NAPOLEONIC FRANCE

AP European History

Napoleon Bonaparte Corsican of Italian ancestry Military officer, earned fame on

battlefields Student of the Enlightenment –

“Last of the Enlightened Despots”

Revolutionary – allied with Jacobins

1799 – Coup d’Etat Brumaire – overthrew Directory; Dec 25 – Consulate put in place

Napoleon takes power as “First Consul”

Used plebiscite to give rule legitimacy

Napoleon’s Civil Reforms 1804 – Code Napoleon: Equality before the law Protection of personal

property Freedom of Religion Promotion by merit,

rather than birth Abolition of serfdom Women gained

inheritance rights, but denied equal treatment

Resulted in strong central government, united civil authority

Napoleon’s Social Reforms

Lycées – public higher education schools to train professionals for service to France

Sought to increase size of middle class, where Napoleon had much support

New “imperial nobility” to reward loyalty to state – gave over 3500 titles

Amnesty granted to over 100,000 Émigrés to return to France

Denied workers’ right to form trade unions

Napoleon’s Religious Reforms

Concordat of 1801: Catholic Church re-

established in France Pope Pius VII

renounced Church claims to land seized during Revolution

French government reasserted right to choose bishops

Refactory priests replaced revolutionary priests

Religious toleration for Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and atheists

Church calendar replaced revolutionary calendar

Napoleon’s Economic Reforms

1800 – Bank of France created – for government and upper class

New stable currency and public credit

Balanced budget Lowered taxes on peasant farmers,

allowed them to keep land seized in Revolution – helped strengthen peasantry, gain their loyalty

Kept food prices low with price controls

The ‘Dark Side’ of the New Empire

Women reduced to second-class status – loss of Revolutionary gains

Workers denied right to form trade unions

Created ‘secret police’ to spy on domestic enemies

By 1814 – over 2500 political prisoners

Restricted Freedom of the Press

Napoleon’s Wars I 1798-1801 – War of the Second

Coalition – France victorious over Austria, Russia & U.K.

1802 – Treaty of Amiens created temporary peace with British – allowed French control over Holland, Belgium, western German states, and much of Italy

1802-03 – French army sent to Haiti to put down slave rebellion – eventually lost Haiti and sold Louisiana Territory to U.S.

A New Emperor

Dec 1804 – Napoleon crowned himself Emperor at Notre Dame

Empire Period – 1804-1814

Ten years of constant warfare for France

Eventually created the largest empire since Rome

Napoleon placed relatives upon thrones in conquered lands, attempting to create a new dynasty

Empire Period – 1804-1814

Introduced many reforms to these lands – the “liberator” carrying Enlightened ideas

Initially supported by middle and upper classes, French rule eventually created nationalist resentment and resistance in many lands

Napoleon’s Wars II 1805-1807 – War

of the Third Coalition – Austria, Russia, U.K., & Sweden vs. France

Oct 1805 – Battle of Trafalgar – British fleet under Nelson destroyed combined French/Spanish fleet – saved Britain from possible invasion

Napoleon’s Wars II Dec 1805 – Battle of Austerlitz (Moravia)

– Napoleon’s greatest victory – demolished Austrian army; Russians and Swedes quit Third Coalition

1806 – Arc de Triomphe commissioned to celebrate victory over Third Coalition

1806 – French twice defeated Prussians 1807 – Treaty of Tilsit – Napoleon

recognized as master of Western and Central Europe – Prussia surrendered half its population to France; Russia gave up land and agreed to become allies with France

Only Britain remained as a powerful enemy of France

Reorganizing Europe Holy Roman Empire abolished –

Confederation of the Rhine replaced it – consolidated 300+ German states into 15; Austria & Prussia left out

Duchy of Warsaw created as Polish nation – took land from Russia

Ended serfdom in these lands and gave peasants rights

French control will awaken German nationalism, though

Napoleon’s Europe

Problems Begin… 1806 – Napoleon begins

“Continental System” in an attempt to economically isolate and weaken Britain

By 1812, proved to be a major failure:

1. Many nations relied on British trade

2. France couldn’t enforce system across Europe

3. Britain never suffered since it could trade with American and Asian colonies

… and Expand… 1808 – Napoleon replaced Spanish

king with brother Joseph – Spanish rebelled

1808-1814 – Peninsular War – first major revolt vs. France

Spanish guerrillas aided by British forces commanded by Duke of Wellington

French brutally attempt to regain control, but can’t crush Spanish resistance

Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808

… and Get Even Worse Napoleon blamed Czar

Alexander I for failure of Continental System – Russia had supported it, but withdrew to protect its economy

1812 – Napoleon sent 600,000 soldiers marching into Russia – “The Grand Army”

Russian army – “scorched earth” tactics

Sept 1812 – Battle of Borodino outside Moscow – resulted in a draw

Defeat in Russia Napoleon seized a burned Moscow,

waited 5 weeks for Russians to surrender Ordered retreat in Oct, but too late –

winter had arrived Only 30,000 of the Grand Army make it

back to France – 400,000 dead; over 100,000 captured; others deserted

Napoleon’s Fall 1813-1814 – War of the Fourth

Coalition – Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Britain vs. France

Oct 1813 – Battle of Leipzig (“Battle of Nations”) – largest battle in world history before 20th century

Napoleon lost 500,000 soldiers – most captured

British and Spanish troops entered Paris – Napoleon abdicated in Apr 1814

Bourbons restored to French throne – Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI

Post-Napoleon Napoleon exiled to Elba in

Mediterranean – given yearly allowance from France

Bourbons now constitutional monarchs – kept much of Napoleon’s reforms

“First” Treaty of Paris, 1814: 1. France had to surrender all

lands taken since 1792 2. No war reparations made

against France Quadruple Alliance agreed to

meet in Vienna to reshape Europe after Napoleon

Congress of Vienna 1814-1815 – Quadruple

Alliance members met in Vienna

Very conservative and anti-revolutionary – hoped to roll back Revolutionary & liberal movements, restore old order to Europe

Led by Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria

France treated as equal for now

The Emperor Strikes Back As Vienna

meetings stalled, Napoleon escaped Elba and returned to France

The “Hundred Days” – Napoleon’s attempt to regain control of France

Louis XVIII fled France as Napoleon took over

Napoleon Meets His Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo (Belgium) – June 1815 – Napoleon finally defeated by English and Prussian armies

Duke of Wellington – commanded victorious British forces

This is Wellington’s “happy face”

This is Napoleon’s “sad face”

The Empire’s End

Napoleon now exiled to St. Helena in South Atlantic

Died in exile in 1821; body eventually returned to France

Congress of Vienna “Second” Treaty of Paris – France forced

to pay 700 million francs for war damages

Principles: 1. Legitimacy – return the ruling

families to power 2. Compensation – rewarding states who

fought Napoleon with land 3. Balance of Power – encircle France

with stronger nations, make sure no state can again do what Napoleon did

German Confederation (Bund) established with Austria in control of the government

Europe after Vienna - 1815

Concert of Europe 1815-1848 – Quadruple Alliance worked

together to maintain status quo in Europe

Worked together to end liberalism and nationalism prevent any more revolutions

Kept close eye on France – prevent any Bonaparte from taking the throne

Relied on collective security – come together to enforce conservative rule across the continent, even if it meant war

No large-scale general war for 100 years

The “Holy Alliance” Czar Alexander I proposed all

monarchs agree to uphold Christian values across Europe

All signed it except the Pope, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Great Britain

Only Alexander took it seriously To revolutionaries, this was an

“unholy alliance” against liberty and progress