Download Napoleon bonaparte “I closed the gulf of anarchy and brought order

Napoleon bonaparte
“I closed the gulf of anarchy and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth,
wherever I found it. I purified the Revolution.”
“I saw the French Crown lying there on the floor, and I picked it up with my sword”
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on a Mediterranean island called Corsica. He attended military schools
in France. By the time he was sixteen, he was an active member of the French army. He fought in wars during
the French revolution and was an outstanding leader. He won battles against the British and the Italians.
Napoleon made sure that news of his victories reached the right ears, and he became one of the key political
leaders in Paris.
In 1799, Napoleon seized control of the French government. He became the First Consul. The First Consul was
a ruler, but not a king. Napoleon promised peace and order, and he soon established that peace by signing
treaties with warring countries.
As First Consul, Napoleon changed the French systems of law, education, and government. One of his most
significant achievements was his reorganization of the French legal system. He created the Napoleonic Code.
This Code covered all kind of laws and was written in clear, specific language that could be easily understood.
This ensured equal treatment for all citizens. Even today, French law is still based on the Napoleonic Code.
Napoleon had a strong desire for power. In 1804, he announced that the revolution was over and had himself
crowned Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. France had just finished fighting a bloody revolution to rid itself
of a monarchy, and now they had an emperor.
At his coronation, Napoleon and his wife, Josephine, wore long purple capes lined with ermine fur. Napoleon
also brought the pope form Rome to the coronation to show that the French emperor deserved the same
respect as the Holy Roman Emperors. However, Napoleon placed the crown on his own head instead of
having the pope do it, to show that even the pope was not above him.
Napoleon is known as a brilliant soldier who won almost every battle he fought. His forces conquered much of
Europe. Napoleon then decided to try to conquer Russia, which proved to be a big mistake. In June of 1812, he
took almost half of a million soldiers and began the long journey to Moscow. The Russian Army never met the
French with full force. They would fight and then retreat. This forced Napoleon’s soldiers to find new sources
of food and continue marching further. As the bitter Russian winter descended, many French soldiers died
from starvation and exposure. When Napoleon and his men finally reached Moscow, they found it deserted.
In November, they began the long journey back to France. Many of the troops were barefoot, and it was a cold
winter. Though Napoleon started out with 450,000 men, only about 40,000 survived. Even though Napoleon
suffered devastating losses by trying to conquer Russia, he refused to make peace with the other countries in
Europe. Soon, the Prussians, the Russians, the Austrians, and the Swedes were marching on Paris. The French
people wanted peace and were tired of the deaths caused by war, so they exiled Napoleon to the island of
Elba.
Napoleon did not stay in exile. He still had loyal supporters and snuck back into France. He went to war
almost immediately. He fought the combined forces of many nations at the battle of Waterloo in Belgium. He
was completely defeated in this battle. After his defeat, Napoleon was exiled again. This time, he was sent to
St. Helena, where he was under guard at all times. He lived there in isolation until his death in 1821.
How Did France Change Under Napoleon?
Changes to education
The education system in France changed. Four grades of school were set up; primary, secondary, lycées
(schools run on military lines) and technical schools. Schools now stressed the importance of obedience and
military values – although primary education stayed almost as it had been before 1789. Science and math
became more important subjects in secondary schools.
Governing France
Napoleon became Emperor of France, and could not be removed from power.
Individual rights and freedoms
France under Napoleon sometimes seemed similar to France under King Louis. The Prison and Courts system
was ‘officially’ different, in that you could no longer be put in prison without charge and everyone was equal
in the courts, nobles did not have special rights anymore, but even in Napoleon’s rule there were restrictions.
He had a secret police force, which from 1810 could arrest people without trial. Napoleon, like King Louis, and
unlike the Revolution, tried to censor and control the newspapers, and free speech was not allowed in France
or the French Empire.
The Catholic Church
During the Revolution, the land owned by the Catholic Church was sold off and any religion was permitted*
(only Catholicism was practised in the ‘Ancien Regime’, i.e. before the revolution). In 1802, Napoleon made an
agreement with the Pope called the Concordat in which the Pope agreed that the Church would not get its
land back and in return, Catholicism was accepted as the religion of the majority. As well as this, it was agreed
that Bishops were to be chosen by Napoleon, and agreed by the Pope. This meant that the government now
had greater control over the Church.
“The people must have religion, and religion must be in the hands of the government.” (Napoleon)
French society
Napoleon tried to make sure that all major groups gained from his rule. For peasants, Napoleon made sure
that they could keep their land by eradicating feudalism. He restored the Catholic Church to its former
importance, and the peasants no longer had to pay tithes. For the Nobles, Napoleon offered ‘king-like’
stability. He created titles for some people, though these new nobles had no special privileges. Napoleon tried
to reward talented and hard-working people by setting up the Legion of Honour in 1802. It is still one of the
highest honours you can receive in France today.
Buildings and roads
Napoleon ordered the building of new roads, canals and bridges. Huge amounts of money were invested in
improving the image of France’s capital, Paris. Older buildings were improved, and new buildings were put
up. A better network of roads was planned for Paris, and several memorials* to the Revolution and to
Napoleon himself were erected*, for example the L’Arc de Triomphe in Paris which was built in 1813 to celebrate
Napoleon’s victories in wars all over Europe.
Questions
1. Why do you think the French people accepted Napoleon as their sole leader not once but
twice? After all, hadn't they just fought a revolution to end the monarchy in France?
2. Using bullets explain how Napoleon rose to power.
3. Using bullets explain how Napoleon lost power.
4. Napoleon would say he “purified the revolution.” Do you agree? How do you think he
purified it?
5. How should history remember Napoleon? Use facts to support your answer.