CCR - Napoleon’s Rise, Dominance, and Defeat (Lesson)

Napoleon’s Rise, Dominance, and Defeat 

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While France was establishing a  new form of government, led by the Directory, a little known Corsican-born soldier was rising up through the ranks of the French Army which he had joined in 1785. Napoleon Bonaparte became a general in the French army with success at the Siege of Toulon, battles in Italy, and the Egyptian expedition.

After the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, the Directory had come to power. France had been divided up into districts and the leaders of the districts formed the ruling body of the directory. For the most part, the Directory was effective and ruled France well. However, Bonaparte returned to France and, in 1799, overthrew the Directory through a coup d’etat. He became the First Consul, a position he held for 10 years. In 1804, Napoleon was crowned Emperor of France.

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 Dec 1804 by Jacques Louis David. (Public Domain)

Fun fact! See the woman in the center of the painting, watching over proceedings from her box? That's Napoleon's mother. She wasn't actually present at the coronation, but Napoleon requested she be added to the painting.

 

Reforms and Curtailment of Rights

Napoleon can be considered to be an enigma, or a mystery. Some of the things he did for France helped the citizenry and are still in place today. However, he was basically a dictator who also controlled the rights of the citizens in order to maintain power. Some of the positive reforms he made include:

1. Belief in meritocracy - the idea that people gained jobs and moved up in their positions due to their achievements and effectiveness, not their connections.
2. Education - promoted the idea of public, secular education. Allowed for the education of people from all social classes. Promoted the study of the classics as well as the sciences.
3. Napoleonic Code - This is also known as the Civil Code and the purpose was to create a codified system that was in writing. This code was adopted by most European countries and promoted the idea of due process. The ideals of the laws promoted equality of most citizens, freedom of religion, and protection of private property. Napoleon also abolished feudalism and serfdom in France.
4. Concordat of 1801 - This agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VIII that made Catholicism the official religion of France. This does not, however, give more power to the Church. On the contrary, Napoleon was able to choose bishops and oversee the Church’s finance. The Church does not regain land that had been taken during the Revolution.

 

While Napoleon did bring some positive changes to France, there were negative reforms as well. They are as follows:

1. Establishment of Secret Police - Napoleon established a system of policing to help him maintain control over the activities of French citizens. This secret police force used spies and agents to make sure that Napoleon stayed in power because revolutionaries questioned the legitimacy of his rule since he obtained power through a coup d’etat. Legal restrictions included imprisoning people without trials and limiting representative government opportunities.
2. Censorship - When Napoleon came to power, there were approximately 72 newspapers in France. He soon reduced that number to 13 and then to 4 newspapers in Paris and one in each of the departments. Napoleon controlled the media by censoring what was printed in the papers as well as producing large amounts of propaganda regarding all of his military successes.
3. Women’s Rights - While the ideals of the French Revolution were for Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, these did not pertain to the rights of women. The Napoleonic Code did address the rights and role of women but did not give them the equality they sought. They still basically had to remain subservient to the wishes of their husbands. There was no ability to vote or own property as well.

 

Consider This: What role did the French Revolution play in European Society in the 18^th century?

 

Did you know that the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen by Olympe de Gouges was actually dedicated to Queen Marie Antoinette?

 

 

Napoleon’s Impact on the Rest of Europe

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Nationalistic Responses to Napoleon

In 1813, a group of Germanic States as well as Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden fought against Napoleon and the armies of the Confederation of the Rhine over control of land in Germany. Napoleon tried to make deals with Russia and Austria but was unable to do so and he was seriously outnumbered so when he lost the Battle of Leipzig, he was forced out of Germany. This is significant because many of the people who volunteered to fight in this war were students. The growth of nationalism came from the defeat and eventual abdication of Napoleon by armies of volunteers. This serves as a precursor to the modern German state.

Russian Scorched Earth Policy - When Napoleon attempted to invade Russia, he was faced with insurmountable challenges. The weather and terrain were a problem but the biggest issue was the fact that as Russia retreated further into their country, they burned everything so that the oncoming French army would not be able to live off the land. Because they were so deep into Russian territory, the supply lines were impossible to maintain. The supplies they may have already had in the country as well as the supplies they thought they would find were destroyed. This led to the starvation of the French army and the eventual failure of the French Army.

 

 

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