THE RISE OF NAPOLEON AND IMPERIAL FRANCE

1. THE RISE OF NAPOLEON AND IMPERIAL FRANCE

2. THE DIRECTORY • 1795 – a new plan of government was drafted by the National Convention • Called for a two-house legislature • The executive body was made up of five men, known as the Directory • Established a period of order, but corruption was a part of this government • Named Napoleon Bonaparte general and gave him command of France’s army

3. NAPOLEON • Born in Corsica in 1769 • Sent to military school in France at the age of 9 • Finished school at age of 16 and became a lieutenant in the artillery • Joined revolutionary army when the revolution broke out

4. NAPOLEON TAKES CONTROL • November 9, 1799 Napoleon was placed in charge of the military in France • November 10, 1799 Napoleon took over the government in a coup d’etat • The legislature dissolved the Directory and established a group of 3 consuls • Napoleon assumed dictatorial powers as first consul of the French Republic

5. NAPOLEON’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Economic • Fairer tax codes • Established a national bank • Stabilized currency and gave state loans to businesses • Political/Social • Appointed officials by merit • Fired corrupt officials • Created the Napoleonic Code (law code) • Created lycees

6. Accomplishments cont. • Religion • Recognized Catholicism as the “faith of Frenchmen” • Signed concordat with the pope • Retained seized church lands

7. Napoleon as Emperor • Decided to make himself emperor in 1804 • Took the crown from the pope and placed it on his own head, signaling that he was more powerful than the church • Expanded his empire to include most of Europe by either taking over territories or forcing them to ally themselves with France

8. NAPOLEON’S THREE COSTLY MISTAKES • The Continental System – a blockade of Great Britain intended to destroy Britain’s commercial and industrial economy • The Peninsular War – attempt to invade Portugal through Spain enflaming the nationalistic feelings of the Spanish and Portuguese • Invasion of Russia – disastrous campaign against Russia in 1812 in which Napoleon lost nearly 400,000 troops

9. NAPOLEON’S DOWNFALL • A coalition of European nations waged war against France (Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Austria) • In April 1814, Napoleon gave up his throne and was exiled to the island of Elba • Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) was named king of France, but was unpopular among the masses • Napoleon escaped on March 1, 1815 and within days was again emperor of France

10. NAPOLEON’S FINAL DEFEAT • Napoleon’s forces were defeated at Waterloo, Belgium on June 17, 1815 by British forces led by the Duke of Wellington • Napoleon was shipped to St. Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic • He lived there in exile for six years. He died in 1821 of a stomach ailment (probably cancer)

11. REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS AND NAPOLEON REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS ACCOMPLISHED: • Restored peace with the Church • Codified laws • Centralized the government • Created a new aristocracy based on service to the government • New economic policy and the Bank of France REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS DESTROYED: • Liberty was replaced by despotism • Limited freedom of the press by shutting down newspapers