The Age of Napoleon,

1799-1815

APEURO Lecture 5CMrs. Kray

(some slides taken from Susan Pojer)

Napoleon’s Early Career

Earlier military career the Italian Campaigns: 1796-1797 he conquered most of northern Italy and developed a

taste for governing. moved to suppress religious orders, end serfdom, and limit age-old

noble privilege. Treaty of Campo Fiorio (1797) with the Austrian emperor established

several new Italian republics. Earlier military career the Egyptian Campaign:

1798 he was defeated by a British navy under Admiral Horatio Nelson, who destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile.

Abandoning his troops in Egypt, Napoleon returned to France and received a hero’s welcome!

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

French Territorial Acquisitions,

1793-1799

More uprisings, more quashed

elections, more purges of the Left and Right Vendee rose again, religious

schism acute

Certain leaders in the Directory looking for a change Abbe Sieyes: “confidence from

below, authority from above” Looking for a general

The Directory in Disarray

Abbe Sieyes

With the government

in disarray, Napoleon launched a successful coup d’etat

Proclaimed himself “First Consul” (Julius Caesar’s title did away with the

elected Assembly (appointed a Senate instead).

In 1802, he made himself sole “Consul for Life.”

Coup d’etat of BrumaireNov. 9, 1799

Napoleon and the Consulate,1799-1804

The Government of the Consulate

Legislative Bodies

Council of State Proposed the laws. Served as a Cabinet & the

highest court.

Tribunate Debated laws, but did not

vote on them.

Legislature Voted on laws, but did not

discuss or debate them.

Senate Had the right to review and

veto legislation.

Administrative Bodies

Centralized administration Professional bureaucracy “Careers open to talent”

merit based Prefects ran the 83

departments – reported directly to Paris

Use of plebiscites Referenda on specific issues Allowed image as “man of

the people” Often took place after the

fact

As first consul, Napoleon held all the

power and made all the decisions

Napoleon’s popularity continued to rise as he restored order, stimulated prosperity, and defeated the 2nd Coalition

Grateful voters overwhelmingly endorsed Napoleon’s rule by plebiscite He successfully used the democratic

process to destroy democracy

Secure in his power, Napoleon enacted policies designed to transform France into an efficient modern state Napoleon the enlightened despot?

The First Consul

Hundreds of local law codes were

consolidated into a uniform legal code Still the basis of French law today

The new code guaranteed many achievements of the French Revolution Equality before the law, freedom of

religion, abolition of privilege, and the protection of property rights

The code increased authority of husbands within the family Women and children were legally

dependent on their husbands or fathers Ex. Women could not sell property

without consent of their husbands Did recognize civil marriage and divorce

The Napoleonic Code, 1804

Wherever it was implemented [in the

conquered territories], the Code Napoleon swept away feudal property relations.

The Napoleonic Code & Europe

Wanted to end the strained relationship

between France and the Catholic Church

Granted Catholic Church special status as the religion of “the majority of Frenchmen” Pope regained the right to confirm

church dignitaries appointed by the French government, depose French bishops, and reopen religious seminaries

Pope recognized the French government and accepted the loss of church properties confiscated during the Revolution

Concordat of 1801

Modernized French

infrastructure Building/repairing roads Beautifying the nation with

monuments

Established the Bank of France in 1800 The bank helped in finally

eliminating the budget deficit and modernizing the tax system

Napoleon’s Economic Policies

Arc de Triomphe

Established by Napoleon in 1801 as a

nationwide system of secondary schooling Designed to promote opportunity Lycées initially enrolled the nation’s

most talented students [they had to pay tuition, although there was some financial help available for poorer student].

Lycées trained the nation’s future bureaucrats.

Reflected Napoleon’s interest and belief in scientific progress

Lycee Education System, 1801

It’s generally agreed that Napoleon

promoted equality and nationalism during his rule

Napoleon, however, did not allow opposition to his rule Implemented his policies from the top down

with little democratic input and disregarded individual rights whenever it suited his interests Censorship of the press Use of Secret Police

Despite the loss of individual liberties, France enjoyed security, stability, and prosperity

The Loss of Liberty

Emperor Napoleon I

Dec. 2, 1804

The Napoleonic Empire,

1804-1815

Napoleonic Warfare

Strike quickly at the enemy army

French army lived off the countryside Allowed quicker

movement b/c not slowed down by large baggage trains

Would fight any time: Sunday, winter, night, etc.

Aimed to defeat opponents in decisive battles Always outnumber

enemy & concentrate attack on enemy’s weakest spot

Always presented self as liberator

Warfare was an affair for free and equal citizens not mercenaries

Europe in 1800

1802 – Napoleon negotiated the Peace of Amiens with Britain, the final holdout from the 2nd Coalition.

War of the 2nd Coalition,

1798-1802

Battle of Ulm – France defeated Austria

Battle of Austerlitz – France defeated Austria and Russia Solidified Napoleon’s reputation as a military genius Napoleon crowned king of Italy in 1805

Battle of Trafalgar – Britain’s navy defeated France’s navy Established British naval superiority for the next century Lord Horatio Nelson

War of the Third Coalition, 1803-1806

Britain Austria Russia

France -Danube-Italy

“Europe was at my Feet”

War of the 4th Coalition, 1806-1807 Battle of Jena – French troops occupy

Berlin; Prussia effective knocked out of all future conflicts

Treaty of Tilsit – Russia & France become allies

War of the 5th Coalition, 1809 No war on the continent again until 1812

French rule extended from the North Sea to Spain and included much of Italy

Britain was the last country holding out against France

1807: Napoleon divorced

his wife Josephine because she could not bear children

1810: Married Marie Louise of Austria 1811 she bore him a son,

Napoleon Francis Joseph Charles

Napoleon Builds his Dynasty

Proclaimed “liberation” of conquered nations

Abolished feudalism, ended guilds, internal tariffs Replaced w/religious tolerance, centralized gov’t, Napoleonic

Code

Wrapped self in dynastic legitimacy Pope attended his coronation

Creation of a new diplomatic system As he conquered, he created republics in Italy, Low Countries,

Switzerland Use of nepotism to create new dynastic monarchies

Reorganization of Germany Replaced HRE with French dominated Confederation of the

Rhine Unwittingly sparked wave of German nationalism

Napoleon’s Imperial Policies

Napoleon’s Territorial Gains

Jerome Bonaparte King of Westphalia.

Joseph Bonaparte King of Spain

Louise Bonaparte King of Holland

Pauline Bonaparte Princess of Italy

Napoléon Francis Joseph Charles (son) King of Rome

Elisa Bonaparte Grand Duchess of Tuscany

Caroline Bonaparte Queen of Naples

Napoleon’s Family Rules

The Fall of Napoleon

Napoleon appeared invincible. Many called him the greatest military commander in European history. His

insatiable desire for power led him to make three disastrous mistakes that led to his downfall.

GOAL to isolate Britain and promote

Napoleon’s mastery over Europe.

Berlin Decrees (1806) Forbade France and its conquests from trading

with Britain Hoped to create a depression in Britain and

promote French prosperity

“Order in Council” (1806) British blockade French ports; forbade French

trade with Britain or its allies

Milan Decree (1807) Napoleon proclaimed any ship stopping in Britain

would be seized when it entered the Continent.

These edicts eventually led to the United States declaring war on Britain WAR OF 1812.

The Continental System

British Cartoon

The Continental System

Portugal did not comply

with the Continental System.

France wanted Spain’s support to invade Portugal.

Spain refused, so Napoleon invaded Spain as well!

Peninsular War,1807-1810

Napoleon tricked the Spanish king

and prince to come to France, where he imprisoned them. He proclaimed his brother, Joseph, to

be the new king of Spain. He stationed over 100,000 French

troops in Madrid.

These actions outraged the Spanish people Bands of Spanish fighters known as

guerillas repeatedly ambushed French troops and then fled into hiding

During the next five years, France lost almost 300,000 men fighting in Spain

The Peninsular War:

The Spanish Ulcer

The Surrender of Madrid by Francisco

Goya

Shows French troops firing on the Spanish people in Madrid the day after they rose up in rebellion

Goya’s The Third of May

Continental System prevented

Russia from exporting grain to Great Britain

Tsar Alexander I refused to stop this vital trade

Napoleon prepared to invade Russia Napoleon raised his Grand

Army of 614,000 soldiers and marched across central Europe to invade Russia

Invasion of Russia, 1812

Tsar Alexander I(r. 1801-1825)

Alexander refused to surrender and the

Russian army avoided a direct confrontation with Napoleon.

They retreated to Moscow, drawing the French into the interior of Russia hoped Russia’s size and the weather

would act as “support” for the Russian cause

The Russian nobles abandoned their estates and burned their crops to the ground, leaving the French to operate far from their supply bases in territory stripped of food.

Invasion of Russia

French troops at the gates of Moscow

Russians fled Moscow and set it on fire

Napoleon waited there 5 weeks hoping to engage or negotiate with Alexander Alexander did neither With winter coming and supplies

dwindling, Napoleon retreated

A combination of bitterly cold weather, disease, and merciless Russian attacks decimated Napoleon’s army Battle of Borodino Only 40,000 French soldiers make it

back to France

Invasion of Russia

Napoleon’s enemies quickly took advantage of his weakness and formed a Grand Alliance against him

Aug. 1813: Battle of Dresden Napoleon re-groups with Polish forces and wins

Oct. 1813: Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations) Napoleon is finally defeated

War of the 6th Coalition

Britain, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, smaller German states

France Napoléon’sDefeat

Allied forces occupied Paris on March

31, 1814.

Napoléon abdicated on April 6 in favor of his son, but the Allies insisted on unconditional surrender.

Napoléon abdicated again on April 11.

Treaty of Fontainbleau Napoléon exiled to Elba with an annual income of 2,000,000 francs.

The royalists took control and restored Louis XVIII to the throne.

Napoleon Abdicates

March 1815: Napoleon escaped

from Elba and formed a new army

A final 7th Coalition leads an army against him

Napoleon is defeated at Battle of Waterloo

Napoleon abdicates a second time and is shipped to St. Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic

The 100 DaysMarch 20-June 21, 1815

Napoleon in his way to exile at St. Helena