The Age of NapoleonCHAPTER 18 SECTION 3

LATE 18TH CENTURY INTO THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY

The Rise of Napoleon

Born in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean a few months before the French laid claim to that territory.

Coming from a poor family, Napoleon won a scholarship to a military school where he studied French philosophy and military tactics & strategy.

At the age of 24, the committee of Public safety promoted him to brigadier general. He was assigned to take his troops to Northern Italy.

The Rise of Napoleon

It was during this campaign that Napoleon would become a legend and a national hero back in France. Thanks to his tactics which included speed, surprise, and decisive action, he was able to defeat the armies of the papal states and Austria.

Upon returning to France he was given command of the army that was to invade Britain. Given his penchant for surprise, he decided to indirectly attack the British by attacking their colony of Egypt. Napoleon would not be as successful this time around and was defeated by a strong British Navy.

Napoleon in Egypt

The Rise of Napoleon

When he returned to Paris he played a key role in overthrowing (coup d’etat) the Directory. A new government was established called the consulate. Napoleon became the 1st consul, a title barrowed from the Roman era.

Eve though in theory France was still a republic (constitution & democracy), Napoleon had absolute power over all political & military aspects of the republic.

In1802 he declared himself consul for life and 2 years later he gave himself the title Emperor napoleon I

The Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I

Napoleon’s Domestic Policies

Even though Napoleon now has absolute authority over everything ( just like King Louis XVI before the revolution), he claimed that he had preserved the revolution and its enlightenment ideals.

One his Napoleons first acts was to reconcile with the Catholic Church. Even though Napoleon believed in Enlightenment principles when it came to religion, he realized many French citizens remained Catholic and were angry with the initial split with the catholic church.

Napoleon agreed with the Pope to declare Catholicism as the religion of the majority of the population. In return the Pope let Napoleon keep the lands he had taken from them.

Napoleon’s Domestic Policies

Prior to the revolution France’s laws were split among 300 different legal systems something which posed a problem in different regions of France. One of the goals of the revolution was to consolidate the legal system under 1 universal code of law.

Napoleon was able to finally establish a legal system with enlightenment ideals embedded in them. The most famous of these was the Civil code or Napoleonic codes. Some of the codes included equality for all citizens, righto choose a profession, religious toleration & the abolishment of serfdom.

The new law codes eliminated many of the laws established in the revolution pertaining to female rights. Unfortunately for women, the civil codes were a step backwards.

Napoleon’s Domestic Policies

A new bureaucracy was established under Napoleon and it focused on promoting men of merit. Napoleon also established a new aristocracy with admittance centered on meritorious service to the nation. 3,200 individuals were granted title's of nobility under Emperor Napoleon I.

Napoleon also destroyed some revolutionary ideals. Many French citizens protested Napoleon’s reform. The most prominent of these citizens was the writer Anne-Louise-Germaine de Stael.

Napoleon’s Empire

With France at war with the majority of Europe, Napoleon called for a pause of the revolution. France was able to sign a treaty with Britain, but war broke out a year later. In 1803 Britain dismissed the treaty and again began to aggression towards France, this time joined by Austria, Russia, Sweden & Prussia.

From 1807-1812, Napoleon was the master of Europe. He was able to control most of Europe, his empire was divided into 3 parts. The French Empire, Dependent states, & allied states.

Dependent states were kingdoms ruled by Napoleons relatives.

French Empire

Napoleon’s Empire

In the territories controlled by France, Napoleon destroyed the establish order. The nobility & clergy of these countries were eliminated and French revolutionary principles were applied.

As a result of some of those French revolutionary principles being applied in new countries, it planted the seed for future liberal traditions that are still present in these countries today.

Although Napoleon was successful on the European continent, he was never able to conquer Great Britain due to its naval power. Napoleon then tried to ruin Britain economically by applying a continental system that forbade anyone allied with the French to not trade with Britain. His strategy also failed.

As a result of Napoleon’s conquest a new sense of identity known as nationalism began amongst the conquered people. United by a common language, religion & national symbols as well as hatred for the conquerors, this new sense of identify would help establish the beginning of modern nation states in western Europe

The Fall of Napoleon

Napoleons control over Europe with his continental system was disliked by all, but only opposed by the Russians. After Russia refused to partake in the continental system, Napoleon sent an army of 600,000 troops to invade Russia and force them to follow the continental system.

The Russian strategy to win this battle was to retreat from the encroaching French army and burn the villages along the way, destroying any food supply that the French soldiers would use. They even burned down their capital of Moscow.

With winter approaching Napoleon decided to return back to Paris in what became known as the “Great Retreat”. Of the Original 600,000 troops, only 40,000 remained. With a newly weakened army, other nations began to attack France. In March 1814, Paris fell to foreign invaders.

The Fall of Napoleon

After having lost Paris, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, and a new King , Louis XVIII, brother to Louis the XVI was put in charge of the newly established monarchy.

The new king had very little support, and Napoleon took advantage of this situation by returning to France. Upon his return many of his former troops came to his aid. With his troops by his side Napoleon reentered Paris and took back control of France.

With Napoleon back in control, Russia, Great Britain, Austria & Prussia again declared war on France. In June of 1815, Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo by and army led by The Duke of Wellington.

Napoleon would again be exiled, this time to the island of St. Helena where he would stay until his death in 1821.

Battle of Waterloo ; Napoleon’s Final Defeat