Napoleon Questions

Rise of Napoleon

Napoleon rose to power during the late 1790s after the chaos of the French Revolution and became First Consul in 1799

Coup of 18 Brumaire

Napoleon overthrew the French Directory and replaced it with the Consulate

First Consul

Position Napoleon held giving him almost complete executive power

Emperor of France (1804)

Napoleon crowned himself emperor to show he held total authority

Napoleonic Code

Legal system that created equality before the law but restricted many individual freedoms

Censorship under Napoleon

Napoleon controlled the press and limited free speech to prevent criticism

Secret Police

Used by Napoleon to monitor citizens and silence political opponents

Concordat of 1801

Agreement with the Catholic Church that restored some of its power while giving Napoleon control

Continental System

Napoleon’s economic blockade meant to weaken Britain

Conscription

Forced military service used to build a massive army

Propaganda

Posters

Merit-based bureaucracy

Government jobs based on talent rather than birth

Napoleonic Code impact on women

Took away rights women gained during the Revolution; returned them to patriarchal control

Enlightenment ideals

Ideas of equality

How Napoleon limited freedoms

Restricted speech

Modern authoritarianism

Historians argue Napoleon combined old forms of repression into a more organized authoritarian state

Napoleon as a tyrant perspective

View that he prioritized power over freedom and controlled France through fear

Napoleon as a hero perspective

View that he brought stability

Legacy of Napoleon

Mixture of strong reforms

Congress of Vienna reaction

European powers tried to restore balance and prevent another leader like Napoleon

Main idea of Napoleon essays

Napoleon acted as a power-hungry leader who limited freedoms while expanding personal authority

Evidence of freedom restriction

Examples include censorship

Why people supported Napoleon

He brought stability after years of revolution and chaos

How Napoleon expanded his empire

Through military conquest and strategic political control

Napoleon’s downfall

Caused by invasion of Russia

Exile to Elba

First exile after his defeat in 1814

Hundred Days

Napoleon’s brief return to power before Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo

Final defeat ending his rule permanently

Exile to St. Helena

Where Napoleon was sent after Waterloo and died in 1821

Historical debate on Napoleon

Historians disagree whether he was a tyrant