Download napoleonic europe

EUROPE
1792-1848
In this unit we are going to learn about the relation between the European countries from the beginning of the
French Revolution. Firstly, we will have a look at the reaction of the European powers (absolute monarchies
plus Great- Britain) towards the success of the Revolution in 1789. Secondly, how this reaction against the new
French Empire, leaded by Napoleon, created fear against the revolution, and turned into fear against the French
expansionism.
After Napoleon’s defeat, European powers will try to enlarge the absolutism and the ancient regime by means
of the Holy Alliance, but it will be too late: there will be new revolutions in 1820, 1830 and 1848 that will
change the whole World’s political system forever.
While you are reading this booklet, you will have three (3) tasks that can be either handwritten or typewritten.
Tasks:
a) In pairs:
1. Make a grid showing the seven wars of coalition and the countries that were in each band.
2. Make a timeline with the main events mentioned in class and in this booklet about the European
History between 1799 and 1848.
b) Individually:
3. Choose one of these concepts or characters and do a research about it/him/her (about 300-400 words
and mentioning your sources):
- Battle of Trafalgar
- Continental System
- Grande Armée
- Joachim Murat
- Joséphine de Beauharnais
- Congress of Vienna
- Holy Alliance
- Joseph Bonaparte
- Battle of Waterloo
- “Guerrilla” (Spanish warfare against Napoleonic army)
- Spanish Liberal Triennium (1820-1823)
The delivery date will be the day of the exam.
NAPOLEONIC EUROPE:
COALITIONS AGAINST REVOLUTIONARY FRANCE
1. First Coalition (1792-1797)
Members:
a) France, Italian Republics, Poland
b) Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire, Prussia, Great Britain, Spain1, Portugal, Ottoman
Empire, Dutch Republic (Netherlands)2, Sardinia, Naples and Sicily
Starts:
When France declares war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire (April 20th, 1792)
Result:
French victory (treaties of Basel –with Prussia, 1795-, second of San Ildefonso –Spain, 1796and Campo Formio – with Austria-Hungary-).
Consequences:
France increases its territory towards Italy (the “Sister Republics”) and Germany. Belgium
becomes part of France as well. All the absolute monarchies (Austria-Hungary, Spain, Prussia,
German Empire, Ottoman Empire…) surrender, except Great-Britain. Napoleon becomes a
national hero.
Meanwhile, in France the National Convention had started, the king and the queen have been executed, and the country
was under violence (Reign of Terror, civil war in La Vendée)… but in 1795, the Thermidorian Reaction came,
establishing the Directory and most of Jacobins were executed (White Terror).
1
Allied with France from the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso, 1796
The Netherlands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but they were conquered by France in 1795 and recalled Batvian
Republic
2
2. Second Coalition (1798-1802)
Members:
a) France, Italian Republics, Poland, Spain, Denmark-Norway
b) Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire, Great Britain, Portugal, Ottoman Empire,
Sardinia, Two Sicilies.
Starts:
When the absolute monarchies take advantage of the Napoleon’s absence (he was in his
military campaigns in Egypt) and attack French borders. Napoleon was forced to come
back.
Result:
French victory.
Battles:
Treaties:
Marengo, Italy (1800), against Austria
Hohenlinden (1800), against Germany
Copenhagen (1801), against Great Britain
Hohenlinden (Germany, 1800), Luneville (Austria, 1801) and Amiens
(Great Britain, 1802)
In France:
Napoleon, after Sieyes advice, organized an army against the Directory and led a coup
d’état (18 Brumaire or November 9th, 1799). The Revolution was finished and now
France was under the Consulate (with three consuls: Napoleon, Sieyes and Ducos).
Consequences:
Napoleon became First Consul (head of state) and President of the Italian Republic (new
name for the “sister republics” in the north of Italy)
3. Third Coalition (1803-1806)
Members:
a) France (French Empire since 1804), Spain, Republic of Italy, Batavian Republic,
Bavaria and some other German states.
b) Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire, Russia, Great Britain, Portugal, Naples,
Sicily, Sweden.
Starts:
when Great Britain declared war on France, in May 1803, after some problems in Malta
and Haiti. After two years, Napoleon declared war on Austria (1805)
Result:
French victory.
Battles:
Treaties:
Trafalgar (1805), Spanish and French defeat against Great Britain.
Ulm (1805), victory against Austro-Hungarian Empires
Austerlitz (also called Battle of the Three Emperors, 1805), victory
against Russia and German Empire, helped by some Austrian troops
Pressburg (1806, Austro-Hungarian Empire)
In France:
Napoleon is crowned Emperor of France in 1804.
Consequences:
Austria gave to France the states of Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Baden, and to the
Kingdom of Italy the state of Venice.
The German Empire (called Holy Roman Empire) was broken up, and Napoleon created
the Confederation of the Rhine.
Continental System: large-scale embargo against Great Britain. Napoleon didn’t want
Great Britain to trade with European countries because it could use this trade to help them
against French Empire. It lasted from 1806 to 1814.
EUROPE AFTER THE TREATY OF PRESSBURG (1806)
Note: the black borders are the Confederation of the Rhine
4. Fourth Coalition (1806-1807)
Members:
a) French Empire, Spain, Republic of Italy, Confederation of the Rhine, Holland, Naples
b) Russia, Great Britain, Sweden, Prussia, Sicily
Starts:
Prussia and Russia, feared by the French power and the Austrian weakness, invaded
Saxony (in the border between the Confederation of the Rhine and Prussia).
Result:
.
French victory
Treaty of Tilsit (July, 1807), separately with Prussia and Russia
Consequences:
Russia accepted Napoleonic power in Western Europe
Prussia lost its part of Poland, now called Duchy of Warsaw, and more territories (in
fact, it lost half of its population and territory)
Russia and Prussia had to pay and indemnity to France and were forced to stop their
commerce with Great Britain
CENTRE EUROPE AFTER TREATY OF TILSIT (1807)
5. Fifth Coalition (1809)
Members:
a) French Empire, Duchy of Warsaw, Confederation of the Rhine, Italy, Naples,
Switzerland, Holland.
b) Austro-Hungarian Empire, Great Britain, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain (because of the
Peninsular War)
Starts:
when Austria tries to take profit form the French effort in Spain.
Result:
French victory
Battle of Wagram (5th-6th July, 1809)
Treaty of Schönbrunn (1809), the alliance between French and Austro-Hungarian
Empire (engagement between Napoleon and Marie Louise of Austria).
Involved:
Peninsular War (1808-1814)
6. Peninsular War or “Guerra de la Independencia” (1808-1814)
Members:
a) French Empire, Napoleonic Spain (“Afrancesados”)
b) Spain, Great Britain, Portugal
Starts:
Napoleon, after crossing Spain to invade Portugal, tried also to occupy Spain.
Result:
Allied victory
Treaty of Valency (1814)
Involved:
Fifth and Sixth coalitions
Meanwhile, in Spain: After the Trafalgar defeat, Spanish people were very disappointed with the absolute king
Charles IV, because he had signed an alliance treaty with Napoleon that made Spain
being involved in the Fourth Coalition War. After the treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon decided
to conquer Portugal and needed Spanish permission for his troops to cross Spain.
Suddenly, Spain had plenty of French soldiers. In March 18th, 1808, helped and
encouraged by some liberals and revolutionaries, Prince Ferdinand forced his father to
abdication in Aranjuez, where Charles was about to break away towards America.
Napoleon, taking profit from the situation, called them both to Bayonne and forced them
to resign the Spanish throne, placing on it to his brother, Joseph, who was the king Joseph
I of Spain between 1808 and 1813.
Consequences:
Restoration of the kingdom of Ferdinand VII of Spain. Dramatic French defeat.
7. Sixth Coalition (1812-1814)
Members:
a) French Empire, Duchy of Warsaw, Italy, Confederation of the Rhine, Naples,
Denmark-Norway, Switzerland, USA.
b) Austro-Hungarian Empire, Great Britain, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain (because of the
Peninsular War), Portugal, Prussia, Sweden.
Starts:
when Napoleon invaded Russia in order to forcer it to remain in the Continental System.
Result:
Coalition Victory
Treaty of Kiel (Great Britain/Sweden – Denmark/Norway)
Treaty of Fontainebleau (Austro Hungarian Empire/Russia/Prussia – French Empire)
Consequences:
Sweden and Norway became the same country (kingdom of Sweden)
Napoleon resigned as Emperor of France. The Empire disappeared and was sent into
exile on the island of Elba.
Bourbon’s restoration (Louis XVIII, 1814-1824)
The Congress of Vienna (September 1814 – June 1815) starts
Kingdom of Italy and Confederation of the Rhine disappeared.
Involved:
Peninsular War (1808-1814)
8. Hundred Days and Seventh Coalition (March – July 1815)
Members:
a) France, Naples
b) Great Britain, Austria-Hungarian Empire, Russia, Prussia, German States (the
Confederation of the Rhine disappeared), Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal,
Switzerland, Italian States (Italy disappeared)
Starts:
At the Congress of Vienna, the winners of the Sixth Coalition
were arguing about the
new distribution of Centre and East Europe. The biggest problem was the Duchy of
Warsaw: Prussia, Austria and Russia wanted to dismantle it again, but didn’t agree
about where to put the borders. Meanwhile, Napoleon’s supporters released him at the
end of February. Most of French
people seemed to give him their support and
Napoleon got Paris on March 20th. Quickly, the members of the Congress of Vienna
declared war on France.
Result:
Coalition victory and end of the Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Waterloo (June 18th, 1815)
Treaty of Paris (November 20th, 1815)
Consequences:
Return to the Treaty of Fontainebleau and Congress of Vienna
Duchy of Warsaw definitely disappeared.
Return of absolutism and the ancient regime to France and Spain (birth of the Holy
Alliance, absolutist alliance formed by Austria, Prussia, Russia and, from 1818, GreatBritain).
Napoleon was arrested and imprisoned again. He was sent to the island of Santa Helena,
where he died in May, 1821.
EUROPE AFTER CONGRESS OF VIENNA (1815)
TH
E
REVOLUTIONARY EUROPE (1820-1848)
1. Revolutions of 1820
Start:
In Spain: in 1814, after the victory against Napoleon, the king Ferdinand VII, called
“el Deseado” returned to Spain and ignored the Constitution written in Cadiz in 1812.
This way, an absolutist period started. But in 1820, the colonel Rafael de Riego headed a
Coup d’État that succeeded and forced the king to approve the Constitution again. But
the constitutional period lasted only three years, so in 1823 the Holy Alliance (100.000
sons of Saint Louis) attacked Spain and restored the absolutism. Riego and his partners
were executed.
Countries affected:
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italian States and Russia (1825)
Consequences:
Independence of almost all the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in
(Spain just preserved Cuba and Puerto Rico).
Greek Independence War, that lasted until 1829
In general, the revolution failed. It only succeeded in Portugal
Latin
America
2. Revolutions of 1830 (July Revolution)
Start:
In France, in July. The process put end to the absolutist monarchy of Charles X and
brought his cousin, Louis Philippe I, to the throne.
Countries affected:
Belgium, Poland, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and Greece.
Consequences:
Louis Philippe’s reign was a constitutional monarchy that lasted until 1848. He was the
last King of France.
Belgium becomes independent from the Netherlands.
Greece obtained the official independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Italy and Germany (both divided into several states) started their unification processes.
3. Revolutions of 1848 (Spring of Nations)
Start:
In France, in February, although there had been movements in the part of Poland that was
occupied by Prussia in 1846. That month, Marx and Engels had published the
Communist Manifesto in London. It was the first text written by the low-third state
(peasants and urban workers) against the high-third state (bourgeoisie).
Countries affected:
France (working class revolution), Italian and German states (nationalist movements for
the unification of the countries), Austria and Prussia (liberal revolution), Ireland and
Poland
(pro-independence
movements
against
Great-Britain
and
Prussia/Russia/Austria)… and 50 more countries around the world.
Consequences:
France: end of reign Louis-Philippe I and the beginning of the II French Republic.
End of feudalism in Austria and Russia in 1950.
Ireland will reach the independence in 1916 and Poland in 1918.
Italy will be finally reunified in 1870, and Germany in 1871.