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Mapping Napoleon’s Empire at its Height (1812)
Directions: When the French Revolution began in 1789 France’s boundaries were much like those of today. In the early 1800s Napoleon added new territories to France (mostly through military conquest). Use the map of Modern Europe on pages 76 and 77 in the textbook and the directions below to map Napoleon’s Empire. To do this correctly you must follow the directions carefully. I recommend that you read through each step carefully, make sure you understand where to draw or color, and then proceed with coloring. Failing to do so may result in significant errors as the map is a bit confusing.
Step 1 – Key Bodies of Water: Label the following bodies of water and then color them blue (trace the path of the Rhine River in blue):
1) Atlantic Ocean2) Baltic Sea3) English Channel
4) Strait of Gibraltar5) Black Sea6) Rhine River
7) Adriatic Sea8) Tyrrhenian Sea9) Mediterranean Sea
Step 2 - Napoleon’s Empire: Choose one color with which to outline and shade all of the territory under Napoleon’s direct control and then complete the following steps.
1) Fill in the box in the key with the color you have selected for Napoleon’s Empire.
2) Trace France’s modern boundary with Spain.
3) Trace the modern French Atlantic Coast until you reach the eastern side of the peninsula that includes modern Denmark.
4) Trace south along the solid line (part of which is the Rhine River) until you reach the northern border of modern Switzerland.
5) Trace around the solid line which makes up the western border of modern Switzerland.
6) Continue to follow the solid line until you reach the intersection with the dotted line which runs down the middle of modern Italy.
7) Trace the dotted line which divides Italy until it dead ends at the Tyrrhenian Sea.
8) Follow the dotted line from the Tyrrhenian Sea back to your starting point at the modern border between Spain and France along the Mediterranean Coast.
9) Label the area you have just encircled “Napoleon’s Empire”.
10) Shade in Napoleon’s Empire with the color you have just used to form your outline.
Step 3 – Territories and States Controlled or Allied with France: Choose a new color with which to outline and shade all of the territory and states controlled by or allied with Napoleon’s France.
1) Fill in the box in the key with the color you have selected for territories and states
controlled by or allied with Napoleon’s France.
2) Label Spain, Southern Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway.
3) Label the area that is modern northern Germany and northern Poland “Kingdom of Prussia”.
4) Label the area that is now Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Bosnia “Austrian Empire.
5) Shade in the territories and states controlled by or allied with Napoleon’s France.
Step 4 – Other Territories and States: Choose a new color with which to shade all of the other remaining territories and states. Fill in the box in the key with the color you have selected for other territories and states and shade any remaining land on your map with this color.
Napoleon’s Empire at its Height (1812)