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In November of 1799, Napoleon became the third consul of France, giving himself political power. Troops under the command of Napoleon drove out lawmakers in the national legislature. The remaining lawmakers voted to dissolve the Directory, the previous corrupt and poor government, and establish a group of three consuls. Napoleon was one of them. This is a great political achievement because he has gained power in the French government for the first time and can start to reform the society.
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During the year 1800, the Banque de France was established in Paris. Napoleon's hope in creating the bank was to better regulate the economy so there would be no financial crisis like the one that resulted in the meeting of the estates general under Louis XVII. The bank was created through an alliance between private bankers and strongmen of France. This is a key economic achievement because the transfer of tax revenues and public expenses was improved, helping France recover from the Directory.
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Around the time of March 1, 1800, Napoleon decided to set up lycees or government-run public schools. These schools were meant to provide the government with trained officials, and were the start of the new French education system. The lycees were open to male students, and graduates were appointed to office based on abilities. This is a social success because the way education was run changed greatly. Through this change, corrupt officers were dismissed, and France became a more stable country.
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On June 14, 1800, the battle of Marengo took place in Italy. The collapse of the French monarchy was startling to other European nations, including Austria, where Marie Antoinette was born. Austria pledged its allegiance to Britain and battled to reinstate the monarchy in France. Napoleon's army crossed the Alps and defeated Austria with many reinforcements, driving them out of Italy. This is a military achievement that secured victory for Napoleon's campaign in Italy and kept him in power.
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On July 15, 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to signed an agreement called the Concordat with Pope Pius XVII. The document remained in effect until 1905.This was an agreement that restored friendly relationships between the church and re-established it in France after many non-religious policies during the French Revolution. The line is defined between the Church and France in different matters. This is a social reform because the way people originally thought of the church and state is changed.
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On April 30, 1803, Napoleon agrees to sell the Louisiana Territory. As emperor, Napoleon not only had dreams to have the largest empire in Europe, but also to create the largest empire in the western hemisphere. Napoleon was starting the conquest from Haiti, but the slaves there were rebelling. When President Jefferson offered to buy the territory for 15 million dollars, he agreed. This is an economic success because tons of money is now in the French economy that can help reform the country.
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On March 21, 1804, Napoleon established the French Civil Code or the Napoleonic Code, a major influence on the ideals of the 19th century. The system of codes follows Napoleon's interpretation of the French revolution. The code promoted authority and order while dealing with relationships between people and their transactions in the country. This is a social reform because the code is changing the way all society interacts. It is the first uniform set of laws in the country of France.
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On December 2 of 1804, Napoleon crowns himself emperor of France, giving himself total power to do what he wants with the country. The French people supported him, and were willing to have a stronger central government. After walking down the aisle of Notre Dame, he took a crown from the Pope's hands and placed it on his own head. This is a political achievement because the event symbolizes that Napoleon is stronger in power than religion. As solo emperor, he can now start taking over the world.
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On December 2, 1805, the battle of Austerlitz is one of the greatest victories of Napoleon. Austria, Sweden, Russia and Britain were at war against Napoleon, who had much power. Instead of boating to England for an invasion as planned, the troops decided to march east and take on the Austrians and Russians. The battle forced Austria, Prussia, and Russia to sign peace treaties, a great military achievement. Through this battle, a group who opposed France was silenced, weakening the movement.
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On November 21, 1806, Napoleon felt trapped because of Britain's power of the seas, so he resorted to economic warfare. The Continental System was a set of decrees meant to stop all trade with Great Britain. Napoleon got almost all of Europe through persuasion and threats to boycott the British. New areas were also created for French industry to expand too. This is an economic achievement. Even though the overall French wealth decreased, the British were hurt without trade and were weakened.
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On July 6, 1809, Napoleon won the battle of Wagram. Over the past several years, the Austrians had become a great offensive force. When faced with battle, Napoleon brought with him 160,000 troops as opposed to 16,000 in the battle of Marengo and 70,000 in the battle of Austerlitz. The battle was fought in Vienna, and through some quick improvisation and losses he got a victory. This battle was an important military achievement for him because it scattered the 5th coalition that was against him.
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During March, 1815, Napoleon became emperor again. On April 6, 1814, Napoleon was sentenced to life on the island Elba. He didn't want that. Napoleon managed to sneak past his guards and escape Elba with 700 troops. When he set foot back in France, he claimed to still be an emperor. He returned to his position in March of 1815. This is an important political achievement because he was able to come into power once again, and his people were thrilled that he returned to lead them.
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In conclusion, I think that Napoleon was a very ambitious leader. He had great dreams of having the biggest empire in Europe, and he was always working towards that. While Napoleon had many military and political successes, he didn't seem to reform the country much socially and economically. The reforms seem to help France improve, but his true focus was always on expansion and conquest. That was his downfall. He may have had high goals, but while trying to reach them he never forgot his people,
