Napoleon Bonaparte

Biography  Not French…Corsican (not wealthy but noble family) (Short?) –Went to a French military school and became an artillery commander. Joined the revolutionary army in 1792 as a captain  1794 made brigadier general –Sent to Egypt to strike at British wealth in 1798  Victory at the Battle of the Pyramids (Mamelukes) took Cairo  Marooned when Nelson destroyed his fleet at the Battle of The Nile (Aboukir Bay)  His troops discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799

Coup D’etat  Napoleon learned form his brother Lucien that the Directory was weak –November 1799 the 30 year old Napoleon organized a military coup –Napoleon became First Consul (of three) of a new government called The Consulate  Controlled the entire gov’t  1802 first consul for life  1804 Emperor

Domestic policy under Napoleon  Tried to please everyone (order and stability) –Cut a deal that preserved the gains of the moderate revolution (The Napoleonic Code of 1804)  Equality before the law, advancement based on merit  Freedom of religion  Security of property and wealth  National bank  Tariffs  No unions or strikes  No sefdom  Missing? (free speech, free press, democracy, women’s rights to divorce and own property were curtailed)

More domestic policy  Emigres: after taking a loyalty oath they were invited back and given government jobs  Roman Catholics: The Concordat of 1801 with Pope Pious VII to restore stability –Church gave up claim to lost land in return for veto power over nominated priests –Church regained its support

Peace?  1802 Napoleon secured a Peace treaty for France but it would not last long –Great Britain: By 1803 conflict with GB is renewed and he begins preparations to invade England –October 1805: Combined French and Spanish Fleet destroyed by Lord Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar  Made Invasion of England impossible  Napoleon used the renewal of fighting as an excuse to have himself proclaimed Emperor in 1804 (Pope crowned him Emperor of the French)

Napoleon on the offensive  Austria, Russia Sweden and Great Britain and Prussia will all oppose him –December 1805 Napoleon begins a string of victories  Battles of Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau, Friedland –Prussians and Austrians surrender  The Russians under General Kutuzov retreat  The Tsar and Napoleon sign the Treaty of Tilsit  From Napoleon is master of Europe only Great Britain left to oppose him  Napoleon attempts to destroy GB with an embargo called the Continental System

The 3 levels of the Napoleonic Empire  By 1807 Napoleon viewed himself as the Emperor of Europe (3 parts) –France: Belgium, Holland, N. Italy, Germany to the Rhine) –Dependant satellite Kingdoms: Family members usually placed on the throne (Ex: Spain) –Independent but allied nations: Austria, Prussia, and Russia. All of these countries had to support Napoleons policies

Napoleonic Empire

Napoleon’s impact on Europe  In France and the satellites he brought some of the reforms of the Revolution –Abolished serfdom and feudal dues –However, this came at a heavy price in taxes and soldiers to support Napoleon and his army –In France people began to grow weary of conscription and constant warfare –The British began a blockade to counter the Continental system that hurt the economies of European nations

Revolts  1808 Spain: Roman Catholic Spanish begin to revolt against the Rule of Joseph Bonaparte who became King in 1808 –The people of Spain rose up when French troops came to Spain to support Joseph and invade Portugal –Guerilla tactics (mutilated bodies)  1812 Russia: Tsar Alexander I refuses to enforce the Continental system –This will lead directly to the invasion of Russia in June of 1812

The Russian campaign  Napoleon invades Russia The Grand Army of 614,000 men (only 1/3 rd French  Alexander orders General Kutuzov and his 160,000 men to retreat to Moscow and burn everything that could be of use to the invading army (“scorched earth”) –Stretched the French supply lines –Napoleon was forced to fight the Battle of Borodino to a draw (30,000 Fr. 2x as many Russians dead) 70 miles outside Moscow (Sept 12 th ) –Napoleon arrives in Moscow Sept 14 th but the Russians had burned Moscow and Napoleon spent 5 weeks awaiting the Tsar’s surrender

The French retreat  Napoleon had waited too long (mid October) and the Russian Winter had begun –Only 93,000 men would escape Russia –Napoleon raced home ahead of his forces to form another army of 85,000 –He refused an offer of peace from Austria –His enemies form the Quadruple Alliance (GB, Austria, Prussia, Russia)

The Battle of Leipzig (The Nations)  Napoleon waged a skillful campaign but was eventually defeated by alliance forces led by the Duke of Wellington in October of 1813 –At the end of March 1814 alliance forces marched into Paris –Napoleon abdicated and was forced into exile on the island of Elba –The victors restored the Bourbons in the person of Louis XVIII and created a constitutional monarchy

The 100 days  In February of 1815 Napoleon escaped from Elba island because the victors began to argue amongst themselves –March Napoleon landed in France and was met by French forces –Eventually he is defeated again at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to St. Helena –Louis XVIII is once again restored but the peace settlement from the allies is much more harsh