Napoleon

 October,1799-Napoleon returned to France from Egypt and overthrew the government  Led by three consuls (what does this remind you of?)  Napoleon was First Consul (had the most power)  1802-First Consul for Life (affirmed by a plebiscite—what are people willing to do for security?)  1804-Crowned himself emperor (who does this remind you of?) Rise to Power

Domestic Policies  Napoleonic Code –Regarded all French men as equals –Religious toleration –Abolished serfdom and protected property rights –Workers were not protected (treated as inferior to employers) –Husband had almost total control of family property and finances  Bank of France created –All paid taxes –Made loans to businesses –Decreased inflation

Domestic Policies (con’t)  Controlled public opinion –Newspaper –Education—lycees –Punished critics  Created peace with the Catholic Church—Concordat of 1801 –Affirmed that Catholicism was majority religion –Religious toleration –Napoleon named bishops and state paid clergy salaries –Church did not get land lost back  Did not favor political liberty-He believed that his absolute rule was best for France  SPECTRUM???

Empire Building  Defeated Italy and Austria  Treaty of Amiens w/ Britain  Crowned Emperor by Pope Pius VII  Many military successes on the Euro. continent  10/1805- Napoleon Trafalgar to the British Navy –Therefore, France will never invade Britain –Beginning of the Continental System

More Empire Building  Continental System –All European nation that had been conquered by France (+ Russia & Prussia) had to stop trade w/ G.B. –British demanded all trading ships had to stop at British port first (Napoleon says he will seize those ships!) –An eventual failure b/c G.B. navy stronger –US and other neutral nations suffered  Napoleon controlled most of Europe, became king of Italy –See map, p. 595 –People resented paying France taxes and giving soldiers –Resentment= building nationalism in occupied areas (i.e. Spain)

Downfall  Czar Alexander I (Russ.) saw Napoleon as a threat and resumed trade w/ G.B. in 1811  Napoleon invaded Russia. Unsuccessful. –Scorched earth –Russian winter –400,000 of 600,000 French troops died  Napoleon attacked by other national groups after failing in Russia  Russia and Prussia announced War of Liberation and defeated him at Leipzig in 1813

Napoleon’s End  March Paris taken, Napoleon abdicated to Louis XVIII (Louis XVI’s brother) –French Bourbon monarchy restored –Napoleon exiled –French boundaries shrunk  Napoleon returned in 1815 –Bourbon troops rejoined w/ Napoleon –Reigned again—Hundred Days  6/1815- Defeated at Waterloo by G.B., Prussia, and Netherlands  Napoleon under house arrest on St. Helena until death in 1821.

What are the legacies of Napoleon?

How tall was Napoleon really? 5’ 2” (French feet) = 5’ 6.5” (English feet) “History is a set of lies that people have agreed upon.” -Napoleon Bonaparte, ironically