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Napoleon successfully seized control of the country during the overthrow of the corrupt French government, the Directory. This was a POLITICAL accomplishment.
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The directory was substituted with a new government, the Consulate. Napoleon named himself head of the Consulate with the title of First Consul. This was a POLITICAL accomplishment.
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On June 14, 1800 in Northern Italy, Napoleon had made the daring move to lead his Grand Army into Austrian communication lines. In response, Austria's 31,000 troops gave battle to Frances 28,000 troops. Despite the Grand Army's disadvantage, they still came out on top with a victory. Napoleon considered this to be his greatest victory. This was a MILITARY achievement.
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Among other topics, Napoleon strongly focused on educational reforms in the onset of his reign. Napoleon created many schools, called lycées. These were upper level secondary schools, preparing boys for the degree required for university admission(baccalauréat). Lycées enrolled France's most gifted students in a seven year course. These lycées were divided into three different areas of specialization: classical, modern, and scientific/technological studies. This was a SOCIAL reform.
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Napoleon made peace with the Church by declaring Catholicism as the religion of the majority of France, and in exchange, the Pope agreed that all land stolen from the Church did not need to be returned. This was a SOCIAL reform.
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After the signing of the Concordicat, religious tolerance was spread throughout France. Napoleon even further pushed the enlightenment idea of equality, and in doing so became more widely supported as a a leader. This was a SOCIAL reform.
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France controlled the Mississippi River and most of the Mississippi valley due to many explorations and settlements from the 17th and 18th centuries. Thomas Jefferson instructed the U.S. minister at Paris to approach Napoleon’s minister, and to try to purchase at least New Orleans. Napoleon’s minister concluded that their property in the U.S. was the least of his concerns, as he was struggling at battle in Santo Domingo. A treaty was signed on May 2 for $27,267,622. This was an ECONOMIC success.
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Napoleon codified his own set of civil laws, calling it the Civil Code or Code Napoleon. In doing so, he did away with 300+ legal systems of France and abolished Feudalism. This was a SOCIAL accomplishment.
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Along with spreading religious tolerance and the general idea of equality, Napoleon mostly succeeded in abolishing feudalism due to his code of laws. Although many monarchs of other nations within his empire would not accept the belief, it's no surprise he succeeded within France. This was a ECONOMIC success.
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Napoleon invited the Pope to France to crown him Emperor Napoleon I. However, at the moment of his coronation he took the crown in his own hands and crowned himself, completely doing away with the Consulate. This was a SOCIAL accomplishment because he obtained a king-like status before accepting citizens.
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This battle occurred in Moravia. Napoleon's 68,000 troops defeated almost 90,000 Austrian and Russian troops after a long, vigorous fight. Although Napoleon's Grand Army only had just over 2/3 the number of their enemies' soldiers, they only lost about 9,000 men, whereas Austria and Russia lost around 15,000 men, and 11,000 were captured for the France. The opposing countries were forced to retreat. This was a MILITARY achievement, and arguably Napoleon's greatest victory.
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Napoleon had resumed the war with Austria, Russia, and Prussia that had only periodically been active after King Louis XVI's execution. Napoleon and his Grand Army as victor, defeated them all by 1807. The French Empire now consisted of France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, the dependent states, Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the allied states, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. This was a MILITARY success.
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Although he couldn't defeat Great Britain in battle due to their supreme navy, Napoleon was still able to significantly damage his greatest enemy by using his vast empire to his advantage, and forbid any trade with Great Britain. This was an ECONOMIC success.
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The battle was fought on the Marchfeld near Vienna between 154,000 Grand Army troops and 158,000 Austrians. The fight was often back and forth between the two sides. Napoleon and his army claimed victory with an attack that split the Austrian army at its center. This forced the Austrians to retreat and sign an armistice. The Austrians suffered around 40,000 casualties, and the Grand Army, at 34,000. This was a MILITARY achievement.
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Despite being mocked with the title of "Emperor of Elba", Napoleon accomplished quite a bit in his miniature kingdom. Napoleon had roads built, marshes drained, agriculture boosted, and mines constructed. In addition to these, Napoleon deconstructed and rebuilt Elba's legal and education systems. These were all SOCIAL reforms.
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After the failed Russian campaign, Napoleon's Grand Army was so crippled, the monarchs of some other nations came together and took their opportunity to reclaim power. Their armies overthrew Napoleon and exiled him to a remote island off the coast of Italy called, Elba. Not long after, Napoleon and his entourage successfully escaped the small island, and trekked back to Paris, where he came back into power for 100 days. This was a POLITICAL accomplishment.
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Following Napoleon's 100 Days of Power, he was exiled again, but to St. Helena, where he died. Contemplating how the great ruler, shamed by his boundless creation, and dying in exile feels odd. Learning about the emperor, textbooks illustrated a view of an indomitable champion and my mind couldn't comprehend his seemingly impossible triumphs. It was awkward to learn of such an anticlimactic end to an extraordinary epoch. Napoleon will forever go down as the greatest military genius and legend.
