Transcript European Response to the Empire

European Response to the
Empire
• Napoleon abandoned feudal privileges in the
conquered states
• Churches lost their power
German Nationalism and Prussian
Reform
• No German state yet.
• Kant or Lessing were not nationalistic
• Romantic movement began at the beginning of
the nineteenth century.
– The movement helped flourish nationalism in
Germany.
• Two stages of development of nationalism in Germany:
– 1) unique and admirable qualities of German culture in art
– 2) Defeat at Jena in 1806 fostered nationalistic feelings among
German-speaking people
• An understanding of establishing a German
state that would be founded on the grounds
of common culture and language
• Only Prussia could be able achieve such end.
• King Frederick William (r. 1797-1840) feared of
nationalism
• Administrative and social reforms were
required and they were implemented by
Baron vom Stein and Prince von Handenberg.
• Reforms did not aim at putting an end to the
monarchy but to reform it so as to survive
under the French threat.
• Reforms had the following implications
– Broke the Junker monopoly of landholding
– Serfdom was abolished
– Improvements in military: Napoleon restricted
Prussia to hold an army not more than 42000
men. This situation lasted until 1813. What
Prussians did was to train a different group
soldiers each year; therefore, they could hold a
270.000 soldiers in 1814.
The Wars of Liberation
• Spain: France and Spain were allies since
1796. French army stayed in Spain, although
its goal was to force Portugal cut its trade ties
with Britain. In 1808 Napoleon appointed his
brother Joseph I to the throne by replacing
the present Spanish Bourbons in power.
British supported the Spanish insurgency and
guerrilla warfare.
• Austria. Austrians made a miscalculation of
the position of the French by trying take a
revenge of Austerlitz defeat. In return,
Austrians took another defeat at the Battle of
Wagram.
• Austria lost territory and Austrian archduchess
Marie Lousie
Invasion of Russia
• Tilsit agreement was established on shaky ground.
• Russians did not much like the ideas of revolution (no
surprise), but also the continental system (remember
the French prohibition on the conquered land to make
trade with Britain)
• Napoleon annoyed Tsar Alexander:
– Extending its land at Wagram
– Annexation of Holland was a violation of the Treaty of Tilsit
– French marshal Bernadotte was recognized as the future
King Charles XIV of Sweden
– Marriage to Marie Lousie
• In 1810 Russia withdrew from war and started
preparing for war.
• Napoleon was determined to end the Russian
threat, and he prepared more than 600.000 men.
• Russians, tactically, retreated before the
campaign of Napoleon. They had only 160.000
men. They followed a “scorched-earth” policy,
destroying all food and supplies as they
retreated.
• The French army continued its walk towards
Moscow.
• Russians were ready for the war, despited the canny general Mikhail
Kuzutov tried hard to prevent the army confronting the Napoleon’s army,
as he thought that the winter eventually would give a massive harm to
French soldiers.
• The result was the war at Borodino. It was the bloodiest of the Napoleonic
wars. 30,000 French and twice as much as Russian soldiers died. None
could win, but Russian army was not destroyed.
• Russians set Moscow fire and left the city to the control of the French
army.
• Napoleon offered peace offers but Russians declined.
• The French army could survive the fierce Russian winter. They had to leave
the country, after loosing many soldiers behind.
European Coalition
• Napoleon could raise another 350,00 men.
• None of the countries were eager for yet
another war against France.
• Austrian foreign minister, Prince Klemens von
Metternich, would prefer making peace with
Napoleon instead of a Russian domination.
• Last coalition: Although Napoleon could
defeat the coalition at Dresden, his army lost
at Leipzig. Allied forces marched into Paris and
Napoleon abdicated and went into exile on
the island of Elba.