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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.