Napoleon Bonaparte
Libertyville HS
Napoleon Seized Power• 1799: asked to join
conspiracy to overthrow Directory
• Why was Napoleon asked?– Very popular general– Brought with the loyalty
of the Army• Coup successful;
replaced Directory with Consulate
• 1801: Napoleon became “First Consul” for life (dictator)
Reforms of “Consul Napoleon”
• Improved schools• Clarified tax code• Built new roads• Established new law
code– Code Napoleon– Introduced
Enlightenment principles into legal system
• Sold French lands in America to American government
The Louisiana Purchase (1803)• Napoleon had plan to
defeat British in Carribbean
• BUT French troops sent to Haiti, were defeated
• Napoleon realized he couldn’t defend US lands so he offered to sell to US for $0.03 per acre
• No one knew how big it was!
Emperor Napoleon• Crowned self emperor, in
1805– Claimed to want to
prevent Bourbon (royal family) from re-establishing monarchy
– Hypocritical?• Napoleon went on to
conquer most of Europe– Power hungry conqueror
or enlightenment liberator?
– In states he conquered, he set up constitutions, law codes, abolished feudalism, fostered education, etc.
Emperor Napoleon• “I closed the gulf of anarchy
and brought order out of chaos. I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it. I abolished feudalism and restored equality to all regardless of religion and before the law. I fought the decrepit monarchies of the Old Regime because the alternative was the destruction of all this. I purified the Revolution.”
Napoleonic Wars, 1805-12• 1805: Coalition of
Britain, Austria & Russia vs. France formed
• Austria, Russia attacked from East– Battle of Austerlitz
(1805)• Napoleon ordered
invasion of England• Spanish, French fleet
defeated by Brits at Trafalgar (1805)
NW: Continental System
• Attempt to create a Europe wide boycott of English goods, trade
• Hurt English economy
• Hurt European economy
• Ultimately unsuccessful
Napoleonic Wars• 1806-07: Another
anti-French coalition formed: Prussia, Russia, England– French conquered
Prussians, defeat Russians
• France took over, ended HRE
• Napoleon and Czar Alexander I– Decide to split up
(Partition) Poland– Ended Holy Roman
Empire
Partition of 1795; Napoleon took the “Prussia” and “Austria” parts in 1807
NW: Peninsular War, 1808-1812
• Portugal wouldn’t take part in Continental System
• Napoleon asked Spain to invade Portugal; they refused
• Napoleon invaded Spain• Brits supported Spain,
Portugal with money, weapons and troops
• Guerrilla warfare• War tied down several
hundred thousand troops
Napoleonic Wars: Invasion of Russia (1812-13)
• Russia stopped taking part in Continental System AND started massing troops on French / Polish border
• Napoleon invaded Russia w/ ½ million men
• Russians retreated: “Scorched Earth” policy
• French captured Moscow
• “General Winter”
• Losses– French lost over
90% of army– Russians lost about
300,000 troops and several 100,000 civilians
Retreat and Abdication• Napoleon continued to
fight, but his empire fell apart– Coalition against France:
Russia, Prussia, England, Spain, Portugal
• Napoleon fought, but outnumbered 5 to 1
• Gave unconditional surrender, 4/11/14
• French royalists restored Louis XVII to throne
• Napoleon exiled to Elba
“The Hundred Days”• Napoleon returned to
France after hearing a rumor he was to be moved to different island
• March on Paris: 5th regiment under Ney story
• King Louis XVII fled, and Napoleon began raising a new army
Battle of Waterloo (1815)• Separate English &
Prussian armies were in Belgium
• Napoleon attacked Prussians, pushing them back
• Turned on British, who were led by Duke of Wellington
• British ground down French until Prussians showed up
Exile and Death• Napoleon exiled to St.
Helena, a small island off coast of Africa
• Died in 1821• Legacy
– One of the greatest military leaders, ever
– Promoted growth of centralized European state
– Spread enlightenment ideas throughout Europe
– Stimulated nationalist movements throughout Europe
Congress of Vienna• Meeting of all
European countries to redraw map of Europe
• Major powers of meeting: Austria, England, Russia & Prussia - & France!
• Goals– Organize lasting peace– Contain, but don’t
punish, France– Restore legit rulers
Congress of Vienna• Significance of
Congress– Avoided a major
European war for 100 years
– Represented a conservative reaction to French Revolution
– Peace and stability were exchanged for liberty, civil rights of French Rev.
• Good trade?