The Rise and Fall of Napoleon’s

Empire

Napoleon was born here, on the Island of Corsica

Austria

Prussia

April 1792-

Prussia and Austria go to war with France to aid French royal family

September - Arrest king & queen and abolish monarchy

National Convention formed = 1st French Republic

1793 – Committee of Public Safety led by Robespierre began Reign of Terror

Napoleon Bonaparte leading his troops over the bridge of Arcole 1796

By 1795 – French armies conquered parts of Holland, Belgium, and Germany

1795 – New Constitution = Directory (5 elected men)

+ bicameral legislature (Council of 500 & Council of Elders)

1796 – marries Josephine

Battle of the Pyramids –  July 21, 1798

The Battle of the Nile – August 1, 1798

1799 - Napoleon organizes coup and places himself as First Consul

Napoleon Rules France• Plebiscite (public vote) approved new

constitution – Napoleon stronger• He repairs the economy – fixed tax

collection, established a national bank, fired the corrupt

• Lycees – started government run public schools, rewards based on merit

• Concordat – repairs the relationship with Church, He will claim influence but no control

• Establishes the Napoleonic Code – A system of laws that were uniform but eliminated individual rights, and restored slavery in Caribbean

The Napoleonic CodePolitical Reforms in France

• Equality of all in the eyes of the law• No recognition of birthright (nobility)• Freedom of Religion• Freedom to find an occupation of

choice• Strengthened the role of the family

– Emphasis on the husband/father as the head of the family

Church Representatives

Empress Josephine

Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte

• 1804 – crowned himself Emperor• Napoleon’s actions during the

Coronation were very symbolic• He took the crown off of the Pope

and placed it on himself• Symbolized that he does not owe his

success to anyone

Napoleon Creates an Empire

• Wanted territory in New World, couldn’t overcome slave armies in Haiti and sold the Louisiana Purchase to the USA

• Wanted to expand in Europe, other nations attacked & were defeated, signed peace treaties

• Austerlitz is his finest battle. He crushes the Russians and Austrians both

• Battle of Trafalgar – England’s Nelson destroyed the French fleet, Napoleon wouldn’t be able to invade Britain

• Most of continental Europe in his control by 1812

Battles of Napoleon

Napoleon’s Tactics “Military Genius

• Divide and Conquer – Split the enemy in two and flank them from one side.

• The enemy will be literally half the size after the one side is annihilated

• Reconnaissance – Search for gaps• Concentrate artillery fire on these gaps• Napoleon increased the use of artillery

Army vs. Navy

Nelson

Marie Louise, Empress Consort of Napoleon Bonaparte (2nd wife married in 1910) and Napoleon II

Napoleon’s Costly MistakesA) Continental System –

blockade against Great Britain, destroy economy, make continental Europe more self-sufficient, Britain did it better…

B) Peninsular War – French marched into Spain, took over govt., Spanish guerrilla forces attacked, French army severely weakened

C) Napoleon establishes his relatives as kings in the countries he conquers. These people are not competent rulers. The citizens of these countries revolt.

D) Invasion of Russia – Meant to punish Czar for selling grain to England.

1812- 600,000 + French soldiers invade Russia

Russians pull back and refuse to fight, practice scorched-earth policy, and burn Moscow down.

Napoleon marched back to France in winter, lost 5/6 of his army to freezing and starvation.

“Swallows fell from the sky like stones, frozen in flight in the bitter cold…”

Napoleon’s Downfall• 1814 – Napoleon

surrendered at Liepzig “Battle of Nations”

• coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden

• exiled to island of Elba• New king, Louis XVIII

unpopular • Napoleon escapes from

Elba in 1815 and returns to France

“Hundred Days” and Waterloo

• Soldiers are Loyal to Napoleon not the King

• King Louis XVIII flees and Napoleon regains power

• Duke of Wellington defeats Napoleon’s troops in the Battle of Waterloo (Britain and Prussia)

• St. Helena – Exiled until his death in 1821

Homework:

•Copy the following definitions on the back of your Napoleon chart or on a separate piece of paper titled “Napoleonic Era”

•Create a T-chart: Hero/Villain give examples of how Napoleon was a hero and how Napoleon was a villain. - -

-Choose either Hero or Villain and use the examples in the t-chart to create a propaganda poster of Napoleon supporting your conclusion (t-chart needs to go on back of poster)

*doesn’t need to be on a poster, but it does need to be decorated and colored

• Abdicate- To formally relinquish/give up ruling power.

• Armistice- Temporary end to hostilities and fighting by agreement between the opposing sides.

• Artillery- A branch of an army armed with cannons.

• Autocratic- Rule by one person with all the power

• Democratic- Rule by all the people, usually by voting for a representative to rule them

• Coup- French for “to cut”, the violent overthrow of an existing government leader by a small group.

• Autocratic- Rule by one person with all the power

• Democratic- Rule by all the people, usually by voting for a representative to rule them

Napoleon: Hero or Villan?• Create a propaganda poster that depicts

whether you think that Napoleon is a hero to France or a zero.

• You must include an illustration and the following:

• a. political aspects- (government, laws)• b. social aspects- (for the good of the

people)• c. economic aspects- (money, debt,

etc. )