The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Rise  Napoleon joined the French Army during the revolution  Napoleon was a member of the Artillery Divisions  He first rose to prominence when an army of Royalists tried to attack the National Convention  Napoleon greeted the Royalists with a “whiff of grapeshot”

The Rise  As a reward Napoleon was appointed the leader of the French army that was to attack the Austrians and the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1796  Napoleon used the tactic of the central position to sweep back the Austrians and Italians

The Rise  Despite the military successes the Directory had lost the confidence of the people by 1799  Napoleon moved 500 of his troops in to one of the national legislature chambers  The other chamber then voted to end the directory  Thus started the Triumvirate

The Triumvirate  The Triumvirate was an Executive Council of three men  Napoleon was one of the three  Napoleon was now in control of the army and was a major voice in the executive branch of the government

A New War  The British had organized a new anti-French coalition while Napoleon gained power  This second coalition made up of Britain, Austria, and Russia  Napoleon again led his army into battle and defeated the Austrians and Russians  The British fought on but eventually accepted peace

Emperor of the French  In 1804, Napoleon became “Emperor of the French.” Pope Pius VIII officiated at the ceremony, which took place in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. As the pope prepared to crown the emperor, Napoleon took the crown and placed it on his head himself. By this gesture, Napoleon showed that he did not bow to any authority.  With Europe at peace Napoleon turned his attention to politics  He proposed a new constitution and allowed the French people to vote on it  The French accepted his constitution which gave him all of the real power in the republic as First Consul in 1800

Emperor of the French  By 1802 Napoleon held another plebiscite and was appointed Consul for Life  In 1804 another Plebiscite made Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon I Emperor of the French  Napoleon created a National Bank and cut inflation  He signed the Concordat with the Pope

Emperor of the French  Napoleon welcomed back the émigrés and the bourgeoisies was pleased as well

Life with an Emperor  Napoleon did several things that benefited the people Napoleonic Code Public Programs  He also turned away from some of the beliefs of the revolution No free elections No free press

Napoleonic Code  Napoleon’s greatest achievement in government was the Napoleonic Code, which influenced French law to the present.  It recognized that all men were equal before the law and guaranteed freedom of religion as well as a person’s right to work in any occupation.  It put the interests of the state above those of individual citizens. In addition, it dropped laws passed during the revolution that had protected the rights of women and children. The Napoleonic code reflected ancient Roman law and made the man absolute head of the household with control over all family property.

Overview  Napoleon had brought pride back to the French people through his military and diplomatic gains  Napoleon’s popularity lead to him being proclaimed emperor by the people  France had returned to an absolute monarchy under Napoleon

Assignment  In your textbook read pg  Answer Section Review questions 1-6  Video