Napoleon I

Bonaparte

Early Life

• Born in Corsica to an important family that was having bad luck

• Went to France to join the army• Became captain of an artillery group (cannon)• Successfully defended France against foreign

enemies. (Battle of Tolun• Defended the Directory

Beginnings of Fame

• Napoleon became one of France’s best soldiers.• Napoleon became extremely popular.• Afraid of his popularity and ambition, the Directorate tried

to keep him busy and out of the way by sending him to Egypt and Syria (Palestine/Israel).

• Napoleon won a great battle in Egypt.• Napoleon brought a team of scientists with him to

research the orient. (The Rosetta Stone)• Napoleon sent back letter after letter describing his great

successes which were reported in the newspapers throughout France.

Beginnings of Power

• Napoleon lost the battle in Syria, but did not report this to France.

• Napoleon snuck back to France, “to save France” from dangers

• Two weeks after he arrived in France, he gathered a small army, imprisoned the electorate, and took power.

Napoleon- master of public opinion says

"the Revolution is safe on my watch. I am the product of the revolution myself. But the chaos and uncertainty of the Revolution is going to be over. People should go back to their private interests, their private concerns. And the new government will provide the order and the stability and the strength to allow that to happen."

Summarize

What events led to Napoleon’s rise to power?

Answer(s): stopped royalists from regaining power, defended French interior, won battles in Italy, kept borders secure, won territory for France, covered up Battle of Nile, coup d'état

Napoleonic Wars Begin

• Extension of wars fought during the French Revolution, would last a decade

• France dominant power in Europe

• French empire grew rapidly, but fell apart more quickly

• Nelson and British navy won Battle of Trafalgar off coast of Spain

• Napoleon defeated Russian and Austrian troops at Austerlitz

Quest to Conquer Europe

Mastered Most of Europe

• Through treaties, alliances, and victories in battle

• Controlled much of Europe by 1812

Rewarded Relatives

• Relatives put in power; brothers on thrones of Holland, Naples, and Sicily

• Sisters and stepson held powerful positions

Free of Control

• Great Britain remained an enemy

• Sweden, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire escaped Bonaparte’s grip

Napoleon Dominates Europe

Napoleon’s Battles in Europe

• First Declares himself Consul, Then Emperor• Austerlitz- incredible victory• Russia• Imprisonment on Elba• Return• Waterloo• Imprisonment on St. Helen’s• Mysterious death

Results of Napoleon’s Career

• European monarchies united to defeat him.• European countries became militarily stronger.• England became the strongest naval and

military power in Europe.• France was exhausted.

Hundreds of thousands of young men were killedAgriculture was weakenedPeople were sick of revolution, war, and unrest