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Napoleon
Bonaparte
Goal-Expand
French Empire
Bonaparte’s Biography
DOB: 15th August 1769
Place of Birth: Corsica
Siblings: Seven
Education: Brienne military academy (France)
Social Status: Parents were minor nobles.
Position in army: Artillery officer aged 16.
Military Career
1785
1793
1794
1795
1785
1786
1787
1788
1798
Made an Artillery Officer at 16
Promoted to brigadier general.
Imprisoned and accused of being a Jacobin and Robespierre supporter.
Napoleon is promoted to General of the Army of the West
Barras helps Napoleon win promotion to Commander of the Army of the
Interior
Napoleon is given command of the French army in Italy
Napoleon wins the Battle of Lodi
Napoleon wins the Battle of Arcole
Napoleon wins the Battle of Rivoli
He returns to Paris a hero.
Napoleon begins his Egyptian campaign.
1799 - Receiving news of turmoil in France, Napoleon returns to Paris
- Following a coup d'etat, Napoleon becomes First Consul of the new
French government
1800 -
Sets up a household in Tuileries Palace
Napoleon’s
•
•
•
•
Joséphine Beauharnais
Married 1796
Unable to have children
Divorced in 1807
st
1
Wife
Egyptian Campaign
• 1797 - attempt to strike Britain indirectly
• If France could secure Egypt, it would
cripple Britain’s trade route to India
• Disaster strikes
• 1799 - defeated, but did bring home the
Rosetta Stone
Europe in 1800
Coup d’Etat
• Napoleon Rises to Power:
• 1799 - overthrew Directorset up
Consulate and became First Consul
• 1802 - “Consul for Life”-via plebiscite
• 1804 - Emperor of France-via plebiscite
Becoming Emperor
Bank of France
• Set up National Banking system and tax
reform in 1800
• Balanced the governments budget
Concordat of 1801
• Negotiated peace with the Catholic Church
• Napoléon recognized Catholicism as the
national religion & in turn, pope allowed
state to keep property seized during
revolution
• Reestablished the Gregorian Calendar
Napoleon and the USA and Haiti
• Sold USA- Louisiana
Territory in 1803
• Sought to suppress
slave revolt in Haiti—
unsuccessful and Haiti
gains independence
(Free from French
control) 1804
Code Napoléon (1804)
• Preserved many revolutionary principles
– Equality of all citizens before the law
• *Civil Code was a step back for women
– More difficult to: divorce husbands and inherit property
– Not allowed to testify in court
– Women = officially “less equal than men”
• Right of the individual to choose a profession
Code Napoléon (1804)
• Religious tolerationbut made Catholicism official
religion of France
• Abolition of serfdom/feudal system
• Freedom of Speech and Press were granted to all….but
government could censor (stop) any material that
criticized Napoleon.
• Ended the exclusive use of Nobles for high ranking
government jobs. Positions were open for all based on your
ability.
• Restored Slavery to French Colonies.
• Created a National Education system thatwas open to all
based on their ability.
Napoleon’s Reforms
Class System
• Émigrés could return if swore loyalty to new French gov’t.
• Peasants kept lands they’d bought from Church and nobles
• New nobility established through a meritocracy (e.g., Legion
of Honor)
Economy
• Controlled prices
• Encouraged industrial growth
• Strengthened the nation’s infrastructure
Education
• Nationally-controlled public schools
Government
• Strengthened the national government
• Ran an efficient bureaucracy
Laws – Napoleonic Code
•
•
•
•
Equality before the law
Religious tolerance
End to feudalism
But women lost many of their rights
Religion – Concordat of
1801
• Church under government control
• Religious freedom
Napoleon
remarries in
1810
Marie Louise
(of Austria)
with
Napoléon’s Son
(Napoléon Francis Joseph
Charles: 1811-1832)
Review Questions
1. How did
Napoleon come to
power in France?
2. What did
Napoleon set up to
help France’s
economy?
3. What was the
Concordat of 1801?
4. What was stated
in the Napoleonic
Code?
5. How were women
impacted by the
Napoleonic Code
6. How did Napoleon
ensure that nothing
negative was written
about him?
7. How did Napoleon
impact education?
8. What did
Napoleon sell to the
USA?
9. What territory did
Napoleon lose as the
result of a slave
revolt?
Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)
• Series of major conflicts pitting the French
Empire vs. an array of European powers
that were formed into various coalitions.
• Napoleon expands his empire and annexes
the Netherlands, Belgium, parts of Italy and
Germany (abolishes the Holy Roman
Empire and sets up the Confederation of the
Rhine)
• Placed relatives in power throughout
Europe
Napoleon Reaches his Peak-Empire in 1810
…And Then Things Fall Apart!
Three Costly Mistakes:
1. The Continental System
2. The Peninsular War
3. The Invasion of Russia
Napoléon’s Major Military Campaigns
1805:
France 
Sea
Power
 Britain
Trafalgar (Lord Nelson: Fr. Navy lost!)
Continental System November 1806
• A blockade designed to cut England off
from Europe
– Napoleon’s navy lost at Trafalgar, so direct
naval conflict out of question
– To destroy British trade, undermine it
economically
– To exclude it from Europe’s affairs
Problems with Continental
System
1. Was not executed correctly - weakened British
trade, did not destroy it
2. British retaliated, made own blockade, and
stopped all neutral ships going to Europe
*Including American ships, causing War of 1812*
3. Weakened economy of France and lands
controlled by Napoleon
The Peninsular War - 1808
• Portugal ignored Continental System
• Napoleon sent army through Spain to overthrow
Royal Family
• Spanish towns rioted in response, so Napoleon
deposed Spanish king and made brother king of
Spain and Portugal
• REALLY made Spanish mad
– Engaged in 5 years of guerrilla warfarewhich cost Napoleon 300,000 troops
Invasion of Russia - 1812
Invading Russia = Losing Prospect!
• Napoleon and Czar of Russia were allies
– Napoleon thought that czar was selling grain to
Britain behind his back
– N. feared that Czar wanted Poland from France
– N. decided to invade Russia
Napoléon Invades Russia: 1812
Invasion of Russia, cont’d.
• June, 1812: Grand Army leaves for Russia with
about 600,000 men
• All drafted from throughout Europe and not loyal to Napoleon
• Instead of engaging: Russia practices Scorched
Earth Policy-destroy everything to keep from
French
• Sept. 14, 1812: Entered Moscow
• Czar ordered it burned down
• N. lingered for 5 weeks, waiting for peace offer - none came
Moscow on Fire!
Invasion of Russia, cont’d.
• Oct./Nov. 1812 - Ordered retreat from
Moscow
– Snows began to fall
– Barefoot, starving soldiers attacked by Russians
– Temperature: on one day, -30º: Birds fell
dead from sky
• Mid-December 1812: Approximately
10,000 soldiers left Russia
Napoleon Abdicates
• Oct. 1813 –Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia
defeat Napoleon in Battle of Nations at Leipzig
• Jan. 1814 - Austrians and Russians enter Paris
• April 1814 - Napoleon Abdicates
• Napoleon banished to Elba
• New French king: Louis XVIII installed as ruler
One More Time for Old Time’s
Sake
• New French king unpopular
• Mar. 1815 - escaped Elba and landed in
France
• Within days, become Emperor again and
Louis XVIII flees
Waterloo - The Final Showdown
Napoleon’s 100 days
• Fought between Napoleon and British
• June 15, 1815: French attacked
• “The best defense is a good offense”…or
maybe not
• June 17, 1815: French lost
• Died 6 years later (stomach cancer)
Napoléon
on His Way to
His
Final Exile on
St. Helena
Review Questions
1. What was the
Continental System?
How did Britain
respond?
2. Why did the
Peninsular War start?
3. What is guerilla
warfare?
4. Why did Napoleon
invade Russia?
5. What tactic did
Russia use against
Napoleon’s troops?
6. Where was Napoleon
exiled to 1st? When he
returns to France, what
does he do?
7. Napoleon returns to
France and does what?
8. Where was Napoleon
exiled to 2nd?
9. What are the positive
and negative impacts of
Napoleon?