Rise of Napoleon

Something to PonderTell me something you know

about Napoleon

Why do we look at some militaristic leaders in a positive light and others in a negative?

Some loved him

Others…not so much

Nice Tomb

Napoleon: The Early YearsBorn, 1769 on Corsica islandSent to France at age 10 for his educationJoined the artillery in the French army,

because it was the branch least dominated by the aristocracy

Was a minor officer, but Jacobin control of France gave him new opportunities

He was on the left with the Jacobins and they gave him command of artillery units in France and Italy as a brigadier general

Victorious everywhere he went

The new government of the Directory gave Napoleon in 1796 (27 years old) command of an army to challenge Austrian power in Italy.

He led his army across the Alps and defeated the Austrians

He then did much more. ◦ He combined some small principalities of

northern Italy in the Cisalpine Republic (a single state with a republican gov’t)

◦ Negotiated the Treaty of Campo Formio (Oct 1797) which gave France control over the Austrian Netherlands

National HeroNapoleon did all this without

direction from France, his new popularity forced the French gov’t to ratify the treaty

He also gained credibility for putting down a royalist plot in France

The Directory was plagued by one crisis after another and relied on their military victories to keep the loyalty of the people, this made Napoleon even more important

MisstepNapoleon was given command of an army to

invade England, but he thought it was a bad idea

Napoleon thought it would be better to attack English interests in the middle east and he therefore took his troops to Egypt

This Egyptian Campaign of 1799 was a failure◦ The French army advanced through Egypt◦ But the French navy was defeated by English

Admiral Horatio Nelson◦ These setbacks did not diminish his popularity for the

news did not reach the French people◦ Austria and Russia also felt threatened and joined

Britain in the Second Coalition against France

Lord Nelson

Time for another new government?

Meanwhile the political situation in France was deteriorating

The greatest threat was led by one of the Directors, Abbe Emmanuel Sieyes

He had been one of the early revolutionary leaders in 1789, but by 1799 believed in authoritarian rule for the good of the country (imagine that)

He believed France must have order before it could achieve the goals of the revolution

He conspired to overthrow the Directory and wanted Napoleons help.

Napoleon who was still in Egypt upon learning of the plans he hurried back to France

Coupe D’etatCoup d’etat is not necessarily a

revolution but a change in leadership

Napoleon helped piece together a political constituency from among the quarreling factions of the Directory

The coup d’etat of the 18th of Brumaire 1799 (November 9, 1799), Sieyes and Napoleon overthrew the Directory

After the overthrow of the Directory, the conspirators established a new government (yes, another one) called the Consulat

Brought political stability to France by concentrating strong executive authority (three consuls, replacing the five directors) Bonaparte became first consul, the most powerful man in France and personally appointed men loyal to him to the other 2 posts

Another new constitution paid lip service to universal suffrage◦ Indirect election for the legislative body◦ Story/myth: one man asked what was in the new

constitution and the answer was “Napoleon Bonaparte”

The Consulate provided political stability by institutionalizing strong executive authority

France’s districts (departements) each received an appointed prefect, whose powers, delegated by the central gov’t far surpassed those of the intendants of the Bourbon monarchs (this new system was more totalitarian then the Monarchy)

Napoleon ruthlessly suppressed the press, reducing the number of newspapers in Paris from seventy-three to thirteen, cowing survivors with threats, or winning their allegiance with bribes

Peace with the ChurchNapoleon also made peace with the Catholic

church bringing it under state supervision (not exactly the kind of Peace the Church was looking for)

Napoleon was influenced by enlightenment secularism, but believed ◦ “There is only one way to encourage morality and that

is to reestablish religion. Society cannot exist without some being richer than others, and this inequality cannot exist without religion. When one man is dying of hunger next door to another man who is stuffing himself with food, the poor man simply cannot accept the disparity unless some authority tells him, ‘God wishes it so…in heaven things will be different.’”

◦ He thinks religion can keep order…without religion that guy might go next door and kill the rich man and take his food

Napoleon created a “Minister of Religion” who sat in the government with all other ministers

The church gained freedom but at the expense of its independence

Protestants and Jews were also granted state protection (there was some tolerance)

Some people on the left were not happy with these changes but they were not a threat to Napoleon

Emperor Napoleon

Napoleon brought stability to France, but it was still at war with the Second Coalition: great Britain, Austria and Russia

Napoleon would see military victories against Austria in 1800, make peace with Britain with the Treaty of Amiens (March 1802) which saw France keep all its gains in Europe and Britain returned French colonies it had captured. France was a peace for the first time in a decade, but Napoleon was never a fan of peace

Giving Himself a Promotion

No longer satisfied with the title “first consul” in 1802, Napoleon became “Consul for Life” approved by plebiscite (vote)

February 1804, royalists attempted to assassinate Napoleon. He discovers the plot and the conspirators were executed

“We have done more than we hoped to do; we meant to give France a king, and we have given her an Emperor”

The Tribunate, Senate and the people (voting through plebiscite) quickly approved the change from the Consulate to an empire

On December 2, 1804, Napoleon was anointed emperor by Pope Pius VII. Instead of waiting for the pope to crown him, Napoleon snatched the crown from the pontiff and place it on his own head. A new constitution presented a telling contradiction: “The government of the republic is entrusted to an emperor” that statement doesn’t actually make any sense

Republic: a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

The Wars of the Third Coalition

Napoleon was no more temperamentally suited to live with peace than with defeat

Third Coalition: Russia, Austria, Britain (same as the second)

Third Coalition goal was to force France out of Italy, Switzerland, Holland and North Germany

August 1805 – Napoleon decided to hit Austria before they could be joined by their Russian allies, by October the Austrians had been beaten

Cape Trafalgar – Oct 21, 1805Napoleon planned to invade EnglandConstructed flat bottom boats to hold

horse, guns and equipment for the invasion

A French fleet with ships of all sizes sailed from the Spanish Mediterranean, but the British fleet was too much, and broke through the French line

As Nelson lay dying of a wound, his fleet earned one of naval histories most decisive victories at Cape Trafalgar. Any chance for French invasion of England evaporated. Great Britain controlled the seas.

Battle of Austerlitz December 2, 1806 Napoleon would have more success on the continent

then at sea Greatest victory over a combined Austro-Russian army Napoleon tricked his opponents into an attack on his

intentionally weakened right flank. He then divided the two armies with a crushing attack at their vulnerable center.

When the dust cleared after the battle, the Russians, and their Austrian allies suffered 30,000 casualties, the French fewer then 9000

Austria asked for peace giving up the remnants of territories in Italy and Dalmatia

Napoleons allies of Bavaria, Wurttemburg and Baden (German states) also gained territory

France controlled Italy and ordered all ports be closed to Britain

Napoleon played the German states off each other and was able to gain control, naming himself “Protector” of the Confederation of German states

Prussia joined the Third Coalition but did not last long. Napoleon completely defeated the Prussian army on October 14, 1806 and entered its capital of Berlin triumphantly