castlereagh– British foreign

secretary– Wanted to deny

Russia, Poland– Wanted to

strengthen Germany

Who was invited to the Congress of Vienna?

• Prince Karl August von Hardenberg– Prussian statesman

• Prince Klemens von Metternich– Austrian Statesman– Long-lasting order in

Europe– Wanted a return to

conservative ideas

• Prince Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand– French statesman– Wanted to keep France in one

piece.

What was the purpose of the Congress of Vienna?

• It was to arrange a final peace settlement after almost ten years of war with Napoleon.

What is legitimacy, and how did Metternich use this concept as a guide to reconstruct

Europe after the fall of Napoleon?

• Legitimacy is the idea that countries would be governed by the legitimate or legal heirs of the old order.

• Metternich’s goal was to place the lawful rulers of countries back in power.

How did the Congress of Vienna attempt to balance the power in Europe?

• They rearranged territories in Europe hoping that his would form a new balance of power. The powers at Vienna wanted to keep one country from dominating Europe.

What is conservatism?• Conservatism is based on

tradition and social stability. It favors obedience to political authority, and believed that organized religion is crucial to order in society.

• Conservatives hated revolutions and were unwilling to accept demands from people who wanted either individual rights or representative government.

What is the concert of Europe?

• It was a meeting of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Britain to take steps that would maintain the peace in Europe.

What is the principle of intervention?

• The great powers had the right to send armies into countries where there were revolutions in order to restore the legitimate monarchs to their thrones.

What reasons did Britain give for not supporting the principles of intervention?

• Britain refused to accept the principle of intervention arguing that the great powers should not interfere in the internal affairs of other states.

• Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France however used military forces to crush revolutions in Spain and in Italy.