Napoleon Bonaparte And Romanticism Power is my mistress

Napoleon Bonaparte And Romanticism

“Power is my mistress. ” • State system is dead • Europe must be organized under French hegemony • Administrative reform and Napoleonic Code must spread throughout Europe

Origins • Father and mother nobility in Corsica • Entered Brienne Military Academy at age 9 on scholarship • Leadership skills obvious • Considered an outsider • 1784 enters Ecole Militaire in Paris at age 15 • Finished 2 -year program in 1 year • Becomes officer at age 16 • In favor of the Revolution

Man of Destiny • Rationalist and opportunist • Romantic: studied Alexander the Great and Hannibal • Devoted to his family • 1793, defeats Great Britain at Toulon— Brigadier General • French military expansion continues under Directory • March 1795 Peace concluded with Prussia and Spain • War continued with Great Britain and Austria—Directory needed Military

Napoleon’s Rise • 1795—drove out royalists and saved Revolution • Meets Josephine • 1796, marries Josephine • 1796—goes to Italy to command troops there • By November 1797, France has defeated all of her enemies except Great Britain • Returns to Paris as a hero • Decides to attack GB through Egypt

Napoleon’s Army of the Orient • Attempt to destroy Britain’s Trade with India • 35, 000 members • Napoleon’s army moved to Cairo: 15, 000 march across desert; 10, 000 shipped by barge upriver • Army meets 6, 000 mounted Mamelukes and local force of 54, 000 and wins

Egyptian Campaign • 7/1798—Battle of the Pyramids: Napoleon victorious in Alexandria • Became intellectual campaign

Discoveries • Rosetta Stone discovered • Tombs explored • Treasures taken back to France • Josephine unfaithful • Austria, Russia, GB form new coalition: infidelities published

GB defeats Napoleon on Water • August 1, 1798 French fleet destroyed in Aboukir Bay • Army becomes marooned • Second coalition formed, including GB, Russia, Turkey, Naples, Portugal, Austria • French become bogged down • Napoleon quits Egypt with a few men and guides: sails back to Paris—His victories on land precede him; he is seen as a hero

Coup of 18 Brumaire • Directory weak: Abbe Sieyes convinces Napoleon to overthrow the Directory • Napoleon addresses assembly: “Confidence from below, power from above”

Napoleon as First Consul • Assembly shouts down Napoleon • He becomes angry • Saved by his brother Lucien, who leads army into the Assembly Hall • New constitution created: Constitution of Year VIII: three consuls to lead • Republican theory: checks and balances • Council of State • Made Napoleon actual ruler • Approved by plebiscite (3, 011, 077 to 1, 567)

End of French Revolution? New Constitution of Year VIII could be seen as end of FR Most leading elements of Third Estate had achieved their goals by 1799 Hereditary privilege abolished Peasants also satisfied—they had land, no feudal privileges

Napoleon as First Consul • Maintained order by his policies: • Liberal Policies: • Employed people from all political groups • Gains of peasants confirmed • Amnesty to nobles granted • Improved education • Concordat of 1801 with Pope Pius VII • Catholics gain freedom of worship • Catholicism is religion of most Frenchmen • State named bishops and paid priests

st 1 Consul, continued • Church gave up property • Clergy swore loyalty to state • Conservative Order – Murdered Bourbon Duke d’Enghien in 1804 • Central government controlled Provinces • Stopped free speech and press • Crushed opposition: secret police developed • Stopped free elections

Civil Code 1804 • Middle class equality • Property distributed among all children • Safeguarded property rights • Married women had to • Abolished all consult their husbands Privileges of birth to dispose of property • State officials chosen • Labor unions by merit forbidden: workers • Gave men control over had fewer rights than their wives employers

Napoleon as Emperor • Fear of Bourbon comeback • 1802 plebiscite: Consul for life • 1804: Napoleon becomes emperor of France • New constitution by plebiscite approves

Coronation • Coronation at Notre Dame • Pope comes to crown Napoleon • At last moment, Napoleon takes crown from Pope and crowns himself

Napoleon’s personal life • Josephine crowned his empress • By 1809 he wanted blood heirs— Josephine could not give him any • Divorces her, marries Archduchess Marie Louise

Military Methods and Conquests • Military genius, especially in execution of warfare • New theory • Flexible formations in battle, not fixed ones • Divided into moderately sized units • Live off land • Light-speed maneuvers to bring enemies into battle • Great citizen army motivated to fight well • 700, 000 strong • Could risk 100, 000 men at a time

Methods and conquests • Conscripted unprecedented number of soldiers • Loyal to France and Napoleon • Conquest of Europe: – 1801 Austria defeated – 1802 Peace with GB – Peace of Amiens a truce – 1803 Third Coalition formed (Aus, Rus, Swed, GB)

1805 Battle of Trafalgar • Spain submits to Napoleon; join fleets to sail against England • Meet Horatio Nelson at Trafalgar • 21 October: Fr/SP fleets destroyed; GB loses no ships • GB dominant at sea 100 years

Austerlitz • December 2, 1805 • Defeats Austria and Russia • Treaty of Pressburg signed • Napoleon gains Italy

1806 Battle of Jena • Prussia defeated • Berlin Decrees signed Nov 21, 1806 • Prussia loses much territory • Agrees to bar British goods from import

Treaty of Tilsit • Alexander I meets Napoleon in 1807 on raft in Niemen River • Russia agrees to Continental system • French territorial gains confirmed • Russia loses land

Continental System and Grand Empire • 1806 Holy Roman Empire dissolved • Germany re-organized as Confederation of the Rhine • New Kingdoms set up with Napoleon’s family/friends on thrones • Spain, Italy, Holland, Sweden • Napoleonic Code everywhere: end of feudalism and local town oligarchies

System at work • Attempts to destroy • GB trades with GB trade dominance America and East • Napoleon rejected idea • Continental system of free trade hurts Continent • Tariff policies favored • Problems begin: France Spanish revolt, 1808— against Joseph on • Foreign merchants throne engaged in smuggling

Problems for Napoleon • 1808 Peninsular War saps French strength • Britain begins blockade • 1810 Russia withdraws from Continental system • 1812, march on Russia; 600, 000 men • Suffers defeat at hands of cold (coldest winter in 100 years) • Russian scorched earth policy • Retreat of Russians • Resistance by entire Russian population

Retreat from Moscow • Supply train had been attacked • Typhus rampant among troops • Discipline broke down • At Berezina, soldiers were attacked and panicked • Bridge broke— 20, 000 died or captured • 100, 000 survived retreat

th 4 Coalition • Napoleon able to get army together quickly: 350, 000 members in 6 months • 1813, Russia, Prussia, Austria, GB form 4 th coalition • Prussian army modernized and reorganized • Prussia: 270, 000 – Seen as German war of Liberation: – Battle of Nations: – France defeated at Leipzig in Germany – Allies take Paris in March, 1814 – Napoleon abdicates and exiled to Elba

Congress of Vienna • Viscount Robert Castelreagh (GB) • Prince Klemens von Metternich (Aus) • Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (Fr) • Karl August von Hardenberg (Prus) (Frederick Willhelm) • Alexander I (Rus) • No power should dominate • Balance of Power sets stage for Concert of Europe • Policy to contain France • Holland made stronger with addition of Aus Netherlands

• Austria given N. Italy • Prussia given Rhineland • Non-vindictive boundary settlement w/France (1792) • Restoration of Monarchies • Concert of Europe: • Frequent meetings for several years • No major general war in Europe for 100 years

100 Days • Napoleon escapes from Elba 1815 • Promised liberal constitution and peace • Allies declare Napoleon an outlaw • 5 th coalition formed • Battle of Waterloo 1815 • Defeated by Prussians and English: Duke of Wellington leads English/von Blucher leads Prussians • Napoleon exiled to St. Helena • Died from cancer 1821