Transcript Napoleon Forges an Empire

NAPOLEON FORGES AN
EMPIRE
Section 3
Ch.23
Napoleon Seizes Power
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A five-man group called the Directory became
the new government after Robespierre’s
execution.
Napoleon Bonaparte became known as the
savior of the French republic when in 1795 he
defended the National Convention against
royalist rebels.
Napoleon Seizes Power
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By 1799, the Directory had lost control of the
political situation and the confidence of the
French people.
Napoleon seized power in a coup d'état in Nov.
1799 by surrounding the legislative building with
troops.
They set up a group of three consuls of which
Napoleon was first consul.
Napoleon Rules France
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Napoleon held a plebiscite to approve a new
constitution.
France made peace with its enemies in 1802.
He set up an efficient method of tax collection
and established a national banking system.
He set up lycees (government-run public
schools) to provide government with trained
officials.
Restoring Order to France
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Napoleon signed a concordat, or agreement,
with Pope Pius VII recognizing the influence of
the Church, but rejecting Church control in
national affairs.
He also established a comprehensive set of laws
known as the Napoleonic Code, which gave the
country a set of uniform laws.
Napoleon Crowned as
Emperor
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In 1804, Napoleon
decided to make
himself emperor.
The pope was in
Paris to crown him,
but Napoleon took
the crown from him
and crowned
himself.
Loss of American
Territories
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Napoleon wanted to
create an empire in
Europe and the
Americas.
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A successful slave
revolt in Haiti led
Napoleon to sell French
territory in North
America to the United
States and focus on
Europe.
President Jefferson
paid $15 million to
purchase the Louisiana
territory.
Conquering Europe
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Napoleon had taken over the Austrian
Netherlands, parts of Italy and set up a
puppet government in Switzerland.
England, Russia, Austria, and Sweden
joined together to try and stop him.
He was able to beat all the military
powers except Britain, who defeated
him at the naval Battle of Trafalgar,
destroying the French fleet.
The French Empire
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By 1812 the only areas in Europe free
from Napoleon’s control were Britain,
Portugal, Sweden, and the Ottoman
Empire.
The French Empire was huge but
unstable.
Napoleon had the greatest control over
the lands from 1807 to 1812.