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Italian Campaign
The Italian Campaigns lasted from 1796 until 1797. This was Napoleons first military campaign. He took over much of northern Italy for France. This was Napoleons first taste of governing. Since Napoleon overthrew northern Italy in the name of France while being able to experience a power position this event was a success for Napoleon and for France. (green) -
Egyptian Campaign
The Egyptian Campaign occurred in 1798. Napoleon was defeated by the British navy under Admiral Horatio Nelson. Admiral Horatio destroyed the French fleet at the battle of the Nile. Napoleon eventually abandoned his troops in Egypt, he returned to France and received an undeserving hero's welcome. Napoleon lied about his defeat in Egypt. The Egyptian Campaign was a success for Napoleon but it was a defeat for the French people. The French soldiers left behind suffered from the plague. (yellow) -
Consulate
The Consulate was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of Brumaire until the start of the Napoleonic Empire. The term "The Consulate" refers to this period of French history. The Consulate was a complete failure, so Napoleon took that as an opportunity to take over in a way. (yellow, good for Napoleon because it failed bad for the French people because it didn't work.) -
Banque de France
In 1800 Napoleon established the Banque de France. Napoleon didn't only just create a bank he redid the entire French economy. This is where Napoleon started to gain his reputation for not only being a great military leader but an amazing governor and political leader. (green) -
Concordat of 1801
The Concordat of 1812 sought after reconciliation between revolutionaries and Catholics and solidified the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France. But while it restored France's ties to the papacy, it was largely in favor of the state. This was both beneficial to Napoleon and the French people. (green) -
Consul for life
In August 1802 Napoleon proclaimed himself First Consul for Life. A new constitution of his own devising legislated a succession to rule for his son. He had taken the major steps in creating a new regime in his own image. There was no doubt that the Revolution was over. But there was no guarantee that the new order, resting in essence on the life of one man, would last any longer than its predecessor, nor that relations with the rest of Europe could be anything other than an armed truce. (green) -
Napoleonic Code
The Napoleonic Code was a civil law code. It made the authority of men over their families stronger, deprived women of any individual rights, and reduced the rights of illegitimate children. All male citizens were also granted equal rights under the law and the right to religious dissent, but colonial slavery was reintroduced. This was a success for Napoleon and male citizens of France but it was a major drawback for the women of France. (yellow) -
Declared Self Emperor
Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French at Notre-Dame de Paris in Paris. It marked "the instantiation of modern empire" and was a "transparently masterminded piece of modern propaganda." Napoleon wanted to establish the legitimacy of his imperial reign, with its new dynasty and new nobility. To this end, he designed a new coronation ceremony unlike that for the kings of France, which had emphasized the king's consecration and anointment. Napoleon crowned himself emperor. (green) -
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars. -
Continental System
The Continental System was the blockade designed by Napoleon to paralyze Great Britain through the destruction of British commerce. The decrees of Berlin and Milan proclaimed a blockade: neutrals and French allies were not to trade with the British. Although it stimulated manufacturing in some parts of France, the system damaged regions dependent on overseas commerce. Because the British had an overwhelming superiority at sea, enforcing the system proved disastrous for Napoleon. (red) -
Abolished Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire had survived over a thousand years when it was finally destroyed by Napoleon and the French in 1806. (green) -
Resistance in Spain
The Peninsular War was the military conflict fought by Spain and Portugal, assisted by the United Kingdom, against the invading forces of France for control of the Iberian Peninsula. The years of fighting in Spain were a heavy burden on France's army. While the French were victorious in battle, they were eventually defeated their communications and supplies were severely tested and their units were frequently isolated. (Yellow) -
Invasion of Russia
In the Invasion of Russia the French and Russians were fighting over the territory of Poland. Polish patriots wanted the Russian part of Poland to be joined with the Duchy of Warsaw and independent Poland reestablished. Napoleon and the French armies ended up defeating Russia. (green) -
Battle of Nations at Leipzig
In the 1813 Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of Nations, Napoleon’s army was defeated by a coalition that included Austrian, Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops. Afterward, Napoleon retreated to France. This resulted in the destruction of what was left of French power in Germany and Poland. (Red) -
Abdication
On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, then in his mid-40s, was forced to abdicate the throne. With the Treaty of Fontainebleau, he was exiled to Elba, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Italy. Less than a year later, on February 26, 1815, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland with a group of more than 1,000 supporters. On March 20, he returned to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. Then was later exiled again. (Yellow) -
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days War, also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from exile on the island of Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815. (Yellow) -
Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo, which took place in Belgium on June 18, 1815, marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon committed tactical errors and acted indecisively. He also was blamed for appointing inadequate commanders. Ultimately, the Battle of Waterloo marked the end of Napoleon’s storied military career. This battle was unsuccessful for Napoleon. (Red)
