Napoleons Policies In France

I. Peace with the church

            1. 1801, Napoleon stuck a deal with Catholic Church to bring an end to their feud.

            2. The deal:

                        A: Napoleon recognizes Catholics as the majority religion.

                        B: The church in returned promised not to fight over lands that the Revolution seized.

II. Napoleonic Code  

            1. Unified the laws of France.

            2. Helped preserve the individual liberties fought for in the Revolution persevered property, rights, and outlawed unions and strikes.

III. Bureaucracy and Aristocracy

            1. Napoleon created a new government system that hired people based on ability, rather than birth or rank.

                        A. Gave hope to bourgeoisie, who wanted to be move up in society rank.

            2. A new aristocracy (nobility), was also created based on merit and service in Napoleons government.

IV. The Empire

            1. When Napoleon became consul in 1799, the French Revolutionary Army was at war with Russia, Great Britain and Austria.

                        A. It worked out in a peace treaty in 1802 to officially end the Revolution the peace lasted less than a year.

            2. In 1803, it was back at war with Britain and soon after Prussia, Russia, and Austria.   

                        A. By 1807 his Grand Army had defeated the Prussians, Austrians, and Russian Armies that where sent at him.

            3. From 1807 to 1812, Napoleon ruled as the master of Europe.

                        A. His empire was composed of three parts.

                                    1. French Empire, was inner core of the Empire which consisted of an enlarged France.

                                    2. Dependent States, kingdoms ruled by relatives of Napoleon.

                                    3. Allied States, countries defeated by Napoleon who were forced to help him fight Great Britain.

            4. In his Empire, Napoleon tried to spread the idea of the Revolution especially those of equality.

            5. Two things eventually brought Napoleon down:        

                                    1. The survival of Great Britain.

                                                A. Due to their dominance on the water, Napoleon was unable to invade.

                                                B. He tried to start an embargo against them to weaken their economy and in turn their ability to wage but that did not work out.

                                    2. Nationalism:

                                                A. The idea that had helped lead to changes in France caught other countries attention as well.

                                                B. They to wanted freedom and independent from the absolute power.

            6. Fall of Napoleon

                        1. In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russian with 600,000 plus soldiers, but in 1813 after a miserable show of force the Grand Army conducted the Great Retreat to Poland.

                        2. Only 40,000 soldiers survived.   

                        3. In 1814 Paris was captured and Napoleon was sentenced to exile on the island of Elba, restoring Louis XVIII to King.

                        4. He managed to return to France and regained control of the government, allowing him to rebuild his forces.

                        5. Ultimately Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington in 1815 at Waterloo in Belgium.

                                    A. Then he was exiled to St. Helena an island in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean.