Napoleon Forges an Empire

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte led Bonaparte led

soldiers against soldiers against the French the French

royalists in 1795 royalists in 1795 who were who were

attacking the attacking the National National

Convention.Convention.

The government The government was unsettled in was unsettled in 1799. Napoleon 1799. Napoleon

took advantage of took advantage of this and suddenly this and suddenly seized power or seized power or coup d’coup d’état. The état. The term is term is French for

"a (sudden) blow (or strike) to a state"

(literally, coupcoup, hit, , hit, and and étatétat, , state).

Napoleon takes power as first council

The plebiscite of 1800 gives Napoleon the mandate to play a role for which he is well suited both in character and in terms of his

18th-century education - that of the enlightened despot.

 

 Tax collection was made more fair and orderly so France could rely on a steady

supply of money.

Dishonest government

workers were removed.

Napoleon’s

changesHe started

lycées-a new public school for ordinary

citizens.He gave the church back some of its power and signed a

concordat or agreement

with the pope to gain support

of the organized

church.

 

He wrote a new set of laws called the

Napoleonic Code which

gave all French citizens the

same rights. However, some

individual rights were

removed. Free speech was limited and slavery was

restored in the French

colonies.

The Napoleonic Code, or Code Civil, entered into force on

March 21, 1804. Even though the Napoleonic code was not

the first legal code to be established in a European

country— it is considered the first successful codification and strongly influenced the

law of other countries.The Napoleonic Code, formally said, dealt only with civil law issues, such as filiation and property; It also did not deal

with how laws and regulations were to be passed — which is reserved for a constitution.The Code, with its stress on

clearly written and accessible law, was a major step in

establishing the rule of law.

Napoleon hoped to expand his empire in Europe and the New

World.In 1803, Bonaparte faced a

major setback when an army he sent to re-conquer Haiti and establish a base was

destroyed by a combination of yellow fever and fierce

resistance. Recognizing that the French possessions on the

mainland of North America would now be indefensible,

and facing imminent war with Britain, he sold them to the

United States —the Louisiana Purchase—for less than three cents per acre. The dispute

over Malta provided the pretext for Britain to declare

war on France in 1803 to support French royalists.

The Battle of Trafalgar in 1804 was a humiliating defeat for France

The defeat prevented any possibility of an invasion of England for Napoleon.

Mistake #1In 1806

Napoleon attempted to

blockade British ports to

hurt their economy. This

Continental System was to

make the continent more self sufficient.

The British Navy put their own blockade around Europe

which weakened Europe’s economy.

Mistake #2 Napoleon made his brother King of Spain in 1808.

The Spanish people were loyal to their

own king. The peasant fighters called guerrillas fought against Napoleon in a war called The

Peninsular War.

The Collapse of

Napoleon’s Empire

Mistake #3In 1812

Napoleon attempted to

conquer Russia.The Russians

retreated and followed a

scorched-earth policy leaving no livestock or grain for the

French Army. The onset of

Winter, attacks and deserters

left only 10,000 of the original

400,000 troops.

Surrender at Madrid

Retreat from Moscow

An alliance of Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden and Austria attacked France and defeated Napoleon’s Army in 1813 at Leipzig. The Battle of Leipzig or

the Battle of the Nations (16-19 October 1813) was the largest conflict in the Napoleonic Wars and the

most decisive defeat suffered by Napoleon Bonaparte. Fought on German soil, it also involved German troops on both sides, as a large proportion

of Napoleon 's troops actually came from the German Confederation of the Rhine.  

Napoleon was exiled from France to the small island of Elba. He took a few of his

soldiers with him. He was allowed to keep his title of emperor,promising to pay two

million francs every year to France. He was replaced on the French throne by Louis

XVIII.

Ten months after his exile Napoleon escaped, returning

to France. His destination was the city of Paris. He gained support along his

route to Paris.

He finally marched into Paris with a thousand of his old

soldiers and new supporters. He took over the city and was

back in power for a short period of time that is now known as "The Hundred

Days". Napoleon's return led him to a final campaign in

Belgium. He was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo.

The Effects of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s Rule

on EuropeThe Congress of Vienna met

for the purpose of restoring order to Europe.

Klemens von Metternich’sKlemens von Metternich’s3 goals3 goals

Metternich’g three goals for the congress:

1Make sure the French would noit attack

another country again

2He wanted a balance of power so no one

country would be a threat to another.

3He wanted to return legitimacy back to the

kings Napoleon had driven out.

Czar Alexander of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria and King Frederick William III of

Prussia formed the HOLY ALLIANCE

The Concert of Europe was the broad cooperation between Europe's great

powers after 1815. Its purpose was to maintain the peace settlement

concluded at the Congress of Vienna following the defeat of Napoleonic

France. The Concert of Europe was also known as the Congress System, and the person at the forefront of the Concert

of Europe was Klemens Wenzel von Metternich of Austria. Specifically, the aim of the Concert of Europe was for

the leading nations in Europe - Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia - to work together to prevent the outbreak of

revolution in each nation.

Europe's great

powers after 1815

The Effects of The French Revolution

These were felt in several ways in countries outside France.  Due to the people's revolt against the monarchy, the Russians succeeded in overthrowing the Czar and transferring from an Absolute Monarchy to Communism.  England also benefited from this.  The people rebelled against the monarchy and caused the English monarchs to lose all power and control over the people. "The French Revolution was a step towards replacing traditional aristocratic forms of government with more open, elective systems. Along with the American Revolution, it inspired

reformers throughout the western world."