Transcript Napoleon
Napoleon
“The General”
Napoleon Grasps Power
1796 the Directory appoints him to lead the army
against Austria and was able to defeat them in Italy
Napoleon loses in Egypt but keeps reports out of the
press
1799 Napoleon put in charge of military
1799 Napoleon stages a coup d’etat and takes power
from the Directory
1802 Europe at peace
1804 Napoleon crowned himself Emperor
Napoleon Restores Order
stable economy- more equal taxation
national bank
reduced government corruption
Concordant (agreement) with Pope Pius XVI
new relationship between church and state
Napoleonic Code- comprehensive and uniform
legal system (although it gave France uniform
laws it was actually a step backwards)
Napoleon Creates an Empire
1807-1812
New World territories
– Uprising in Haiti
– Sold Louisiana to President Jefferson
Napoleon wanted to expand in Europe after getting
Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy
Battle of Trafalgar- naval defeat in 1805 off the shore
of the Spanish coast assured supremacy of the British
navy and forced Napoleon to give up plans to invade
Britain
By 1812 the only countries not under Napoleon’s rule
were Britain, Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Sweden
Napoleon’s Mistakes
French Empire large but unstable because conquered
people not loyal to France
Continental System- effort to destroy Britain’s
commercial and industrial economy. Shut off ports
between Britain and other European states
- Weakened trade but didn’t destroy it
– Britain launched counter attack that was more
damaging
War of 1812- Britain vs. U.S. (ends in a draw)
Peninsular War 1808- Portugal was ignoring the
blockade so Napoleon sent army through Spain.
Invasion of Russia
- Breakdown in Alliance between Russia and
France (partly due to Russia’s trade with
Britain)
- Scorched-earth policy- Alexander burned
down earth to starve the French troops and
then burns Moscow
- Napoleon goes into Russia with 422,000 troops
and leaves with only 28,000
Napoleon’s Downfall
4th coalition- Britain, Russia, Prussia,
Sweden, Austria
Oct. 1813 Battle of Leipzig defeated
April 1814 defeated empire and exiled to
Elba off the Italian coast
Failed comeback
Louis XVIII came to
rule France but
unpopular, so Napoleon
came back and was
crowned emperor again
in March 1815
Waterloo in Belgium6/15/1815- loses against
the British and
Prussians, so British
shipped him to an island
in the South Atlantic
where he lived for 6
years and died of a
Free Response
Napoleon’s rise to power signaled the end
of the French Revolution. In your opinion,
were the goals of the Revolution
accomplished with Napoleon? Why or why
not?
Also, remark on the statement that
Napoleon is a villain and not a hero. Agree
or disagree. Why or why not?