Napoleon Bonaparte “Ambition is never content even on the summit of greatness.”

Born in Corsica as an Italian- Became a French citizen at the age of 1 Home in which Napoleon was born Corsica

Became dictator (all power held by a single person) of France for the next 15 years beginning in 1799 when he launched a coup d’ etat against the Directory (French government at the time, which was very WEAK)

Became Emperor for life in 1805

Napoleon was immediately at war with the Second Coalition (countries united against France)

Coalitions were formed because other European Monarchs did not want their people to see the French get away with killing their king and starting Republics.

Loved by all of the French

NAPOLEON AS LEADER OF FRANCE

General Reforms Freedom of worship Stabilized food prices Class Equality Rebuilt Paris Got rid of 10 day week (& calendar) Made amends with the Catholic Church

Legal Reform: The Napoleonic Code – single set of laws for all of France Equality of law Basic liberties Restored slavery Limits on women’s rights Limits on political rights and freedom of speech and press NO LAWS APPLIED TO NAPOLEON

Napoleon as a Military Leader Wave of victories, passionate leader, soldiers fought for him Awesome General – The French people LOVED him

THREE BLUNDERS

1. Spain – Kicked out old king and put his brother, Joseph, in charge of Spain. Spanish fought back with help from the British. Guerrilla Warfare destroyed the French. Napoleon has to pull out (300,000 French killed)

Continental System Napoleon tried to isolate trade with Britain (to hurt their economy), but it backfired. Battle of Trafalgar - Napoleon lost to the British navy. This was Napoleon’s first major defeat

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR British French Lord Nelson – Admiral Villeneuve- The British navy better Slower ships, weaker communicate on the cannons, ineffective water, much more powerful strategy against faster cannons ships

Battle of Trafalgar

Russia (1812) Napoleon goes in with 400,000 + troops, comes back with 10,000

While Napoleon was “down,” the other countries gang on France up to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations) - 1813

Napoleon gives up the throne and was exiled to Elba.

100 Days - Napoleon’s return to power People didn’t like Louis XVIII (brother of the guillotined king) Napoleon escaped Elba (Louis fled) Napoleon regained full power Napoleon: best defense is a good offense. He attacked the British General Wellington at Waterloo (Belgium) Napoleon is defeated for a final and exiled once again, this time to Saint Helena, an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean off the coach of West Africa

Napoleon is at St. Helena for nearly six years before he dies of a stomach ailment in 1921. Bonaparte was 51 years old, married twice and had one son – Napoleon II.

LEGACY Rise of Nationalism ·Division of people by country not social class ·People willing to go to war based on love of country

LEGACY (CONTINUED) Spread of ideas:        Political philosophy        Revolution as an option     Equality, speech, voting, property   Rise of a strong, centralized military with soldiers that have proper equipment, training and are well cared for