Transcript Napoleon: Hero or Tyrant?

Napoleon: Hero?
or Tyrant?
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
came from a family of lower nobility
but was sympathetic to the ideals of
the French Revolution.
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Napoleon’s Rise to Power
Napoleon Bonaparte ambitiously rose from
army captain to ruler of France by taking
advantage of the turmoil of the French
Revolution.
Opportunities for Glory
• Napoleon, brilliant military leader
• In charge of French interior at 26
• Invaded Italy and Egypt
• Defeat by Admiral Horatio Nelson kept
from newspapers
• Became national hero
Napoleon Seizes Power
• Directory weak and ineffective
• Fear of royalists and of European
opposition
• November 1799 coup d’état
• France to be led by Consulate
• Napoleon voted first consul, in effect
a dictator for life
Napoleon promised order and stability,
pledging to uphold key reforms. The
French gave up some freedoms for peace
and prosperity.
Emperor Napoleon
 Napoleon
crowns himself
◦ Submitted a plebiscite (VOTE)
before voters
◦ Emperor Napoleon I
 Desire
for empire
◦ Wanted to rule Europe
◦ Napoleon sold Louisiana Territory and turned
his focus to Europe
Image is Everything
Napoleon’s Policies
Napoleon made some basic revolutionary ideas
part of the French government.
• Napoleonic
Code or Civil
Economic Reforms
Code developed
• Established the
• Preserved revolution ideas
Bank of France to
of equality for all but at
regulate economy
the cost of freedom
• More efficient
• Positions in the
tax-collection
government and military
system
based on merit, not birth
Napoleon & the Church
First made Peace with Catholic Church
 Catholicism was made the religion of
France,
 In return, the Pope would not ask for a
return of the property sized in the
Revolution
Everyone Wins
Napoleonic Wars
•
Napoleon quickly defeated Russia,
Germany, Sweden, & Prussia
•
Controlled almost all of Europe and
put Family members in positions of
Power
•
Great Britain had a dominant navy
allowed it to be a thorn in Napoleon’s
side
 Napoleon’s ambition united Europe
against him.
 In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia with
an army of half a million men.
 The Russians burned their own crops
and buildings as they retreated,
depriving the invaders of food and
shelter.
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By the time Napoleon reached Moscow,
he found the city in ruins, set on fire
by the Russians.
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In bitter winter weather, Napoleon’s
army retreated. Less than one in ten
men survived the homeward march.
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End of Napoleon
Spread of Nationalism:
idea of a central identity
 Invasion of Russia a
disaster and left France
weak and venerable
 Final defeat by Duke of
Wellington at Waterloo
