Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

1. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) His rise to power His domestic and foreign policies

2. Napoleon • Born into a poor family of lesser nobles • Ajaccio, Corsica. This island had been annexed by France in 1768. • Became a French artillery officer. • 1793 he saved Toulon from British take-over • Lead French forces to victory and take-over of most of Italy and Switzerland by 1797.

3. Political fear: Response of Directory • 1797 elections give Royalists a majority • Fearing an end to the Republic anti-royalists staged a coup. • They imposed censorship (so much for free speech), installed their own people in the legislature (good-bye freedom of association), and exiled some of their political opponents.

4. Establishment of the Consulate (1799) • Grossly misguided members of the Directory seeking a more powerful executive hope to control Napoleon while gaining his military support. • He becomes First Consul and a new constitution gave him dictatorial powers.

5. What this all means: • Closed the revolution in France. • Effectively gave power to leading elements of the Third Estate (the bourgeoisie) • Ended hereditary privilege; one would succeed on merit. • Peasants saw an end to feudal privileges.

6. Napoleon as First Consul: Act I • Eliminates any opposition…like a good dictator should. Joseph Fouche carries this out as Minister of Police. • Censored newspapers and the theatre.

7. Exiled Jacobins to Seychelles Islands. • In 1802 he becomes “Consul for Life”

8. Napoleon’s Domestic Policies…your turn • For each of the following Topics explain Napoleon’s Policy and What problem did it solve. • Bank of France • Tax Reform • The Concordat • Napoleonic Code • Education • That’d be three columns and six rows.

9. Napoleon as Emperor: Act II • In 1804 crowned himself Napoleon I Emperor of the French Empire. • A conscripted army gave him a numerical advantage over any opponent. • Could command up to 100,000 men in a single battle. Had 700,000 men in arms.

11. The Defeat of Napoleon • Britain always an enemy…did have a truce, but… • French troops in Haiti alarmed Britain of French ambitions in the Americas. • And, his control of much of the continent meant a balance of power was upset, and so.. • An ultimatum sent 1803. War declared.

12. Haitian Rebellion • François-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture was one major leader. • Defeated Napoleon’s army: many were Polish and they were incorporated into Haiti. • 1803 Haiti declared a republic. • Second oldest in Western Hemisphere.

13. Trafalgar 1805 Ulm 1805 Austria Austerlitz 1805 Alexander I of Russia & Francis II of Austria Eylau 1807 Lisbon 1807 France loses; Britain controls seas. France wins; takes over Vienna France wins; takes northern Italy … … Battles and Results

14. Russia 1811-1812 Leipzig 1813 Waterloo 1815 ... … …

15. How would this cartoon promote nationalism? “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”

16. War in the Early 19th Century Napoleonic Wars

17. The Battle of Leipzig 1813

18. Some facts on the Battle of Nations… • More than half a million men. • Five armies involved. • The commanding general for the Swedish army was French, Jean Bernadotte. • Napoleon domineering leadership was part of his failure; no one could competently assume leadership independent of Napoleon. • Napoleon loses his best trained troops; hence forward they are mostly raw recruits.

19. Technology on the battlefield • William Congreve – the rocket • Lieutenant General Henry Shrapnel – improvement in artillery.

20. Waterloo 1815

21. The battle that ended an era… • British led by Wellington for Britain • General Blucher for Prussia • In less than one day 115,000 men lay dead on the field; 60,000 are French. • A battle of attrition: the expendability of troops in the field for a political and military objective.

25. Key Terms for the Napoleonic Era • Napoleonic Code • Continental System • Confederation of the Rhine • Coalitions • Conscripted armies

26. What caused the downfall of Napoleon?

27. Take a position on the following question: • To what extent can an economic embargo be seen as an act of war?

28. Napoleon the Warrior • 1800 victory over Austrians • 1806 Continental System (hegemony over Europe, except Sweden, Ottoman Empire, & Britain) • 1807 Treaty of Tilsit (w/ Alexander I of Russia): Napoleon master of Eur. • 1808 Spanish resistance (guerrilla war). • Nationalist movements against France.

29. 1812 War w/ Russia …oops. Looser! • Scorched earth policy • 1813 Battle of Nations at Leipzig. • 1814 Abdication to Elba. • 1814 Congress of Vienna • 1815 Napoleon returns • Defeated at Waterloo • Exiled to Saint Helena

30. Elba & Saint Helena

31. The Spanish Inquisition 1478-1834 • Religious purity (Catholic) against non-Catholics and non-Christians. • Censorship • Expulsion, torture, and execution (relaxation). • Napoleon’s occupation ended this (temporarily).

32. The French were able to take-over European countries after defeating their armies because: • Napoleon was a military genius, fighting unpredictable battles. • He only had to defeat paid government armies.  His army initially was one of ideals. • The French army entered countries as liberators against autocracy and therefore were welcomed…at first.

33. The reality of French liberation & Why the Napoleon’s Empire Ended • Napoleon bled occupied territories by taxing them. • Fraternity, equality, and egalitarianism were not experienced in the French occupied territories. • Men in occupied territories were conscripted into the French army.

34. Cont’d • The Continental system backfired: • The Spanish resisted, as did the Russians • Two front war: especially the invasion of Russia.

35. A Historical Analysis of Napoleon

36. Study the two pictures. Determine the direction a historical interpretation would follow if it were based on A or B. A. B.

37. Evaluation cont’d • What aspects of Napoleon’s career would each of these four perspectives highlight? • Political • Military • Social justice • Economic • Develop your own ground rules for evaluating the success or failure of historical figures such as Napoleon.