Napoleon’s
Rise and Fall
SSWH 14 c
Early Life & Career
• Napoleon Bonaparte—born in Corsica,
attends military school, joins army
• 1795, Napoleon defeats royalist rebels
attacking National Convention
• •Napoleon victorious in Italy,
gains popularity
• 1799, carries out coup d’état:
seizure of power
Napoleon Rules France
• New constitution is approved through
plebiscite—vote of the people
• Fix economy: sets up national bank
system, equal tax collection, sells land
• Lycées—government-run public schools to
train officials
• Signs concordat—with pope restoring
Catholicism in France
• Napoleonic Code—uniform system of laws
Napoleon Crowned Himself Emperor
• 1801, Napoleon tries to retake colony of
Saint Domingue (fails) & 1803 sells
Louisiana Territory $15,000,000
• Britain, Russia, Austria,
Sweden join forces
against Napoleon
• Russia, Austria, Sweden
forced to sign peace
treaties
French Empire
•1
•805, British win Battle of Trafalgar—
ensures British naval superiority
• •Napoleon gives up plans of invading
Britain
• Napoleon
controls Europe
except for
Britain, Portugal,
Sweden,
Ottomans
• •1807-1812: French Empire reaches
largest extent
Mistakes
• Napoleon strikes Britain with blockade—
forced closing of ports mainland Europe
• •Continental System—economic plan to
strengthen Europe,
weaken Britain
• Britain responds a with
blockade of its own,
led by stronger navy
The Peninsular War
(Enforcing the Continental System)
• Napoleon sends troops across Spain to
attack Portugal, causing protest
• Spanish fight as guerrillas—small groups
attacks & disappear
• •Napoleon loses
300,000 soldiers
Invasion of Russia
• Relations with Russia break down,
Napoleon invades
• Russians use scorched-earth policy—
destroying crops, livestock
• Napoleon retreats, 400,000 die
Napoleon’s Fall
• Britain, Prussia, Sweden, Russia, Austria join
forces against Napoleon
• Napoleon surrenders & exiled to Elba
• •Louis XVIII, new king, is soon overthrown &
Napoleon returns from exile
• Waterloo—British, Prussian
forces defeat Napoleon’s army
• Defeat ends 100 Days—Napoleon’s last
attempt at power (exiled to St. Helena)