Napoleon's Reign and the Napoleonic Era

A comprehensive collection of vocabulary flashcards defining key terms, historical figures, battles, and concepts from the lecture on Napoleon Bonaparte.

Enlightened monarch

A ruler atop a political system who, owing to education, implements reforms based on enlightenment principles to provide political stability.

General amnesty

An official pardon granted by Napoleon to absolve people who had previously opposed the various revolutionary stages of the prior ten years.

Concordat

A 1802 treaty signed between Napoleon and Pope Pius the seventh establishing Catholicism as the preferred official religion of France while dropping claims on confiscated church lands.

Pius the seventh

The Catholic Pope who signed the Concordat of 1802, recognizing Napoleon as emperor of the French.

Civil code

A standardized body of laws that specifically addresses civil matters rather than criminal matters.

Napoleonic code

A universal legal code issued by Napoleon in the early 1800s that established equality under the law, ended birth privileges, and guaranteed religious freedom across France.

Puppet state

A state that appears to be independent, but is secretly manipulated and controlled by another foreign power.

Horatio Nelson

The British naval commander at the Battle of Trafalgar who defeated the French navy and preserved Britain's independence before dying in the battle.

Battle of Austerlitz

A December 1805 battle in which Napoleon defeated the main Austrian army.

Battle of Jena

An October 1806 battle where Napoleon decisively defeated the Prussian military forces.

Battle of Friedland

An 1807 military engagement where Napoleon defeated the main Russian army, forcing the continental European powers to sue for peace.

Confederation of the Rhine

A network of client puppet states created in Central Europe by Napoleon using territories taken from defeated powers.

Duchy of Warsaw

A puppet state established by Napoleon in Europe that was placed under the rule of one of his relatives.

Continental system

An attempted European-wide boycott of British trade and goods organized by Napoleon to defeat Great Britain through economic depression.

Joseph

Napoleon's brother, who was appointed as the new king of Spain in 1808 after Napoleon forced the Spanish monarch to abdicate.

Guerrilla warfare

A style of fighting involving small units, irregular forces, hit-and-run attacks, sabotage, and assassination; the term originated during the Spanish resistance against Napoleon's forces.

duke of Wellington

The British officer who commanded a regular army in Spain and later defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.

Fabian strategy

A military strategy of continuous retreat used by the Russian commander to avoid engaging Napoleon in a direct pitched battle.

Scorched earth campaign

A military tactic where retreating forces burn food, crops, and local resources so the invading army cannot live off the land.

battle of Borden Vino

An October 1812 battle deep in Russian territory that resulted in a draw between French and Russian forces.

battle of Leipzig

A major conflict, also referred to as the battle of nation, where combined Prussian and Austrian forces defeated Napoleon.

Elba

An island in the Mediterranean Sea where Napoleon was initially exiled in 1814 before escaping to reclaim power.

Waterloo

A battlefield in Belgium where Napoleon was decisively defeated in 1815 by Allied forces commanded by the duke of Wellington.

Saint Helena

A remote, cold island in the South Atlantic where Napoleon was permanently exiled until his death after his defeat at Waterloo.