Napoleon

Napoleon is a very contradictory historical character.

On the one hand he had been a Jacobin supporter and he always said

that he backed the Revolution and that he wanted to support it.

In this sense he granted some important rights to the French citizens,

such as:

Napoleonic code

A system of secular education.

Freedom of religion

Bank of France

A strong central administration.

On the other hand he made a coup d’état that was the end of the

Directory, later he was proclaimed emperor, he applied a very strict

censorship against freedom of speech and freedom of press.

In conclusion he behaved as an absolute monarch.

He was the youngest general of Europe and gave to France the important and legendary victories:

- Austerlitz (against Austria and Russia in 1805).

- Jena (against Prussia in 1806).

But he also suffered important defeats: - Spanish Campaign (1808).

Tremendous weakening - Campaign of Russia (450.000 soldiers

died) in 1812. - Final defeat of Waterloo in 1815.

He was also a very intelligent diplomat

and controlled almost all Europe. Some

territories were controlled directly, others

with puppet monarchs (kings that rule

following instructions of someone else)

and other countries such as Austria and

Russia signed international treaties with

Napoleon.

Direct possessions:

The Netherlands, Belgium, some States of Germany and parts of Italy.

Indirect possessions (with puppet monarchs):

Spain, Sweden, Duchy of Warsaw.

Allied States (that had signed an international treaty with Napoleon):

Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia, Prussia, Norway, Denmark.

All his government can be divided in two main periods:

- Consulate (1799-1804)

- Empire (1804-1814)

During this last period he achieved his greatest popularity, territorial extension,

international power, military victories and control of France.

During this period he was also concerned of creating a dynasty and as Josephine

Bonaparte could not give him an heir he divorced her and married to Marie Louise

of Austria, confirming and international alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This period is also the beginning of his decadence as he started to suffer his first

defeats. The invasion of Spain was not as easy as he expected and this campaign

was an important weakening (1808).

The Campaign of Russia (1812) was a complete failure and Napoleon had to

abandon his troops and go to France in order to suffocate an attempt of coup

d’état.

In 1813 he was finally defeated by an international alliance of Austria, Prussia,

Russia and Sweden. France was occupied by the allies and Napoleon was exiled to

the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Hundred Days

But this was not the definitive end of Napoleon. He managed to flee from the island of Elba and get the coasts of France. In France he defeated again the allies and established the Empire of the Hundred Days.

The definitive end of Napoleon was in the battle of Waterloo, in 1815. In this battle United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Prussia, Hannover, Nassau and Brunswick finally defeated Napoleon.

He was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. He will never come back from that island and he will die there in 1821, because of a stomach ulcer.

The legacy of Napoleon for Europe and France

As he controlled all Europe his armies spread the ideas of the French Revolution all over Europe.

As a reaction against the French invasion (parts of Italy, different States of Germany, Belgium and Poland...), the people that lived in these areas started to cultivate a new ideology: Nationalism. People from Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Poland… are going to be willing to be Nations, with Parliaments and Constitutions that represent the interests and concerns of their population.

In France, the main legacy is that the inheritance of the French Revolution is completely confirmed and although the Bourbons are going to come back and they will try to install the Ancient Regime, this won’t be possible and they will be stopped by the people of France.