The Age of Napoleon

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The Age of Napoleon
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Napoleons Rise to Power

• Born in Corsica in 1769
• Not rich attended military school on a
  scholarship
• Joined the French army and quickly rose through
  the ranks
• Became a General and returned to France as a hero
• Helped overthrow the Directory
• French government created after Reign of Terror
• Changed the name of the Directory to the
  Consulate
• Appointed himself First Consul
• Crowned himself Emperor of France two years later

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He Wasnt Necessarily Humble

• let that impatiently awaited savior give a
  sudden sign of his existence, and the peoples
  instinct will divine him and call upon him a
  whole great nation, flying to see him pass, will
  seem to be saying Here is the man. A
  consecutive series of great actions never is the
  result of chance and luck it always is the
  product of planning and genius.
• Napoleon

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Many did not agree that he was the savior and
saw him more as the devil.
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Peace With the Catholic Church

• Concordat of 1801
• State got to keep the church lands that were
  taken during the Revolution
• Catholicism was recognized as the majority
  religion in France

Crowning of Empress Josephine by Napoleon
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Napoleonic Code

• One standard law code for everyone
• Everyone is equal under the law
• Religious toleration
• Meritocracy - Advancement based on achievement
  and the ability to perform a job well rather than
  on a persons social class

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Military Accomplishments

• France expanded all the way to the Rhine River
• Put his relatives on the thrones of many
  countries including Spain and the Confederation
  of the Rhine
• Confederation of the Rhine
• Alliance of all of the German states except
  Austria and Prussia

Napoleon the hero!
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Napoleons Empire
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Legacy of Napoleon

• Spread revolutionary ideas
• equality
• liberty
• fraternity
• economic reforms
• religious toleration
• Raised taxes on the people he conquered
• viewed Napoleon as an outsider and a tyrant
• Nationalism people who feel pride in their
  country and will fight to the death to defend it

However, when he left, there were always piles of
dead bodies left behind.
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Why Didnt His Empire Last?

• 2 Reasons
• Alliance between Britain, Russia, Prussia, and
  Austria against Napoleon
• Nationalism people didnt want to be taken over
  by a foreign country

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The Grand Alliance

• Included Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria
• Saw the British as his greatest threat
• Continental System
• Blockade of British goods
• Britain responded by finding new markets in Asia,
  Africa and the Middle East

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Napoleon Invades Russia

• Continental System negatively impacted Russias
  economy
• Napoleon Tsar Alexander I were allied
• Tsar Alexander decided to no longer uphold
  Continental System
• Napoleon decided to invade Russia with over
  600,000 troops
• Mistake attacking Russia
• Russian army drew French army deeper into Russia
• During Russian summer, thousands died of
  exhaustion
• Russians also used the Scorched Earth Policy
• military strategy involving total destruction of
  property and resources so that an invading enemy
  cannot use them
• During Russian winter, thousands died from cold
• Forced to retreat to Paris
• Rumors of an overthrow worried Napoleon as well
• In the end, 560,000 men died or were taken
  prisoner

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Napoleons army entering Russia
Napoleons army leaving Russia
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The Defeat of Napoleon

• Paris was taken in 1814
• Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba
• European powers put a weak king on the French
  throne
• French people wanted Napoleon back
• Napoleon returned and gathered an army to fight

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Waterloo

• Marched to Waterloo, Belgium
• Final attempt to conquer his enemies
• Met Prussian and British military
• was defeated in 4 days
• Exiled to a small island in the Atlantic called
  St. Helena
• Remained there until he died in 1821

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Congress of Vienna

• Convened after the defeat of Napoleon
• Met to restore stability and peace to Europe
  after years of war and revolution
• Included representatives from Austria, Britain,
  Prussia, Russia France

Congress of Vienna
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The Goals of the Congress

• Establish a balance of power in Europe
• Changed boundaries in Europe
• Restored the kings that Napoleon had unseated
• Quadruple Alliance
• Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia
• Pledged to stay united and fight against any
  future revolutions

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Consequences

• Redrew map of Europe without considering ethnic
  groupings or nationalism
• Underestimated the feelings of nationalism
  growing
• Germany wanted to be a strong, unified nation
• Spirit of the revolution didnt die!
• People wanted to move forwards, not backwards!