Chapter 11

Hundred Days

The brief period during 1815 when Napoleon made his last bid for power, deposing the French King and again becoming Emperor of France.

Coup

The violent overthrow of a government by a small group; a victorious accomplishment.

Battle of Waterloo (1815)

This was the battle that Napoleon lost after his return from Elba that ended his reign as French ruler.

Concert of Europe

A system in which Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain met periodically to discuss any problems affecting the peace in Europe; resulted from the post-Napoleon era Quadruple Alliance.

Neo-Gothicism

A Romantic art form. The most remarkable piece of work from this art form was the castle of Neuschwanstein. It focused on medieval art and nature.

Categorical Imperative

A concept developed by the philosopher Immanuel Kant as an ethical guideline for behavior. In deciding whether an action is right or wrong, or desirable or undesirable, a person should evaluate the action in terms of what would happen if everybody else in the same situation, or category, acted the same way.

Peninsula War (1808-1813)

A conflict, lasting from 1808 to 1813, in which Spanish Rebels, with the aid of British forces, fought to drive Napoleons French troops out of Spain.

Plebiscite

A direct vote in which a country's people have the opportunity to approve or reject a proposal.

Guerillas

A member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces.

Romanticism

A movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.

Whiff of Grapeshot

A phrase said by Napoleon after he defeated revolts of the French people in Paris in October 1795. The revolts were intended to bring down the Directory that came to power after the execution of Robespierre. As a result of his defense of Paris he is named General and given command of the armies in Egypt.

Islam

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Paradise and Hell, and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

Methodism

A religion founded by John Wesley. Insisted strict self-discipline and a methodical approach to religious study and observance. Emphasized an intense personal salvation and a life of thrift, abstinence, and hard work.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country.

Coup D'etat

A sudden overthrow of the government by a small group.

St. Helena

After the Battle of Waterloo, the island off the coast of Africa where Napoleon was exiled to a final time.

Holy Alliance

Alliance among Russia, Prussia, and Austria in defense of religion and the established order; formed at Congress of Vienna by most conservative monarchies of Europe.

Battle of Leipzig (1813)

Also known as the Battle of the Nations; in October 1813, the combined armies of the fourth coaliton decisively defeated Napoleon and the French army. This battle led to Napoleon's exile.

Battle of Austerlitz (1805)

Also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, it was Napoleon's greatest victory. After 9 hours of fighting, France won the battle, defeating the Third Coalition, led by Alexander I of Russia and Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire. After this huge win in the Austrian Empire, the combatants agreed to the Treaty of Pressburg, which took Austria out of the war, dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, and created the Confederation of the Rhine.

Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

An 1805 naval battle in which Napoleon's forces were defeated by a British fleet under the command of Horatio Nelson.

Klemens von Metternich (1773-1859)

Austrian foreign minister whose primary goals were to bolster the legitimacy of monarchies and, after the defeat of Napoleon, to prevent another large-scale war in Europe. At the Congress of Vienna, he opposed social and political change and wanted to check Russian and French expansion.

Horatio Nelson

British navy commander who defeated Napoleon in Egypt (The Battles of the Nile) and Trafalgar; naval supremacy saved Britain from the invasion and shattered Napoleon's dreams of an overseas empire.

Congress of Vienna

Following Napoleon's exile, this meeting of European rulers in Austria established a system by which the balance of power would be maintained, liberal revolutions would be repressed, as would imperial expansion, and the creation of new countries in Europe.

Consulate

Form of government which followed the directory -established by Napoleon-ended when Napoleon was crowned emperor.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

French Emperor who waged a series of wars against his neighbors on the European continent from 1800 until his final defeat at Waterloo in 1815. In 1803, having failed to put down the Haitian rebellion, he relinquished France's remaining North American possessions by selling Louisiana Territory to the United States.

Lycees

French government-run public schools.

Strum und Drang

Literally storm and stress, the German early romantics of the 1770s and 1780s who lived lives of tremendous, madness, and strange illness were common.

Contential System

Napoleon created Europe wide boycott of British goods that was put into places under European control. This was an attempt to hurt the British economy, this failed and ended up hurting France as smugglers brought in British goods.

Battle of Borodino (1812)

Napoleon experienced defeat at the hands of the Russians when forced to retreat from Moscow in the winter; returned home with 30,000 of original 500,000.

Sublime

Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe

Tsar Alexander I

Ruled Russia during Napoleonic Wars and wanted peace after Napoleon's armied continued winning victories. The young tsar and Napoleon negotiated and he ended up accepting Napoleon's reorganization of Western and Central Europe and promised to enforce Napoleon's economic blockade against British goods.

Legitimacy In Regards To The Royal Family

The idea that after the Napoleonic wars, peace could best be reestablished in Europe by restoring legitimate monarchs who would preserve traditional institutions; guided Metternich at the Congress of Vienna.

Concordat

The peace agreement made between Napoleon and the Pope following the chaos of the French Revolution.

Scorched Earth Policy

The practice of burning crops and killing livestock during wartime so that the enemy cannot live off the land.

Blockade

The use of troops or ships to prevent commercial traffic from entering or leaving a city or region.

Elba

This island in the Mediterranean Sea off of Italy where Napoleon was initially exiled after he abdicated the throne for the first time. He promised to never leave, but does so and regains power in France for a short period called the Hundred Days.

Napoleonic Code

This was the civil code put out by Napoleon that granted equality of all male citizens before the law and granted absolute security of wealth and private property. Napoleon also secured this by creating the Bank of France which loyally served the interests of both the state and the financial oligarchy.

Haitian Revolution

Toussaint l'Ouverture led this uprising, which in 1790 resulted in the successful overthrow of French colonial rule on this Caribbean island. This revolution set up the first black government in the Western Hemisphere and the world's second democratic republic (after the US). The US was reluctant to give full support to this republic led by former slaves.

Toussaint L'Ouverture

Was an important leader of the Haïtian Revolution and the first leader of a free Haiti; in a long struggle again the institution of slavery, he led the blacks to victory over the whites and free coloreds and secured native control over the colony in 1797, calling himself a dictator.