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Napoleon Bonaparte

“Ambition is never content even

on the summit of greatness.”

Born in Corsica as an Italian-

Became a French citizen at the age of 1

Corsica

Home in which Napoleon

was born

Became dictator (all power held

by a single person) of France

for 10 years in 1799 when he

launched a coup d’ etat (stroke

of state) against the Directory

Became Emperor for life after

winning a plebiscite (yes or no

vote)

Napoleon was immediately at war with the Second

Coalition (countries united against France)

Coalitions were formed because other European

Monarchs did not want their people to see the French

get away with killing their king and starting Republics.

Loved by all of the French

NAPOLEON AS LEADER OF FRANCE

General Reforms

Freedom of worship

Stabilized food prices

Class Equality

Rebuilt Paris

Got rid of 10 day week (& calendar)

Legal Reform:

The Napoleonic Code – single set of laws for all

of France

Equality of law

Basic liberties

Restored slavery

Limits on women’s rights

Limits on political rights and freedom of speech

and press

NO LAWS APPLIED TO NAPOLEON

Class Reforms

1. Clergy

Improved Catholic’s status

Gave back land

Dropped state controls

2. Nobility

Allowed nobility to return from exile

Gave back land and political status

3. Bourgeoisie

Stabilized markets and trade

Lowered taxes

Peasants

Jobs

Lowered food prices

Napoleon as a Military Leader

Wave of victories

Awesome General – People liked/loved him

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

• Early Success

– 1793, drove British forces out of Toulon.

– Defeated the Austrians in multiple

battles, forcing the Hapsburg emperor to

make peace.

– Set up a three-man governing board

known as the Consulate.

– Took the title of first consulate and in

1802 had himself named consul for life.

Napoleon’s Rise to Power • A New France, A New

Emperor

– By 1804, Napoleon had enough power to become Emperor.

– Napoleon knew he had support as he held a plebiscite, or ballot in which voters say yes or no. Each time, the French strongly supported him.

Building an Empire

• A New European Empire – Napoleon annexed, or added outright to France lands

including the Netherlands, Belgium, parts of Italy and Germany.

• The Battle of Trafalgar – French naval defeat at the hands of the British.

• The Continental System – Economic warfare waged against the British by closing

European ports to British goods. The British responded with its own blockade.

– This plan did not defeat the British, instead resent grew as prices throughout Europe rose.

THREE BLUNDERS

1. Spain – kicked out old king and put his brother,

Joseph, in charge of Spain. Spanish fought back with help

from the British. Guerrilla Warfare destroyed the French.

Napoleon has to pull out (300,000 French killed)

2. Continental System Napoleon tried to isolate trade with

Britain (to hurt their economy), but it backfired.

Battle of Trafalgar - Napoleon lost to the British navy. This

was Napoleon’s first major defeat

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR British French

Lord Nelson – Admiral Villeneuve-

Crosses the T” The British More ships, slower ships

have better communication Shoot chainshot into

faster fire of cannons rigging

and shoot the hull of the ship

Battle of Trafalgar

3. Russia (1812) Napoleon goes in with 400,000 +

troops, comes back with 10,000

While Napoleon was “down,” the other countries ganged up to

defeat him at the Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations) - 1813

Napoleon gives up the throne

and was exiled to Elba.

100 Days - Napoleon’s return to power

People didn’t like Louis XVIII (brother of the

guillotined king)

Napoleon escaped Elba (Louis fled)

Napoleon regained full power

Napoleon: best defense is a good offense. He attacked

the British General Wellington at Waterloo (Belgium)

Napoleon was defeated

for the final time

This time he’s sent to St. Helena, between

Africa and South America

He died in 1821 of

a stomach ailment.

LEGACY

Rise of Nationalism

Division of people by country not social class

People willing to go to war based on love of

country

Wars to combine city-states, divide empires

LEGACY (CONTINUED)

Need for:

Coalitions and alliances

Diplomacy as an

option to war

The End of an Era • Downfall of Napoleon

– Russia • Czar Alexander I withdraws from the

Continental System due to economic and political frustrations.

• Napoleon responds by sending 400,000 soldiers to Russia. Instead of fighting, Russians retreat East, burning crops and villages (scorched earth) as they went.

• When Napoleon entered Moscow he realized he could not feed his troops so he returned home with only 10,000 troops.

The End of an Era

• Waterloo

– After returning from exile Napoleon fought the

British and Prussian armies at Waterloo, Belgium.

The French lost in a day long battle and Napoleon

was forced into exile again.

LEGACY (CONTINUED)

Spread of ideas:

Political philosophy

Revolution as an option

Equality, speech, voting, property

Rise of a professional military