chapter 17 questions
How did the Russian campaign contribute to Napoleon's downfall?
lots of his soldiers died and was drafting more and more to fight the russians.
What were Napoleon's principal domestic accomplishments from 1799 to 1804?
As First Consul, Napoleon began a program to consolidate his power. He ended the current rift between France and the Church by instituting the Concordat of 1801. France was then involved in several wars. In 1802, Napoleon signed the Peace of Amiens, a temporary peace with the British. In order to be able to concentrate solely on his European affairs, he sold France's Louisiana territory to the U.S. in 1803. And in 1804, he set the foundation for much of Europe's legal system by establishing the Napoleonic Code. In 1804, Napoleon did away with the Consulate and crowned himself Emperor in an extravagant coronation ceremony.
Why did Britain's economy outperform other European countries' economies during the Napoleonic age?
Despite Napoleon's attempt to blockade the Continent to British commerce, British merchants still found many European ports they could enter. The supple and sophisticated system of banking and credit in Britain handled the stresses of the wars better than its continental counterparts.
What were the principal elements of the agreement reached at the Congress of Vienna?
It was held from September of 1814 to June of 1815. After the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte, this international conference was called to create a balance among the European powers in such a way so as to prevent future wars and maintain peace and stability on the European continent.
Downfall of Napoleon
-lost popularity by drafting soldiers and raising taxes -underestimated the power of nationalism -continental system weakened French economy -invasion of Russia cost him most of his army
During his first five years in power, how did Napoleon restore French influence and prestige in Europe?
He centralized the government; instituted reforms in such areas as banking and education; supported science and the arts; and sought to improve relations between his regime and the pope (who represented France's main religion, Catholicism), which had suffered during the revolution. One of his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code, which streamlined the French legal system and continues to form the foundation of French civil law to this day.
In what ways did European society become more militarized during the Napoleonic age?
Napoleon did not set out to militarize his new imperial society, but a good deal of militarization took place none the less, in keeping with the overall ethos of regimentation and control. Military uniforms proliferated far away from the battlefield, becoming required dress in many government ministries. Schools took on a military cast as well, as students in new elite lycées (high schools) were formed into battalions of cadets and trained for the wars. Napoleon created a new "Legion of Honor" to reward citizens who had shown particular merit, and he promised at the outset that it would be open to men (not women) from all walks of life. But over 95 percent of those named to it during his reign came from the armies.
What provoked resistance to French rule in Italy and Spain?
The real cause of the Peninsular War was opposition to Napoleon, his tyranny and the Continental System Napoleon imposed on lands he conquered. In the case of the Spanish, the French were not supported by religious authorities. The Spanish people hated the French, and both sides committed atrocities with hit & run tactics, raids, ambushes and multiple smaller actions.
