Napoleon’s Empire Collapses Chapter 7 Section 4

Goals and Objectives: Upon completion, students should be able to: Explain Napoleon’s tactical and political mistakes Summarize Napoleon’s defeat. Describe Napoleon’s attempt at a comeback and his final downfall.

During Napoleon’s reign He feared what would happen to his empire after his death. He had no heir because his wife Josephine had failed to produce a child so he divorced her He formed an alliance with Austria when he married Marie Louise of Austrian royalty. She then had a son- Napoleon II

Napoleon’s costly mistakes Napoleon desperately wanted to crush Great Britain In 1806 he set up a blockade called the Continental System blocking all European trade with England. Smugglers and other countries ignored the blockade and Britain also imposed a blockade on France requiring all ships to avoid France. The War of 1812 began over this.

The Peninsular War Napoleon went to war with Portugal in order to force it to accept the continental system. French troops invaded Spain on their way to Portugal. When Spain protested, Napoleon toppled the king and placed his own brother in power. Spanish nationalism grew as many feared attacks against the church and the state. Guerilla warfare was used dragging France into a bloody conflict in which it lost 300,000 troops.

Russia is invaded When Alexander I refused to stop selling grain to Great Britain, Napoleon decided to invade Russia. In June of 1812, Napoleon’s army of 420,000 troops invaded Russia. Alexander countered with a scorched earth policy . Moscow was burned to the ground in September of 1812 in order to deny Napoleon’s army any food or resources.

Russian invasion Napoleon and his troops remained in Moscow until October when he and his army attempted to return to France. Russian troops attacked Napoleon from behind and trapped his troops into the winter. Napoleon’s troops starved and froze and only 10,000 survived the fight by December

Napoleon’s downfall With a weakened France, Britain, Russia, Prussia and Sweden all allied against him. Napoleon raised a new army by the next year but it was badly inexperienced and was routed in Germany at the Battle of Leipzig. As the enemy armies closed in on Paris, Napoleon accepted surrender terms including his exile to Elba, a small island.

Napoleon’s return Louis XVI brother became King of France naming himself Louis XVII. He was very unpopular and greatly disliked. Many feared he would undo the revolution. Napoleon heard of the king’s crisis and escaped from Elba and returned to Paris to reclaim the throne. Massive crowds celebrated the return of Napoleon.

The Hundred Days campaign When European enemies heard of Napoleon’s return, they declared war. On June 18, 1815 Napoleon attacked Britain at Waterloo in Belgium. Napoleon’s young inexperienced troops were routed by Prussian and British troops. Two days later Napoleon’s troops surrendered. Napoleon was sent into permanent exile into St. Helena where he remained until his death in 1821.

Napoleon’s legacy Napoleon was a brilliant administrator and a military genius. Millions died in war. Nationalism spread throughout Europe and in the new world. France had reestablished order following the revolution.