How did Napoleon Bonaparte become France’s sole ruler?

• He was elected by the citizens of Paris.

• He was restored as a member of the royal family.

• He seized control in a military takeover of the government.

• He was elected by the members of the N

Coup d’État

By 1799, the Directory had lost control of the political situation and the confidence of the French people. When Napoleon returned from Egypt, his friends urged him to seize political power. In November 1799, his troops surrounded the national legislature and drove out most of its members. The remaining lawmakers voted to dissolve the Directory.

In its place, they established a group of three consuls, one of whom was Napoleon. Napoleon quickly took the title of first consul and assumed the powers of a dictator. A sudden seizure of power like Napoleon’s is known as a coup— from the French phrase coup d’état (KOO day•TAH), or “blow to the state.”

Question: Napoleon Bonaparte proved to be a cunning political leader when he led a _________ to become dictator of France.

• coup d’état

• workers' strike

• peaceful protest

• popular election

How did the agreement with Pope Pius VII affect French politics?

• The Roman Catholic Church’s status as a state religion was upheld.

• Napoleon Bonaparte’s popularity increased among the French people.

• Napoleon Bonaparte was recognized as a defender of the Roman Catholic faith.

• The Roman Catholic Church was restored to the status it held prior to the revolution.

Restoring Order at Home

One area where Napoleon disregarded changes introduced by the Revolution was religion. Both the clergy and many peasants wanted to restore the position of the Church in France. Responding to their wishes, Napoleon signed a concordat, or agreement, with Pope Pius VII. This established a new relationship between church and state. The government recognized the influence of the Church but rejected Church control in national affairs. The concordat gained Napoleon the support of the organized Church as well as the majority of the French people.

Question: The _________ with Pope Pius VII recognized the importance of the Roman Catholic Church in France but did not restore the Church’s political independence.

• lycées

• plebiscite

• concordat

• coup d'état

Why did Napoleon decide to sell Louisiana to the United States in 1803?

• He feared that the British would blockade the territory with their superior navy.

• He needed money to retake New World possessions lost in the French and Indian War.

• He abandoned his dream of a New World empire after a successful revolt in Saint Domingue.

• He reasoned that continuous attacks by Native Americans were making the territory unprofitable.

Loss of American Territories

In 1789, the planters in Saint Domingue demanded that the National Assembly give them the same privileges as the people of France. Eventually, enslaved Africans in the colony demanded their freedom. A civil war erupted, and enslaved Africans under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture seized control of the colony. In 1801, Napoleon decided to take back the colony and restore its productive sugar industry. However, the French forces were devastated by disease. And the rebels proved to be fierce fighters.

Question: Napoleon’s most prized New World colony, _____________, proved to be the most difficult to control as a revolt led by Toussaint Louverture resulted in the colony’s independence.

• Florida

• Louisiana

• French Guiana

• Saint Domingue

Why did France institute the Continental System?

• to prevent Germany from becoming a unified nation

• to force Spain to accept the rule of Napoleon’s brother

• to prevent Austria from becoming Europe’s dominant land power

• to weaken Great Britain by cutting off trade between it and other European nations

The Continental System

In November 1806, Napoleon set up a blockade—a forcible closing of ports—to prevent all trade and communication between Great Britain and other European nations. Napoleon called this policy the Continental System because it was supposed to make continental Europe more self-sufficient. Napoleon also intended it to destroy Great Britain’s commercial and industrial economy.

Napoleon’s blockade, however, was not nearly tight enough. Aided by the British, smugglers managed to bring cargo from Britain into Europe. While the blockade weakened British trade, it did not destroy it. In addition, Britain responded with its own blockade. And because the British had a stronger navy, they were better able than the French to make the blockade work.

Question: Napoleon’s Continental System failed to disrupt ________ commerce because that country had a superior navy.

• Austrian

• British

• Dutch

• Russian

Why did Napoleon believe he could regain power as emperor following his escape from Elba?

• He gained the support of Austria as a result of his marriage to Marie Louise.

• He called for Roman Catholics to support his fight against the Protestant British Empire.

• He recognized that the restored Bourbon monarchy was unpopular with many Frenchmen.

• He retained the loyalty of an army that had returned to the strength it had had prior to the Russian campaign.

The Hundred Days

Louis XVI’s brother assumed the throne as Louis XVIII. (The executed king’s son, Louis XVII, had died in prison in 1795.) However, the new king quickly became unpopular among his subjects, especially the peasants. They suspected him of wanting to undo the Revolution’s land reforms.

The news of Louis’s troubles was all the incentive Napoleon needed to try to regain power. He escaped from Elba and, on March 1, 1815, landed in France. Joyous crowds welcomed him on the march to Paris. And thousands of volunteers swelled the ranks of his army. Within days, Napoleon was again emperor of France.

After Napoleon’s escape from Elba, many Frenchmen rallied behind the emperor because they feared that ____________ would return lands to the nobility.

• Louis XVIII

• Alexander I

• Marie Louise

• Frederick William III