1. Chapter 7 Section 4 Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Objective: Assess the collapse of Napoleon’s empire.
Vocabulary: Blockade, Continental System, Guerrilla, Peninsular War, Scorched-Earth System, Waterloo, Hundred Days

2. Setting the Stage
Napoleon began to worry about what would happen to his empire after his death
His first wife Josephine failed to bear him any children so he divorced her
Napoleon’s 2nd wife was Marie Louise, the grandniece of Marie Antoinette
In 1811, Marie Louise gave birth to a son, Napoleon II
Napoleon named him King of Rome
Josephine’s daughter married Napoleon’s brother

3. Check for Understanding
Which other king divorced his wife because she failed to give him a son?
Charles II
Henry VIII
Philip I
Sentence Starter: _______ also divorced his wife because she failed to give him a son.

4. Napoleon’s Costly Mistakes
Napoleon’s own personality proved to be the greatest danger to the future of his empire
Napoleon desired power but this love of power led him to his doom
Napoleon’s efforts to extend the French Empire & crush Great Britain caused him to make 3 disastrous mistakes
Napoleon set up a blockade (closing of ports) to cut off trade & communication between Great Britain & the rest of Europe

5. The Continental System
Napoleon called the blockade policy the Continental System
Napoleon hoped the blockade would make continental Europe more self-sufficient
However, Britain was able to smuggle their products & some leaders defied the policy
Britain responded with their own blockade which caused another war with the United States
Britain was weakened by the blockade but it didn’t destroy them
Napoleon’s brother Louis “King of Holland” traded with Great Britain in secret
War of 1812
What kind of military power was Great Britain successful in?

6. Check for Understanding
If Great Britain is an island nation, what kind of military form is the most important?
Navy
Army
Marine

7. The Peninsular War
In 1808, Napoleon wanted to attack Portugal but he had to send his army through Spain
The Spanish were outraged after the invasion & protested
Napoleon removed the Spanish king from power & put his brother Joseph on the throne
Spanish peasant fighters known as guerrillas started to attack French armies
The Spanish didn’t just allow Napoleon to take over
Guerrillas would shot at the French, ambush them, then run off
Why is it near to impossible to beat guerrillas?

8. The Peninsular War
The Spanish were afraid the French would weaken the Catholic Church in Spain as well
Small groups of guerrillas ambushed French troops & then fled into hiding
Napoleon lost 300,000 men during the Peninsular War
Other countries also started to revolt against their foreign French controller
Guerrillas attacked for 6 years

9. The Invasion of Russia
Even though Alexander I was Napoleon’s ally, he refused to stop selling grain to Britain
In June 1812, Napoleon & 420,000 men marched into Russia
Alexander refused to be lured into battle
Russians retreated & implemented the scorched- earth policy (burning grain & leaving nothing behind for the enemy)
Russia had worked hard to westernize and they weren’t going to stop just because of their allies
Slaughter livestock too
Is Russia a small or large country?

10. The Invasion of Russia
Napoleon entered Moscow to find it was in flames
Alexander destroyed Moscow rather than surrendering it
Napoleon turned back to France in the middle of October
As temperatures began to fall, Russians attacked Napoleon’s army
Napoleon’s soldiers died from battle wounds, exhaustion, hunger, & cold as they retreated
Only 10,000 men were left after the invasion
They finally battles in September right outside of Moscow

11. Check for Understanding
How many people died during the invasion of Russia?
400,000
410,000
420,000

12. Napoleon’s Downfall
Britain, Russia, Prussia, & Sweden quickly joined forces again against France
Austria also declared war despite his marriage alliance
In only a few months, Napoleon managed to raise another army however they were untrained
Frederick William III of Prussia & Czar Alexander I invaded Paris & defeated Napoleon

13. Napoleon Suffers Defeat
Napoleon wanted to fight on, but his generals refused
In April 1814, Napoleon surrendered & gave up his throne
Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba
Louis XVI’s brother returned to France & assumed the throne but he became unpopular with the peasants (Louis XVIII)

14. The Hundred Days
Napoleon escaped from Elba & landed in France on March 1st, 1815
Within days, Napoleon was again emperor of France
Napoleon last bid for power was called the Hundred Days
The British & Prussian armies defeated Napoleon at Waterloo
The British shipped Napoleon to St. Helena where he died in exile in 1821
Stomach cancer possibly.