Napoleon%20Bonaparte

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Napoleon Bonaparte

• Scoundrel or Savior?

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• Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821
• Born on French ruled island of Corsica (in the
  Mediterranean)
• Minor aristocrat (noble).
• Poor noble but attended schools with the
  privileged.
• Discouraged he could not find acceptance by the
  upper class students.
• He struggled with the idea that he was brighter
  than most of his classmates but did not receive
  the recognition due to his lack of status. This
  drove him to study harder and fueled his
  ambitions.

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• 1789 Napoleon was a French lieutenant during the
  French Revolutionary war.
• Fought the British in 1793 and helped drive them
  out of France. The French Revolutionary War years
  proved to be successful ones for Napoleon. He
  finds himself on the battlefield. VERY POPULAR
• Promoted to General and given an army.
• Defeats Austria, then invades Egypt. WHY Egypt??

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His First Defeat (Egypt)

• British Navy defeats French at Battle of the
  Nile.
• Napoleon is cut off. Can not hope to take over
  the Middle East
• Hears things are going bad in Paris

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Napoleon Returns to France

• 1799 he leaves Egypt, returns to France and helps
  overthrow the weakened Directory (Govt).
• 1802 Napoleon names himself First Consul for
  life.
• 1804 named himself Emperor of the French.
• Crowned Himself

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Political Accomplishments

• Maintained firm control over France stability
• Napoleonic Code a unified legal system people
  could understand
• Created a national bank, schools, 1st modern
  hospitals

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Napoleonic Wars 1804-1812

• Defeats Austria again
• Takes over most of Europe gt Spain, Prussia
  (Eastern Germany), Holy Roman Empire (western
  Germany), Italy.
• Could never manage to invade England.
• British Navy defeats him again at Battle of
  Trafalgar (off the coast of Spain)
• Imposes Continental System to blockade Britain
• Backfires British navy cuts off supplies to
  France
• Also results in US and Britain going to war the
  war of 1812

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Stirrings of discontent

• People in conquered nations not happy
• Guerrilla warfare in Spain (hit and run)
• Prussians raising their army secretly
• Russia stops playing by Continental System
• Starts trading w/ Britain

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This Continental System Stinks!
Spanish Guerrilla
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• 1812 He invades Russia
• Estimated 600,000 soldiers
• His troops draw close to Russian troops, only to
  find them constantly retreating
• Russians use scorched Earth policy
• Nothing left to eat
• All houses burned

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Napoleon meets General Winter and General Mud
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Ooops!

• By Oct. 1812 Napoleons army reaches Moscow
• Hollow victory because the city is empty
• As soon as Napoleons army enters the city the
  Russian army set it on fire.
• Winter sets in
• Napoleon must retreat
• Thousands of soldiers die

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Ooops Continued

• His army must endure the trek home through the
  brutal European winter w/o supplies or adequate
  clothing
• This is when the Russian army finally strikes
• They begin attacking Napoleons retreating army
• Only approx 200,000 made it back to France

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Defeated and Exiled

• Napoleon can not defend France
• Allies gang up
• Defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Nations
• Napoleon Exiled to Elba

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The 100 Days The Return of Napoleon

• Napoleon escapes exile
• June 18, 1815 Battle of Waterloo
• Largest battle up to that time
• Finally defeated by The British Duke of
  Wellington

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Waterloo the end

• Sent to exile again on St. Helena

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St. Helena
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Who was Napoleon?

• His Glory Days
• He said, "I am a superior individual."
• He said, Since one must take sides, one might as
  well choose the side that is victorious, the side
  which devastates, loots, and burns. Considering
  the alternative, it is better to eat than be
  eaten."

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In Exile

• Paraphrase - He said, "I know men and Jesus
  Christ was no mere man. I, Charlemagne, Hannibal,
  and others have devoted our lives accumulating
  power, and we have no followers. Jesus Christ has
  died, and at this very moment millions would die
  for him."