Download The Collapse of Napoleon*s Empire

The Collapse of Napoleon’s Empire &
The Congress of Vienna
World Studies I
Today you will be learning about
how NAPOLEON lost his empire!
Napoleon has conquered
most of Europe and the
map on the next slide is
what the French Empire
looked like when he was
most powerful….
French Empire in 1812 (in blue)
But, let’s begin with
the mistakes
Napoleon made
that cost him this
empire…
Mistake #1: The Continental System
• Napoleon tried to destroy Britain’s ability to
trade with other countries
• He closed the European ports under his control
• This policy was called the “Continental System”
Mistake #1: The Continental System
• Napoleon’s plan failed
• Smugglers were able to get around the “blockade”
• Britain organized their own blockade, and it was
better than Napoleon’s
Mistake #2: The Peninsular War
• Napoleon invaded Spain
• When the Spaniards protested, Napoleon put his
brother Joseph on the throne
• Furious, Spanish peasants organized and attacked
Napoleon’s troops
• Napoleon lost over 300,000 men in this war
Mistake #2: The Peninsular War
Meanwhile, “Nationalism” spreads throughout Europe
because nations under Napoleon’s Empire began to
hate him and feel pride in their own countries instead.
Nationalism: Intense loyalty to one’s country
• Modern Examples: Raider Nation
Mistake #2: The Peninsular War
• While they once saw Napoleon as a leader, the
non-French people began to unite against him
• Like the Spanish, the Germans and Italians
turned against the French
DOWN
WITH
NAPOLEON!
Nationalism Changes in France
Old France under King
Louis XVI
New France after the
Revolution
• King is symbol of France
• Allegiance to the King
• Nobles wear aristocratic
clothing
• People follow old Estate
system
• French Flag is symbol of
country
• Allegiance to France
• Most people wear more
common clothing
• People call each other
“citizen”
Mistake #3: Invasion of Russia
• Napoleon invaded Russia when the ruler refused to
stop selling grain to Britain
• The Russians retreated, but practiced the “scorched
earth policy”
• In other words, as they retreated they burned fields
and killed livestock so the French army would starve
Mistake #3: Invasion of Russia
• In addition to starvation, troops also suffered
from the cold winter and pure exhaustion
• When Napoleon finally retreated, there were
only 10,000 troops left (from 422,000!!!)
The Result: Napoleon’s Defeat
• In 1814, Napoleon is defeated and
exiled (sent to another country).
• He is sent to Elba, an island off the
coast of Italy.
• However, in 1815, Napoleon
escaped Elba and returned to
France to try and regain his power.
• The British & Prussian armies
defeated Napoleon and his troops
at the Battle of Waterloo.
• This time, Napoleon was exiled for
good to a small island in the
Southern Atlantic Ocean. He died
6 years later in 1821.
The Congress of Vienna (1814 - 1815)
• Now that Napoleon is
defeated, Austria,
Prussia, Russia, and
England meet over 8
months to discuss how
to keep Europe warfree and stable for as
long as possible.
• These meetings are
called the Congress of
Vienna.
This is a city in Austria
This means “meeting”
Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)
• The Congress of Vienna accomplishes the
following:
– They return power to absolute monarchs who ruled
before Napoleon. This is called legitimacy.
– France ends up with a constitutional monarchy with
King Louis XVIII (brother of the dead King Louis XVI)
– Give Austria, Prussia, England, France, and Russia
similar amounts of land so that countries don’t fight.
Also, they make many new smaller countries around
France to contain it. This is called creating a balance
of power. No country in Europe could overpower
another.
– France was not punished too harshly for fear that it
might want to take revenge in the future.
Europe after Congress of Vienna