The Age of Napoleon 1769-1821. Early Life Born in Corsica Age 9 – Military School Age 16 –...
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Transcript of The Age of Napoleon 1769-1821. Early Life Born in Corsica Age 9 – Military School Age 16 –...
The Age of Napoleon 1769-1821
Early Life
• Born in Corsica• Age 9 – Military School• Age 16 – Lieutenant• Joins the French Army when the
Revolution breaks out
Man of the Hour
• 1795-Napoleon defends the National Convention from Royalist rebels
• 1796-Directory appoints Napoleon to lead French Army against Austria & Sardinia
1799-Coup d’Etat (blow to the state)
• Napoleon seizes power from the Directory – becomes First Consul and assumes power of a dictator
Napoleon takes power as First Consul
1800 - The plebiscite (Vote of the people) gives Napoleon the power to rule as a
dictator/enlightened despot
Napoleon’s Changes
*Taxes: Collection fair & orderly
Reliable steady supply of $$$
*Dishonest government workers removed
*Lycees: Public school for citizenry
*Concordat with Pope: returns some power to the church
“Code Civil”
• Napoleonic Code: new set of laws gave all French citizens the same rights
• Free speech & press limited
• Restored slavery in French colonies
Emperor
• 1804 – Takes crown from Pope and places on own head!
1803: Set Backs to Empire
• Haiti: Yellow fever & fierce resistance destroys army and leaves French possession in N.America indefensible
Louisiana Purchase
• 1803 – the Louisiana Territory is sold to the U.S. (Pres. Thomas Jefferson’s Admin.) for $15 million (3 cents an acre)
1804 The Battle of Trafalgar
• The French Fleet is defeated off the S.W. Coast of Spain by The British navy commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson
Humiliating Defeat for France
• Prevents Napoleon from invading England
1806 The Continental System
• Napoleon blockades British ports to make the continent more self sufficient
• British respond with their own blockade around Europe weakening the economy
1808 The Peninsular War
• Napoleon made his brother Joseph King of Spain. Spanish loyal to own King
• Guerrilla warfare – peasant fighters wage war against Napoleon
1812 Doomed March to Russia
• Scorched-earth Policy – Russians retreat leaving no lovestock or grain for the French Army
• Russian Winter – only 10,000 of the original 400,000 troops survive
1813 The Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations)
• Britain, Russia, Prussia,Sweden & Austria defeat Napoleon
• Largest conflict of Napoleonic Wars• Fought on Germany soil
Exiled to Elba
The Hundred Days
• After 10 months in exile, Napoleon escapes – Returns to France, gains support on his way to Paris
• Returns to Power
Waterloo, Belgium 1815
• British Army led by the Duke of Wellington with help from the Prussian Army hand Napoleon his final defeat
St. Helena
• Napoleons final exile
The Congress of Vienna
• Europeans meet to restore order to Europe
• Five Great Powers: Russia, Prussia, Austria, Great Britain, & France
• Prince Klemens von Metternich takes the lead
3 Goals
• France would not attack another country again
• Balance of Power between nations – no one country would be a threat to another
• Legitimacy – restore former monarchs to their rightful thrones
The HOLY ALLIANCE
• Czar Alexander of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria, King Frederick William III of Prussia
Before & After