Here Comes Napoleon CHY Lesson 62 Here Comes

Here Comes Napoleon CHY Lesson 62

Here Comes Napoleon! Learning Goal: Explain how Napoleon built on the French Revolution to secure his power. 1. The Basics 2. What did he do? 3. What Napoleon a reactionary, a reformer, or a revolutionary?

The Basics • 1769 -1821 • Born in Corsica, just recently a French island • More Italian than French • Excellent education at École Militaire in Paris (artillery officer) • Supported revolution because he saw opportunities for his own advancement • Came to note in 1793 by clever use of artillery which made enemy flee • Became Brigadier General at 24

• Allied himself with Robespierre • When R fell, N was in danger • Spent a month in jail but was saved from the guillotine by his allies • Planned invasion of Italy, became Major-General, married Josephine de Beauharnais (from an important political family) • By 1796, he was set for military glory

Young Napoleon: A Rising Star

What did he do? • Defeated the Austrians and created the Cisalpine Republic • Negotiated treaties establishing French rule in various parts of Western Europe • 1797 ruthlessly put down a royalist plot (‘whiff of grapeshot’) • The Directory stumbled from one crisis to the next and the only thing holding the people’s loyalty was the foreign policy, therefore Napoleon’s importance • 1797 Napoleon was asked to invade England- he decided against it and switched to British held Egypt

Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1800)

Not …

More likely …

Art as Propaganda

The Rise of Napoleon • The Egyptian campaign ended in failure… Admiral Nelson defeated the French Navy • Did find the Rosetta Stone! • Abbe Sieyès developed a plan to take power. He looked to N for military support • 1799: N abandoned Egypt, returned and was involved in the coup d’etat- not a revolution- all they offered was stability and security (18 Brumaire) • Three consuls were created with Napoleon being First Consul (sound familiar? )

Consolidation in France • “Child of the Revolution” • “it was much easier to obtain power in a revolution than it was to hold on to it” • Napoleon had no political agenda and he had military and popular support • Napoleon created a new constitution with most legislative authority resting in his hands- the people were willing to accept the authority of Napoleon over the insecurities and Terror of the last decade • He worked hard to unify the French nation, destroyed the feudal state- created the Napoleonic Code and settled with the Church

Consolidation in France • Affirmed Freedom, supremacy of the state and equality of all citizens and the right to pursuit of happiness, property rights were sacred as well • Compared with the rest of Europe the French state was quite modern • Realised people were willing to forget the monarchy but not discard religion. • 1801 Concordat: the clergy was affirmed as state employees, seminaries reopened • Pope recognized the revolution because it recognized all of the laws of the French state • The clergy lost all special privileges- Machiavellian • 1804: a nation wide referendum was held, the result, Napoleon was voted as ruler for life (hereditary power)

Peace in Europe • To retain loyalty Napoleon only had one option- secure the borders (defeat the enemy). France had been at war since 1792 • France defeated the first Coalition (Austria, Prussia and England). 1799 a new Coalition was formed with Russia replacing Prussia. • 1801 Napoleon defeated Austria • became the ruler of all Hapsburg territory and reorganized the Holy Roman Empire (German states) • 1802 Russia pulls out • Napoleon signs a treaty with the British. Europe was at Peace for the first time in 1792.

War Again • 1803: he wanted more -- he thought in terms of an universal empire • Created Revolutionary Army • first mass army and citizen soldiers • professional armies that looked to tactics for victory rather than slaughter • created canned food (“Armies march on their stomach”) • 1803 a dispute with England reignited the war • England was determined to keep the state system of Europe, control the seas and world trade • Most European states sided with Britain

The Napoleonic Organization of Europe • 1805 had most of Europe (80 million people), only Russia, Britain and the Ottomans had land in Europe • 1805 tried to limit British trade (Continental System) • all French subjects must boycott British goods • Britain opened other markets (Latin America & Asia) • Also had the Industrial Revolution. • The Continental System bred resentment of the French as the market only favoured French goods • Napoleon needed to control the next two biggest markets, Spain and Russia

Battle of Trafalgar 1805

Trafalgar Square, London

The End (Part 1) • Marched to Moscow, found it burnt and came home, with most of the French army frozen to death (At the same time his armies are attacking Spain) • Spain pushed the French out, united with the British under the Duke of Wellington France was occupied and Napoleon dethroned…so what do you do with him? • This is the first act of a new system of political affairs- a league of nations sort of idea • Major powers decided to restore the old monarchy

Retreat from Russia

The Restoration • Louis XVIII became the King of France 1814 (Louis XVI’s older Brother) who had fled France 25 years before • Constitutional monarchy • kept most of the Napoleonic reforms, had a parliament and an independent judicial system • 1 st Peace of Paris: approved the extended French borders and exiled Napoleon to the island of Elba • Napoleon became the Emperor of Elba

Exile in Elba

And then he came back… • March 1815: N escaped from Elba, landed in France to renew his empire • The rest of Europe united against him • Raised an army under Wellington • Defeated him at Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 • Sent him further away to St Helena (South Atlantic) • Until his death in 1821

“Flight of the Eagle” He’s back!!!!

Waterloo 1815

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=5 d 7 Toc 2 wu. SQ

Social changes: • Development of Napoleonic Code • Creation of Lycee