Transcript Napoleon - Schools

Napoleon
1st Modern Dictator
Background
• From Corsica
• Went to military school on a scholarship
• Rose through the ranks very
quickly because he was a skilled tactician
Napoleon’s early fame
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Great military skills get him promoted to general
quickly during the revolution
1795 (age 26) defeats uprising against the Directory
1796 through marriage and connections gains
placement in army
– Marries Josephine de Beauharnais
(leader in French society)
Wins support of the army and defeats Austrians
– Forced to sign peace treaty giving France control
of most of northern Italy
– Becomes national hero***
Napoleon’s bold move—1799
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In Egypt fighting British—attempt to cut them off from
trade routes to Middle East and India
Admiral Lord Nelson destroys French naval fleet;
army left stranded
Trouble at home—leaves for France—arrives to
cheering crowd
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Directory unpopular at home
Military continues to win victories with European monarchs
Joins leaders in coup d’etat against Directory
The Consulate
Successful overthrow
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Call for new constitution that set a republic—
really a military dictatorship
Take name of Consuls—reference to ancient
Roman Empire
• Names himself First Consul
Restoring Order
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Wanted to keep Revolutionary reforms
Replaced elected local officials with those
he appointed
Education under control of national
government
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Created technological schools, universities, and
secondary schools (lycées)
Lycées provided well educated patriotic
government workers—students mostly from
wealthy families, but some scholarships
available to the poor
Restoring Order
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Created Bank of France—required all
citizens to pay taxes and the government
used the money to make loans to
businesses
1802 Names himself Consul for Life—
approved overwhelmingly by a plebiscite
Napoleonic Code
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Had the greatest impact on French law and
many other law codes in Europe and the Middle
East
Based on Enlightenment ideas
Equality of all citizens before the law
Religious toleration
Advancement based on merit
State above individual
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Limited freedom of speech and press—censorship of
books, plays and pamphlets
Women lose many rights gained during the Revolution
Male heads of households given extensive control over
wife and children
Making Peace with the Church
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Concordat 1801—response to Civil Constitution of Clergy
Acknowledges that Catholicism majority religion in
France, but affirms religious toleration
Retains right to appoint bishops who have to swear
allegiance to the state
State agreed to pay salaries to the clergy
Building an Empire
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France at war with those European countries
controlled by hereditary rulers wanting to
crush the Revolution in France
1802 Ends war favorably for France
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Defeats Austria and Italy while First Consul
Persuaded Russia to withdraw from the war
Signs treaty with British ending fighting
1804 declares himself Emperor of France—in
a very elaborate ceremony he takes the
crown out of Pope’s hands and places it on
his own head
Battle of Trafalgar
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1805
Attempt to invade English from English
Channel
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Stopped at Trafalgar (off Spanish coast) by
Admiral Lord Nelson
French navy defeated
Continental System
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destroy British economy by destroying trade
Ordered all European nations under his control to stop
trade with Great Britain
Required Russia and Prussia (allies) to join blockade
British counter threat: any ship on its way to Europe
had to stop at a British port
Napoleon retaliates: he’ll seize and ship that does stop
at an English port
FAILS: French trade suffered and economy worsened
Napoleonic Europe
Influence extended:
– Napoleon is King of Italy
– Brother #1 King of Naples
– Brother #2 King of Holland
– 1812 controls most of Europe
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Abolish Holy Roman Empire and creates
Confederation of the Rhine
People under Napoleon:
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Resent paying taxes
Resent serving in the army
Conquered people have feeling of nationalism
Revolts being to happen
Napoleon’s Downfall
Invasion of Russia
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Alexander I saw Napoleon’s control of Europe as a threat
Withdrew from Continental System—economy suffering—
resumed trade with British
Sparks invasion of Russia
600,000 troops marched to Moscow
Russians refuse to yield and retreat into central Russia using a
“scorched earth” policy
Troops in Moscow—in a city that has been destroyed by fire—no
shelter from HARSH winter climate
Napoleon forced to retreat
Attached in “guerilla warfare” style—400,000 soldiers die of battle
wounds, starvation or exposure
Napoleon’s Defeat
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1813 War of Liberation—Russia, Prussia, and
Austria defeat Napoleon
at Leipzig
Blow to French army in Russia sparks others to
attack—Russia, Prussia, Spaniards, Austrians,
English, and Italians
1814 Paris—Napoleon forced to surrender
position as emperor
Louis XVIII restored to power (brother to Louis
XVI)
Exiled to Elba off coast of Italy
Napoleon’s Defeat
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1 year later—1815 returned and won widespread
support—Napoleon becomes emperor again
Hundred Days—Napoleon’s return to power—no war
(maintains boundaries of 1792)
Fear that Napoleon might regain former strength
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Armies of Prussia, Great Britain and Netherlands advance on
France under the Duke of Wellington
1815 Battle of Waterloo—Napoleon defeated; placed under
house arrest; exiled to St. Helena (S. Atlantic)
Napoleon dies 1821
Napoleon’s Legacy
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Secures the Revolution in France
Spreads ideas throughout Europe: equality before the
law, religious tolerance; advancement by merit not birth
Uniform standards of government
Reformed tax systems
Promoted education
Improved agriculture and industry
After Napoleon, people wanted to keep these benefits
and not forget the taste of freedom from absolute
monarchy.
Reasons for Downfall
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Personal Weakness: Ambition caused him to overreach himself—
empire to large to rule by one man
British Opposition:
» Napoleon symbol of excess of French Revolution (Great Britain
has a constitutional monarchy and parliament)
» Shattering of traditions
» Violence of the Reign of Terror
» Rise of military despotism
» Wanted a divided Europe to continue the shift in support
(balance of power)
» Suffered economic hardships because driven from continental
markets
» Leading colonial power—didn’t want to France to re-establish
itself as one
British Control of the Seas: naval supremacy protects/saves them
from invasion
Reasons for Downfall
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Continental System:
» Decline in trade throughout Europe
» Increase in business failures and unemployment
» Shortages of cloth, machinery and foodstuffs
» Smuggling becomes widespread
Russia’s Opposition:
» Continental System—suffer economic loss (resume trade with
Great Britain 1811)
» Napoleon’s power considered a threat
Rising Spirit of Nationalism:
» Spaniards, Prussians, Austrians become nationalistic
» Tired of French domination—ready to fight for liberation
Exhaustion of France: many years of fighting has depleted military
forces and resources
Lasting Influence on Europe
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Map Changes:
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Abolition of the Holy Roman Empire
Reduce the number of German States
Legacy of Revolution:
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Spread French Revolutionary doctrines
Ended Old Regime of abuses of feudalism and serfdom
Napoleonic Code
State controlled education
Legacy of War and Empire
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Promoted growth of militarism
Aroused spirit of nationalism among conquered people
Widespread destruction and loss of life
Dislocation of Europe’s economy
Heavy tax burden place on conquered people
Set example of despotic rule—1st Modern Dictator