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The Napoleonic Era

The Napoleonic Era. 1799-1815. Creation of the Directory. Set up by the Constitution of 1795. Universal male suffrage ended; only property owners could vote. Govt. now controlled by wealthy. Council of 5 directors would rule govt. w/ a 2 house legislature. The Directory.

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The Napoleonic Era

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  1. The Napoleonic Era 1799-1815

  2. Creation of the Directory • Set up by the Constitution of 1795. • Universal male suffrage ended; only property owners could vote. • Govt. now controlled by wealthy. • Council of 5 directors would rule govt. w/ a 2 house legislature

  3. The Directory • Royalist and Radical uprisings between 1795 and 1799. • Directory used army to put these down. • Growing gap between rich & poor. • Govt. on brink of bankruptcy. • Directors had financial & moral scandals. • French looked to army to save France.

  4. Napoleon’s Rise to Power • 1. His Character / Charisma • 2. Military Ability • 3. France’s desire for an orderly government - weary of revolutionary disorder; Directory was corrupt

  5. Rise to Power: Highlights • 1. Dispersed uprising against Directory in 1795 • 2. Led troops in Italy against Austrians; was victorious and gained territory in northern Italy (1796-1797). • 3. Invaded Egypt to fight British & Egyptians - was defeated & deserted his troops and hurried back to France as a hero (1798-1799).

  6. Rise to Power Continued…. • 4. Josephine had influential friends. • 5. Ousted the Directory in a coup d’ etat. (1799); was supported by people. • 6. Proclamation of Empire (1804) - crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I; people, impressed by his military victories, voted approval in a plebiscite.

  7. Emperor Napoleon In France, Napoleon • 1. Restructured govt.; appointed officials. • 2. Encouraged education; placed in under govt. control; first step towards public education system.

  8. Emperor Napoleon cont. • 3. Set up Bank of France; required all to pay taxes which govt. loaned to businesses. • 4. Napoleonic Code – made French law clear & consistent; based on Enlightenment ideas of equality under law, religious toleration, advancement based on merit

  9. Emperor Napoleon cont…. • However… it did place state above citizen. • Used censorship by limiting speech and press. • Women lost rights. 5. Concordat of 1801 - an attempt to make peace with Church after

  10. More on Emperor Napoleon… • the Civil Constitution of the Clergy; acknowledged Catholicism as official religion of France but must have religious toleration; Napoleon would appoint church officials

  11. Napoleon Dominates Europe • Military Victories (to 1809) • 1. Defeated European allies fighting to restore monarchy (1802) ; defeated Austria, Russia, and Prussia (1803-1809); only Britain was safe as France lacked a strong navy

  12. Conflict with Great Britain • 2. Britain and France had settled differences in 1802 with Treaty of Amiens but, Napoleon still wanted to invade Britain. • Was defeated at Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 removing any possibility of a French invasion

  13. European Domination cont… • 3. Dominated continental Europe from the Atlantic coast to Russia (1810-1812) - his only challenge was still from Britain.

  14. Reasons for Downfall • 1. Personal Weaknesses • -Ambition - He created an empire too complex to be ruled efficiently. • Lust for power. • Became increasingly stubborn and unwilling to accept advice.

  15. Downfall continued … • 2. Opposition from Britain • Napoleon was a threat to the balance of power in Europe which Britain dominated. • Napoleon planned to restore French colonial power which Britain considered a threat.

  16. Downfall continued….. • 3. Napoleon’s Continental System - striking Britain economically, he ordered the European continent closed to British trade.

  17. Downfall cont… • The U.S. was put in a difficult situation as it traded with Britain. • The was one cause for the War of1812 between the U.S. and Great Britain.

  18. More Downfall… • As a result of ContinentalSystem, Europeans blamed Napoleon for loss of trade, jobs, shortages of supplies, etc. Greatest impact was the tide of resentment against Napoleon!

  19. Downfall continued … • 4. Rise of Nationalism -Europeans, inspired by by the French, could no longer tolerate domination and payment of taxes to French government. • 5. Exhaustion of France - depletion of military and resources.

  20. Highlights of Downfall • 1. Peninsular War (1808-1814) - defeated by British; lost Spain and Portugal. • 2. Russia (1812) - invaded it to enforce Continental System (Russia traded with GB); lost 3/4s of army. • 3. Prussian, Russian, and Austrian troops defeated him as he limped out of Russia and back to France

  21. Highlights of Downfall cont… • 4. Allied armies captured Paris in 1814 and he abdicated; was exiled to Elba. • 5. Escaped and returned for “TheHundred Days” in 1815; defeated at Waterloo (Belgium) and exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1821.

  22. The End

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