The Age of Napoleon 1769-1821

Early Life

• Born in Corsica• Age 9 – Military School• Age 16 – Lieutenant• Joins the French Army when the

Revolution breaks out

Man of the Hour

• 1795-Napoleon defends the National Convention from Royalist rebels

• 1796-Directory appoints Napoleon to lead French Army against Austria & Sardinia

1799-Coup d’Etat (blow to the state)

• Napoleon seizes power from the Directory – becomes First Consul and assumes power of a dictator

Napoleon takes power as First Consul

1800 - The plebiscite (Vote of the people) gives Napoleon the power to rule as a

dictator/enlightened despot 

Napoleon’s Changes

*Taxes: Collection fair & orderly

Reliable steady supply of $$$

*Dishonest government workers removed

*Lycees: Public school for citizenry

*Concordat with Pope: returns some power to the church

“Code Civil”

• Napoleonic Code: new set of laws gave all French citizens the same rights

• Free speech & press limited

• Restored slavery in French colonies

Emperor

• 1804 – Takes crown from Pope and places on own head!

1803: Set Backs to Empire

• Haiti: Yellow fever & fierce resistance destroys army and leaves French possession in N.America indefensible

Louisiana Purchase

• 1803 – the Louisiana Territory is sold to the U.S. (Pres. Thomas Jefferson’s Admin.) for $15 million (3 cents an acre)

1804 The Battle of Trafalgar

• The French Fleet is defeated off the S.W. Coast of Spain by The British navy commanded by Admiral Horatio Nelson

Humiliating Defeat for France

• Prevents Napoleon from invading England

1806 The Continental System

• Napoleon blockades British ports to make the continent more self sufficient

• British respond with their own blockade around Europe weakening the economy

1808 The Peninsular War

• Napoleon made his brother Joseph King of Spain. Spanish loyal to own King

• Guerrilla warfare – peasant fighters wage war against Napoleon

1812 Doomed March to Russia

• Scorched-earth Policy – Russians retreat leaving no lovestock or grain for the French Army

• Russian Winter – only 10,000 of the original 400,000 troops survive

1813 The Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations)

• Britain, Russia, Prussia,Sweden & Austria defeat Napoleon

• Largest conflict of Napoleonic Wars• Fought on Germany soil

Exiled to Elba

The Hundred Days

• After 10 months in exile, Napoleon escapes – Returns to France, gains support on his way to Paris

• Returns to Power

Waterloo, Belgium 1815

• British Army led by the Duke of Wellington with help from the Prussian Army hand Napoleon his final defeat

St. Helena

• Napoleons final exile

The Congress of Vienna

• Europeans meet to restore order to Europe

• Five Great Powers: Russia, Prussia, Austria, Great Britain, & France

• Prince Klemens von Metternich takes the lead

3 Goals

• France would not attack another country again

• Balance of Power between nations – no one country would be a threat to another

• Legitimacy – restore former monarchs to their rightful thrones

The HOLY ALLIANCE

• Czar Alexander of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria, King Frederick William III of Prussia

Before & After