The Age of Napoleon

Napoleon Rises to Power Napoleon was a military hero to the French and moved from being a general to being a member of a three-man Consulate who ruled France. Through votes by French citizens, he then rose to First Consul and eventually to Emperor

Napoleon Reforms France Napoleon’s government valued order and authority. He made reforms to improve the economy and made peace with the Catholic Church. He also instituted a new code of laws that recognized the equality of all citizens under the law.

Napoleon Builds an Empire Napoleon’s armies invaded and annexed the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Italy and Germany. In lands he didn’t control militarily, he tried to place friends and relatives in positions of power. Britain, however, successfully resisted Napoleon’s actions through the force of its navy.

Battle of Trafalgar

Napoleon’s Empire Faces Challenges When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, other countries began to revolt against French occupation and culture. There were not enough soldiers to secure each territory and strike at Russia. To make matters worse, Russian troops had burned crops and villages along the French route, leaving them without food or shelter during the brutal winter.

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Napoleon Falls from Power France’s Russian disaster gave birth to the alliance of Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia. They defeated France in 1813. Napoleon was sent into exile on the island of Elba, and the monarchy was restored in France. Napoleon then escaped Elba and returned to rule for a short time, until his troops were beaten again in battle. He died while in exile on the island of St. Helena, but his conquests helped to spread the ideas of the French revolution throughout Europe and Russia.

Leaders Meet at the Congress of Vienna At the Congress of Vienna, European leaders tried to create a lasting peace by placing strong countries around France and by protecting the system of monarchy. Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain maintained their alliance. Nationalism, however, would come back to haunt Europe soon enough.