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Coup d’état
This was when supporters of Napoleon were armored and forced members of the directory legislature to give Napoleon control of the government. They did this by surrounding them. I feel like this is the start of Napoleon coming to power in France as it is when he started commanding the government. -
The Consulate
This was the first major action Napoleon did as the leader of the government. He assigned Bonaparte as the First Consul. I chose the date where this started as I feel like Napoleon forming this is more important than when it ended. I think this as it is the first change Napoleon made. -
Concordat
This was done to gain support from the citizens of France. During the French Revolution, the Roman Catholic Church lost most of its civil status. Signing this concordat restored what it lost and the church became the biggest church in France. -
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Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars was like an encore to the French Revolution. The United Kingdom and France had stopped fighting because of the Treaty of Amiens. However, when Napoleon came to power, he got rid of this treaty and started war all over again. -
Napoleonic Code
This was when Napoleon made a new set of laws for France to follow. Positives from this was that it reduced the amount of crime in the country. Negatives were that it gave men almost all of the power over their families and deprived women of any civil rights. -
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Napoleon Crowns himself King
On May 18, 1804, Napoleon is declared Emperor of the French and the Consulate is made into the Empire. On December 2, 1804, Napoleon held the Coronation in the Notre-Dame Cathedral. He crowned Josephine as the Empress. -
Battle of Trafalgar
This was a naval battle between the forces of the French and Spanish against the British. Napoleon tried to invade them, but their ships were spotted too soon. Admiral Nelson and Britain defeated the French Navy handedly. -
The Continental System
The Continental System was a plan put in place by Napoleon that was supposed to greatly weaken Britain by blocking their trade with other nations. This was supposed to destroy their commerce, however, Britain still smuggled their products across Europe and did not get caught. -
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Treaty of Tilsit
This treaty between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I gave Napoleon control of an empire that had a big portion of Europe in it. It was an alliance between Russia and France. -
Peninsular War
On this date, Napoleon invaded Spain. This turned into war between the two countries. After, Napoleon wanted to invade Portugal to stop the country from trading with Britain. This led to war on the Iberian Peninsula with France fighting Spain, Portugal, and Britain. This battle eventually ended on April 17, 1814, with France losing Spain. Spanish citizens used something called guerilla warfare. This is when they would ambush French Troops and raid their camps. -
Invasion of Russia
This invasion started with Napoleon's troops going into Russia. Napoleon thought keeping the Russians away from Britain would help France obtain peace with the Brits. While invading the land, the Russian people used the scorched earth policy, which was when they burned villages and crops so the French soldiers could not live off of the land. -
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The Hundred Days
The was the time period in between Napoleon's escape from exile and King Louis XVII returning. Many campaigns happened to try and keep Napoleon as Emperor, but he was declared an outlaw and sentenced to exile as he had been defeated in Waterloo. -
Battle of Waterloo
This battle was fought in Waterloo, Belgium. Napoleon's French army was defeated by the Anglo, Prussian, and Seventh Coalition Armies. -
Napoleon's Exile
This was when Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena, a remote British Island. May 5, 1821 is when he died. The cause was most likely stomach cancer.
