THE Napoleonic era it took place from 1799 to 1815. It begins with the “Birth of the 18th of Brumaire” and ends with the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo.
Napoleon came to power supported by the bourgeoisie and the army, as his government would be the guarantee of the continuation of the ideals of the French Revolution.
Content Index
- Background to the Napoleonic Era
- Phases of the Napoleonic Era
- 18 Brumário and Consulate coup
- Napoleonic Empire (1804-1815)
- One Hundred Days Government (1815)
- Congress of Vienna
Background to the Napoleonic Era
After the death of King Louis XVI (1754-1793), European nations feared that revolutionary ideals would spread.
To contain them, the First Coalition was formed in 1793, made up of Austria, Prussia, Holland, Spain and England against France.
In the midst of war, the Jacobins arrest Girondist leaders, promulgate the new Constitution of 1793, and begin the period known as Terror, with the suspension of individual rights and executions summaries.
Therefore, the situation in France still frightened the European leaders, who decided to form the Second Anti-French Coalition in 1798, formed by Great Britain, Austria and Russia. It is in this context that Napoleon Bonaparte is seen as a solution by the various sectors of the bourgeoisie.
Phases of the Napoleonic Era
For study purposes we can divide the Napoleonic Era into the following phases:
- Consulate (1799-1804)
- Napoleonic Empire (1804-1815)
- One Hundred Days Government (03/20/1815 to 07/08/1815)
18 Brumário and Consulate coup
The 18th Brumaire Coup of 1799 was planned by the abbot Sieyès (1748-1836) and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Napoleon deposed the Directory using a column of grenadiers and implemented the Consulate regime. Thus, three consuls concentrated power: Bonaparte, Sieyès and Ducos.
The trio coordinated the drafting of a new constitution that established Napoleon as first consul for a ten-year term. The Magna Carta still gave him dictator powers.
The dictatorial regime was used to defend France from external enemies. In this way, French banks opened a series of loans to support the wars that were being fought.
The National Society for the Promotion of Industry is created, which helped drive industrial development.
Concordat with the Vatican
One of Napoleon's most important acts as Consul was to resume dialogue with the Catholic Church, which had been broken off during the revolution.
After several weeks of negotiation, France signed a Concordat with the Vatican in 1801.
In this treaty, the Church renounced to claim the ecclesiastical properties that had been confiscated by the revolutionaries. On the other hand, the government would have the power to appoint bishops and the clergy would be paid by the state.
Napoleonic Empire (1804-1815)
With the support of French society, Napoleon promulgates in 1804 the Constitution of the year XII.
This provides for the replacement of the consular regime by the monarchy and inaugurates the French Empire. Bonaparte obtains approval of this Magna Carta in a plebiscite.
In 1804, Napoleon received the title of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. In order to inaugurate a new era, the ceremony took place in Paris, at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and not in Reims, where French monarchs were traditionally crowned.
The coronation took place in the midst of France's war against the Third Anti-French Coalition, formed in 1803 by Great Britain, Russia and Austria.
Napoleonic Civil Code
In 1804, the Napoleonic Civil Code was instituted, which institutionalized the transformations of the French Revolution.
With the new code, Napoleon guarantees the support of the bourgeoisie, the army and the peasants.
The Civil Code established equality before the law, guaranteed the right to property and ratified the agrarian reform that took place in the French Revolution.
It also ensured the separation of Church and State and eliminated feudal privileges.
Napoleonic Wars
The First Napoleonic War took place against the Second Coalition, formed in 1798 by Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Portugal, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Naples. Through diplomatic embarrassment, Russia left this coalition.
In 1800, France defeats Austria at the battle of Marengo and, in 1802, Great Britain and France sign the Peace of Amiens.
The war, however, led France to the financial crisis, which was alleviated with the creation of the Bank of France. The bank exercised control over the issuance of paper money, helping to reduce inflation.
France, with Spain as an ally, defeated the troops of Austria and Russia in the battles of Ulm and Austerlitz. At the Battle of Trafalgar by sea, however, French and Spanish troops were decimated by the British.
In 1806, Emperor Napoleon defeated the Holy Roman Empire and created the Confederation of the Rhine, which united most of the German states and proclaimed itself protector of this state.
Faced with this victory, Great Britain, Russia and Prussia form the Fourth Coalition.
This time, the Prussian army was quickly defeated at the Battle of Jena and the Russians in 1807 at the battles of Eylau and Friedland. As a result of these last battles, the Treaty of Tilsit was signed that same year, in which the Russians became allies of the French.
With the defeat of the Fourth Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte he becomes the great lord of Continental Europe.
To administer so many territories, some were given to their families. His brothers Joseph, Louis and Jerome, were crowned kings of Naples, Holland and Westphalia, respectively.
Already her sisters Elisa, Carolina and Pauline, reigned over territories in the Italian Peninsula.
Continental Lock
Napoleon's war victories on the European continent did not affect the foreign trade of England, which had an excellent fleet.
The English were concerned with commercial competition with France and with the possibility of expansion of the popular strata's uprising against the bourgeoisie.
France, in turn, needed to consolidate consumer markets in Europe under British rule. As a way to weaken Great Britain, Napoleon imposed the Continental Blockade, prohibiting European countries from buying British products.
The British squadron, however, manages to trade products with the American continent and prevented such deals with France.
The European countries, on the other hand, pressured to be able to export their primary products and obtain manufactured goods produced in England.
The situation culminated with the breaking of commercial agreements and, in 1809, the Fifth Coalition was formed, integrated by Great Britain and Austria.
The Russians also broke their agreement with France and were invaded, but the French army succumbed to winter. Of the 450,000 men who marched into Russia, 150,000 remained at the support base in Poland, but only 30,000 of those who invaded the country survived.
With the failure of the Napoleonic campaign in Russia, the Sixth Coalition was formed in 1813. They united against France: Prussia, Austria and Great Britain.
In March of that year, Napoleon Bonaparte is defeated at the Battle of Leipzig and a year later, the armies of the Sixth Coalition allies take Paris.
One Hundred Days Government (1815)
With the support of the thousand men who made up his personal guard, Napoleon Bonaparte leaves the Isle of Elba and advances towards Paris. The resistance was futile, as the battalion sent by Louis XVIII refused to imprison him.
With the support of soldiers, Napoleon takes Paris and starts the so-called Government of One Hundred Days. Already Louis XVIII (1755-1824), fled to Belgium.
white terror
The victorious nations meet at the Congress of Vienna to discuss what Europe would be like after the wars waged by Napoleon. This was sent to the Isle of Elba and King Louis XVIII returned to the throne.
The White Terror begins, where the aristocracy and the high clergy return to the political scene and take the opportunity to revenge themselves on the republicans.
The return of land confiscated by peasants during the Revolution is demanded. Therefore, riots, massacres and persecutions begin.
Battle of Waterloo
The news of Bonaparte's return drops like a bomb in Vienna. The Seventh Coalition is then formed and the armies face each other at the Battle of Waterloo, Belgium.
Defeated, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates the throne of France and is exiled to the island of Saint Helena, off the coast of Africa, and died in 1821.
Congress of Vienna
With the Battle of Waterloo, the Napoleonic Era comes to an end and the attempt to restore the Old Regime through the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815).
Congress instituted a policy of territorial compensation for the winning nations and the equivalence of forces among European nations.
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