Napoleon

Key Terms

• coup d’état• The Battle of Trafalgar• scorched-earth policy• Congress of Vienna• Concert of Europe

Napoleon Seizes Power• Napoleon rose to success in the

military.• Napoleon lead a coup d’état, a

sudden overthrow of the gov’t, and seized power.– He became 1st consul and began

acting like a dictator.

• Under Napoleon’s leadership, warring countries signed peace agreements.– Napoleon was free to restore

order in France.

Napoleon Rules France• Creates a better economy.

Collected taxes from all classes, creates a national banking system, encouraged new industry.

Ended corruption in the gov’t by making jobs based on merit.

• Pleases all classes. Recognized the influence of the Church, but rejected Church

control in national affairs. Encouraged émigrés to return. Recognized the right of the peasants to own land.

• Napoleonic Code Eliminated many injustices. “Order, security and efficiency”

Does limit freedom of speech and press.

• Crowned himself emperor.

Napoleon Creates an Empire • Lost the colony of Haiti.

– To get money, Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. in 1803.

• Built the largest empire since the Romans.– Put family members in charge of

other countries.• The Battle of Trafalgar

– Napoleon’s only major naval defeat by the British

– Ensured the supremacy of the British navy.

– Forced Napoleon to give up his plans of invading Britain.

• The French Empire was huge but unstable.– Only able to control it for 5 years.

Napoleon’s Mistakes• The Continental System

– Napoleon set up a blockade against Britain.– Britain responded with its own blockade.

• Created scarcity of goods, which drove prices up.• U.S. and Britain fight in the War of 1812.

• The Peninsular War– Napoleon removed the Spanish king and put his own brother on

the throne.– Spain practices guerrilla warfare.– Nationalism was growing in other countries in effort of trying to

defeat Napoleon.

• Invasion of Russia– Napoleon marched more than 420,000 soldiers into Russia.– The Russians practiced a scorched-earth policy.– After leaving Moscow, the Russians attacked Napoleon’s

retreating army.• Only 10,000 soldiers were left.

Napoleon’s Downfall• Napoleon managed to raise another

army, but many European countries were fighting in alliance against Napoleon. – The allied forces easily defeated his

inexperienced army.• Napoleon was exiled to the island of

Elba.• Louis XVIII became king

– Very unpopular• He escaped and within days was

emperor of France again. – Europe got ready to fight Napoleon

again.• Waterloo, Belgium

– The British and Prussians defeat Napoleon.

• This time, Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena.

Congress of Vienna• Containment of France

– Made the weak countries around France stronger.

– Prevented France from overpowering weaker nations.

• Balance of Power– France remained a major

but diminished European power.

– But, no country in Europe could easily overpower another.

• Legitimacy– The ruling families of

several European countries regained their thrones.

Success at Vienna

• The Congress of Vienna was very successful.– Agreements were fair enough that no

country was left bearing a grudge.

• Created the Concert of Europe, which would have other countries help in case of a revolution in a European country, in hopes of preventing future wars.

• Nationalism spreads.