NAPOLEON AND THE

CONGRESS OF VIENNA

Napoleon• Napoleon Bonaparte came to power in France in

1799 when he committed a coup d’etat, or overthrew, the Directory

• Once in power he used a plebiscite to show popular support–Plebiscite = a popular vote by the people

• In 1804 Napoleon creates the First French Empire and makes himself emperor

• Napoleon made peace with the Catholic Church and the émigrés

• Napoleon’s greatest achievement was his Civil Code of 1804, otherwise known as the Napoleonic Code which created one legal system for all of France

• Napoleon also made a new aristocracy that was based on service to Napoleon and not on birth– These new aristocrats had no special privileges

and the titles could not be passed on to kids

• In the Battle of Trafalgar Napoleon’s navy attacks Great Britain’s navy and loses– The importance of this battle is that it shows Napoleon

that he won’t be able to invade Great Britain• Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia were in a

coalition against Napoleon and France– During Napoleon’s wars, France’s greatest enemy was

Great Britain– To defeat the British Napoleon instituted the

Continental System, whose purpose was to destroy the British economy by not allowing the British to trade with Europe• The Continental System fails to hurt the British

economy

• Napoleon’s Grand Empire– French Empire = enlarged France with

territories added on–Dependent States = countries conquered by

France• Their rulers were taken out of power and

replaced by Napoleon’s relatives–Allied States = countries defeated by Napoleon

and battle and forced to ally with him against Great Britain

• Reasons why Napoleon’s Grand Empire collapses– Can’t defeat Great Britain– Nationalism– Spanish revolt– The invasion of Russia• Napoleon’s greatest mistake was his invasion of

Russia• The Russians defeat Napoleon’s Grand Army by

retreating hundreds of miles and burning the countryside–They draw Napoleon further into Russia and let

the winter destroy his army• Most of Napoleon’s army is lost in Russia

• The first time Napoleon is defeated he is exiled to the island of Elba– In the Hundred Days Napoleon escapes,

rebuilds his army, and starts to reconquer his empire

• Napoleon is defeated for the final time at the Battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington

Congress of Vienna• After the defeat of Napoleon and France the

European nations meet at the Congress of Vienna to discuss the peace terms (final peace settlement)–The leader of the Congress of Vienna is Prince

Klemens von Metternich

• Goals of the Congress of Vienna–Restore the balance of power–Redraw the map of Europe• Rearrange territories to make balance of

power possible and to contain France–Restore monarchies• Principle of Legitimacy = monarchs or

families who had been in power prior to Napoleon and the French Revolution were restored to power

–Maintain peace and stability

– Stop all revolutions• Principle of Intervention = the great powers

have to the right to send armies into countries to put down revolutions and restore rulers

– Return Europe to how it was prior to Napoleon and the French Revolution• This was the overall goal of the Congress of

Vienna• Concert of Europe was created and designed to

maintain peace and balance of power in Europe• The Congress of Vienna was extremely conservative

• New political philosophies– Conservatism = political philosophy based on

tradition and social stability, favors obedience to political authority and organized religion• Hates change and revolution• Conservatives also did not like the philosophies of

liberalism and nationalism– Liberalism = political philosophy based on

Enlightenment principles, holding that people should be as free as possible from gov’t restraint and that civil liberties should be protected• Wants guarantees of the protection of their rights

= constitutions

–Nationalism = sense of identity and unity as a people• Each nationality should have its own

government–Romanticism = an intellectual movement that

emerged in reaction to the ideas of the Enlightenment• Stressed feelings and emotions, glorified

nature and the medieval past– Socialism = system in which society, usually in

the form of gov’t, owns and controls the means of production

• Revolts in Latin and South America–The first revolt in Latin America took place in

Haiti–The two liberators of South America were Jose

de San Martin and Simon Bolivar• Monroe Doctrine – issued by President James

Monroe in 1823– It states that the United States will guarantee

the independence of the new Latin American nations and warns against any European intervention in the Americas