French Revolution: Napoleon Bonaparte

French Revolution: Napoleon Bonaparte

​Napoleon Bonaparte

​The Revolution had created a strong, new army. That army drove Austrian and Prussian forces out of France. One of the officers in the French Army was a young man named Napoleon Bonaparte.

​Meanwhile, the National Convention of France had been growing steadily weaker. In October 1795 it came under attack by an army of 30,000 national guardsmen. The guardsmen wanted to get rid of the National Convention and bring back the monarchy. The Convention called on General Napoleon Bonaparte to put down the uprising. Napoleon, a general at age 26, proved his military worth. On October 5, 1795 he brought in a battery of cannons. The uprising was ended “with a whiff of grapeshot,” he said.

​The Directory soon replaced the National Convention in the leadership of France. The Directory eventually became corrupt. As Napoleon won battles and gained power, the Directory began to worry. Was Napoleon trying to become the sole ruler of France?

Poll

What do you think? Did Napoleon want total power?

• Yes

• No

​France soon discovered that Napoleon was a good politician as well as a good soldier. Napoleon put himself directly in charge of the army. He brought a quick end to the fighting within France. He set a police force responsible only to him. He invited back the nobles who had fled France during the Revolution. "You will be sage, if you are loyal to me."

​France Under Napoleon

​Napoleon put an end to the French Republic that the Revolution had won. In 1804 Napoleon had himself crowned emperor. He then crowned his wife, Josephine, Empress. He let his ambition and desire for power spread war across Europe. Yet he also made some good changes in the French government.

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

​Napoleon changed unfair tax laws. He required all people, rich and poor, to pay taxes under the same laws. The rich received no favors. Napoleon also strengthened and reorganized the French schools. 

Multiple Choice

Napoleon taxed everyone fairly. The rich were not given any favors.

• True

• False

​Napoleon made most things, including education and the press, subject to strict government was Napoleon! 

​Napoleon had a strong, wealthy France behind him now. He had the loyalty of the people. He now set out to conquer a European empire. He led France into war with Great Britain and most of the rest of Europe. Napoleon was a clever general. He won battle after battle. By 1812 Napoleon controlled most of Europe. However, he had been unable to invade and conquer Great Britain.

Multiple Choice

Napoleon has a _____ & ____ behind him.

• strong & wealthy

• weak & tired

• tired & hungry

​Napoleon's Mistake

​In 1812, Napoleon declared war on Russia. He attacked with an army of nearly 600,000 men. He won a major victory over the Russians at the battle of Borodino. However, the Russian armies were clever. They fled eastward, leading Napoleons army on a chase deep into the heart of Russia. As the Russians retreated , they destroyed everything of value in Napoleon's path.

Multiple Choice

What was the major battle that Napoleon won against the Russians?

• Borodino

• Bunker Hill

• Moscow

• Paris

​Then winter came. It was an icy Russian winter. Napoleon's army had almost run out of food. His army was starving. They were freezing. There was only one thing to do. Napoleon gave the orders to head for home The Russians attacked again and again as Napoleon's weakened forces struggled toward France. The French suffered terrible losses during the retreat from Russia. Over 500,000 men were killed or died of illness or starvation. Otheres deserted or were captured. Many simply froze to death. The attack on Russia was Napoleon's big mistake.

Multiple Choice

 How did the Russians get the upper hand against Napoleon?

• They fled deeper into Russia - Starving the French out

• They fought head to head

• They didn't get the upper hand.

​The End for Napoleon

​Other countries took heart when they heard of France's defeat in Russia. Napoleon could be beaten! These countries joined together. Prussia, Sweden, and Austria joined Great Britain and Russia to march as allies against Napoleon.

Multiple Select

Who all assembled to aid Britain in their fight against France?

(Select all that apply)

• Prussia

• Sweden

• Austria

• Maryland

• India

​The French saw that their emperor was beaten. The French Senate turned against Napoleon. It called for a new king to rule France. On April 11th, 1814, Napoleon gave up his throne. Louis XVIII was crowned King of France. Napoleon was exiled and sent to live on the island of Elba off the coast of Italy.

Multiple Choice

Who was crowned King after Napoleon gave up the crown?

• Charles I

• Louis XVIII

• Louis I

• George III

​Napoleon was not a man who gave up easily. In less than a year, he had escaped from Elba and returned to France. There, he found supporters and actually ruled France again for 100 days.

​

However, Napoleon's dream of ruling Europe was about to come to an end.

Multiple Choice

How long was Napoleon's 2nd reign?

• 250 Days 

• 20 Days 

• 100 Days

• 5 Days

Multiple Choice

What was the name of the island that Napoleon was exiled to?

• Elba

• Bora Bora

• Bali

• Maldives

​The Battle of Waterloo

​The allies against Napoleon joined forces as soon as they heard of his return. With about 75,000 troops, Napoleon marched into Belgium to meet the allied forces. The Duke of Wellington had about 67,000 troops from Britain, Belgium, Hanover, and the Netherlands.

​The fighting began on June 18th, 1815. The battle between the French and the allies was just about even for a few hours. Then Prussian troops arrived to back up the allies. That tipped the scale. After one last, fierce attack by France's Old Guard, the French had to retreat.

​Again, Napoleon was sent away as a prisoner. The British sent him so far-off Saint Helena. This was a tiny island of the west coast of Africa. It was there on May 5, 1821, that Napoleon died.

Multiple Choice

Name of the second island that Napoleon was exiled to?

• Saint Helena

• Mt. Rushmore

• Saint Barnes

• Bora Bora

Multiple Choice

Who arrived to tip the scale against Napoleon's army?

• Prussians

• Austrians

• Americans

• British

Multiple Choice

Which one is Napoleon

​France After Napoleon

​A royal line of kings ruled France once more. Then again, there was a revolution. For the next 55 years, France saw change after change - three revolutions in all. There was a Second Republic, a Second Empire, and then, in 1870, a Third Republic.

​Under the Third Republic, France built a colonial empire. French colonies around the world strengthened French trade and industry. France's Third Republic lasted until World War II when Germany took over France.

​After World War II, a Fourth Republic was set up - and then a Fifth. Social revolution continued. Women struggled to take their place in society, to hold property, and to take jobs. Minority groups looked for work, for fair pay, and for good housing. The French still worked toward "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."