NAPOLEON FORGES AN EMPIRECH. 23.3/23.4

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How did Napoleon Bonaparte become a

hero in France? How was Napoleon able to conquer such

a large empire? What forces led to the eventual collapse

of Napoleon’s empire? Was Napoleon a hero of the French

Revolution or a dictator interested in only in glory for himself?

NAPOLEON’S RISE TO POWER Born in 1769 on the Mediterranean

island of Corsica (France seized Corsica from Italy)

Attended a French military academy @ age 16; becomes a lieutenant in the artillery

Fought on the side of the revolutionaries during the French Revolution

October 1795, Napoleon “saves” the revolution by protecting the National Convention from royalists. Becomes the hero of the hour!

VICTORIES ABROAD! 1796- Napoleon

takes a ragtag French army, whips them into shape, and defeats superior Austrian forces in northern Italy

VICTORIES ABROAD…EGYPT??? 1798-1801

Napoleon goes to Egypt in order to:protect French

trade interests disrupt British

trade in India establish

scientific enterprise in the region-the Rosetta Stone is discovered!

VICTORY ON LAND; DEFEAT AT SEA

LAND SEA

Napoleon and French forces defeat enemy forces at the “Battle of the Pyramids”

Napoleon’s forces continue to occupy Egypt but never really control it completely

British Navy defeats the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile

13 out of 17 French ships either captured or destroyed; remaining four ships put to flight

Napoleon abandons his army and returns to France “a hero”

TIME FOR CHANGE By 1799, France is facing inflation,

corruption, and inefficiency under the Directory government

Napoleon returns France from Egypt as a hero and is urged by his friends to seize power

Coup d'état- a sudden seizure of power Napoleon and two others name themselves

“consuls” with Napoleon taking the title of First Consul. He basically assumes dictatorial power!

Many consider this the unofficial end of the French Revolution

WAR AND DIPLOMACY EQUALS PEACE From 1799 to 1802, Napoleon leads

French forces to victory over British, Austrian, and Russian forces.

War and Diplomacy allows France to have temporary peace for the first time in ten years!

1802- Napoleon can now focus on his domestic agenda for France

NAPOLEON RULES FRANCE Napoleon does everything under the

guise of constitutional power Uses the plebiscite (vote of the people) to

get a new constitution approved Napoleon is named Consul for Life (the other

two consuls are discarded!) Napoleon does everything in the name of

the Revolution. Three areas to be addressed: The economy The Catholic Church The System of Law

ECONOMIC CHANGES Napoleon sets up an efficient system of tax

collection Builds up France’s infrastructure- roads,

sewers A national banking system is established Ends corruption and inefficiency in

government by dismissing corrupt officials Lycees (government-run public schools) are

set up to provide educated, well-trained officials for the government. Open to males of all backgrounds Appointed to government position based upon

merit, not family connections.

RELIGIOUS CHANGES Position of the Church is restored The Concordat of 1801 (agreement) is

signed, establishing a new relationship between the church and state.

The government recognizes the influence of the Catholic Church, but rejects Church control in national affairs

When Napoleon abolished serfdom he took church-owned lands and distributed it to the peasants

CHANGES IN LAW Napoleon creates a comprehensive

system of laws, the Napoleonic Code All men are equal under the law

(sorry ladies ) The new law system, however, restricts

freedom of the press and freedom of speech

The new law code also restores slavery in French colonies, something that had been eliminated by the Revolution

And of course…

“RULES DO NOT APPLY TO ME!”

NAPOLEON CROWNED AS EMPEROR Napoleon becomes so popular, he

decides to make himself emperor (so much for the Revolution!)

December 2, 1804- Napoleon is crowned emperor.He did take the crown out of the pope’s

hands and place it on his own head (symbolizing that the Church had no control over him); but this part of the coronation ceremony had already been pre-arranged and was not a surprise

CONSECRATION OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLÉON & THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE,” 1806 BY JACQUES LOUIS DAVID

TIME FOR EMPIRE BUILDING!French Colonies in the Americas: Guiana (S. America - still a French

colony) Saint-Domingue (Haiti) (Caribbean)

Enslaved Africans in Haiti fight for their freedom (influence of the French Revolution)

Toussaint L’Ouverture leads a successful rebellion; French soldiers ravaged by disease

Louisiana territories (N. America)Napoleon cuts his losses in America and

sells the Louisiana Territory to the United States

Money is used to finance his European wars

Haitian Independence, 1792-1804

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Louisiana Purchase, 1803

$15,000,000 (Less than 3 cents per acre!)

CONQUERING EUROPE Napoleon annexed the Austrian Netherlands and

parts of Italy; also set up a puppet government in Switzerland

Britain persuades Russia, Austria and Sweden to join the Third Coalition against France

Battle of Austerlitz, 1805 Napoleon at his best Use of artillery and the “divide and conquer” tactic

in order to defeat a force much larger than his own Austria, Prussia and Russia are forced to sign

peace treaties with France But the thorn in Napoleon’s side-Great Britain-

remains!

Napoleon’s Family Rules!e Jerome Bonaparte - King of Westphalia.e Joseph Bonaparte - King of Spaine Louis Bonaparte - King of Hollande Pauline Bonaparte - Princess of Italye Napoléon Francis Joseph Charles - King

of Romee Elisa Bonaparte - Grand Duchess of

Tuscanye Caroline Bonaparte - Queen of Naples

Napoleonic Europe

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, 1805 Napoleon

amasses an army of 180,000 men and plans to invade Great Britain

However, before he can invade, he must achieve naval superiority!

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, CONT. Admiral Horatio Nelson of

Great Britain defeats the combined French and Spanish fleets

Nelson uses the Napoleonic tactic of “divide and conquer”

Results: French navy is

destroyed Any hope of invading

Britain is dashed Britain gains naval

supremacy for the next 100 years

NAPOLEON REACHES HIS PEAK FROM 1807-1812…But, Problems Are Forming: Napoleon’s control over other countries

makes them realize that they are more loyal to their own people than Napoleon (nationalism)

France’s Empire is huge and difficult to control

Napoleon was his own worst enemy- Had an insatiable appetite for glory!

…AND THEN THINGS FALL APART!Three Costly Mistakes:1. The Continental System2. The Peninsular War (Spain)3. The Invasion of Russia

But before we get to that…

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MY EMPIRE IF I DIE?

No male heir means “Au revoir, fair Josephine” Bonjour, Marie Louise!

NOW ON TO THE COLLAPSE! Mistake #1- The Continental System

Napoleon sets up a blockade of Europe’s ports, called the Continental System It was designed to destroy Great Britain’s

commercial and industrial economy It was also supposed to make Europe more self-

sufficientCouple of problems, though…

The Blockade wasn’t tight enough, smugglers got through and Napoleon’s “allies” didn’t always enforce the blockade (even his own brothers!)

Great Britain responded by setting up a naval blockade of Europe which was much more effective.

All of Europe suffered shortages, and blamed Napoleon

THE COLLAPSE, CONTINUED… Mistake # 2- The Peninsular War

Napoleon tried to force Portugal to enforce the Continental System, and attempted to invade them by going through Spain (Iberian Peninsula).

When the people of Spain resist, Napoleon removes the Spanish king and places his brother Joseph on the throne

Spanish peasants (with a lot of help from the British) fight a guerilla war against the French for six years, pinning down tens of thousands of French troops.

Eventually, Napoleon loses about 300,000 men

Encouraged nationalism in other conquered countries like Germany and Italy

THE COLLAPSE CONTINUED…Mistake #3- The Invasion of Russia,

1812Invading Russia = Losing Prospect!

Napoleon and Czar of Russia were alliesNapoleon thought that Czar Alexander was

selling grain to Britain behind his backNapoleon and Czar Alexander both wanted

PolandNapoleon decided to invade Russia

Napoléon Invades Russia: 1812

614,000 French troops

INVASION OF RUSSIA, CONT’D. June, 1812: 420,000 Grand Army

leaves for RussiaAll drafted from throughout Europe and

not loyal to Napoleon

Russians refuse to engage Napoleon head-on and retreat deeper and deeper into Russia, extending Napoleon’s supply lines

Scorched Earth Policy: Russians destroyed EVERYTHING in Napoleon’s path: How do you feed an army of almost ½ million men?

INVASION OF RUSSIA, CONT’D. Russians finally engage Napoleon’s

troops at the Battle of BorodinoApproximately 44,000 Russian deaths;

35,000 French losses (Maybe the bloodiest day in history up to that point!)

Russian Army loses, but manages to withstand the French onslaught

Napoleon: “The most terrible of all my battles was the one before Moscow. The French showed themselves to be worthy of victory, but the Russians showed themselves worthy of being invincible.”

NAPOLEON’S ARMY AT THE GATES OF MOSCOW

I’M WAAAAAAAITING… Napoleon’s forces enter Moscow on

September 14, 1812 Retreating Russian cossacks provide

Napoleon with an empty victory- they burn the city!

Napoleon waits one month for the keys to the city and a negotiation to end the war

But nobody shows up-except … “General Winter”

Napoleon’s Retreat from MoscowOctober 18, 1812

100,000 French troops retreat—10,000 survive!

THE RETREAT FROM RUSSIA Oct./Nov. 1812 - Ordered retreat from

MoscowSnows began to fallBarefoot, starving soldiers attacked by

RussiansTemperature: on one day, -30º: Birds fell

dead from sky Mid-December 1812: Remaining 10,000

soldiers left Russia

NAPOLEON’S DOWNFALL Sensing Napoleon’s weakness, Britain,

Russia, Prussia, Sweden and later Austria, join forces and go on the attack!

Battle of Leipzig, October 1813 Perhaps the largest of the Napoleonic WarsMost of Napoleon’s troops are untrained

and ill-prepared conscriptsNapoleon gets crushed and retreats to

France Paris is captured by Coalition forces in

March 1814!

GOODBYE, NAPOLEON (FOR NOW!)

April 11, 1814- Napoleon is forced to abdicate (give up his throne)

The Treaty of Fontainebleau exiles Napoleon to the tiny island of Elba (off the coast of Italy) with a force of 1,000 men

Royalists assume control of France and install Louis XVIII (the brother of Louis XVI) as the new King of France

NAPOLEON IN EXILE ON ELBA

A DOOR OPENS FOR NAPOLEON TO RETURN… Louis XVIII becomes very unpopular

because he tries to undo many of the changes brought about by the French Revolution

Sensing a window of opportunity, Napoleon escapes Elba in March 1815 and returns to France

Louis sends forces to intercept Napoleon but each time they end up joining him instead!

Napoleon marches on to Paris; Louis XVIII flees. His return to power is known as “The Hundred Days”

NAPOLEON’S RETURN FROM ELBA

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO Napoleon reaches out with a peace offer

to his former foes, but they reject it and gather their armies to face Napoleon

On June 18, 1815, Napoleon meets the combined forces of Prussia and Great Britain (led by Duke of Wellington -Lord Arthur Wellesley) at Waterloo, Belgium and is defeated. A severe rainstorm the night before created muddy conditions and did not allow Napoleon to maneuver as easily

GONE FOR GOOD Napoleon abdicates a second time, this

time to the island of St. Helena, off the west coast of Africa

He died six years later (1821) of “stomach cancer”- many believe it was arsenic poisoning!

After all of this, what was Napoleon’s legacy?

NAPOLEON’S LEGACY: HERO OF THE REVOLUTION OR DICTATOR? Hero

Conquered most of Europe and redrew its map

Brought stability to France after the revolution

Created a new code of laws still in use today

VillainDid not allow

freedom of speech or press

Took France to war to satisfy his desire for glory

Wreaked havoc on Europe, causing millions of deaths

HE WAS “A GREAT, BAD MAN”