Napolean

National Convention 1793-1794

The third form of government during the french revolution that had many issues, Napoleon shuts down rebels fighting against them with “a whiff of grapeshot,” sparking his fame as a hero.

“A whiff of grapeshot”

multiple cannonballs loaded into a cannon used to disperse the crowd of rebels by Napoleon.

Committee of Public Safety 1793-1794

started the Reign of Terror in France during the French Revolution where 40,000 were killed when accused of disloyalty causing France and their people to be unstable looking for a strong, peaceful leader.

Directory 1795-1799

Napoleon was leading his army in Egypt while the Directory was growing weaker due to their reputation of being corrupt, economic troubles, and military defeat. He took advantage of this by staging a coup d’etat to overthrow the Directory.

Toulon

First military success led by Artillery officer Napoleon during the French Revolution where he forced the Anglo-Spanish fleet out of Toulon.

Italian Campaign

Victory by Napoleon against Austria and Kingdom of Sardinia, forcing them out of the Italian peninsula

Egyptian Campaign

Napoleon protects French trade assets and disrupts trade between Britain and India. Haritio Nelson defeats Napoleon at Battle of Alexandria – a major loss to the French, but nobody finds out so Napoleons reputation stays intact. Also discovers the Rosetta stone in Egypt

Rosetta Stone

A rock embedded with the same text three times in three different languages : hieroglyphic, ancient greek, and demotic. Written about ancient Egyptian tax paperwork and groundbreaking to help discover hieroglyphs

Coup d’etat

sudden source of power, or directly translated from French to English as “blow to the state”

The Consulate

 3 provisional consoles created by Sieyes and Bonaparte (second and third console) and Napoleon (first console) to overthrow the Directory. Ruled France by appearing democratic and stating Napoleon would help rule for 10 years, while it helped Napoleon soon become absolute.

Treaty of Amiens

Peace treaty between Russia, Austria, Great Britain, and Spain.

Brumaire

An essay by Karl Marx about Napoleon's rise to power.

Merit

People in political positions earning their spot rather than getting it through nepotism (family connections).

Concordat

Agreement signed by Pope Pius VII during Napoleon's rule to create a healthy relationship between church and state without church’s political corruption like in the past. New toleration for Jews and Protestants. Boosted Napoleon's popularity.

Neo-Monarchists

Napoleons supporters

Abbe Sieyes

Held office throughout the different governments during the French Revolution – leader in National Assembly and Tennis Court Oath in Versailles. One of the three consoles.

Roger Ducos

A member of the National Convention, Directory, and one of the three Consoles

Pope Pius VII

Signed the Concordat during Napoleon's rule

Who were the neo-monarchists and what did they want?

They were Napoleon's supporters and wanted him to have a permanent policial position Neo meaning new and different.

Why is the regeneration and phoenix symbolism significant?

The phoenix represents the dominance absolutism had as ruling throughout Europe and how it even came back after the French Revolution. This is just like the Phoenix bird that lived a long time, burned itself to ashes, and rose to life again.

What does Napoleon's rise to power say about the success of the French Revolution?

The French Revolution was only a temporary fix for their problems with absolutism. History repeated itself even after the French Revolution with Napoleon's rise to power.

Why might some have viewed Napoleon as “the savior of the republic” even though he overthrew the republican government and declared himself emperor?

After the previous unstable forms of government like the committee of public safety and their reign of terror, the people saw a republic wasn't the sole solution to corruption. The people were desperate for any sign of peace and stability which is why they accepted his absolute power and even glorified Napoleon since his rule fit their needs more than the previous forms of government.

What were Napoleon's new methods for a successful government?

• He worked to make a healthy economy for France

  • Tax collection

  • Lowering taxes

  • National banking system for steady collection of tax

    • Helped for better economy control

    • Freed serfs in newly conquered lands

• Ended government corruption and inefficiency

  • People in office earned it through merit instead of nepotism

  • Education for males of any background

• Changes in religion

  • Napoleon signs Concordat to form new relationship between government and church without them interfering with state affairs

  • Toleration for Jewish and Protestant

  • Appointed candidates for bishops but Priests chosen by churches at local level

Plebiscite

direct vote of the people

Lycees

government run public schools for boys

Horatio Nelson

Defeated Napoleon's Navy in the Battle of Alexandria in 1798 during the Egyptian campaign

Defeated Spanish/French Navy at Battle of Trafalgar

Napoleonic Code

a uniform of laws for France that limited liberties of French people and promoted authority over individual rights

• Book 1 - laws about marriage and family

• Book 2 - laws about property

• Book 3 - laws about contracts

Saint Domingue

French colony (Haiti) where Napoleon restored its sugar industry to profit France

Haitian Revolution

Enslaved Africans in Saint Domingue led by Toussaint Louverture demanded freedom and took control of the colony, leaving France with heavy losses

Louisiana Purchase

Napoleon sells Louisiana territory to Jefferson for $15 million dollars (very cheap) doubling their nations size

Puppet Government

 a government that's controlled by an outside power even though it might have the appearance of being independent – Switzerland was controlled by Napoleon's family members

Battle of Austerlitz

“Napoleon's greatest victory” where he defeated Russian and Austrian forces making him the undisputed ruler of Europe

Confederation of Rhine

Napoleon's ownership of all countries throughout Europe other than Britain, Portugal, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire

Toussaint Louverture

Led the Haitian revolution, freeing enslaved Africans in Saint Domingue

Josephine

Napoleon's wife and empress

Did the Napoleonic laws promote Enlightenment ideals and reflect the changes citizens wanted to see at the beginning of the French Revolution?

Yes and No

Yes:

• Equality (for all men) before the law

• Religious toleration

• Less corruption, Nepotism, and classism–people earned their positions by merit

No:

• Promoted order and authority over individual rights

• Women lost their rights they gained during the French Revolution

• Napoleon consolidated power

Why was the Napoleonic Code important to France?

It created unity and clarity for the people – less inconsistencies, injustice, and corruption. 

Why is it so important that Napoleon crowned himself emperor and not the Pope?

It shows his abuse of power he will have and how he sees himself above everyone – even the church.

Why did Napoleon give up on expanding on his American territories?

After his major loss at the Haitian Revolution, he realized other continents were getting more difficult control and he gave up his American land to Jefferson so he could focus on controlling Europe

How did Napoleon become Emperor of France and much of Europe?

People originally followed him while in need of a stable and peaceful leader after all the chaotic and corrupt forms of government they had previously. As his power kept growing, they followed him in fear because he had more dominance over them

How did Napoleon exercise his power over his acquired territories?

He used military domination, created the Napoleonic code, and used taxation and resource exploitation

Joseph

Napoleon's brother who led a puppet government in Portugal

King Fredrick William III

Prussian ruler who paraded through Paris and finally exiled Napoleon

Czar Alexander I

Russian ruler who paraded through Paris and finally exiled Napoleon

Louis XVII

Brother of Louis XVI who was the King of France after Napoleon was exiled

Duke of Wellington

Defeats Napoleon short after his return from being exiled at Battle of Waterloo

Battle of Trafalgar

France naval loss from British troops led by Horatio Nelson. Led the British having the most powerful Navy for the next 100 years and prevented Napoleon from invading Britain.

Continental System 1806

A blockade implemented by France to prevent trade and weaken Britain's economy. It soon backfired since Britain had the superior navy and caused a France blockade and weakened their economy

Berlin Decree

blockade and trade embargo prohibited trade with Britain with continental Europe

Orders in Council

British blockaded France back

Milan Decree

part of Continental System prohibited European countries from trading with Britain

Peninsular War 1807-1814

Portugal continues trade with Britain despite the blockade Napoleon made throughout Europe. Napoleon sends an army through to Spain to Portugal to enforce the Continental System angering the Spanish. France and the Spanish attacked France's troops and weakened the French Empire.

Guerrillas

Spanish peasant fighters who worked in small groups to ambush French troops during the Peninsular War.

Nationalism

Loyalty to one's own country, weakening Napoleon's power.

Russian Campaign 1812-1813

Russia continues trade with Britain despite the blockade angering Napoleon. Russia retreats back to Moscow from Prussia after the Battle of Borodino. Napoleon brings 422,000 troops from Prussia to Moscow.

Battle of Borodino

While Napoleon's troops were in Moscow for the Russian Campaign, the troops were stripped of their resources in enemy territory and suffered from starvation and sickness due to the hard conditions and cold weather. They return to France with only 10,000 troops left, and Prussia and Austria take advantage of this and declare war.

Battle of Leipzig 1813

Known as the “Battle of the Nations.” Armies from Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Sweden, forced Napoleon to retreat back to France and dissolve the Confederation of Rhine. Napoleon's first major defeat and starts the fall of Napoleon’s Empire.

Hundred Days

After Napoleon escaped his exile to Elba, he returned and reclaimed his French Empire. Britain and Prussia defeat him when he tries to retake his territory and banishes him for good to the island of St Helena until his death.

Battle of Waterloo

Duke of Wellington (British) defeats Napoleon when he returns during the Hundred Days. Napoleon is banished to St. Helena.

How did Britain’s naval victory at Trafalgar shape the outcome of the Napoleonic Wars?

This gave British Naval superiority and prevented Napoleon from invading Britain. It later was able to weaken France economically during the Continental system where Britain used their dominance in trade through seas to cause a blockade for France.

Why did Napoleon’s Continental System fail to defeat Britain, and how did it weaken his own empire?

After Britain's victory at Trafalgar, their Navy was more dominant than Frances. Frances attempted a blockade during the Berlin Decree in attempts to cut off sea trade with Britain, weakening their economy. When Britain established the orders in council, they were able to blockade France back, weakening France's economy more than their own as a result.

How did guerrilla warfare and British involvement contribute to Napoleon’s failure in the Iberian Peninsula?

Guerrilla were Spanish peasant fighters who worked in small groups and used smart tactics to ambush the French troops. This slowly weakened them because they couldn’t predict their attacks. The British helped further the damage by sending in their troops making France lose 300,000 men.

How did geography, climate, and Russian strategy contribute to Napoleon’s disastrous defeat in Russia?

After Napoleon's previous abuse of power, nobody wanted him in the throne again other than French people who benefitted from his policies over king Louis XVII. Britain and Prussia's military were prepared to prevent his rise to power again after returning from exile. They finally defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo before he could regain too much power and he was finally banished to St Helena–an isolated island in the middle of the ocean.

Why was Napoleon unable to reclaim lasting power after his return from exile, and how did the Battle of Waterloo lead to his final defeat?

After Napoleon was first exiled, he was replaced by King Louis XVII. The French people were unhappy because the whole purpose of the French Revolution was to end the monarchy and he had restored the monarchy. The French liked his policies and regained his army to support his ruling once he returned. However, after Napoleon's previous abuse of power, nobody wanted him in the throne again other than French people who benefitted from his policies over king Louis XVII. Britain and Prussia's military were prepared to prevent his rise to power again after returning from exile and he was soon banished to St Helena–an isolated island in the middle of the ocean.