Napoleon Questions of the Day Daniel W Blackmon

Napoleon Questions of the Day Daniel W. Blackmon AP European History Coral Gables Sr. High

Napoleon I is sometimes called the greatest enlightened despot. Evaluate this assessment in terms of Napoleon I’s policies and accomplishments. Be sure to include a definition of enlightened despotism in your answer. AP 1981

Define “Enlightened Despot” Define by the terms: “Enlightened”—to be influenced by the values and ideas of the Enlightenment “Despot”—to exercise dictatorial authority

Define by rulers who are described as Enlightened Despots: Peter the Great Catherine the Great Frederick the Great Joseph II

Enlightened Despots: Politics Strengthening of central authority Active, direct role in governing Peter the Great Frederick the Great Joseph II

Enlightened Despots: Economic Policies Peter the Great: Fosters trade with Western Europe, invites foreign merchants in; creates factories and mines served by serfs and owned by the state; triples taxes; Builds St. Petersburg as his Window to the West

Enlightened Despots: Economic Policies Frederick the Great: fostered agricultural reconstruction after wars, fostered state businesses that were strategically important.

Enlightened Despots: Economic Policies Joseph II: attempts to foster modern manufacturing, attract skilled workers from abroad; revamped taxes;

Enlightened Despots: Social Policies Modernization Peter the Great: Westernization; forces boyars to cut beards, compulsory Western education; imports talented foreigners

Enlightened Despots: Social Policies Catherine the Great: restricted torture; limited religious freedom; Pugachev Revolt in 1773 to abolish serfdom, taxes, and conscription; But after 1775, she gives nobles total control over serfs; frees nobles forever from service and taxes

Enlightened Despots: Social Policies Frederick the Great: codification of law; abolition of torture; rejected Moses Mendelssohn’s request for Jewish emancipation; extended privileges of Junkers, forbade bourgeois to buy land, restricts movement between countryside and town.

Enlightened Despots: Social Policies Joseph II: abolishes torture; abolished serfdom, peasant labor obligations to be converted into cash payments; emancipation of Protestants and Jews;

Enlightened Despots: Educational Policies Peter the Great: compulsory 5 years education of nobles; Frederick the Great: improved schools, encouraged practical scholarship

Enlightened Despots: Educational Policies Joseph II: secularizes education

Enlightened Despots: Religious Policies Peter the Great: The Orthodox Church serves the Tsar, all salaries paid by the Tsar Catherine the Great: confiscates church land to give to favorites

Enlightened Despots: Religious Policies Frederick the Great: religious and philosophical toleration, but Lutheran Church to teach the masses obedience. Pastors are state employees.

Enlightened Despots: Religious Policies Joseph II: Reestablishes government control over Church; Joseph will try to restrict Church holdings, esp. monasteries and convents; religious toleration

Enlightened Despots: Military Policies--Aggression Peter the Great: broke boyar army with militia infantry, part time basis, Streltsy; creates modern professional army with Western weapons and methods; peasants conscripted for life; builds a Navy

Enlightened Despots: Military Policies Frederick the Great: Army is a machine, led by Junker officers, manned by serf recruits or foreign mercenaries; disciplined by whip and gauntlet; entire country is organized to sustain the army. Important victories at Roßbach and Leuthen

Enlightened Despots: Foreign Policies--Aggression Peter the Great: Conquers Azov on Black Sea vs. Turks 1696 Allied with Denmark, Saxony, and Poland vs. Charles XII of Sweden, Great Northern War 1700 -1721 Battle of Poltava decisive Object to gain control over the Baltic coast, weaken Swedish empire, establish better trading position

Enlightened Despots: Foreign Policies Catherine the Great: Territorial expansion: conquers Crimea, Caucasus; defeat of Turks led to three Partitions of Poland with Austria and Prussia in 1772, 1793, and 1795

Enlightened Despots: Foreign Policies Frederick the Great: When Maria Theresa ascends throne in 1740, Frederick seizes Silesia and doubled his population. Attacked by Austria, France, and Russia 1756 -1763 in Seven Years’ War. Saved by English gold and the death of the Tsarina and ascension of Paul III. Object of government is to extend boundaries.

Napoleon: Political Policies “Authority from above, confidence from below”

Napoleon: Political Policies Hostility to the “mob”: The “Whiff of Grapeshot” Overthrow of the Directory, new Constitution with himself as First Consul Ratified by plebiscite

Napoleon: Political Policies Crowned himself Emperor Made his relatives kings, attempted to create a new Bonapartist dynasty

Napoleon: Political Policies Repressed political liberty Censored newspapers, restricted freedom of speech Orderly, efficient, centralized government Prefects and subprefects to administer laws.

Napoleon: Political Policies Army and the bureaucracy are the pillars of his government Wealth and service to the state determined status Newly created titles were not hereditary

Napoleon: Economic Policies Reorganized and centralized tax collection. Called in and paid bonds. Established the Bank of France Constant wars placed heavy burdens on the tax base.

Napoleon: Economic Policies The Continental System—attempted to block England from continental trade Berlin Decree— 1806 Prohibited trade with England British Orders in Council required all vessels trading with France to purchase a license.

Napoleon: Economic Policies Milan Decrees— 1807 Any ship which had traded or even been stopped by the British Navy was to be confiscated.

Napoleon: Economic Policies Customs revenues plummeted French manufacturing was wholly unable to make up for the loss of British goods French manufacturers and merchants began to resent the restrictions

Napoleon: Economic Policies French dependants and allies resented the restrictions even more. The Dutch economy is devastated. Napoleon’s need to maintain the Continental System is an important reason for his defeat.

Napoleon: Economic Policies Regarded his allies and conquered territories as a source for raw materials, conscripts, and a market for French goods.

Napoleon: Economic Policies Conquered territories and allies expected to provide very heavy contributions to his wars. Trade agreements strongly favored France.

Napoleon: Economic Policies Eventually, this contributes to his fall, as other countries began to view the French as oppressors.

Code Napoleon Codified and reconciled the customary law of northern France with Roman law of the South Rights of property made sacrosanct. Most articles concerned property

Code Napoleon Provided for equality of all before the law Provided for religious freedom Provided for “freedom of work, ” which reaffirmed the Le Chapelier law banning workers’ associations

Code Napoleon Workers were not allowed to strike, and were required to carry passports which might be checked by officials, police, or employers

Code Napoleon “Napoleon considered the family as the most important intermediary between the state and the individual, a means of guaranteeing social order. ” Reasserts patriarchal family

Code Napoleon Women and children legally dependant upon husbands and fathers. Men control family property A woman could not buy or sell property or start a business without her husband’s permission

Code Napoleon A woman’s income would pass to her husband’s descendants, not hers. A woman workers wages belonged to the husband. Women had no control over children’s wages; the father did.

Code Napoleon Divorce became more difficult to obtain. Penalties for a woman who committed adultery were more severe than for men. A woman could not witness a legal document

Napoleon on Women’s Status “In France, women are considered too highly. They should not be regarded as equal to men. In reality they are nothing more than machines for producing children. ”

Code Napoleon Parents could put children in jail Parents retained control over children’s marriages Primogeniture was ended. (families began to have fewer children in order to avoid breaking property up)

Napoleon’s Social Policies French armies liberated the serfs Gave peasants the right to own land Gave peasants right to travel Gave peasants the right to school their children

Napoleon: Educational Policies Established the Lycées, state run elite secondary schools Curriculum designed to glorify Napoleon and teach obedience Founded the École Polytechnique, an engineering school.

Napoleon: Educational Policies A catechism in primary schools: Question: What are the duties of Christians with respect to the princes who govern them, and what are, in particular, our duties toward Napoleon?

Napoleon: Educational Policies Answer: Love, respect, fidelity, military service. . We also owe him fervent prayers for his safety and for the spiritual and temporal prosperity of the State.

Napoleon: Religious Policies The Concordat of 1801: Catholic Church receives special status Government nominates bishops, who are invested by the pope Bishops appoint priests Church accepts loss of church lands; Government pays salaries of clergy

Napoleon: Religious Policies Toleration of Protestants and Jews continues. Government pays salaries of pastors and rabbis

Napoleon: Military Policies Impulse—non-linear tactics Levee en masse Lived off the land Promotion by merit: “Every private carries a marshal’s baton in his knapsack”

Napoleon: Military Policies Creation of a new aristocratic elite based on merit Legion of Honor Sought swift, crushing victories by destroying enemy forces in the field and dictating an political peace

Napoleon: Military Policies Earlier wars a nation-in-arms against a dynastic state. Beginning with Spain, followed by Russia and Prussia, later faced nationsin-arms himself.

Napoleon: Military Policies 2, 000 men served in his armies At least 400, 000 Frenchmen died fighting for Napoleon 600, 000 were listed as prisoners or disappeared 20% of all Frenchmen born between 1790 -1795 died.

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Goal is French hegemony over Europe.

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Treaty of Campo Formio, 1797 conquered Northern Italy Invaded Egypt 1798; War of the Second Coalition, Peace of Amiens in 1802

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Absorbs left bank of the Rhine, Piedmont, Switzerland War of the Third Coalition, 1805, ends at Austerlitz; abolishes the Holy Roman Empire, organizes the Confederation of the Rhine

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Defeats Prussia at Jena, peace with Russia with Treaty of Tilsit 1807, proclaims the Continental System. Invades Bavaria and defeats Austria again in 1809

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Peninsular War 1808 -1813, in order to close Iberia off from British trade (the Continental System);

Napoleon: Foreign Policy Invasion of Russia in 1812 in order to close northern Europe off from British trade (the Continental System) Napoleon marched in with 600, 000 men. Fewer than 30, 000 marched out. It is the beginning of the end for him.

Napoleon: Foreign Policy 1813: War of Liberation in Germany 1814: Unsuccessful defense of France itself, abdication 1815: Return from Elba, the Hundred Days, ending with the Battle of Waterloo

Summation Choose a partner. Produce a thesis paragraph and a chart showing your sub-topics and your SFI to answer the question.