Napoleonic Wars ID's

William Pitt

Date and Definition: British prime minister 1783-1801, 1804-1806. During the French Rev. and Napoleonic wars

Significance: Credited with the birth of the British Empire. Thanks to Pitt's efforts, Britain joined the Third Coalition against France (made up of Austria, Russia and Sweden) and in 1805 the British inflicted a serious defeat on the French navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Battle of Trafalger

Date: October 21, 1805

Definition: The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars.

Significance: Established British naval supremacy for next 100 years

Treaty of Tilsit

Date: July 7, 1807

Definition: The Treaties of Tilsit, also collectively known as the Peace of Tilsit, were two peace treaties signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland, and at the end of the War of the Fourth Coalition. France and Russia became allies and divided Europe between them.

Significance: The treaty ended the war between Imperial Russia and the French Empire and began an alliance between the two empires that rendered the rest of continental Europe almost powerless. The two countries secretly agreed to aid each other in disputes.

Peninsular War

Date: May 2, 1808 - Apr 17, 1814

Definition: The Peninsular War was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain, it is considered to overlap with the Spanish War of Independence.

Significance: Most Spaniards rejected French rule and fought a bloody war to oust them. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation. It is also significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare.

Bank of France

Date: January 18, 1800

Definition: founded by a group of bankers at the instigation of the First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte. As a private company but also a "public bank", its mission is to issue notes payable to bearer on demand in exchange for the discounting of commercial bills.

Significance: to help the country to recover from a heavy economic and financial crisis.

Treaty of Amiens

Date: (signed) March 25, 1802/(expired) May 18, 1803

Definition: The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars;

Significance: After a short peace, it ultimately set the stage for Napoleonic wars.

Lord Nelson

Definition: His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Significance: Victory and death at the Battle of Trafalger, October 21, 1805

Fredrick William III

Date: November 16, 1797 - Death in 1840

Definition: King of Prussia

Significance: His policy of neutrality in the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions accelerated the decline of Prussia's prestige. Domestic reforms before the Battle of Jena foreshadowed later reforms without, however, altering the absolutist structure of the state.

The Continental System

Date: Nov 21, 1806 - Apr 11, 1814

Definition: The Continental Blockade, or Continental System, was a large-scale embargo by French emperor Napoleon I against the British Empire

Significance: Napoleon's strategy to weaken Britain's economy by banning trade between Britain and states occupied by or allied with France, which proved largely ineffective and eventually led to Napoleon's fall.

St Helena

Date: October 15, 1815

Definition: British coaling place, essentiality a pit stop for the British navy.

Significance: Napoleon was exiled here after escaping from previous exile in Elba and losing the Battle of Waterloo and ultimately being captured by the British. This is where he spent the rest of his life ( died here)

Grand Armee

Date: 1804-1808; 1812; 1813-1814

Definition: The Grande Armée was the main military component of the French Imperial Army commanded by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars.

Significance: allowed Napoleon to implement well-defined operational process within the framework of conventional wars.

Tsar Alexander I

Date: Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first king of Congress Poland from 1815, and the grand duke of Finland from 1809 to his death in 1825.

Definition/ Significance: Used scorched earth tactic vs. napoleon, continually running from napoleon

First Consulate

Date: 1799-1804

Definition: Napoleon's transition from a military leader to a political ruler following the coup of 18 Brumaire. By assuming this title, he positioned himself as the head of state while maintaining an appearance of republicanism.

Significance: marked the beginning of his authoritarian rule and laid the groundwork for the establishment of the French Empire.

Battle of Waterloo

Date: June 18, 1815

Definition: marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. French Imperial Army under the command of Napoleon I was defeated by two armies of the Seventh Coalition.

Significance: concluded a war that had raged for 23 years, ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and destroyed Napoleon's imperial power forever.

Napoleon’s Divisional Approach

Date: First implemented during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815).

Definition: Napoleon Bonaparte revolutionized military strategy by organizing his armies into divisions, each functioning as a semi-independent unit. Each division typically included infantry, cavalry, and artillery, allowing them to operate autonomously while still supporting the larger army. This system provided flexibility, rapid movement, and efficient supply lines.

Significance: Napoleon’s divisional system transformed modern warfare, allowing for coordinated yet decentralized operations. It enabled faster deployment, surprise attacks, and adaptability on the battlefield. This approach influenced military organization globally and is considered a precursor to modern army corps structures.

Napoleonic Code

Date: Established on March 21, 1804.

Definition: The Napoleonic Code, formally known as the Code Civil des Français, is a comprehensive set of civil laws instituted under Napoleon Bonaparte. It unified and codified laws across France, replacing a patchwork of local feudal laws with a single, standardized legal framework. It emphasized clear, accessible laws based on equality, property rights, and secular governance.

Significance: The Napoleonic Code became a foundational influence on modern legal systems worldwide. It abolished privileges based on birth, ensured equality before the law, and established civil rights, becoming a model for many nations in Europe, Latin America, and beyond.