Napoleon’s Empire Collapses

1. Napoleon’s Empire Collapses Chapter 7 Section 4

2. Goals and Objectives: • Upon completion, students should be able to: • Explain Napoleon’s tactical and political mistakes • Summarize Napoleon’s defeat. • Describe Napoleon’s attempt at a comeback and his final downfall.

3. During Napoleon’s reign • He feared what would happen to his empire after his death. • He had no heir because his wife Josephine had failed to produce a child so he divorced her • He formed an alliance with Austria when he married Marie Louise of Austrian royalty. She then had a son- Napoleon II

4. Napoleon’s costly mistakes • Napoleon desperately wanted to crush Great Britain • In 1806 he set up a blockade called the Continental System blocking all European trade with England. • Smugglers and other countries ignored the blockade and Britain also imposed a blockade on France requiring all ships to avoid France. • The War of 1812 began over this.

5. The Peninsular War • Napoleon went to war with Portugal in order to force it to accept the continental system. • French troops invaded Spain on their way to Portugal. • When Spain protested, Napoleon toppled the king and placed his own brother in power. • Spanish nationalism grew as many feared attacks against the church and the state. • Guerilla warfare was used dragging France into a bloody conflict in which it lost 300,000 troops.

6. Russia is invaded • When Alexander I refused to stop selling grain to Great Britain, Napoleon decided to invade Russia. • In June of 1812, Napoleon’s army of 420,000 troops invaded Russia. Alexander countered with a scorched earth policy . • Moscow was burned to the ground in September of 1812 in order to deny Napoleon’s army any food or resources.

7. Russian invasion • Napoleon and his troops remained in Moscow until October when he and his army attempted to return to France. • Russian troops attacked Napoleon from behind and trapped his troops into the winter. • Napoleon’s troops starved and froze and only 10,000 survived the fight by December

8. Napoleon’s downfall • With a weakened France, Britain, Russia, Prussia and Sweden all allied against him. • Napoleon raised a new army by the next year but it was badly inexperienced and was routed in Germany at the Battle of Leipzig. • As the enemy armies closed in on Paris, Napoleon accepted surrender terms including his exile to Elba, a small island.

9. Napoleon’s return • Louis XVI brother became King of France naming himself Louis XVII. • He was very unpopular and greatly disliked. Many feared he would undo the revolution. • Napoleon heard of the king’s crisis and escaped from Elba and returned to Paris to reclaim the throne. • Massive crowds celebrated the return of Napoleon.

10. The Hundred Days campaign • When European enemies heard of Napoleon’s return, they declared war. • On June 18, 1815 Napoleon attacked Britain at Waterloo in Belgium. • Napoleon’s young inexperienced troops were routed by Prussian and British troops. Two days later Napoleon’s troops surrendered. • Napoleon was sent into permanent exile into St. Helena where he remained until his death in 1821.

11. Napoleon’s legacy • Napoleon was a brilliant administrator and a military genius. • Millions died in war. • Nationalism spread throughout Europe and in the new world. • France had reestablished order following the revolution.