NAPOLEON BONAPARTE Opportunity Ambition Destiny EARLY LIFE Born
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE Opportunity, Ambition, Destiny
EARLY LIFE Born 1769 in Corsica Known as the “Little Corsican” (5’ 2” tall) Attended military school in Paris Joined French army at age 16 Jacobin, friend to brother of Robespierre Napoleon in 1792 Henri Felix Philippoteaux This portrait is of Napoleon near the beginning of his military career, about a year before his first brilliant victory at Toulon.
EARLY MILITARY CAREER 1793 -97: The War of the First Coalition 1796 -98: Italian Campaign 1798 -99: Egyptian Campaign 1799: Syria Campaign Napoleon on the Arcole Bridge Antoine-Jean Gros This is a picture of the Napoleon crossing the Bridge of Arcole in the Italian Campaign of his early military days. It was painted in 1796.
EARLY MILITARY CAREER VICTORIES 1785 – 1795 Moves through a series of military rankings including Lieutenant and Captain 1793 Siege of Toulon establishes his name. After Thermidorian Reaction arrested; has to lay low. 1795 - Promoted to Commander of the Army of the Interior Defends the National Convention against 30, 000 Royalists trying to overthrow the government due to exclusion from the Directory – “Whiff of Grapeshot” March 1796 -1797 – Italian Campaign Promoted to Commander in Chief of the French Army in Italy Shows skills as a general, effective tactics, fast thinker Could not be stopped – reputation secured. 1797 – Defeats Austria and successfully invades Italy
ITALIAN CAMPAIGN – 1796 -97
TROUBLE IN EGYPT Returns to France after a series of successful campaigns and is welcomed as a hero Concentrated on improving military reputation and considering pursuing political power Took a large army to Egypt in hopes of cutting off India from Great Britain Suffers defeat to British Admiral Horatio Nelson Leaves troops stranded in Egypt Returns to France in 1799 before news of the fiasco so he is still welcomed as a great hero.
Bonaparte Jacque-Louis David This is an incomplete oil on canvas portrait of Napoleon. It was painted in 1798 and is currently in the Louvre, Paris.
COUP D’ETAT, 1799 Worked with Emmanuel Sieyes to overthrow Directory New Constitution was put forth by Napoleon and overwhelmingly approved by the people Directory replaced by a three-member Consulate; Napoleon was the First Consul
Bonaparte as First Consul Jean-Auguste. Dominique Ingres This was done in 1804, after Napoleon became First Consul of France.
Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul Jean-Baptiste Greuze Another portrait of Napoleon as First Consul of France.
KEY QUESTION: Was Napoleon Bonaparte a man of OPPORTUNITY, AMBITION, OR DESTINY?
NAPOLEON IN POWER 1799 -1814
THE FIRST CONSUL 1799: New government (The Consulate) in France and Napoleon is the First Consul. Goals were to reorganize his armies and restructure his defense 1800: Begins a series of military campaigns With each victory, France gains more land.
MILITARY CAMPAIGNS The War of the Second Coalition (1799 -1802) The War of the Third Coalition (1805) Trafalgar – Britain’s Royal Navy defeats the Franco. Spanish Fleet The Peninsular Campaign (1807 -1810)
SOCIO-POLITICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
THE CONCORDAT OF 1801 Napoleon wanted to heal the division with the Pope/Catholicism that developed during the French Revolution Signed agreement with Pope Pius VII Give Catholics the right to free practice Declared Catholicism as the religion of the majority of Frenchmen.
Napoleon Crossing the Alps Paul Delaroche This is a more accurate painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps. It was painted in 1850, about 30 years after Napoleon's death. A painting like this would have never been acceptable to Napoleon, because it doesn't glorify him.
Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Jacques-Louis David This painting by Jacque Louis David depicts Napoleon in his famous crossing of the Alps. It took two years to finish, 1800 to 1801. Like most of David's portraits of Napoleon, this was a propaganda piece. Napoleon actually crossed the Alps on a mule because mules have better balance and traction, are lower to the ground, and do better in cold weather.
TITLES: 1802: First Consul for life 1804: Emperor Napoleon I
Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 Dec 1804 Jacque-Louis David This is a painting of Napoleon's Coronation. This large painting took two years to complete, 1806 and 1807.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Centralized government - administrative uniformity - police state - printers swore an oath of obedience to emperor Bank of France - economic recovery Lycee System - educational reform Louisiana Purchase (1800) - sold in 1802 to raise money for the war Napoleonic Code (1804) - Reform French legal code to reflect the values of the French Revolution - Divides civil law into: Personal Status, Property, and the Acquisition of Property
NAPOLEONIC CODE Where ever Napoleon conquered, the Napoleonic Code was implemented.
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