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

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 Leader Wave of victories Great General – People loved him there was a major growth in French Nationalism

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

3.Russia (1812) Napoleon goes in with 400,000 + troops, 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)

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

Congress of Vienna September, 1814, through June, 1815 Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia sought to: –Restore the Old Regime –Establish a balance of power

Redrew the European map to surround France with strong countries Principle of legitimacy – restored the hereditary (“legitimate”) monarchies Concert of Europe – European leaders would meet to address their concerns For the most part, large-scale war was avoided for 100 years (until World War I in 1914) Failure to realize the power of nationalism Congress of Vienna