Napoleon Bonaparte

When and where was Napoleon Bonaparte born?

1769 in Corsica, an island in the Med. Sea, south of France

Why was Napoleon sent to France?

He received a royal scholarship to study at a military school in France

What did his education lead to?

Led to his comission in 1785 as a lieutenant in the French Army

Why was Napoleon disliked?

He was short, spoke with an Italian accent and had little money

How did Napoleon rose through the ranks of the French Army?

in 1792, he became captain, then at 24 became a brigadier general, then in 1796, he was made commander of the French armies in Italy

What qualities did Napoleon have?

Confidence, charm, ability to make quick decisions, and keen intelligence

What happened in 1797? why was Napoleon called a conquering hero??

He was given command of an army to invade Britain. Knowing that the army wasnt ready to invade Britain. They invaded Egypt and threatening India to strike indirectly at Britain. The British controlled the seas, and cut off Napoleon's army in Egypt. The French were defeated and returned to Paris

What happened in 1799?

Napoleon issued a coup d' etat.

What is a coup d' etat?

a small party that overthrows the government

What did the coup d'etat of 1799 call the new government? Who was the consul?

It was called the consulate. France was still a republic but Napoleon held absolute power and became consul for life. and crowned himself Emperor Napoleon.

What did Napoleon do as the first Consul?

Appointed members of bureaucracy, controlled army,conducted foreign affaris, influenced legislature

Why would France accept a dictator?

He brought stability, lowered prices, the French were exhhausted by constant warfare.

Concordat of 1801

This is the agreement between Pope Pius VII and Napoleon that healed the religious division in France by giving the French Catholics free practice of their religion and Napoleon political power

Codification of Civil Law

There were 300 different codes existed prior to the French Revolution. Napoleon established 7 code of laws.

What is the most important law?

The Civil Law aka Napoleonic Code.

The Civil Law (Napoleonic Code)

It says all citizens are equal before the law/ no rank. They have the right to choose a profession/occupation. They have the freedom of religion/ tolerance. Ended all forms of feudalism/ serfdom/ slavery. Protected the property rights of individuals. Interests of employers were safe guared. Trial by jury

Does this law help women?

No. Daughters lost rights to inherit property. Women have difficulty gainning divorces. Property is transfered to husband. Women treated as minors in lawsuits.

A new bureaucracy

Napoleon developed a powerful, centralized administrative machine.Promotion was to be based on ability. Opening government careers to indviduals based on their ability was one change the middle class had wanted before the revolution. Created a new aristocracy based on merit in the state service.

What are the three parts of Napoleon's Grand Empire?

French Empire, Dependant States, and Allied States

French Empire

inner core of the Grand Empire. Consisted of an enlarged France extending to the Rhine in the east and including the western half of Italy north of Rome.

Dependant States

were kingdoms under rule of Napoleon's relatives. These states were Spain, Holland, Italy, Swiss Republic, Grand Duchy of Warsaw and the Confederation of the Rhine

Allied States

Were those defeated by Napoleon and forced to join his struggle against Britain. It was Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Sweden

How did Napoleon spread the principles of the Revolution?

By trying to destroy the old law in the inner core and dependent states. Napoleon decreed equality of opportunity with offices open to talents, equality before law, and religious toleration

What were the two reasons Napoleon's Grand Empire collasped?

the survival of Great Britain and the froce of nationalism.

Why was Britain able to survive?

Due primarily to its sea power. It was almost invulnerable to military attack.

What happened at Trafalgar in 1805

The Franco-Spanish fleet disaster. They were defeated by Britain

Why did Napoleon created the Continental System?

To defeat Britain. It was to stop British goods from reaching the European continent to be sold there. They wanted to weaken Britain economically so it can be possible to destroy its ability to wage war.

Was the Continental System good?

It failed because allied states resented that they couldn't trade with the British. So some started to cheat. New markets in the Middle East and in Latin America gave Britain new outlets for its goods.

Nationalism

the unique cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols

Disaster in Russia

The Russias left the Continental System. Napoleon invaded the country. In June 1812, they invaded but Russian forces retreated and burned their own villages to keep Napoleon's army from finding food. Napoleon and his army abandoned Moscow and retreated but most of them died because of horrible winter conditions.

How did the disaster in Russia influence the other European states?

They rose up and attacked the crippled French army. Paris was captured in March 1814, Napoleon was sent into exile on Elba.

When Napoleon was in exile who was in charge?

Louis XVIII the brother of Louis XVI

How was Napoleon brought to Paris on March 20,1815?

Troops were sent to capture him

What happened at Waterloo on June 18,1815

Napoleon met a combined Birtish and Prussian Army under the Duke of Wellington and suffered a bloody defeat. This time Napoleon was exiled permanently.

Where was Napoleon exiled for the second time?

St. Helena, a small island in the South Atlantic and died there.

Where was Elba

On the med. sea, off the coast of Italy

How did Napoleon rise to power?

He was a popular general;won many battles, coup d'etat, became emperor and dominated most of Europe

Napoleon's Fall

Failed to conquer Russia,exiled to Elba,Returned to rule only 100 days, lost battle of waterloo and exiled to St.Helena

What was the impact of Napoleon?

Created a system of laws from 300 to 7. Concordat of 1801. Centralized gov't with positions chosen by merit. improved education. Spread ideas of the revolution and nationalism

What were the bad things by Napoleon?

Censorship, women lost rights and despotism

When was the Continental System created?

After the battle of Trafaglar

Why did Russia drop out of the system?

They wanted to trade with the British and were afraid of Napoleon's dependant states

What did the Congress of Vienna decides to do?

To turn back the clock. To pretend the revolution never happened and punish the French

Concert of Europe

A system in which Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain wanted to prevent revolutions and enforced the arrangements created by the Congress of Vienna; resulted from the post-Napoleon era Quadruple Alliance