Notes on the Fall of Napoleon
1. Napoleon’s 3 Costly Mistakes
a. The ___________ _____________:
i.
Napoleon wanted revenge for his first military defeat when the British
Navy defeated the French at the Battle of ___________
ii.
Unable to win militarily, Napoleon wanted to hurt Britain __________
iii.
He set up the Continental System, which was a _____________ aimed to
prevent goods from entering or leaving Britain
iv.
Not tight enough ____________ got through
v.
Napoleon’s plan backfired; Britain placed their own more _________
blockade on France and her allies.
vi.
Led to the ___ __ ____ (U.S. vs Britain, the sequel)
b. The ____________ War
i.
Napoleon, intent on punishing Britain, wanted to stop them from trading
with ____________
ii.
_____________ fighters in Spain resisted with the help of British troops to
stop the Continental System on the __________ Peninsula
iii.
Napoleon loses ___________ troops--weakening the empire
iv.
The loss was completely ___________
c. The _________ of ___________
i.
The _____-________ alliance breaks as a result of the strain of Napoleon
clinging to the Continental System.
ii.
Napoleon invades Russia with _____________ troops
iii.
Russians resort to ________-_______ policy of destroying supplies to
prevent their use by Napoleon
iv.
Czar Alexander had left the city of _____________ abandoned and and
on fire
v.
Lacking in ___________ Napoleon retreats
vi.
The Russian army pursues Napoleon, attacks, and leaves him with only
________ remaining troops
2. Downfall & Exile
a. First Exile
i.
By early 1814 Napoleon was defeated; troops from __________ and
__________ marched triumphantly through Paris.
ii.
April 1814, Napoleon accepted the terms of _________ and gives up his
throne
iii.
Napoleon is banished to the small Italian island of _________
iv.
Louis XVIII assumed the throne but was very ________
b. Second Exile
i.
Napoleon ___________ Elba and returns to France (1815)
ii.
Reinstituted as the __________ of France
iii.
Britain and Prussia have seen this movie before; they attack and defeat
Napoleon at the _______ of ________
iv.
This defeat ended Napoleon’s 2nd reign called the ________ ________
v.
Exiled again to the remote island of _____________ in the South Atlantic
vi.
Napoleon died in 1821 of a ____________ ailment
3. Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France
Napoleon had risen from commoner to become a _________ __________ leader. As
emperor, he was able to create __________ __________ within France and _________
from enemies outside of France. Instead of seeking peace, he tried to destroy Britain,
leading to his three greatest ___________ and ultimate downfall. Britain became the
________ ______ in Europe as European countries established a new ________.
Short Answer Question:
Think back to the attendance form and the idea of “losing the same game twice” by
letting one bad outcome affect your judgment on future decisions. With this in mind, if
Napoleon could go back in a time machine, which mistake should he fix (Continental
System, Peninsular War, Invading Russia, Returning to France)?