Midterm Practice: Napoleon & the Napoleonic Wars (World History II Honors)

Napoleon first came to rule France in 1799 through a sudden seizure of power known as:

a coup d’etat

Napoleon was able to establish a dictatorship in France because…

1. he had the support of the military

2. the French were overwhelmed by the drastic series of events earlier in the decade

3. he was overwhelmingly popular

What obsolete German state was abolished by Napoleon in 1806 and replaced with the Confederation of the Rhine?

the Holy Roman Empire

The most interesting (and perhaps ironic) aspect of Napoleon’s rule in France was that…

while it contained some characteristics of democracy and the Enlightenment, it was in fact highly authoritarian/dictatorial

Where was Napoleon born, and where did he die?

born on island of Corsica; died on the island of St. Helena

He led a slave revolt on the French colony of Saint Domingue (Haiti) against the French

Toussaint l’Overture

In 1806, Napoleon attempted to make Europe more self-sufficient through the use of…

the Continental System

He was the British general who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo:

Duke of Wellington

The Russian practice of burning grain fields and slaughtering livestock to prevent invading French troops from having access to to them was called to leave their enemies without any food or supplies:

the Scorched Earth Policy

He became the King of France in 1814 after Napoleon had been defeated and removed from power:

Louis XVIII

What was the one important consequence of the Battle of Trafalgar?

Napoleon gave up his plans of invading Britain

This organized all of the German states (except Austria & Prussia) into an alliance with France and Napoleon:

the Confederation of the Rhine

Which of the following statements about the Napoleonic Wars is INcorrect?

a. the Battle of Nations (Leipzig) was the largest battle in European history until WWII

b. The 100 Days was the name given to Napoleon’s failed invasion of Russia

c. The Battle of Borodino was the deadliest single day of the Napoleonic era

d. the Napoleonic Wars had a direct impact on America, as seen thru the Louisiana Purchase & the War of 1812

b. The 100 Days was the name given to Napoleon’s failed invasion of Russia (The 100 Days was actually the name given to Napoleon’s last bid for power)

In this battle Admiral Nelson defeated the French navy and established British supremacy of the seas:

Battle of Trafalgar

He was the President of the U.S who purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 for 15 million dollars

Thomas Jefferson

This agreement between Napoleon and the Pope resulted in the restoration of good relations between the government of France and the Roman Catholic Church:

the Concordat of 1804

The long, draining conflict between Spain and France in the early 1800s was known as the:

Peninsular War

What event began Napoleon’s downfall?

the 1812 Invasion of Russia

Napoleon met his final defeat at the:

Battle of Waterloo

Battle where Napoleon defeated Russian and Austrian army that was twice the size of his; the victory here helped secure WEstern Europe and Napoleon’s legacy as a military genius:

Battle of Austerlitz

The Battle of Waterloo was between the French and…

the British and the Prussians

The Hundred Days refers to…

Napoleon’s last bid for power

It can be argued that Napoleon possessed all of the following traits EXCEPT:

a. courage

b. modesty and restraint

c. a brilliant military mind

d. an ability to inspire others

b. modesty and restraint

The main reason that Napoleon divorced Josephine and married Marie Louise of Austria was

because he was seeking a male heir to the throne

The Battle of Borodino was between the French and the…

Russians

Why did Napoleon attack Portugal?

to enforce the terms of the Continental System

How did Great Britain react to the Continental System?

It organized its own blockade

What does the word plebiscite mean?

a vote of the people

To prevent trade and communications between Great Britain and other European nations, what did Napoleon set up?

a blockade

These were members of a loosely organized fighting force that makes surprise attacks on enemy troops occupying his/her country:

guerrilla

He was the leader of Russia during the Napoleonic Wars:

Alexander I

After escaping from exile, Napoleon gathered volunteers from the French countryside and seized power from:

Louis XVIII

HIs famous painting, The Third of May, 1808, depicted Spanish peasants being executed by a French firing squad:

Francisco Goya

He was the leader of Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars:

Frederick William III

Explain the Continental System: what was it? who imposed it? why? did it work? (why/why not) And, how was the USA affected by it?

What: The Continental System was a policy imposed in order to limit all trade & communication between Great Britain and the rest of Europe.

Who: Napoleon

Why: It was also created to make Continental Europe more self-sufficient

Did it work? No, because the blockade that closed the ports was not nearly tight enough (smugglers were able to pass through), Napoleon’s allies & members of his family disregarded the blockade at times, and G.B responded with its own blockade which involved stopping neutral ships and sending them to a British port to be taxed.

Effect on U.S: Because of G.B’s blockade, the U.S was angered, so U.S Congress declared war on them in 1812, starting the War of 1812

Describe 3 reasons why Napoleon’s Grand Empire was doomed to fail.

*in actual test add more detail!

1. Napoleon could never defeat the British navy, so he was never able to invade Great Britain

2. the Continental System failed, so Europe never became more self-sufficient

3. growing feelings of Nationalism were occuring due to the puppet govts. that Napoleon set up, angering many governments

Put the following events in chronological order: Austerlitz, Corsica, Elba, First Consul, Invasion of Russia, St. Helena, Waterloo

Corsica, First Consul, Austerlitz, Invasion of Russia, Elba, Waterloo, St. Helena

Once he came to power, describe 4 things Napoleon did to stabilize France.

1. got the economy on solid footing by setting up an efficient method of tax collection and establishing a national banking system

2. got rid of corruption and inefficiency in govt. by dismissing corrupt officials and setting up lycees to provide the govt. with trained officials

3. established a new relationship between the Church and state through the Concordat - govt. recognized Church influence but rejected its control in national affairs

4. established the Napoleonic code which gave France a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices

Name/describe the three main parts of Napoleon’s Grand Empire

1. the French empire

2. dependent states (Spain, Grand Duchy of Warsaw, & a number of German kingdoms in Central Europe

3. allied states (Russia, Prussia, and Austria) —> not totally under his control, but were easily manipulated with threats of military action

   *the only areas of Europe free from his control were Britain, Portugal, Sweden, & the Ottoman Empire

Tell me 4 things about the Napoleonic code.

1. gave the country a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices

2. actually limited liberty

3. promoted order and authority over individual rights

4. restored slavery in the French colonies of the Caribbean

Essay Question: How did Napoleon’s policies fulfill, destroy, or expand on the ideas of the French Revolution? Was Napoleon’s regime a realization of the hopes of Enlightenment thinkers or was it more of a return to the politics of the age of Absolutism?

Or, in simpler terms, was Napoleon good or bad for the French Rev./Enlightenment?

Napoleon and his regime destroyed many of the ideas of the French Revolution and reversed the progress of the Enlightenment through the Continental System, the Napoleonic Code, and Napoleon’s dictatorship of absolute power.