Name Class Date Section 3 MAIN IDEA Napoleon Bonaparte rose through military ranks to become emperor over France and much of Europe. Key Terms and People Napoleon Bonaparte ambitious military leader who became emperor of France Admiral Horatio Nelson British naval commander who won the Battle of the Nile coup d état a forced transfer of power plebiscite a question put before all voters Continental System a blockade that stopped French and allied ships from trading with Great Britain to prevent that nation from funding the rebellion against Napoleon nationalism a sense of identity and unity as a people Taking Notes As you read the summary, use a graphic organizer like the one below to record the steps in Napoleon s rise to power. Add more boxes as needed. Modern Era Chapter 6 70 Interactive Reader and Study Guide
Name Class Date Section 3 Section Summary NAPOLEON S RISE TO POWER As a young man, Napoleon Bonaparte achieved several military victories, including stopping an uprising in Paris in 1795. As a reward he was promoted and given increased responsibility over French troops. He protected France s interior and led the invasion of Italy, winning new territory for France. Napoleon next set his sights on Egypt. He wanted to weaken the valuable trade route between Great Britain and India. In 1798, his troops won control of most of Egypt. However, Admiral Horatio Nelson, commander of the British navy, trapped Napoleon s ships in Egypt. During the long Battle of the Nile, the British destroyed most of the French fleet. Napoleon returned to France. He covered up his defeat by keeping reports out of the newspaper. The attention he drew to his successes made him a national hero. Napoleon wanted to take political power from the weakening Directory at a time when many feared the monarchy would return to power. In 1799, Napoleon s supporters took control of the weak French government in a coup d état (koo day-tah). In name, a consulate led France, but its members elected Napoleon First Consul. Though France was still set up like a republic, Napoleon ruled as a dictator. He promised to restore order and stability to people who, exhausted by the Revolution and the warfare that followed, were willing to trade some freedoms for peace, prosperity, and glory for France. EMPEROR NAPOLEON In order to make his power permanent and able to be passed on to his descendents, Napoleon submitted a plebiscite that asked all voters if they wanted an empire. They voted yes and so Napoleon became Emperor Napoleon I in 1804. Napoleon wanted to rule Europe and the Americas. Even though France controlled Louisiana, Florida, and Saint Domingue (now Haiti), his campaigns were unsuccessful in the Americas. Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States and focused once more on Europe. Why do you think Napoleon was given more and more responsibility? How did Napoleon handle his defeat in Egypt? Why didn t the French people mind that Napoleon ruled as a dictator? Modern Era Chapter 6 71 Interactive Reader and Study Guide
Name Class Date Section 3 During these Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain was France s greatest enemy. Napoleon was often successful on land. However, the British navy under Admiral Nelson prevented Napoleon from conquering all of Europe. Just two months after a combined French and Spanish navy at the Battle of Trafalgar, Napoleon bounced back with a great victory over Russia and Austria at the Battle of Austerlitz. France was not going to give up on its desire to expand its empire, at least not with Napoleon in control. To weaken Great Britain, he planned a blockade called the Continental System, in which French and allied ships were not allowed to trade with Britain. This would cut down on Britain s ability to fund other nations efforts to stop him. Britain responded by requiring all ships to get British permission before trading with the French Empire. Conflicts in other places kept the two nations from enforcing these laws. However, Napoleon sent troops to Portugal, a nation that refused to comply with the Continental System. He then took control of Spain, placing his brother Joseph on the throne taken from the king. In 1808, Britain joined Spain to fight the Peninsular War against Napoleon. After he won the war, peasant-led guerrilla fighting forced France out of Spain. Even with these setbacks, by 1812 he ruled nearly all of Europe. Only Great Britain, Sweden, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire were free from Napoleon s control. Which nation helped Spain in the Peninsular War? Circle the nations that were not part of the French Empire. NAPOLEON S POLICIES Napoleon wanted a strong central government. His plans changed several aspects of French society. He officially recognized the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. He established the Bank of France and set up an efficient way to collect taxes. Under his leadership, French law was reorganized as the Napoleonic Code. The code ended some unfair laws but restricted some basic rights. Napoleon set up high schools, universities, and technical schools to educate young men. This prepared them for careers in government and the military. All over Europe, Napoleon s actions increased feelings of nationalism. People developed a sense of identity, unity, and allegiance to France. List two ways that Napoleon changed French society. Modern Era Chapter 6 72 Interactive Reader and Study Guide
Name Class Date Section 4 MAIN IDEA After defeating Napoleon, the European allies sent him into exile and held a meeting in Vienna to restore order and stability to Europe. Key Terms and People Czar Alexander I Russian ruler during Napoleon s failed invasion of Russia Hundred Days brief period of renewed glory for Napoleon Duke of Wellington head of the British troops during the Battle of Waterloo indemnity payment to other countries to compensate for damages caused during war Charles Maurice de Talleyrand French diplomat who attended the Congress of Vienna on behalf of King Louis XVIII and helped ensure fairness as the new map was drawn Prince Klemens von Metternich Austrian prince who strongly influenced policy decision-making at the Congress of Vienna reactionary opposing progress in hopes of conditions returning to those of earlier times Taking Notes As you read the summary, use the graphic organizer below to record key events during the last years of Napoleon s rule. Modern Era Chapter 6 73 Interactive Reader and Study Guide
Name Class Date Section 4 Section Summary DISASTER AND DEFEAT Napoleon was soon to lose control of his empire. Concerned about Russia s increasing military power and decreasing support for the Continental System under its leader, Czar Alexander I, Napoleon decided it was time to attack. The Russian campaign of 1812 was a disaster for Napoleon. His soldiers were mostly new recruits who did not feel loyalty to him. Many army supplies were lost or spoiled as French troops marched east along rough roads in the intense heat. The soldiers found there was no one to fight and nothing to eat. The Russian army was moving away from the French. So were the peasants who burned their fields, leaving nothing the French could use. When they finally did meet the Russian army, the French won a battle at the town of Borodino but lost many soldiers. When they reached Moscow, the deserted city was in flames. Because Napoleon knew his troops could not survive winter in Moscow, they turned back toward France. Disease, desertion, hunger, and Russian peasants attacking small groups of soldiers had inflicted damage. However, the worst enemy the French troops faced was the Russian winter. Freezing temperatures and a lack of food crushed the army. Napoleon went to Russia with 600,000 men. Only around 94,000 returned. The disastrous defeat gave Napoleon s enemies new hope. In October of 1813, allies Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain fought France at the Battle of Nations. Napoleon s forces suffered an overwhelming defeat. Soon after, Napoleon surrendered and March 1814, the Allies entered Paris, victorious. He went into exile on the tiny island of Elba, off the coast of Italy. What problems did French soldiers face as they traveled to Russia? What was the worst enemy for Napoleon s troops? Which nations fought the French at the Battle of Nations? THE LAST CAMPAIGNS Although Napoleon had been forced from his throne, he did not intend to give up his power. After about a year, he returned to France and headed for Paris. In that time, the allies had returned the monarchy to power. When word of Napoleon s return reached King Louis XVIII, the unpopular new French ruler, he fled Modern Era Chapter 6 74 Interactive Reader and Study Guide
Name Class Date Section 4 to Belgium in fear. Many citizens hated Napoleon. Still, he had a large number of supporters in France, including the soldiers sent to arrest him who pledged their loyalty to him instead. His return to Paris on March 20, 1815, marked the start of the Hundred Days. This was a very brief return to his former glory. Napoleon s final stand took place at the Battle of Waterloo. Led by the British Duke of Wellington, who also had Dutch and German troops working with his army, the battle waged fiercely. When the Prussian army joined the Allies, together they drove the French army off the field by day s end. After a failed attempt to escape to America, Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena, a remote volcanic island in the South Atlantic. He remained there until he died at the age of 51. Underline the king s response to Napoleon s return. THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA Before Napoleon s escape from Elba, 700 diplomats had met at the Congress of Vienna to create a plan to restore order to Europe. They decided to change boundaries across Europe to strengthen the nations surrounding France. France gave up all of its conquered territory and paid a fee called an indemnity to countries it had damaged during the wars. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand attended the Congress on behalf of the French king. He worked hard to make sure each country traded territory fairly as the new map of Europe was drawn. Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria was a major force at the Congress. He had reactionary views; he wanted Europe to return to how it had been before Napoleon s rule. What was the goal of the Congress of Vienna? THE REVOLUTION S LEGACY The French Revolution changed Europe even though some things returned to how they had once been. The nobility realized that Enlightenment ideas about human dignity, personal liberty, and the equality of all people would not go away. Common people learned that change could make their lives better. These ideals inspired political movements around the world. Modern Era Chapter 6 75 Interactive Reader and Study Guide