CHAPTER 1 - Nationalism in Europe (HISTORY SOCIAL SCIENCE CLASS 10)

 RAISE AND FALL OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

How did Napoleon raise to power?

Outmanoeuvring the government and supported by his army he collaborated in a coup d'état to overthrow the Directory and establish the Consulate. By 1800 Napoleon had become the First Consul of France, and was now in a position of total power.

What was the reaction of people in areas conquered by napoleon in Europe?

However, in the areas conquered, the reactions of the local populations to French rule were mixed. Initially, in many places such as Holland and Switzerland, as well as in certain cities like Brussels, Mainz, Milan and Warsaw, the French armies were welcomed as harbingers of liberty. But the initial enthusiasm soon turned to hostility, as it became clear that the new administrative arrangements did not go hand in hand with political freedom. Increased taxation, censorship, forced conscription into the French armies required to conquer the rest of Europe, all seemed to outweigh the advantages of the administrative changes. 

What was the Napoleonic code?

Napoleon destroyed democracy by introducing the civil code of 1804 which died away with all privileges based on birth. It established equality before law and secured the right to property. He simplified administrative divisions abolished the feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues. Manorial dues refers to the fees the peasants owe to the nobles who are landlords. Serfs were essentially property of manors. A serf is a person in a condition of feudal servitude. He is required to render services to lord commonly attached to the lord’s land and transferred with it from one owner to the other. Serfdom is a condition of debt bondage and indented servitude. It is contract to work without a salary to repay an indenture or loan with a certain timeframe.

Impact of Napoleonic reform on the rest of the Europe.

Peasants, artisans, workers and new business men enjoyed a new found freedom. Businessmen and small scale producers of goods in particular began to realise that uniform laws, standardised weighs and measures and a common national currency would facilitate the movement and exchange of goods and capital from one region to another. Transport and communication system also improved.

The fall of Napoleon in 1815.

The events that led to Napoleon's fall were generally related to his expanding France aggressively. This led to his disastrous invasion of Russia and his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on 18 June 1815 between Napoleon's French Army and a coalition led by the Duke of Wellington and Marshal Blücher. The decisive battle of its age, it concluded a war that had raged for 23 years, ended French attempts to dominate Europe, and destroyed Napoleon's imperial power forever.