Download Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte
Biography
 Not French…Corsican (not wealthy but noble
family) (Short?)
– Went to a French military school and became an
artillery commander. Joined the revolutionary army in
1792 as a captain
 1794 made brigadier general
– Sent to Egypt to strike at British wealth in 1798
 Victory at the Battle of the Pyramids (Mamelukes) took Cairo
 Marooned when Nelson destroyed his fleet at the Battle of
The Nile (Aboukir Bay)
 His troops discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799
Coup D’etat
 Napoleon learned form his brother Lucien
that the Directory was weak
– November 1799 the 30 year old Napoleon
organized a military coup
– Napoleon became First Consul (of three) of a
new government called The Consulate
 Controlled the entire gov’t
 1802 first consul for life
 1804 Emperor
Domestic policy under Napoleon
 Tried to please everyone (order and stability)
– Cut a deal that preserved the gains of the moderate
revolution (The Napoleonic Code of 1804)
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Equality before the law, advancement based on merit
Freedom of religion
Security of property and wealth
National bank
Tariffs
No unions or strikes
No sefdom
Missing? (free speech, free press, democracy, women’s
rights to divorce were curtailed)
More domestic policy
 Emigres: after taking a loyalty oath they
were invited back and given
government jobs
 Roman Catholics: The Concordat of
1801 with Pope Pious VII to restore
stability
– Church gave up claim to lost land in return
for veto power over nominated priests
– Church regained its support
War in Europe
 In 1802 Napoleon was elected first consul for life
and began to turn his attentions to dealing with
France’s enemies
– Austria: French armies defeated the Austrians and
forced them to surrender all of their possessions in Italy
as well as land on the West bank of the Rhine River
– Great Britain: Agreed to return a number of Islands
they had seized during the revolution. However
Napoleon’s aggressive actions on the continent angered
Great Britain. He begins preparations to invade
England
– Napoleon used the renewal of fighting as an excuse to
have himself proclaimed Emperor in 1804 (Pope
crowned him Emperor of the French)
The Battle of Trafalgar 1805
 October 21 1805 a combined French and
Spanish Fleet was destroyed by Lord
Horatio Nelson (Spain was an ally of
France)
– Fleet was not going to invade England (at
this point)
– However it made the eventual invasion of
England impossible
Napoleon on the offensive
 Austria, Russia Sweden and Great Britain
and Prussia will all oppose him
– December 1805 Napoleon begins a string of
victories
 Battles of Austerlitz, Jena , Eylau Friedland
 The Russians under General Kutuzov retreat
 Treaty of Tilsit (Russia and France)
– Tsar Alexander and Napoleon
 From 1807-1812 Napoleon is master of Europe
The Napoleonic Empire
 By 1807 Napoleon viewed himself as the
Emperor of Europe (3 parts)
– France: Belgium, Holland, N. Italy, Germany
to the Rhine)
– Dependant satellite Kingdoms: Family
members usually placed on the throne (Ex:
Spain)
– Independent but allied nations: Austria,
Prussia, and Russia. All of these countries
had to support Napoleon’s Continental
system to embargo trade with Great
Britain
Napoleonic Empire
Napoleon’s impact on Europe
 In France and the satellites he
established French law
– Abolished serfdom and feudal dues
– However, this came at a heavy price in taxes
and soldiers to support Napoleon and his
army
– In France people began to grow weary of
conscription and constant warfare
– The British began a blockade to counter the
Continental system that hurt the economies
of European nations
Revolts
 1808 Spain: led by Roman Catholics the Spanish
begin to revolt against the Rule of Joseph
Bonaparte who was installed as King in 1808
after the abdication of the King and Prince
– Napoleon also offered an ultimatum to the Portuguese
who were in violation of the Continental system
– The people of Spain rose up when French troops
came to Spain to support Joseph and invade Portugal
– They were supported by the British who sent troops
into what became known as the Peninsular War
– Guerilla tactics
Russia
 Tsar Alexander I had been in violation
of the Continental system and in 1812
Napoleon finally confronts him
– This will lead directly to the invasion of
Russia in June of 1812
– The Grand Army of 614,000 men (only
1/3rd French
The Russian strategy
 Alexander orders General Kutuzov and his
160,000 men to retreat to Moscow and burn
everything that could be of use to the invading
army (“scorched earth”)
– Stretched the French supply lines
– Made the fatal mistake of not stopping to winter in
Smolensk
– Napoleon was forced to fight the Battle of
Borodino to a draw (30,000 Fr. 2x as many
Russians dead) 70 miles outside Moscow (Sept
12th)
– Napoleon arrives in Moscow Sept 14th but the
Russians had burned Moscow and Napoleon spent
5 weeks awaiting the Tsar’s surrender
The French retreat
 Napoleon had waited too long (mid
October) and the Russian Winter had
begun
– Only 100,000 men would escape Russia
– Napoleon raced home ahead of his forces
to form another army of 85,000
– He refused an offer of peace from Austria
– His enemies form the Quadruple Alliance
(GB, Austria, Prussia, Russia)
The Battle of Leipzig (The Nations)
 Napoleon waged a skillful campaign but
was eventually defeated by alliance
forces led by the Duke of Wellington in
October of 1813
– At the end of March 1814 alliance forces
marched into Paris
– Napoleon abdicated and was forced into
exile on the island of Elba
– The victors restored the Bourbons in the
person of Louis XVIII and created a
constitutional monarchy
The 100 days
 In February of 1815 Napoleon escaped
from Elba island because the victors
began to argue amongst themselves
– March 1 1815 Napoleon landed in France
and was met by French forces
– Eventually he is defeated again at the
Battle of Waterloo and exiled to St.
Helena
– Louis XVIII is once again restored but the
peace settlement from the allies is much
more harsh