Napoleon Key Terms

Napoleonic Code

French civil code promulgated in 1804 that reasserted the 1789 principles of the equality of all male citizens before the law and the absolute security of wealth and private property, as well as restricting rights accorded to women by previous revolutionary laws.

Emigres

French nobles who opposed the revolution and fled France because of it.

Concordat of 1801

Signed by Napolean and Pope Pius VII to restore the catholic church in France for social stability. The pope obtained the right for French Catholics to practice their religion freely, but Napoleon’s government nominated bishops, paid the clergy, and had a great influence over the church.

Second Coalition

British alliance in 1798 that included Austria and Russia because of French aggression in Egypt and elsewhere.

Battle of Trafalgar

Battle between Napoleon and Lord Nelson where Napoleon tried to gain access to invade England, but his mediterranean fleet was destroyed, making an invasion impossible.

Third Coalition

Austria, Russia, and Sweden joined with Britain against France shortly before the Battle of the Trafalgar.

Alexander I

Russia, lost to Napoleon at Battle of Austerlitz December 1805, had to pull back, 1806-ish, ready to negotiate peace, had to enforce an economic blockade against British goods, got betrayed by Napoleon

Francis II

Austria, also lost to Napoleon in Battle of Austerlitz December 1805, Accepted large territorial losses in return for peace.

Battle of Austerlitz

December of 1805, Napoleon was victorious over Russia and Austria, gaining land from Austria, and Alexander I of Russia pulled back his troops. Third Coalition collapsed.

Confederation of the Rhine

established by Napoleon in 1806, union of 15 German states not including Austria, Prussia, and Saxony. Named himself protector of the confederation.

Battles of Jena and Auerstadt

Napoleon vs Prussia, October 1806, both won by Napoleon, French were outnumbered 2-1.

Treaty of Tilsit

1807, Prussia lost half its population through land concessions (former polish territories, which were gained through a partition of Poland but Napoleon established as a French protectorate called the Grand Duchy of Warsaw), and Russia accepted reorganization of western and central Europe, and Russia had to enforce blockade against British goods.Austria and Prussia forced to enforce the continental system.

Grand Empire

The empire over which Napoleon and his allies ruled, encompassing virtually all of Europe except Great Britian and Russia.

Continental System

A blockade imposed by Napoleon to halt all trade between continental Europe and Britian, thereby weakening the British economy and Military.

guerrilla warfare

war involved activities usually fought by smaller groups using untraditional forms of warfare against regular forces. (napoleon used this, examples are hit and run.)

Battle of Borodino

Napoleon pushing on to Moscow, Napoleon vs Alexander I, was a draw, Moscow evacuated and partially burned, no negotiations, after 5 weeks napoleon retreated. The Russian army, winter, and starvation cut napoleons army down, 370,000 died 200,000 taken prisoner.

Klemens von Metternich

prince, and foreign minister of Austria, proposed that Napoleon reduce a French army (which napoleon was trying to rebuild) to its historical size, which Napoleon refused.

Treaty of Chaumont

After the proposal of a historical sized French army by Klemens von Metternich and Napoleons refusal, Austria and Prussia deserted Napoleon and joined Russia and Great Britain, formed the Quadruple alliance to defeat the French emperor.

Elba

Island off the coast of Italy where Napoleon abdicated to, was granted as his own tiny state, Napoleon tried to escape in February 1815.

Louis XVIII

restored Bourbon dynasty, reinstated constitutional monarchy, issued the constitutional charter, fled when Napoleon marched on Paris with a small band of followers after escaping Elba and Napoleon took command again. Returned to the throne after.

Constitutional Charter

issued by Louis XVIII, accepted many of France’s revolutionary changes and guaranteed civil liberties.

Hundred Days

After Louis XVIII fled when Napoleon marched on Paris and took power once more, Battle of Waterloo took place at the end of this time.

Battle of Waterloo

June 18, 1815, Napoleons forces were crushed here and he was imprisoned on the island of St. Helena off the western coast of Africa.

St. Helena

Island off the western coast of Africa where Napoleon was imprisoned.