-
Coup D’état
General Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup d’état in 1799, claiming power from the governing Directory of France and making himself first consul. This coup signaled the end of the French Revolution and the beginning of Napoleon's reign. -
Concordat
An agreement between Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII that reestablished the Roman Catholic Church in France. But it was under Napoleon's terms, showing that he thought of himself as powerful and important. -
Loss of American Territories
Napoleon sold Louisiana territory to Thomas Jefferson and the United States for $15 million. Napoleon wanted the money because his continued wars were becoming to expensive. America almost doubled in size as the result. -
Accomplishments of Napoleon
Napoleon was the first emperor of France and he accomplished a lot of things during his reign. He reinstated Roman Catholicism as the official religion of France, he introduced the Napoleonic Code, he also passed the first Constitution of France as the country's First Consul, and much more. -
Napoleon crowned as Emperor
Napoleon crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I at Notre Dame de Paris. During the coronation, he took the crown from Pope Pius VII and crowned himself. This showed that he thought he was much more powerful than the Pope an that the Pope didn't have the power to crown him. -
Napoleonic Code
A few years prior, General Napoleon Bonaparte, as the new dictator of France, began revising France’s outdated legal system.In March 1804, the Napoleonic Code was finally approved. It contained several branches of law, including commercial and criminal law. It made the authority of men over their families stronger, deprived women of any individual rights, and reduced the rights of illegitimate children.The laws were influential in several other European countries and in South America. -
Conquering of Europe
Nearly all of Europe fell under Napoleon's control, otherwise they were fighting against him. All of Europe was affected by him in one way or another. Napoleon's conquering, while it still brought on conflict, also spread the ideas of the French Revolution throughout Europe. -
Continental System
The blockade designed by Napoleon to paralyze Great Britain through the destruction of British trade. The decrees of Berlin and Milan proclaimed a blockade: neutrals and French allies were not to trade with the British. -
Invasion of Russia (scorched earth policy)
Napoleon and his Grand Army of more than 420,000 soldiers
marched into Russia. As Napoleon advanced, Alexander I pulled back his troops. The Russians used a scorched-earth policy. They burned grain fields and slaughtered livestock so there was nothing for the enemy to eat. -
The Hundred Days
Period between March 20, 1815, when Napoleon arrived in Paris after escaping from exile on Elba, and July 8, 1815, the date of the return of Louis XVIII to Paris. -
Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo is where Napoleon’s forces were defeated by the British and Prussians and it signaled the end of his reign and the end of France’s domination in Europe. After Waterloo, Napoleon later died in exile.
