Ms. Cannistraci
Name:________________________________ Date:_____
1. Which event is most closely associated with the French Revolution?
(1) Council of Trent
(2) Thirty Years’ War
(3) Reign of Terror
(4) Paris Peace Conference
2. Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins are best known for
(1) instituting the Reign of Terror
(2) protecting freedom of religion
(3) supporting the reign of King Louis XVI
(4) sending French troops to fight in the American Revolution
Ms. Cannistraci Name:________________________________ Date:_________
Document 1:
In 1796, Napoleon, then a young officer of 27 years of age, was given command
of the French army in Italy. In the Italian campaign, he demonstrated his
genius for propaganda (information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to
promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view) and psychological
warfare, as the following selections from his proclamation to his troops makes
clear.
A [March 27, 1796]
Soldiers, you are naked, ill fed! The Government owes you much; it can give you
nothing. Your patience, the courage you display in the midst of these rocks, are
admirable; but they procure you no glory, no fame is reflected upon you. I seek to
lead you into the most fertile plains in the world. Rich provinces, great cities will be
in your power. There you will find honor, glory, and riches. Soldiers of Italy, would
you be lacking in courage or constancy?
B [April 26, 1796]
In a fortnight you have won six victories, taken twenty-one standards, fifty-five
pieces
plains in the world. Rich provinces, great of artillery, several strong positions, and
conquered the richest part of Piedmont [a region in northern Italy]; you have
captured 15,000 prisoners and killed or wounded more than 10,000 men. . . .
You have won battles without cannon, crossed rivers without bridges, made forced
marches without shoes, and camped without brandy and often without bread.
Soldiers of liberty, only republican phalanxes [infantry troops] could have endured
what you have endured. Soldiers, you have our thanks! The grateful Patrie [nation]
will owe its prosperity to you. . . .
The two armies which but recently attacked you with audacity are fleeing before
you in terror; the wicked men who laughed at your misery and rejoiced at the
thought of the triumphs of your enemies are confounded and trembling.
But, soldiers, as yet you have done nothing compared with what remains to be done.
...
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. . . Undoubtedly the greatest obstacles have been overcome; but you still have
battles to fight, cities to capture, rivers to cross. Is there one among you whose
courage is abating? No. . . . All of you are consumed with a desire to extend the
glory of the French people; all of you long to humiliate those arrogant kings who
dare to contemplate placing us in fetters; all of you desire to dictate a glorious
peace, one which will indemnify the Patrie for the immense sacrifices it has made;
all of you wish to be able to say with pride as you return to your villages, "I was
with the victorious army of Italy!"
Friends, I promise you this conquest; but there is one condition you must swear to
fulfill—to respect the people whom you liberate, to repress the horrible pillaging
committed by scoundrels incited by our enemies. Otherwise you would not be the
liberators of the people; you would be their scourge. . . . Plunderers will be shot
without mercy; already, several have been. . . .
Peoples of Italy, the French army comes to break your chains; the French people is
the friend of all peoples; approach it with confidence; your property, your religion,
and your customs will be respected.
We are waging war as generous enemies, and we wish only to crush the tyrants who
enslave you.
[Source: unknown.]
Choose one of the following questions to answer.
According to the text how does Napoleon use propaganda to motive his troops?
OR
How does this text help us to understand why Napoleon was very popular among the
French people?
Document Map of Napoleon’s Empire
Based on this map, state one political impact of Napoleon’s conquests in Europe.
Ms. Cannistraci
Name:_______________________________ Date:________
Document 3:
Code of Napoleon
The Napoleonic Code
The Civil Code of the French People was enacted in 1804 across all the regions France then
controlled: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, chunks of Germany and Italy, and was later spread
further across Europe. In 1807 it became known as the Code Napoleon. It was supposed to be
written fresh, and based on the idea that a law based on common sense and equality should
replace one based on custom, societal division and the rule of kings. The moral justification
for its existence was not that it came from God or a monarch (or in this case an emperor), but
because it was rational and just. To this end, all male citizens were supposed to be equal,
with nobility, class, position of birth all wiped away, but in practical terms much of the
revolution’s liberalism and freedom was lost and France turned back to Roman law. The code
did not extend to emancipating women, who were subjugated (bring under domination or
control) to fathers and husbands. Freedom and the right of private property were key, but
branding, easy imprisonment and limitless hard labor returned. Non-whites suffered, and
slavery was allowed in French colonies. In many ways, the Code was a compromise of the old
and new, favoring conservatism and traditional morality.
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The Code contributed greatly to Napoleon’s achievement of helping France turn away from
the past. It cemented the ideas of freedom of person and of contract (including the right to
enter any occupation), equality of all Frenchmen, and freedom of civil society from
ecclesiastical [religious] control. As the first truly modern code of laws, the Code Napoléon
for the first time in modern history gave a nation a unified system of law applicable to all
citizens without distinction. By providing uniformity of laws it further promoted the national
unity fostered by the Revolution. Its entire outlook gave a further impulse to the rise of the
bourgeoisie (middle class). A threatened disintegration of the family under the Convention
and Directory was sharply halted, and the family once again became the most important
social institution. . . .
Based on this document, identify two changes brought about by the Code Napoléon.
Ms. Cannistraci
Name:_______________________________ Date:________
Document 4:
Napoleon’s Defeat
Napoleon conquered much of Europe and the free nations as well as the conquered nations
were concerned about the future of Europe. In 1812, however, there fears were illuminated.
Napoleon's Grand Army entered Russia will a goal of conquering the nation. The ravages of
the deadly Russian winter, however, decimated his army. Meanwhile, affairs in France began
to look unstable. Napoleon rushed back to Paris and raised a new army, only to be defeated
by a coalition of European forces at Leipzig in 1814.
Napoleon was then exiled to the isle of Elba, where he plotted his return. With the great
powers of Europe deep in negotiations over how to revive the continent, Napoleon escaped
from Elba, sneaked into France, and raised a new army in the period known as the Hundred
Days. In June 1815, the armies of Wellington and Blucher defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Napoleon was again exiled, this time to distant Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he
died in 1821.
Could Napoleon have prevented his defeat? Cite evidence from today’s research.