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French Directory
The French Directory was the fifth government of the French Revolution which started with the new French Constitution of 1795 and ended with the French coup d'etat of 1799. The directory was governed by five directors chosen by a bicameral legislature. France was ruled by the middle class during this time who had became wealthy through the revolution. -
Napoleon’s coup d’etat
Napoleon’s coup d’etat, also know as the 18 Brumaire, was when Napoleon overthrew the French Directory and rose to power. -
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The First Consol of Concordat
Napolean took over the position of First Consul after ending a coup d'etat. In addition to his position, there was a three-man group of consuls that he resided over. These smaller groups of people only offered minor advide to Napolean. In this way he was able to be a stern yet beneficial leader. -
Constitution of 1799
With the start of Napoleon's rule, a new constitution was created that created the sixth and last government of the Revolution. The constitution "spoke of universal male suffrage, but political power was retained, by the now familiar means of indirect election." The constitution called for a legislative body, though the body could not initiate or discuss legislation. The government was truly run by one man, Napoleon. -
Concordat of 1801
Napolean decided to sign an agreement with Pope Pius VII. This agreement stated that the Catholic Church accepted the loss of church land, religious freedom, and the pope was granted the power to approve the priests elected by the bishops. In addition, Napolean recognized Catholicism as the main religion in France. -
Napoleonic Code
The Napoleonic Code was a new comprehensive system of civil laws that Emperor Napoleon I tried to implement. The new set of laws stregnthened the interests of the Revolution; it abolished feudalism and serfdom, allowed freedom of religion, and made every man equal before the law. It was decreed on the 5th of March, but did not actually go into effect until the 15th, ten days later. The code still lies at the base of the French and Spanish legal system. -
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was an important military victory for France during the early Napoleonic War. The battle occurred when the French army was marching east and encountered combined Austian and Russian forces. Although greatly outnumbered, the French were still able to make a decisive victory because of Napoleon's tactical military skill. It was a humiliating defeat for the Austrians. Overall, the battle secured the new First French Empire and Napoleon's role as absoute ruler. -
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Continental System
The Continental System was a wide-ranging system of tariffs and embargoes against Britian. Because Napoleon could not defeat this rival militarily, he decided to try to hurt its economy, with was based mainly on trade and manufacturing, in this way. Many of France's allies refused to participate in the embargo against the UK, and Napoleon's popularity plummetted. Overall, the Continental System had a majorly negative effect on France and can be considered a failure. -
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Pininsular War
The peninsular war was a brutal battle between the people of Spain and Napoleon’s army. The war helped Spain to become courageous and eventually led to the countries independence. -
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French Invasion of Russia
The invasion of Russia, also known as the patriotic war began when, Napoleon formed a huge army and attacked Russia. He did this in response to them trying to leave the countries partnership and become allies with Great Britain. Even though he continued to attack the Russian army they never surrendered and, eventually the waiting paid off. On October 19 Napoleon began to retreat his army. This marked the beginning of Napoleon’s downfall. -
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig lasted from October 16-19, 1813. This battle was the largest battle during this time & it allowed Austria to reclaim its empire. Napoleon had previously attacked Berlin, Germany. On October 19th Napoleon & his troops retrated. They were surrounded by Prussian & Russian troops. This is a major turning point because Napoleon's allies deserted him resulting in the collapse of the French Empire the following year. Germany was now free of Napoleon. -
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The Hundred Days
The Hundred Days of Napoleon describes the time when Napoleon returned from exile and the second restoration of Louis XVIII. When Napoleon reached France, after he escaped from Elba, he had enough support to force Louis to flee the country. The allies were shocked that Napoleon had returned & they tried to gather troops to counter Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon surrendered and was exiled to St. Helena. The Hundred Years war resulted in the end of the Napoleonic Wars and his reign. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was important because it showed the weakness of the French Army for years to come and it shattered Napoleon's reputation. The Duke of Wellington commanded the Anglo-Allied Army. He managed to lead his troops to drive back countless French assaults. The French eventually lost the war. Because of this, Napoleon lost his credibility and suppporters. He had to surrender his army and his office as ruler of France. Napoleon was no longer a threat to anyone in Europe.
