napoleonic france
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NAPOLEONIC FRANCE. AP European History. Napoleon Bonaparte. Corsican of Italian ancestry Military officer, earned fame on battlefields Student of the Enlightenment – “Last of the Enlightened Despots” Revolutionary – allied with Jacobins - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
NAPOLEONIC FRANCE
AP European History
Napoleon Bonaparte Corsican of Italian ancestry Military officer, earned fame on
battlefields Student of the Enlightenment –
“Last of the Enlightened Despots”
Revolutionary – allied with Jacobins
1799 – Coup d’Etat Brumaire – overthrew Directory; Dec 25 – Consulate put in place
Napoleon takes power as “First Consul”
Used plebiscite to give rule legitimacy
Napoleon’s Civil Reforms 1804 – Code Napoleon: Equality before the law Protection of personal
property Freedom of Religion Promotion by merit,
rather than birth Abolition of serfdom Women gained
inheritance rights, but denied equal treatment
Resulted in strong central government, united civil authority
Napoleon’s Social Reforms
Lycées – public higher education schools to train professionals for service to France
Sought to increase size of middle class, where Napoleon had much support
New “imperial nobility” to reward loyalty to state – gave over 3500 titles
Amnesty granted to over 100,000 Émigrés to return to France
Denied workers’ right to form trade unions
Napoleon’s Religious Reforms
Concordat of 1801: Catholic Church re-
established in France Pope Pius VII
renounced Church claims to land seized during Revolution
French government reasserted right to choose bishops
Refactory priests replaced revolutionary priests
Religious toleration for Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and atheists
Church calendar replaced revolutionary calendar
Napoleon’s Economic Reforms
1800 – Bank of France created – for government and upper class
New stable currency and public credit
Balanced budget Lowered taxes on peasant farmers,
allowed them to keep land seized in Revolution – helped strengthen peasantry, gain their loyalty
Kept food prices low with price controls
The ‘Dark Side’ of the New Empire
Women reduced to second-class status – loss of Revolutionary gains
Workers denied right to form trade unions
Created ‘secret police’ to spy on domestic enemies
By 1814 – over 2500 political prisoners
Restricted Freedom of the Press
Napoleon’s Wars I 1798-1801 – War of the Second
Coalition – France victorious over Austria, Russia & U.K.
1802 – Treaty of Amiens created temporary peace with British – allowed French control over Holland, Belgium, western German states, and much of Italy
1802-03 – French army sent to Haiti to put down slave rebellion – eventually lost Haiti and sold Louisiana Territory to U.S.
A New Emperor
Dec 1804 – Napoleon crowned himself Emperor at Notre Dame
Empire Period – 1804-1814
Ten years of constant warfare for France
Eventually created the largest empire since Rome
Napoleon placed relatives upon thrones in conquered lands, attempting to create a new dynasty
Empire Period – 1804-1814
Introduced many reforms to these lands – the “liberator” carrying Enlightened ideas
Initially supported by middle and upper classes, French rule eventually created nationalist resentment and resistance in many lands
Napoleon’s Wars II 1805-1807 – War
of the Third Coalition – Austria, Russia, U.K., & Sweden vs. France
Oct 1805 – Battle of Trafalgar – British fleet under Nelson destroyed combined French/Spanish fleet – saved Britain from possible invasion
Napoleon’s Wars II Dec 1805 – Battle of Austerlitz (Moravia)
– Napoleon’s greatest victory – demolished Austrian army; Russians and Swedes quit Third Coalition
1806 – Arc de Triomphe commissioned to celebrate victory over Third Coalition
1806 – French twice defeated Prussians 1807 – Treaty of Tilsit – Napoleon
recognized as master of Western and Central Europe – Prussia surrendered half its population to France; Russia gave up land and agreed to become allies with France
Only Britain remained as a powerful enemy of France
Reorganizing Europe Holy Roman Empire abolished –
Confederation of the Rhine replaced it – consolidated 300+ German states into 15; Austria & Prussia left out
Duchy of Warsaw created as Polish nation – took land from Russia
Ended serfdom in these lands and gave peasants rights
French control will awaken German nationalism, though
Napoleon’s Europe
Problems Begin… 1806 – Napoleon begins
“Continental System” in an attempt to economically isolate and weaken Britain
By 1812, proved to be a major failure:
1. Many nations relied on British trade
2. France couldn’t enforce system across Europe
3. Britain never suffered since it could trade with American and Asian colonies
… and Expand… 1808 – Napoleon replaced Spanish
king with brother Joseph – Spanish rebelled
1808-1814 – Peninsular War – first major revolt vs. France
Spanish guerrillas aided by British forces commanded by Duke of Wellington
French brutally attempt to regain control, but can’t crush Spanish resistance
Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808
… and Get Even Worse Napoleon blamed Czar
Alexander I for failure of Continental System – Russia had supported it, but withdrew to protect its economy
1812 – Napoleon sent 600,000 soldiers marching into Russia – “The Grand Army”
Russian army – “scorched earth” tactics
Sept 1812 – Battle of Borodino outside Moscow – resulted in a draw
Defeat in Russia Napoleon seized a burned Moscow,
waited 5 weeks for Russians to surrender Ordered retreat in Oct, but too late –
winter had arrived Only 30,000 of the Grand Army make it
back to France – 400,000 dead; over 100,000 captured; others deserted
Napoleon’s Fall 1813-1814 – War of the Fourth
Coalition – Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Britain vs. France
Oct 1813 – Battle of Leipzig (“Battle of Nations”) – largest battle in world history before 20th century
Napoleon lost 500,000 soldiers – most captured
British and Spanish troops entered Paris – Napoleon abdicated in Apr 1814
Bourbons restored to French throne – Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI
Post-Napoleon Napoleon exiled to Elba in
Mediterranean – given yearly allowance from France
Bourbons now constitutional monarchs – kept much of Napoleon’s reforms
“First” Treaty of Paris, 1814: 1. France had to surrender all
lands taken since 1792 2. No war reparations made
against France Quadruple Alliance agreed to
meet in Vienna to reshape Europe after Napoleon
Congress of Vienna 1814-1815 – Quadruple
Alliance members met in Vienna
Very conservative and anti-revolutionary – hoped to roll back Revolutionary & liberal movements, restore old order to Europe
Led by Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria
France treated as equal for now
The Emperor Strikes Back As Vienna
meetings stalled, Napoleon escaped Elba and returned to France
The “Hundred Days” – Napoleon’s attempt to regain control of France
Louis XVIII fled France as Napoleon took over
Napoleon Meets His Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo (Belgium) – June 1815 – Napoleon finally defeated by English and Prussian armies
Duke of Wellington – commanded victorious British forces
This is Wellington’s “happy face”
This is Napoleon’s “sad face”
The Empire’s End
Napoleon now exiled to St. Helena in South Atlantic
Died in exile in 1821; body eventually returned to France
Congress of Vienna “Second” Treaty of Paris – France forced
to pay 700 million francs for war damages
Principles: 1. Legitimacy – return the ruling
families to power 2. Compensation – rewarding states who
fought Napoleon with land 3. Balance of Power – encircle France
with stronger nations, make sure no state can again do what Napoleon did
German Confederation (Bund) established with Austria in control of the government
Europe after Vienna - 1815
Concert of Europe 1815-1848 – Quadruple Alliance worked
together to maintain status quo in Europe
Worked together to end liberalism and nationalism prevent any more revolutions
Kept close eye on France – prevent any Bonaparte from taking the throne
Relied on collective security – come together to enforce conservative rule across the continent, even if it meant war
No large-scale general war for 100 years
The “Holy Alliance” Czar Alexander I proposed all
monarchs agree to uphold Christian values across Europe
All signed it except the Pope, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Great Britain
Only Alexander took it seriously To revolutionaries, this was an
“unholy alliance” against liberty and progress