Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon was associated with the Jacobins and attracted
notice by defeating the British at Toulon in 1793
Born into the lower noble class in Corsica, he was
by seizing the ground and using his artillery to
educated at Brienne and the Ecole Militaire in Paris.
drive the British fleet from the harbor. He was
There he became a second lieutenant in artillery. In
promoted to brigadier general but was arrested
1791, Napoleon joined the Corsican National Guard but
briefly during the Thermidorian Reaction.
when Corsica declared its independence from France, he
(Jacobin ties) Robespierre executed 1794
sought refuge there.
In October, 1795, the Convention was attacked by
royalists and Bonaparte was called upon to
disperse the mob which he did with a “whiff of
grapeshot.” For his success he was given
command of the army in Italy after marrying
Josephine.
1792 - 1797 First Coalition (Shapes)
1796 -1797 Italian Campaign Treaty of Basel - Spain
and Prussia out
French army crushed the Austrians in Italy coming
within 80 miles of Vienna. Austrians surrendered
in the Treaty of Campo Fomio - gave France the
Netherlands and Lombardy. (Belgium and
Cisalpine Republic). Napoleon’s success attributed
to: his supply system that allowed the army to live
off the land, reliance on speed and massed
surprise attacks by small compact forces. This
victory ended the First Coalition only England left
Also saved the directory a second time - coup
1798 - 1799 Egyptian Campaign
Napoleon devised a plan to crush the English
empire by attacking Egypt, then India, British
assets. He evaded Horatio Nelson and took
Malta on his way to Egypt. He won a brilliant
victory at the Battle of Pyramids but suffered
defeat when the French fleet was destroyed by
Admiral Nelson at the battle of the Nile in
Aboukir Bay. Since Egypt was a province of the
Ottoman Empire, the Turks then declared war on
France. English and Turkish forces held against
the general so he retreated back to Egypt.
Second Coalition 1798 - 1802 (TEAR)
In 1799, he defeated the Turks at Aboukir but the
previous loss to Nelson stranded the French army
and things were not going well back in France.
The French army was expelled from Italy by the
Second Coalition (EAR) and the Directory faced
political ruin. Napoleon left his army and
booked it back to France. In October 1799,
Napoleon, with the help of two of the five
directors, and his brother, Lucien, president of
the Council of 500, overthrew the Directory. He
was 30 years old.
Positive - Rosetta Stone
Let’s review the political structure of France
1795
Constitution of the Year III
Council of Elders - Men over 40 years of age
+
Council of 500 - Men over 35 years of age
500 submit list of names for 5 Directors who are chosen by Elders
1797
Coup d’ etat Part 1 by anti monarchial Directory
who throw out royalists elected in legislature and replace them with their supporters
1799
Coup d’etat Part 2
Director Abbe Sieyes wants a new constitution with an executive body
of 3 Councils who are not at the whim of the masses. Needed military
support to make this happen - enter Napoleon back from EGYPT
(should he really have left his men? Then there’s that Nelson thing)
Write the Constitution of the Year VIII
[I wish they would make up their minds]
The Consulate in France 1799 - 1804
Napoleon gets his ducks in a row:
By 1799
Third Estate - Hereditary privileges ended and careers were opened to
talented who could be promoted by merit and receive wealth and status as a
result of their jobs. Napoleon guaranteed them protection of their newly
acquired property
Peasants got land and destroyed feudal privileges that had burdened them so
much
Makes peace with the Pope
•Makes peace with foreign enemies with Treaty of Luneville (1801) with Austria
and the Treaty of Amiens (1802) with Britain [Russia is out and the Turks were
defeated
•Issues a general amnesty to all and accepts RADICALS, those who fled
France during the revolution because they favored a CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY, and CONSERVATIVES who favored a monarchy. This gives him
a supply of politically experienced people and reduces enemies to his plans
Political Life The Consulate 1799 - 1804 [closed the French Revolution] Directors
needed another coup - Napoleon ----------------------------------Constitution of the Year VIII
Established the Consulate - Napoleon ruled as first consul, with a term of ten years. In 1802, the people of
France, in an election conducted by universal male suffrage, made Napoleon first consul for life. Middle class
and peasants were conservative and wanted someone to protect their rights.
1. Centralized Government
•Consul was checked and balanced by representatives
•prefects were assigned to 83 departments with sub-prefects to administer districts within the departments (all
were answerable to Napoleon)
2. Napoleonic Code Equality before the eyes of the law
Commission of legal experts drafted a new civil code that went into effect in 1804
•Serfdom and feudal dues ended as was primogeniture, property acquired during the revolution was
reaffirmed and could be divided between male and females heirs
•Employment to the state and promotions in the military were based on talent and merit. No one could
purchase tax positions. (nobles’ privileges were ended)
•Universal State Education put private and public education under the state (University of France) that
offered technical and professional training
3. Sound Economy
•Government collected taxes and Financial planning was instituted as was a balanced budget
•Bank of France was instituted to release currency and process loans
•Price of bread was regulated - ending riots
•Trade was encouraged with Tariffs, improved roads and canals
•Workers could not organize but careers were opened based on merit
4. Men’s rights asserted
• Husbands
were heads of family, they controlled wife and owned his children
•Women could get a divorce based on adultery, conviction of a serious crime, excessive cruelty but it was
much easier for a man to do so
•If a man surprised his wife in bed with another man, he could legally kill her. A woman who did this
would be tried for murder
•Women could not vote and unmarried women had fewer rights, could not be legal guardians or witness
wills
5. Freedom of Religion
Concordat of 1801 Napoleon made peace with the church - Reconciled with Pope Pius VII
•Granted Catholic Church special privileges - religion of the majority of the French people but not
the established religion of France that was now religiously tolerant
•French government nominated bishops who were invested by the Pope. Bishops appointed
priests. Elected clergy was ended and the French government took administrative control of the
church. (Organic Articles)
•Pope regained parts of the Papal state that was under French control
•Pope agreed to accept loss of church land during the revolution and government agreed to pay
salaries of clergy as well as Protestant pastors and rabbis
But Freedom of expression was curtailed as newspapers went out of business and Joseph
Fouche headed the secret police. Stamped out royalist rebellions especially in Brittany and Vendee
and used a ‘bomb plot” to destroy his Jacobin enemies and royalist foes, duke of Enghien.
By 1802 the constitution was ratified and the Second Coalition ended with the peace of
Amiens between England and France.
Napoleon’s Empire
Bonaparte used the bomb plot to make himself emperor and issued a new constitution. He even
invited the Pope to his coronation at Notre Dame but placed the crown on his own head.
Henceforth, he would be called Napoleon I.
The Treaty of Amiens between France and England ended the Second Coalition but this only
bought him time to settle affairs in France before he built his empire.
Three events that alarmed the British and led to the Third Coalition were:
1.
Sent army to Haiti
2.
Louisiana Purchase
3.
Interfered in Dutch Republic, Italy, Switzerland and reorganization of Germany
French Military
700,000 conscripts promoted to officers’ corps by merit. With this large number, one could risk as
much as 100,000 in one battle.
Defeated First Coalition (SHAPES) 1792 - 1797
Treaty of Campo Formio Austria defeated
France received Belgium, Cisalpine Republic and Venice
Defeated Second Coalition (TEAR 1798 - 1802)
Turks defeated
Treaty of Luneville 1801 - Austria defeated at Marengo
Treaty of Amiens 1802 - peace with England
Napoleon v. Third Coalition 1805 - 1807 [PEAR]
ULM
October, 1805
72, 000 Austrians under Mack v. 210,000 French
French encircled the Austrians and using artillery defeated them before Russians arrived
TRAFALGAR
Four days after Ulm, Horatio Nelson defeated the French fleet here ending all hopes for a French
invasion of England and granting the Brits supremacy of the seas.
AUSTERLITZ
December 2, 1805
85,000 Austrian and Russian troops v. 66,000 French
Napoleon abandoned the high ground but French re-enforcements arrived. Napoleon launched an
assault the split his enemies’ forces.
Treaty of Pressburg made Napoleon King of Italy (Austria)
1806 - Germany reorganized into the Confederation of the Rhine to serve as a buffer between Austria
and Prussia. The Holy Roman Emperor was dissolved and the HRE became the first emperor of Austria.
This brought Prussia into the war
JENA & AUERSTADT
OCTOBER 14, 1806
At Jena, Napoleon could have 90,000 men at his disposal. French pushed Prussians into
open ground to see this advantage. French Cavalry fought an exhausted Prussian army.
The same day, another French army defeated the Prussians at Auerstadt. Napoleon took
the Prussian capital of Berlin. Issued the Berlin Decrees forbidding his “allies” from
importing British goods.
FRIEDLAND
JUNE 4, 1807
40,000 Russians advanced on 16,000 Frenchmen. Suddenly, 80,000 more French troops arrived
under Napoleon’s command.
Treaty of Tilsit
Alex I met with Napoleon on the Niemens River while Frederick William III (what else) watched
from shore.
Russia and Prussia recognized Joseph, Louis, and Jerome (Napoleon’s brothers) as the rulers of
Naples, Holland and Westphalia (Con. Of Rhine)
Reduced Prussia by 1/2 giving land to Saxony and duchy of Warsaw
Russia got a free hand in fighting the Turks but could not take Constantinople
and made Prussia and Russia allies of France. Next up…England
Satellite countries were offered Enlightened ideals and Napoleonic reform that will
lead to more revolution in the 1830s.
This was the height
of Napoleon’s
Empire. The same
nationalism that he
unleashed in
France and the
liberalism promised
to satellite nations
raised nationalism
in the conquered
countries.
This powerful force
would lead to his
eventual demise at
Waterloo.
When the Pope objected to the continental system he imprisoned Pius VII and took
the Papal states. And Scandinavia became France’s ally
Napoleon’s Demise Unleashed Nationalism in other Nations
CONTINENTAL SYSTEM (ENGLAND)
Unable to defeat the British military, Napoleon tried to destroy the British economy. The Berlin
Decrees stopped France’s allies from trading with England and the new Milan Decrees
attempted to stop neutral nations from trading. All European ports were closed to British
ships while French privateers attacked British ships.
1.
Britain controlled the seas and had access to markets in North and South America
2.
Napoleon’s tariff helped only the French but hurt European nations who wanted trade AND he
ignored advice to make Europe a free-trade zone.
3.
Smuggling increased and that led to
Peninsular Wars (SPAIN)
To stop Portuguese trade with Britain, Napoleon marched through Spain and to maintain his supply
line, he stayed, deposed the Spanish Bourbon King and replaced him with his brother, Joseph.
Spain revolted against the threat to its monarchy and church and the only way to stop a more powerful
army was guerilla warfare.
England sent help, the duke of Wellington, who could observe Napoleonic tactics without him present
This long war drained the French economy - reinstitute slavery
PRUSSIA
Jena made it clear that reform was necessary. Under Baron vom Stein and Count von Hardenberg:
Social
Serfdom ended breaking Junkers’ monopoly on land ownership. But peasants remaining on the land
were forced to perform manorial labor. They could own land if the lord got one third of the land.
Some peasants went to the cities but this created problems when they could not find jobs
Military
Ended inhumane military punishments, opened officers’ corps to commoners and gave promotions
based on merit. Organized war colleges to develop military strategies and tactics.
To avoid Napoleon’s decree that the army could not exceed 42,000 ment, they trained one group a
year as reserves. Army increased to 270,000
Austria
Troubles in Spain got Austria to renew war with France in 1809 but the army was quickly defeated
at Wagram. Austria lost a great deal of territory and 3.5 million subjects.
But Napoleon divorced Josephine and married Marie Louise, daughter of Austrian emperor who
bore him a son.
But the greatest mistake was….
The Invasion of Russia
Due to many factors too numerous to mention, (check book p. 683), the Russians withdrew from the
Continental System so Napoleon and his army of 600,000 (400,000 not French) invaded.
The Russians had only 160,000 troops so they kept retreating and followed a “scorched-earth”
policy so the French army could not live off the land.
The Battle of Borodino cost the French 30,000 and the Russians twice as many but it was not
destroyed. On September 14, the French entered Moscow but the Russians left it in flames.
Napoleon offered Alex I peace but Alex would not respond.
Finally, by October 19, defeated by the Russian winter, the Grand Army was forced to retreat.
100,000 of the 600,000 survived.
Battle of Nations (Leipzig)
After his defeat in Russia, Napoleon still quieted opposition at home and raised an
increased army 350,000 men
In 1813, Prussia, Russia and Austria joined forces and defeated Napoleon in the Battle of
Nations, at Leipzig. Napoleon retreated into France. Then the Dutch revolted and the
British, led by the Duke of Wellington invaded southern France. RAP invaded France from
Germany and on March 31, the allied armies entered Paris.
Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to Elba on the condition that he never leave. The
throne of France went to Louis XVIII, younger brother of Louis XVI.
Meanwhile the victors met to Vienna to discuss peace terms.
The Final Defeat of Napoleon
The Hundred Days and Waterloo
On March 1, 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba (who was watching that guy],
and returned to France. The King, Louis XVIII, left town and Napoleon promised
the French a more liberal constitution. So, eager for glory, the French followed
their beloved ruler one more time. [ From March until June (100 days) ]
On June 18, 1815, the French forces met their WATERLOO against the combined
forces of Wellington and Field Marshall von Blucher. The Prussians had
revamped their military and were better prepared. Napoleon split the Anglo
Prussian lines but the rains fell and allowed the Prussians to re-enforce troops.
Napoleon threw all he had but finally his reserved guard fell and it was over
Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic where he remained
until his death in 1821.
Congress of
Vienna
Participants
Goals:
`
1. Create a lasting peace
2. Prevent another French nightmare
3. Establish a balance of power among European Nations
Big Four
Prussia Von Hardenberg
Russia
England
Castlereagh
Czar Alexander I
Austria
Metternich
Achievements
Legitimacy
Restore Bourbons:
France
Spain
Naples
Two Sicilies
Restore Habsburgs:
Tuscany
Modena
Sardinia
Holland
Restore Pope:
Papal States
Leniency
Encirclement
Compensation
Restored French borders
to 1792
United Belgium and
Holland = Netherlands
England – Malta, Ceylon,
Cape of Good Hope
[only lost territories in
Italy, Germany and Low
Countries]
Confederation of Germany
[39 states controlled by
Austria]
Austria – Lombardy,
Venetia, Galicia and Illyrian
Peninsula
France was not forced to
pay reparations until the
100 Days
Switzerland gained
independence
Prussia – Rhine Valley, 2/5
Saxony, parts of Poland
Sardinia united with
Piedmont and Genoa
Russia – Poland,
Finland, Bessarabia
Kept art from European
museums
Results:
France Gladly accepted Terms
Rule by Conservatives
Peaceful and reasonable settlements between states and not monarchy [peace would survive a ruler]
Balance of Power – considered political, economic, resources, technology, education, industry
Peace for 50 Years
ROUSSEAU
KANT
BLAKE
COLERIDGE
WORDSWORTH
BYRON
SCHLEGEL
GOETH
METHODIST
WESLEY
CHATEAUBRIAND
SCHLEIERMACHER
FICHTE
HERDER
HEGEL
Romantics
Enlightenment
 Rejected Science
centered around science
 Math minimized
feelings and imagination
Math explained
everything
 Human Nature was
irrational
Human Nature was very
rational
 Faith and religion
were knowledge
Physical world and
Human Society is
explained through Natural
laws
 There was a world
beyond empirical senses
with dreams and
hallucinations
Opposed traditional
religions
 Liked Medieval Art,
Literature and
Architecture
Scientific Method and
Empirical knowledge
proves ALL
Folk Lore
Looked to ANTIQUITY
and ORIGINAL SOURCES
Songs
Fairy Tales