From Citizen to From Citizen to EmperorEmperor
The Rise of Napoleon The Rise of Napoleon BonaparteBonaparte
Mr. BachAccelerated World History
Hudson High School
Why Now?Why Now?• Time of Chaos
– Internal – External
• Weak Government• Long Period of Uncertainty
and Instability• Need for a charismatic,
accomplished leader
Early LifeEarly Life• Corsican who
became an accomplished student of artillery in the most elite French military school
““The Whiff of The Whiff of Grapeshot”Grapeshot”
• Saves the republic against an attack by Royalist Counter-Revolutionaries
Italian Expedition Italian Expedition (1796-1797)(1796-1797)
• Conquered most of Northern Italy for France
• Limited religious power, ended serfdom, restricted feudalism
Egyptian Egyptian Campaign (1798)Campaign (1798)
• Navy defeated by Admiral Nelson (Eng.)
• Abandons army in Egypt, but returns to France a hero.
Egyptian Egyptian Campaign (1798)Campaign (1798)
The Coup d’etat The Coup d’etat (1799)(1799)
• Uses military power to seize control of government from Directory
• “First Consul”
Validation of Rule Validation of Rule (1800)(1800)
• Plebiscite – vote of the people to approve new constitution.
• Gives Napoleon ultimate power.
LyceesLycees
•Government-run public schools
•All males eligible
•Merit – not privilege
Concordat (1801)Concordat (1801)• Heal divisions
with the Catholic Church
• Catholicism dominant (but not only) religion of France
• Could not influence government
Napoleonic CodeNapoleonic Code• Everyone is
equal before the law
• Feudal privilege is official dead
• However, restricted civil liberties
Napoleonic CodeNapoleonic Code
The Order of the The Order of the Legion of Honor Legion of Honor
(1802)(1802)•Rewarded soldiers based on merit on the battlefield
The Americas (1801-The Americas (1801-1803)1803)
• Enslaved Africans defeat the French in Haiti
• Sells Louisiana to the Americans– Way to weaken
England
Defeating the Defeating the Second Coalition Second Coalition
(1800)(1800)•Battle of Marengo–Defeats the Austrians in Italy
Napoleon Napoleon Crossing the AlpsCrossing the Alps
Napoleonic Napoleonic WarfareWarfare
• Quick movement across vast areas• Artillery as a force to support infantry• Calvary of renewed importance• Use of spies and deception• Fast battlefield communication
(semaphore line)• Concentrating troops on a surprised
enemy (Strength vs. Weakness)• Turning the flank!• Warfare on a broader front and
focused on destruction of the enemy army
Emperor Emperor Napoleon I (1804)Napoleon I (1804)•Makes
himself emperor (equal footing with Europe?)
•Crowns himself!
The Crowning of The Crowning of Empress JosephineEmpress Josephine