The Rise of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars

1. Napoleon Bonaparte dominated French and European history from 1799 to 1815.

2. Consul and Emperor

2.1. In Paris, Napoleon took part in the coup d'état of 1799 that overthrew the Directory and set up a new government, the consulate. Napoleon held absolute power.

2.2. He appointed officials, controlled the army, conducted foreign affairs, and influenced the legislature.

2.3. In 1802 Napoleon was made consul for life. Two years later, he crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I.

3. Codification of the Laws

3.1. Seven law codes were created, but the most important was the Civil Code, or Napoleonic Code, introduced in 1804.

3.2. The Civil Code undid these laws. Women were now "less equal than men." When they married, they lost control over any property they had, and they could not testify in court.

4. A New Bureaucracy

4.1. He focused on developing a bureaucracy of capable officials.

4.2. Napoleon also created a new aristocracy based on meritorious service to the nation. Between 1808 and 1814, Napoleon created about 3,200 nobles.

5. Paulina Elizalde - A01722281 - #5 - 202

6. Building the Empire

6.1. In a series of battles at Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena, and Eylau from 1805 to 1807, Napoleon's Grand Army defeated the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian armies.

6.2. His Grand Empire was composed of three major parts: the French Empire, dependent states, and allied states.

6.3. Allied states were countries defeated by Napoleon and then forced to join his struggle against Britain. These states included Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Sweden.

7. Spreading the Principles of the Revolution

7.1. Napoleon sought to spread some of the principles of the French Revolution, including legal equality, religious toleration, and economic freedom.

7.2. The nobility and the clergy everywhere in these states lost their special privileges.

8. Early Life

8.1. Napoleon was born in 1769 in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean.

8.2. When he completed his studies, Napoleon was commissioned as a lieutenant in the French army.

8.3. He became one of the world's greatest generals and a man beloved by his soldiers.

8.4. He loved reading what French philosophers said about reason, and also famous military campaigns

9. Military Successes

9.1. In 1792 he became a captain. Two years later, at age 24, the Committee of Public Safety made him a brigadier general.

9.2. In 1796 he became commander of the French armies in Italy. He won a series of battles with speed, surprise, and decisive action. These victories gave France control of northern Italy.

9.3. By 1799, the British had defeated the French naval forces supporting Napoleon's army in Egypt. Seeing the defeat, Napoleon abandoned his army and returned to Paris.

10. Peace with the Church

10.1. Napoleon believed in reason and felt that religion was at most a social convenience.

10.2. In 1801 Napoleon came to an agreement with the pope, which recognized Catholicism as the religion of a majority of the French people.

11. Preserver of the Revolution?

11.1. Napoleon destroyed some revolutionary ideals. Liberty was replaced by a despotism.

11.2. Napoleon shut down 60 of France's 73 newspapers and banned books, including de Staël's.

12. British Resistance

12.1. Napoleon was never able to conquer Great Britain because of its sea power, which made it almost invulnerable.

12.2. Indeed, by 1810, British overseas exports were at near-record highs.

13. Nationalism

13.1. nationalism is the sense of unique identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols.

13.2. Napoleon marched his armies through the German states, Spain, Italy, and Poland, arousing new ideas of nationalism in two ways.