Napoleonic Era

1. Napoleonic Era

2. Napoleon -Short guy 5’3” -Recognized along with Alexander the Great, Hannibal and Caesar as one of the world’s greatest military geniuses -At 16 – he graduated form military school at became a lieutenant in the artillery -When the Revolution happened, Napoleon join the army of the NEW government -He became a hero in war by putting down a Royalists rebellion -1796- Appointed to lead the French army against Austria -He had some huge victories in Italy -He then went down to Egypt to try and disrupt British trade with India -He did not succeed in Egypt against British forces but he kept those stories out of the newspapers so the people of France still loved him -November 1799 – Napoleon gets back from Egypt and is encouraged to seize power so troops under his command surrounded the national legislature and drive out most of its members -Napoleon became known as the First Consul – powers of a dictator - “Coup d’etat” – “blow to the state” -1802 – peace agreement signed between Napoleon, Great Britain and Austria

3. Restoring Order -He kept many of the changes of the Revolution -He supported laws that would both strengthen the central government but also make the Revolutionist happy -Had to make the economy solid -Established a national banking system -Took steps to end corruption -He dismissed corrupt officials in government -He wanted to restore the Church to France -Napoleonic Code – comprehensive system of laws -gave the country a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices -it actually limited individual liberty and promoted order of the authority -it also resorted slavery in French colonies in the Caribbean

4. Creating an Empire -He wanted to control Europe and regain power in the Americas -Things did not work out the way Napoleon envisioned in America with colonies revolting so he shifted his focus to Europe -The British, Russia, Austria and Sweden all joined forces against France -Napoleon won battle after battle -His enemy could never predict his next move -His successes forced the rulers of Austria, Prussia and Russia to sign peace treaties – gave him the largest empire since the Romans -Battle of Trafalgar – Naval battle between France and Britain – 1805 of the southwest coast of Spain -Britain split the French fleet and destroyed them -Resulted in Napoleon giving up his plans of invading Britain -The French Empire was huge but unstable

5. Empire Collapses -Continental System – Napoleon sets up a blockade between Great Britain and the rest of Europe -Several nations disregarded the blockade -Britain responded with a blockade of their -U.S. didn’t like that – led to the war of 1812 -Peninsular War – Napoleon sent a military force through Spain to get Portugal to agree to the Continental System -The Spanish people protested this action -Napoleon removed the Spanish king and put his own brother on the throne -Guerrillas – Spanish peasant fighters – they worked in small groups and ambushed French troops then fled into hiding -Britain added to the trouble by sending troops to help the Spanish -Napoleon lost about 300,000 men -Nationalism was growing – love for ones own country -Everyone began to turn against the French

6. Empire Collapses cont. -Most disastrous mistake came in 1812 -Russian czar refused to stop selling grain to Britain -Napoleon decided to invade Russia -Led a Grand Army of more than 420,000 soldiers -Scorched-earth policy – as the Russian army retreated they burned all their grain and killed all the live stock so that Napoleon’s army would have nothing to eat -Battle of Borodino – Napoleon had worked his way all the way to Moscow but Russia had burned it -Napoleon stayed in the city until November then decided to go back to France -Guerilla type warfare on their way back -Grand Army now had 10,000 soldiers left to fight -The other European nations saw this as their time to strike -April 1814 – Napoleon surrenders – banished him to Elba – Italian Island -After hearing that Louis XVIII had taken over France Napoleon escapes from Elba -Thousands of volunteers happily rejoined his army -Battle of Waterloo – Napoleon’s troops are defeated by Britain and Prussia