Napoleon Bonaparte

Libertyville HS

Napoleon Seized Power• 1799: asked to join

conspiracy to overthrow Directory

• Why was Napoleon asked?– Very popular general– Brought with the loyalty

of the Army• Coup successful;

replaced Directory with Consulate

• 1801: Napoleon became “First Consul” for life (dictator)

Reforms of “Consul Napoleon”

• Improved schools• Clarified tax code• Built new roads• Established new law

code– Code Napoleon– Introduced

Enlightenment principles into legal system

• Sold French lands in America to American government

The Louisiana Purchase (1803)• Napoleon had plan to

defeat British in Carribbean

• BUT French troops sent to Haiti, were defeated

• Napoleon realized he couldn’t defend US lands so he offered to sell to US for $0.03 per acre

• No one knew how big it was!

Emperor Napoleon• Crowned self emperor, in

1805– Claimed to want to

prevent Bourbon (royal family) from re-establishing monarchy

– Hypocritical?• Napoleon went on to

conquer most of Europe– Power hungry conqueror

or enlightenment liberator?

– In states he conquered, he set up constitutions, law codes, abolished feudalism, fostered education, etc.

Emperor Napoleon• “I closed the gulf of anarchy

and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it. I abolished feudalism and restored equality to all regardless of religion and before the law. I fought the decrepit monarchies of the Old Regime because the alternative was the destruction of all this. I purified the Revolution.”

Napoleonic Wars, 1805-12• 1805: Coalition of

Britain, Austria & Russia vs. France formed

• Austria, Russia attacked from East– Battle of Austerlitz

(1805)• Napoleon ordered

invasion of England• Spanish, French fleet

defeated by Brits at Trafalgar (1805)

NW: Continental System

• Attempt to create a Europe wide boycott of English goods, trade

• Hurt English economy

• Hurt European economy

• Ultimately unsuccessful

Napoleonic Wars• 1806-07: Another

anti-French coalition formed: Prussia, Russia, England– French conquered

Prussians, defeat Russians

• France took over, ended HRE

• Napoleon and Czar Alexander I– Decide to split up

(Partition) Poland– Ended Holy Roman

Empire

Partition of 1795; Napoleon took the “Prussia” and “Austria” parts in 1807

NW: Peninsular War, 1808-1812

• Portugal wouldn’t take part in Continental System

• Napoleon asked Spain to invade Portugal; they refused

• Napoleon invaded Spain• Brits supported Spain,

Portugal with money, weapons and troops

• Guerrilla warfare• War tied down several

hundred thousand troops

Napoleonic Wars: Invasion of Russia (1812-13)

• Russia stopped taking part in Continental System AND started massing troops on French / Polish border

• Napoleon invaded Russia w/ ½ million men

• Russians retreated: “Scorched Earth” policy

• French captured Moscow

• “General Winter”

• Losses– French lost over

90% of army– Russians lost about

300,000 troops and several 100,000 civilians

Retreat and Abdication• Napoleon continued to

fight, but his empire fell apart– Coalition against France:

Russia, Prussia, England, Spain, Portugal

• Napoleon fought, but outnumbered 5 to 1

• Gave unconditional surrender, 4/11/14

• French royalists restored Louis XVII to throne

• Napoleon exiled to Elba

“The Hundred Days”• Napoleon returned to

France after hearing a rumor he was to be moved to different island

• March on Paris: 5th regiment under Ney story

• King Louis XVII fled, and Napoleon began raising a new army

Battle of Waterloo (1815)• Separate English &

Prussian armies were in Belgium

• Napoleon attacked Prussians, pushing them back

• Turned on British, who were led by Duke of Wellington

• British ground down French until Prussians showed up

Exile and Death• Napoleon exiled to St.

Helena, a small island off coast of Africa

• Died in 1821• Legacy

– One of the greatest military leaders, ever

– Promoted growth of centralized European state

– Spread enlightenment ideas throughout Europe

– Stimulated nationalist movements throughout Europe

Congress of Vienna• Meeting of all

European countries to redraw map of Europe

• Major powers of meeting: Austria, England, Russia & Prussia - & France!

• Goals– Organize lasting peace– Contain, but don’t

punish, France– Restore legit rulers

Congress of Vienna• Significance of

Congress– Avoided a major

European war for 100 years

– Represented a conservative reaction to French Revolution

– Peace and stability were exchanged for liberty, civil rights of French Rev.

• Good trade?