1. Napoleon

2. Introduction
Napoleon Bonaparte was a short man – just 5 feet 3 inches tall
However, he would be recognized as on of the world’s greatest military geniuses

3. Napoleon Takes Power
When the French Revolution broke out, Napoleon joined the military and soon became an officer
In 1795, the Royalists tried to attack the National Convention, and Napoleon defended the delegates
Within minutes, his army had caused the attackers to flee in panic and confusion

4. He became the hero of the hour and the French hailed him the savior of the Republic

5. Coup d’Etat (koo-day-tah)
In 1799, the French govt. had lost control of the political situation and the confidence of the people
Napoleons friends urged him to take political power
In 1799, he drove out the members of the govt. and established himself as “consul”
He later declared himself a dictator

6. This sudden seizure of power is called a coup d’Etat which means “a blow to the state”
At the time of his take of power, France was still at war
In 1799, Britain, Austria, and Russia joined forces against Napoleon
Napoleon stood up to them, and eventually forced them all to sign peace agreements
By 1802, France was at peace for the first time in ten years

7. Napoleon Restores Order
In general, Napoleon supported laws that both strengthened the central government but also kept some of the ideas of the Revolution
He set up an efficient method of tax collection and crated a national bank
He ended corruption in government by firing corrupt officials
He set up lycees, or public schools

8. The graduates of these schools would be appointed to jobs only by merit rather than family connections

9. The Concordat
One place where Napoleon differed from the ideas of the Revolution were with the church
Both the clergy and the peasants wanted to restore the church’s power in France
So, Napoleon signed the Concordat of 1801 with Pope Pius VII
This made a new relationship with the church and France

10. The agreement stated that France would recognize the influence of the Church but rejected Church control in government affairs

11. Law
Napoleon’s greatest work was his system of law – The Napoleonic Code
It gave France a uniform system of law

12. Napoleon As Emperor? In 1804, Napoleon decided to make himself Emperor
On Dec. 2, 1804, he marched to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris wearing a purple robe
The Pope was waiting for him with the crown in hand
As thousands watched, Napoleon took the crown from the pope and placed it on his own head

13. By doing this, Napoleon signaled that he was more powerful than the Church which had traditionally crowned the rulers of France