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1795-1815
Corsica
Corsica became a French colony in 1768. Napoleon was born
there in 1769 and was thus born a French Citizen.
Napoleon
Crossing the
Alps
- Jacques Louis David
Napoleon
Crossing the Alps
- Unknown
Napoleon
in the
Political
Arena
The Consulate
1799-1804
• In 1799, Napoleon stages a Coup d
‘etat, overthrowing the Directory
and forms a new government The
Consulate
•He installs himself as First Consul
for 10 years.
• In 1802, in a plebiscite, he is elected
by the French people as First
Consul for life.
•In 1802, Napoleon ends the wars of
the Second Coalition by making
peace with England (Treaty of
Amiens).
•He then sets out to reform the
French government and economy.
Napoleonic Reforms
• Preserved many of the changes from the revolution
• Created laws that strengthened central government and bureaucracy
based on merit. “Careers Open to Talent”
• Set up an efficient tax collection system bringing great wealth to
the government and stabilizing the economy.
• Established the Bank of France which strengthened French
currency.
• Granted amnesty to 100,000 émigrés.
• Created lycees (public high schools) open to all male children
• Made peace with the church in The Concordant of 1801.
• The Catholic Church was granted “special status” as the
religion of the majority. All religions were permitted.
• All clergy was paid by state (Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish)
• Christian calendar was returned to France
• Pope Pius VII renounced Church property seized during the
Revolution but was given more control over the Papal States.
• His greatest legacy was the development of the Napoleonic Code.
The Napoleonic Code
• Gave France a uniform set of laws.
• Limited individual liberty and
promoted authority over individual
rights.
• Allowed freedom of religion
• Guaranteed that government jobs were
based on merit rather than social status.
• Restored slavery in the French colonies
of the Caribbean. (This led to
successful independence movement in
Haiti)
• The code became the basis of many
legal systems in Europe and Latin
America.
The French Empire
 In 1804 another plebiscite
is held creating the
French Empire and
Napoleon is named as the
Emperor.
 In a lavish ceremony at
Notre Dame Cathedral he
crowns himself as
Emperor Napoleon I in
and crowns his wife
Josephine as Empress.
(He did not allow the
Pope to place the crown).
Coronation of Emperor NapoleonJacques-Louis
I
David, 1807
Crowning of Empress Josephine
Napoleon
in the
Military
Arena
Napoleon’s Domination of Europe
• After becoming emperor,
Napoleon began preparing an
invasion of Great Britain
• In 1805, the British declared
war on France and formed the
Third Coalition
• Two major battles decided the
fate of this Coalition. They
were:
• The Battle of Cape Trafalgar
• The Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Cape Trafalgar
October 21, 1805
Admiral Horatio Nelson
 Napoleon planned to destroy the
British navy and invade England
 A combined French and Spanish
fleet lured the British into a battle
off the southern coast of Spain
 The British under Admiral
Horatio Nelson destroyed the fleet.
However, Nelson was killed in the
battle
 The defeat caused Napoleon to
abandon plans to invade Britain
Battle of Austerlitz (December 2, 1805)
Napoleon crushed a much
larger combined Austrian and
Russian Army at the small
Austrian town of Austerlitz by
luring them into a trap.
Austerlitz is considered on of
the most brilliant battle plans
in history
 The Russians were forced to
flee back to Poland
 The Austrians signed the
Treaty of Pressburg, making
them an ally of France.
 Napoleon broke up The Holy
Roman Empire and formed the
Confederation of the Rhine. He
added it to his empire.
Napoleon’s Defeat of Prussia
1806-1807
Arc de Triomphe, Paris
Built in 1807 to commemorate
Napoleon’s victories
• After Napoleon created the
Confederation of the Rhine, the
Prussians began to fear his plans
for the German territory
• The Prussians decided to attack
the French unaided. Big Mistake!
• French and Prussian forces met in
two major battles which gave
Napoleon control of Western
Europe. They were:
– The Battle of Jena
– The Battle of Friedland
Battle of Jena - 1806
• French forces crushed the
Prussians and drove them
into Poland
• Napoleon captured and
occupied Berlin
• The Prussian army
retreated into Poland and
joined the Russian forces
which had been defeated
earlier at Austerlitz
• The new alliance planned
to defeat Napoleon at the
Polish town of Friedland
Battle of Friedland - (June 1807)
 Napoleon defeated a combined
Russian and Prussian Army
Prussia became an ally of
France
 Napoleon created the Grand
Duchy of Warsaw as a buffer
against Russia
 Napoleon met with Russian
Czar Alexander I and signed the
Peace of Tilsit which gave
France control of Western
Europe and allowed Russia to
control Eastern Europe
The Continental System 1806-1812
• In an attempt to crush the British
economy, Napoleon ordered all
European countries to stop
trading with England. This was
known as the Continental System.
• Britain responded with Orders in
Council, blockading European
ports.
• The navies of both sides seized
neutral ships, especially American
ships.
• In the long run, France was hurt
more by the Continental System
than was England
The Peninsular Campaign (1808-1814)
 Portugal refused to join the Continental System. In 1808,
Napoleon decided to invade and force them to join
 After defeating Portugal, Napoleon tried to conquer Spain
and he placed his brother Joseph on the throne.
 Intense Spanish nationalism led to savage guerilla warfare
between the Spanish people and French troops. The Spanish
were aided by British armies.
 The campaign dragged on for 6 years.
 More than 300,000 French soldiers died. These men would
be needed later.
 The Spanish success aroused Nationalism throughout
Europe, and inspired subjected countries to fight back.
Massacre of Spanish Peasants by French Troops during the Peninsular Campaign
The Third of May 1808
Francisco Goya, 1810
The Russian Campaign 1812
• In 1810, Russian Czar Alexander I withdrew from the
Continental System.
• Napoleon assembled a Grand Army of 600,000 soldiers to
invade Russia and force them back into the Continental
System. They set off for Russia in early summer of 1812.
•The Russians retreated slowly refusing to engage in battle and
“scorching the earth” as they withdrew.
•The two armies finally fought near Moscow at the Battle of
Borodino in early September. Both sides suffered heavy
casualties. Russia continued to pull back. They burned
Moscow as they retreated.
• The French occupied Moscow in mid September waiting for
the Russians to surrender. They never did.
• By late fall the French troops were forced to abandon Moscow
and begin returning to France. As winter set in it became the
most disastrous retreat in military history
• By the time they left Russia only 10,000 soldiers remained.
Defeat at the Battle of Nations
Leipzig Oct 16-19, 1813
•After the disastrous Russian campaign
Napoleon returned to Paris and organized a
new army.
•The powers of Europe formed a new Fourth
Coalition and began closing in on him.
•From Oct. 16-19, 1813 the “Battle of Nations”
raged in Leipzig. (Prussia)
•Napoleon’s army was defeated. He retreated to
Paris and was forced to abdicate in April 1814.
•He was sent into exile on the island of Elba off
the coast of Italy.
Exile to Elba and
The Hundred Days
 On Elba, Napoleon was allowed to retain his title, and take his
family and court, as long as he promised to remain in exile.
 Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) was restored to the French
crown.
 While European leaders met at the Congress of Vienna to
address the problems of the revolution and wars, Napoleon
escaped and returned to France where he was welcomed back
and joined by the still loyal French military.
 This was known as the “Hundred Days” in which he ruled
again.
 Louis XVIII was forced into exile.
Napoleon’s Final Downfall
•The nations that had defeated Napoleon earlier
at Leipzig sent troops again.
•These armies defeated Napoleon at the Battle of
Waterloo on June 18, 1815.
•This time he was sent into exile on a desolate
island St. Helena in the South Atlantic.
•He died in 1821 from stomach cancer. He body
was later returned to Paris and lies in an
honored position
•