Napoleon Bonaparte “Ambition is never content even on the summit of greatness.”
Mar 27, 2015
Napoleon Bonaparte
“Ambition is never content even on the summit of greatness.”
Born in Corsica as an Italian-
Became a French citizen at the age of 1
Corsica
Home in which Napoleon was born
Became dictator (all power held by a single person) of France for 10 years in 1799 when he launched a coup d’ etat (stroke of state) against the Directory
Became Emperor for life after winning a plebiscite (yes or no vote)
Napoleon was immediately at war with the Second Coalition (countries united against France)
Coalitions were formed because other European Monarchs did not want their people to see the French get away with killing their king and starting Republics.
Loved by all of the French
NAPOLEON AS LEADER OF FRANCE
General Reforms
Freedom of worship
Stabilized food prices
Class Equality
Rebuilt Paris
Got rid of 10 day week (& calendar)
Legal Reform:
The Napoleonic Code – single set of laws for all of France
Equality of law
Basic liberties
Restored slavery
Limits on women’s rights
Limits on political rights and freedom of speech and press
NO LAWS APPLIED TO NAPOLEON
Class Reforms
1. Clergy
Improved Catholic’s status
Gave back land
Dropped state controls
2. Nobility
Allowed nobility to return from exile
Gave back land and political status
3. Bourgeoisie
Stabilized markets and trade
Lowered taxes
Peasants
Jobs
Lowered food prices
Napoleon as a Military LeaderWave of victories
Awesome General – People liked/loved him
THREE BLUNDERS
1. Spain – kicked out old king and put his brother, Joseph, in charge of Spain. Spanish fought back with help from the British. Guerrilla Warfare destroyed the French. Napoleon has to pull out (300,000 French killed)
2. Continental System Napoleon tried to isolate trade with Britain (to hurt their economy), but it backfired.
Battle of Trafalgar - Napoleon lost to the British navy. This was Napoleon’s first major defeat
BATTLE OF TRAFALGARBritish French
Lord Nelson – Admiral Villeneuve-
Crosses the T” The British More ships, slower ships have better communication Shoot chainshot into faster fire of cannons rigging and shoot the hull of the ship
Battle of Trafalgar
3.3. Russia Russia (1812) Napoleon goes in with 400,000 + (1812) Napoleon goes in with 400,000 + troops, comes back with 10,000troops, comes back with 10,000
While Napoleon was “down,” the other countries ganged up to defeat him at the Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations) - 1813
Napoleon gives up the throne and was exiled to Elba.
100 Days - Napoleon’s return to power
People didn’t like Louis XVIII (brother of the guillotined king)
Napoleon escaped Elba (Louis fled)
Napoleon regained full power
Napoleon: best defense is a good offense. He attacked the British General Wellington at Waterloo (Belgium)
Napoleon was defeated for the final time
This time he’s sent to St. Helena, between Africa and South America
He died in 1821 of a stomach ailment.
LEGACY
Rise of Nationalism
Division of people by country not social class
People willing to go to war based on love of country
Wars to combine city-states, divide empires
LEGACY (CONTINUED)
Need for:
Coalitions and alliances
Diplomacy as an option to war
LEGACY (CONTINUED)
Spread of ideas:
Political philosophy
Revolution as an option
Equality, speech, voting, property
Rise of a professional military