Chapter 3 Section 4: The Age of Napoleon
Focus Question: Explain Napoleon’s rise to power in Europe, his subsequent defeat, and how the outcome still affects Europe today.
I. Napoleon Rises to Power
A. Napoleon was a military hero to the French and moved from being a
general to being a member of a three-man Consulate, which he helped
to establish and ruled France.
1. In 1802, Napoleon had himself named Consul.
2. He held plebiscite, or a popular vote by ballots, in which the people
supported him.
3. In time, he had enough power to assume the title of Emperor.
II. Napoleon Reforms France
A. During the Consulate and Empire, Napoleon consolidated his power by
strengthening the central government.
1. Napoleon valued order, security, and efficiency which became the new
slogans of the new regime.
B. He made reforms to improve the economy.
1. Napoleon set up public schools, controlled prices, encouraged new
industries, and built roads and canals.
2. He made peace with the Catholic Church in the Concordat of 1801 but
kept the church under state control.
3. He opened jobs based on talent not entitlement.
C. He also instituted a new code of laws called the Napoleonic Code.
1. It embodied the Enlightenment principles such as the equality of all
citizens before the law, religious tolerance, and the abolition of
feudalism.
2. Most important to Napoleon was that the men regained complete
authority over their wives.
(Why did Napoleon hold plebiscite? What did Napoleon value? What reforms did Napoleon introduce during his rise to power?)
III. Napoleon Builds an Empire
A. Napoleon’s armies invaded and annexed the Netherlands, Belgium, and
parts of Italy and Germany.
B. In lands he didn’t control militarily, he tried to place friends and
relatives in positions of power.
1. Napoleon installed revolutionary governments that abolished titles of
nobility, ended Church privileges, opened careers to men with talent
and ended serfdom in the areas that he conquered.
C. Britain, however, successfully resisted Napoleon’s actions through the
force of its navy.
IV. Napoleon’s Empire Faces Challenges
A. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, other countries began to
revolt against French occupation and culture.
B. There were not enough soldiers to secure each territory and strike at
Russia.
C. To make matters worse, Russian troops had burned crops and villages
along the French route, leaving them without food or shelter during the
brutal winter. (scorched-earth)
V. Napoleon Falls from Power
A. France’s fight with Russia was a disaster.
1. Russia retreated eastward and burned the crops and villages as they
went.
2. This scorched-earth war tactic left the French hungry and cold as
winter came. They retreated through the Russian winter and Russia
continued to attack.
B. France’s loss to Russia gave birth to the alliance of Russia, Britain,
Austria, and Prussia.
C. They defeated France in 1813.
1. Napoleon was sent into exile on the island of Elba, and the monarchy
was restored in France.
2. He died while in exile on the island of St. Helena, but his conquests
helped to spread the ideas of the French revolution throughout Europe
and Russia.
(What did Napoleon do after he invaded a country? What war tactic helped the Russians defeat Napoleon? What alliance was formed after France loss to Russia?)
VI. Leaders Meet at the Congress of Vienna
I. The Congress of Vienna strives for peace.
A. At the Congress of Vienna, European leaders wanted to restore the
political and social order of Europe.
B. The next goal was to create a lasting peace by establishing a balance of
power.
1. They placed strong countries around France, and they protected the
system of monarchy by promoting legitimacy.
C. To protect the new order, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain
maintained their alliance into the Postwar Era.
1. The system was known as the Concert of Europe.
D. There was an unforeseen failure of the Congress of Vienna.
1. The agreements at Vienna did not anticipate the effects of nationalism
on events in Europe and Latin America.
(What did the leaders at the Congress of Vienna want? What was an unforeseen failure of the Congress of Vienna?)