The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

1
The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
2
Initially Europe Resisted War
Britain
Prussia
Austria
Russia
3
Declaration of Pillnitz

• Austrias new emperor Leopold II gives in to
  émigré pressure and states that he (and Prussia)
  will take military steps to restore order in
  France IF all the other powers especially
  Britain - would join him. (August 1791)
• France sees this as an aggressive move and
  declares war on Austria in April of 1792. By
  then, Francis II is Austrias emperor.

4
Austria

• Part of 1st Coalition - Attacked by France in
  1792 as a response to the Declaration of
  Pillnitz. Initially defeated French forces who
  ran from the battlefield, but eventually
  surrendered to Napoleon in 1797 losing land in
  Northern Italy.
• Attacked France again as part of 2nd Coalition in
  1798. Defeated so had to sign the Treaty of
  Luneville in 1801. Austria accepted the loss of
  almost all its Italian possessions and the west
  bank of the Rhine
• Tried again to defeat France beginning in 1803 as
  part of the 3rd Coalition. Defeated at
  Austerlitz. Signed a peace treaty giving up even
  more German states, Croatia, plus paying 40
  million francs to France.
• After a few more small battles post 3rd alliance
  Austria forced to be an ally of France. This
  alliance is cemented by Napoleon marrying Marie
  Louise, daughter of the Austrian emperor.
• In the end, Austria ditched this alliance with
  France to be part of the 4th Coalition in 1813
  which eventually defeated Napoleon.

5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
Austerlitz
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Prussia

• Joined First Coalition in 1792 to support Austria
  in the 1st Coalition, stopped from invading
  France at the battle of Valmy. Eventually
  surrendered to France in 1795
• Stayed out of 2nd and 3rd Coalitions
• Prussia starts getting nervous about Napoleons
  power in Germany and attacks independent of the
  3rd Coalition (though with Russian support) in
  1806. Prussia is defeated and half of Prussia
  taken away by the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807.
  Prussia is forced to be an ally of France
• Ditched this alliance with France in 1813 to be
  part of the 4th Coalition which defeated
  Napoleon.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Independent Netherlands

• Attacked France as part of the 1st Coalition in
  1793 because it was afraid France was going to
  attack first
• Power see-sawed back and forth but the
  Netherlands surrendered in 1795
• Became part of France

13
(No Transcript)
14
Great Britain

• France declared war on Britain in 1793, Britain
  became part of the 1st Coalition.
• Only member of 1st Coalition to fight right on
  into the 2nd Coalition. Treaty of Amiens (1802)
  ends the 2nd Coalition. Britain acknowledges
  Frances control of all the lands she has
  conquered and allows Napoleon to reshape Germany
• Restarted conflict with France in 1803 Third
  Coalition
• Defeated France at the naval battle of Trafalgar
• Part of victorious 4th Coalition
• Fought France until 1815 with the exception of a
  short truce in 1802

15
(No Transcript)
16
Spain

• Attacked France as part of the 1st Coalition in
  1793 hoping to gain wealth, also angry the
  Bourbon Louis XVI had been executed. Surrendered
  in 1795
• Allies with France against Britain hoping to get
  Gibraltar
• Pressured into giving Louisiana to France in
  1800. Napoleon sells Louisiana to US in 1803
  after losing Haiti.
• Navy defeated alongside France in Battle of
  Trafalgar
• Napoleons brother Joseph made king of Spain in
  1808
• First use of guerilla warfare. Napoleon himself
  cant figure out how to respond effectively.
  French slaughtered thousands of Spanish but the
  Spanish kept resisting.
• Spanish Bourbon King reinstated in 1813 (So
  conservative, he was called the monster, but at
  least he was Spanish

17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
Russia

• Part of the 2nd Coalition against France in 1799
  to limit French influence in the Ottoman Empire,
  withdrew in 1801
• Attacked as part of the 3rd Coalition over
  concern with Napoleons growing power. Defeated
  at Austerlitz, Russian army retreats back to
  Russia. Tired of war, Russia signs a peace treat
  at Tilsit, becoming an ally of France and
  agreeing to enforce the blockade of Britain.
• Napoleon attacked in 1812 because Russia Czar
  Alexander I was not upholding the Continental
  System
• Napoleons troubles in Russia are the beginning
  of his defeat. Russia becomes part of the
  victorious 4th Coalition which defeated Napoleon

20
(No Transcript)
21
France

• Unified, nationalistic army defeated 1st, 2nd and
  3rd coalitions
• Had greatest difficulty defeating the 1st
  Coalition, the upper hand see-sawed back and
  forth several times. Eventually victorious, took
  over the Netherlands and eastern bank of the
  Rhine in 1794, Napoleon took Northern Italy in
  1797 French initially welcomed as liberators,
  eventually seen as suppressors
• Napoleon comes into political power in 1799,
  early on in the fight against the 2nd Coalition,
  emperor by 1804
• Never able to invade Britain. Instead relied on
  a trade blockade the Continental System
• Ended the Holy Roman Empire and created the
  German Confederation of the Rhine
• Defeated by the 4th Coalition or Grand Alliance

22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
The Grand Empire
26
Defeat of Napoleon

• In June of 1812 Napoleon started with almost
  500,000 soldiers (some sources say 600,000 and
  even 700,000), two-thirds were non-French
• Napoleon marched all the way to Moscow. The
  Russians used a slow, orderly retreat to weaken
  French forces before the battle of Borodino which
  was a draw.
• Napoleon expected that the Muscovites would
  billet (provide room and board) his tired and
  hungry troops, but most residents left and the
  city mysteriously burned the evening the French
  army arrived.
• Napoleon waited 5 weeks in Moscow for Alexander I
  to sue for peace, but he did not.
• Napoleon ordered a retreat, but the Russian army,
  an early Russian winter and starvation did in the
  French army
• Russian soldiers forced the French army to take
  the same burned out road they took into Russia

27
(No Transcript)
28
Defeat of Napoleon

• Napoleon, hearing about a potential coup in Paris
  hurried back ahead of his surviving troops
  (making the trek in 13 days!)
• Napoleon was offered terms by Austria which would
  have reduced France to its historical size
  Napoleon refused
• Napoleon raised another army which was defeated
  at Leipzig by the 4th Coalition in the Battle of
  the Nations
• The powers of Europe were quickly organizing with
  the Treaty of Chaumont to fight the weakened
  emperor.

29
(No Transcript)
30
First Abdication

• Napoleon abdicated in April, 1814
• Allies gave Napoleon the island of Elba as his
  own small country
• Bourbon dynasty restored to France, Louis XVIII,
  brother of Louis XVI was crowned as a
  constitutional monarch with legal equality and an
  elected legislature (but only a limited number of
  people could vote) which was outlined in a
  Constitutional Charter presented by Louis XVIII
• French borders were not redrawn, France did not
  have to pay an indemnity

31
(No Transcript)
32
The Hundred Days 1815

• After 9 months and 21 days, Napoleon saw his
  chance to escape from Elba and sailed for France
• Napoleon collected an army as he marched toward
  Paris. The French army deserted Louis XVIII.
• The 4th Coalition came together again and
  Napoleon was defeated by the British and
  Prussians at Waterloo

33
The Hundred Days 1815Outcome

• Louis XVIII was again restored to the throne
• French borders were trimmed, France had to pay an
  indemnity and endure an army of occupation
• Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena, where he died,
  most likely of stomach cancer in 1821.
• Napoleon was first buried on St. Helena, but his
  body was returned to France for a state funeral
  in 1840.

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)