NAPOLEON AND CO

Following the Seven Year’s War France was awash with dissent, the monarchy, aristocracy and Church decadent and fanning hatred. Louis XVI – who married Marie Antoinette in 1770 – took the throne in 1774, finding his country bankrupt.
He summoned the States-General (legislative council) to find answers to the problems, but his refusal to agree major reforms led them to form a national assembly. This middleclass authority – an authority that was at the heart of the new Europe now emerging – incited the peasants further, who revolted against the whole system.

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

The storming of the Bastille symbolised the French Revolution, making it impossible for Louis to reassert authority, and his continued opposition led to the abolition of the monarchy in 1792. He and his wife went to the guillotine soon afterwards.
The French Revolution was under way and power soon passed to a Committee of Public Safety under Robespierre. Middleclass authority at its worse, the Reign of Terror followed, aristocrats by the thousand being executed, but by 1794 the moderate elements of the Committee ordered the execution of Robespierre himself.
The year 1795 saw control fall into the hands of the Directory and a Republic was constituted. However, in 1799 an up and coming army officer overthrew the Directory and seized power. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

The late 18th century was a time of upheaval throughout Europe due to the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment a rejection of the old authority of religion and aristocracy; in its simplest form a resurgence of the Humanist spirit, this time fuelled by middleclass enquiry of a world released from God-centred dogma.
The French Revolution, politically inspired by the American War of Independence, was a natural consequence of this state of mind and, as well as the internal revolution, French armies carried on the battle outside France.
Born in 1769 and made Lt Colonel by 1793, Napoleon thrived in this army, becoming popular and being able to act independently of the Directory. Following his successful Egyptian Campaign he returned to France, overthrew the Directory and declared himself First Consul.
Ending weak rule, and with the backing of the people, he began a series of campaigns, declaring himself emperor in 1804. However, prior to his long line of victorious campaigns, he was to suffer his first major blow when his plans for an invasion of Britain were ruined by Nelson with the destruction of the French fleet at Trafalgar in 1805.
The French navy never recovered, with Napoleon losing all power over the seas, forcing him into a land-locked strategy; a factor that would lead to his defeat.

NAPOLEONIC WARS

However, in the same year he violated the neutrality of Prussia and overwhelmed the Austrians, marching into Vienna and beating the Austrians and Russians at Austerlitz. He dealt another blow to Prussia at Jena (1806) and on the Russians at Friedland (1807). The Napoleonic empire came into being.
In 1808 he invaded Spain, driving a British army to the sea at Corunna, beginning the Peninsula War with Britain. Renewed hostilities by Austria in 1809 resulted in another defeat for them at Wagram.
Napoleon appeared untouchable. He annexed territories in the borders of France, and Switzerland came under French protection. He created kingdoms ruled by members of his own family. Only the much reduced nations of Prussia and Austria remained free in continental Europe, with Russia behind them.
However, he was now at the height of his career and decline began as the Peninsula War gained momentum with the landing, in 1809, of a British army under Wellington in Portugal. Slowly he fought his way through Spain and broke into southern France in 1813.
Further ambition led Napoleon to embark on his ill fated invasion of Russia in 1812. His defeat in this campaign led the three eastern powers to ally themselves and deal a crushing blow over the French at Leipzig in 1813, forcing Napoleon across the Rhine. The allies then went on to invade France itself, forcing Napoleonic abdication in 1814.
Napoleon was exiled to Elba. However, in 1815 he escaped to France, rallying his former army. Britain and Prussia immediately declared war on him and his 100 Day Rule came to a decisive end at Wellington and Blucher’s victory at Waterloo. Napoleon was exiled to St Helena where he died in 1821.

© Anthony North, December 2007

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