By the Spring of 1802 after a decade of war there was finally peace throughout Europe. Napoleon returned to France as a conquering hero, loved by the politicians and the people. As the 1st Council he was enacted dictator for life and had complete control of the French government. During this brief period of peace Napoleon upgraded his infrastructure with a stronger economy and education system. He built new monuments throughout Paris, such as the glorious Arc de Triumphe, a homage to his soldiers. However it would not take long for the British to redirect their frustrations with Napoleon's radical empire. By 1805 there was war once again through Europe.
Napoleon Crowned Emperor
Napoleon was as effective of a political leader as he was a military leader. He lived in Paris at the Tuilerres Palace, where he administered his dictatorship. He was extremely popular among the people and he exiled the few leaders who were against him. He rebuilt relations with the Catholic Church and Notre Dame was once again open for normal services. He revitalized the economy thru nationalized institutions and new banking policies. In 1803 he sold the Louisiana territory to the United States, which helped pay off some of their war debts.
As popular as he was there was still threats of insurgency and assassination attempts. One of his major threats was from his former general Jean Moreau, who was later discovered and exiled from France. Seeking to expand his title, Napoleon decided to declare himself emperor with the public's support. The Consulate was thus replaced by a French Empire, in the likes of the Roman Empire. On the 2nd of December, 1804 Napoleon crowned himself and his wife Josephine at the Notre Dame cathedral.
During this period Napoleon began an aggressive campaign to beautify the city of Paris. He commissioned major monuments throughout the city such as the Arc de Triumphe, the Arc de Triumphe de Carrousel, a Column in the Palace Vendome, the Church of La Madeleine (structured as a Roman temple). He also built new fountains, bridges, parks, and improved the water system and general cleanness of the city. The city of Paris continued to grow in population and become one of the centers in Europe for fashion, art, and culture.
War of the Third Coalition
Despite the short period of peace the tension between France and Great Britain was still at a high and by 1803 they returned to war. Britain was able to form a 3rd coalition with the alliance of the Russian Empire and the Austrians.At this point Napoleon desired to invade Great Britain for the first time. He gathered 180,000 troops at the city of Boulogne and with the aid of the Spanish Navy he prepared his initial assault. However the British Navy commanded by Horatio Nelson maintained control of the English Sea and delivered a decisive defeat to the French at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was killed during the battle however the English were able to maintain control of the seas, which point a foil to Napoleon's plan to invade.
Napoleon then directed his attention towards the invading Austrian and Russian armies in Bavaria. He left a few soldiers stationed at Boulogne as a decoy and began a rapid campaign thru the Alps to meet the invading coalition forces. It was at the Battle of Austerlitz, often considered his greatest tactical victory, where he was able to crush the Austrian armies. The Russians were forced to retreat and Austria was forced to withdraw from the war. Napoleon was able to secure his territory in Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Northern Italy. As a result of Napoleon's victories, in 1806 the mighty Holy Roman Empire was forced to dissolve. It was divided into an Austrian Empire and states of the Rhineland.
War of the Fourth Coalition
Within months of the collapse of the Third Coalition, a Fourth Coalition was formed in September of 1806 consisting of Britain, Prussia, and Russia. Napoleon held his position at the Rhineland and faced the Prussian armies with great swiftness. He defeated them in simultaneous victories at the Battle of Jena and the Battle of Auerstedt. By October of 1806 he occupied the city of Berlin. Napoleon then focused on the Russian forces in Polish territories driving them back thru a series of sieges. At the Battle of Friedland in the northern region of Prussia, the Russians were decisively defeated and forced to withdraw from the war. By the summer of 1807 the 4th Coalition had come to an end and Napoleon was able to return to Paris to reorganize his empire.
War of the Fifth Coalition
In 1807 France invaded Portugal to control the Iberian Peninsula and later turned on their allies Spain. This led to the on start of the Peninsula War in 1808 which would drag on for the next six years. During this time the Spanish people began to rise up against the French occupation and formed an alliance with Portugal and Britain to repel their invaders. The war would become a major turning point in Napoleon's conquest as his armies were soon stretched on multiple fronts and engagements.
By 1809 the Austrian Empire returned to the battlefront by forming a 5th Coalition with Britain. The British won a series of naval victories while the Austrians won numerous land victories including at the Battle of Aspern-Essling (which was the 1st time Napoleon had been defeated in over a decade). He however regained control of the territory with his decisive victory at the Battle of Wagram. This forced the Treaty of Schonbrunn which ultimately made Austria an ally state of France. To further this new relation, Napoleon divorced his wife Josephine who was unable to bare children, and married the 18 year old Austrian princess, Marie Louise. She gave birth to his only son, Napoleon II, who was referred to as the King of Rome.
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Invasion of Russia
Napoleon spent some time back in Paris restrengthening his domestic affairs. At this time his brother Jerome was king of Westphalia and his brother Joseph was King of Spain. The Peninsula War was still ongoing while Britain became engaged with the United States of America in 1812. Napoleon then directed his attention towards the Russian Empire after discovering that they intended to invade France. Despite advice not to invade, he strengthened his army and set off with a force of 680,000. His hope was that he could liberate Poland and intimidate Tsar Alexander in breaking off ties with the British.
The campaign was a series of very long marches through the vast Russian frontiers. On August 12th of 1812 they finally had a major confrontation at the Battle of Smolensk, It was a tactical victory for Napoleon however the Russian armies retreated further into their country. While the French pursued the Russians, the Russians burnt all their villages and crops along their way to disallow the French to live off their land. This unique tactic became the slow downfall of the French Army as they grew tired, cold, and hungry.
However on September 7th of 1812 Napoleon had another major tactical victory at the Battle of Borodino. This was the bloodiest battle in the wars, causing over 70,000 causalities on both sides. As a result Napoleon was able to capture Moscow, however he was still unable to force a treaty as the Russians continued to retreat eastward into their vast country. Once again in a shocking tactic of self-destruction the Russians ordered that their capital city of Moscow be evacuated and burnt so the French could not occupy it. At this point Napoleon decided it was pointless to further the chase with the oncoming winter and thus withdrew from his invasion.
The long march back to France continued to decimate the weakening French soldiers. Nearly 10,000 soldiers died on this retreat from starvation and freezing to death The Russian armies took advantage of the French retreat at the Battle of Berezina, causing further French death and defeat. However Napoleon was able to escape with his remaining army. By the time he returned to France he was left with only 40,000 soldiers. His campaign in Russia was a total failure and yet another factor in the inevitable decline of the French Empire.
War of the Sixth Coalition
Following Napoleon's disastrous defeat the whole of Europe was revitalized at their enemy's loss. By 1813 the Sixth Coalition marked the largest coalition yet against France, consisting of Great Britain, the Russian Empire, the Austrian Empire, Prussia, Sweden, the Rhineland, the Spanish Empire, and Portugal. Napoleon was able to quickly rebuild his army and won early victories in Germany at the Battle of Lutzen and Bautzen.
Meanwhile during this time the Peninsula War had intensified as British commander, Arthur Wellesley (The Duke of Ellington) captured and liberated numerous French fortifications throughout Spain. By June of 1813 with the help of their British allies, the Spanish people were able to defeat the French occupation at the Battle of Vitoria. Napoleon's brother, Joseph, was forced to leave his post and the French loss all their territory in Spain. This marked an end to the Peninsula War.
Things only got worse for Napoleon in central Europe as his enemies continued to grow in force. The Russians, Austrians, Prussians, and Swedish had amassed a great army unlike that was seen before. Napoleon achieved some initiative with his victory at the Battle of Dresden however this was only short lived. On October 16th of 1813 the French and Coalition faced off in Saxony with a total of 600,000 soldiers. The Battle of Leipzig, was the ultimate battle of nations, the largest battle in world history at it's time. It was here that Napoleon's downfall began. With this victory the Coalition was able to reclaim their territory in Rhineland and throughout Central Europe. Napoleon was forced to retreat to Paris.
However the Coalition pursed the French and began their invasion of France in Feb of 1814. Napoleon's was able to mount a resistance in a series of defensive victories known as his Six Day Campaign. However he was unable to amass more than 40,000 soldiers at this time and ultimately ran out of man power to face the persisting Coalition forces. On April 6th he was forced to abdicate his throne, bringing an end to the French Empire. Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba and the French monarchy was restored. King Louis XVIII of the Bourbon dynasty returned to the throne.
War of the Seventh Coalition
During his brief exile on the island of Elba, Napoleon overcame depression and was able to amass a small army on the island. He escaped his exile and returned to Paris to reclaim his empire. The public instantly supported their fallen emperor and ousted King Louis XVIII. In about 100 days Napoleon reestablished his French empire and built an army of 200,000. In response the Seventh Coalition was quickly formed to bring a stop to Napoleon's reemergence to power. This final alliance against Napoleon united most of Europe.
In hopes to get an early jump on the Coalition, Napoleon planned a preemptive strike in the region of Belgium. He was able to drive out the Prussians from the region and achieved a solid victory at the Battle of Ligny. Meanwhile his 2nd in command, Michel Ney, was able to block the British armies under the Duke of Wellington from aiding their Prussian allies. Both the British and Prussian armies were forced to retreat, and united outside of Brussels in the village of Waterloo. This was something Napoleon had planned against and would lead to his final defeat on June 18th of 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. His army was surrounded by the British forces of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Armies. Napoleon was forced to surrender and once again abdicate his throne.
Napoleon's Final Exile
By July 7th of 1815 the Coalition forces had reentered Paris, brought a 2nd end to the French Empire, and once again restored King Louis XVIII to the French monarchy. Napoleon was once again exiled, this time to the even more remote island of Saint Helena, in the far off Atlantic Ocean. It was believed here that the conditions were harsh and Napoleon spent his final years in growing despair. He was under tight surveillance by the British empire and the thoughts of escape were practically a fantasy. He died in 1821 at the young age of 51, the cause of death being a stomach cancer. Twenty years later his body was returned to France and buried in the Les Invalides military complex in Paris.
With the death of Napoleon this marked an end to pivotal revolution France had caused the past 30 years throughout Europe. The world was forever changed by enlightened ideas, constitutional governments, nationalized people, and the emergence of total warfare. Napoleon's impact on history can be debated as one of selfish tyranny or sheer glorious commanding. He was perhaps one of the last great conquerors in history in the likes of Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar. He was a romantic hero and the crowning jewel of the French Revolution.
Napoleon Crowned Emperor
As popular as he was there was still threats of insurgency and assassination attempts. One of his major threats was from his former general Jean Moreau, who was later discovered and exiled from France. Seeking to expand his title, Napoleon decided to declare himself emperor with the public's support. The Consulate was thus replaced by a French Empire, in the likes of the Roman Empire. On the 2nd of December, 1804 Napoleon crowned himself and his wife Josephine at the Notre Dame cathedral.
During this period Napoleon began an aggressive campaign to beautify the city of Paris. He commissioned major monuments throughout the city such as the Arc de Triumphe, the Arc de Triumphe de Carrousel, a Column in the Palace Vendome, the Church of La Madeleine (structured as a Roman temple). He also built new fountains, bridges, parks, and improved the water system and general cleanness of the city. The city of Paris continued to grow in population and become one of the centers in Europe for fashion, art, and culture.
War of the Third Coalition
Despite the short period of peace the tension between France and Great Britain was still at a high and by 1803 they returned to war. Britain was able to form a 3rd coalition with the alliance of the Russian Empire and the Austrians.At this point Napoleon desired to invade Great Britain for the first time. He gathered 180,000 troops at the city of Boulogne and with the aid of the Spanish Navy he prepared his initial assault. However the British Navy commanded by Horatio Nelson maintained control of the English Sea and delivered a decisive defeat to the French at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson was killed during the battle however the English were able to maintain control of the seas, which point a foil to Napoleon's plan to invade.Napoleon then directed his attention towards the invading Austrian and Russian armies in Bavaria. He left a few soldiers stationed at Boulogne as a decoy and began a rapid campaign thru the Alps to meet the invading coalition forces. It was at the Battle of Austerlitz, often considered his greatest tactical victory, where he was able to crush the Austrian armies. The Russians were forced to retreat and Austria was forced to withdraw from the war. Napoleon was able to secure his territory in Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Northern Italy. As a result of Napoleon's victories, in 1806 the mighty Holy Roman Empire was forced to dissolve. It was divided into an Austrian Empire and states of the Rhineland.
War of the Fourth Coalition
Within months of the collapse of the Third Coalition, a Fourth Coalition was formed in September of 1806 consisting of Britain, Prussia, and Russia. Napoleon held his position at the Rhineland and faced the Prussian armies with great swiftness. He defeated them in simultaneous victories at the Battle of Jena and the Battle of Auerstedt. By October of 1806 he occupied the city of Berlin. Napoleon then focused on the Russian forces in Polish territories driving them back thru a series of sieges. At the Battle of Friedland in the northern region of Prussia, the Russians were decisively defeated and forced to withdraw from the war. By the summer of 1807 the 4th Coalition had come to an end and Napoleon was able to return to Paris to reorganize his empire.
War of the Fifth Coalition
In 1807 France invaded Portugal to control the Iberian Peninsula and later turned on their allies Spain. This led to the on start of the Peninsula War in 1808 which would drag on for the next six years. During this time the Spanish people began to rise up against the French occupation and formed an alliance with Portugal and Britain to repel their invaders. The war would become a major turning point in Napoleon's conquest as his armies were soon stretched on multiple fronts and engagements.By 1809 the Austrian Empire returned to the battlefront by forming a 5th Coalition with Britain. The British won a series of naval victories while the Austrians won numerous land victories including at the Battle of Aspern-Essling (which was the 1st time Napoleon had been defeated in over a decade). He however regained control of the territory with his decisive victory at the Battle of Wagram. This forced the Treaty of Schonbrunn which ultimately made Austria an ally state of France. To further this new relation, Napoleon divorced his wife Josephine who was unable to bare children, and married the 18 year old Austrian princess, Marie Louise. She gave birth to his only son, Napoleon II, who was referred to as the King of Rome.
.
Invasion of Russia
Napoleon spent some time back in Paris restrengthening his domestic affairs. At this time his brother Jerome was king of Westphalia and his brother Joseph was King of Spain. The Peninsula War was still ongoing while Britain became engaged with the United States of America in 1812. Napoleon then directed his attention towards the Russian Empire after discovering that they intended to invade France. Despite advice not to invade, he strengthened his army and set off with a force of 680,000. His hope was that he could liberate Poland and intimidate Tsar Alexander in breaking off ties with the British.The campaign was a series of very long marches through the vast Russian frontiers. On August 12th of 1812 they finally had a major confrontation at the Battle of Smolensk, It was a tactical victory for Napoleon however the Russian armies retreated further into their country. While the French pursued the Russians, the Russians burnt all their villages and crops along their way to disallow the French to live off their land. This unique tactic became the slow downfall of the French Army as they grew tired, cold, and hungry.
However on September 7th of 1812 Napoleon had another major tactical victory at the Battle of Borodino. This was the bloodiest battle in the wars, causing over 70,000 causalities on both sides. As a result Napoleon was able to capture Moscow, however he was still unable to force a treaty as the Russians continued to retreat eastward into their vast country. Once again in a shocking tactic of self-destruction the Russians ordered that their capital city of Moscow be evacuated and burnt so the French could not occupy it. At this point Napoleon decided it was pointless to further the chase with the oncoming winter and thus withdrew from his invasion.The long march back to France continued to decimate the weakening French soldiers. Nearly 10,000 soldiers died on this retreat from starvation and freezing to death The Russian armies took advantage of the French retreat at the Battle of Berezina, causing further French death and defeat. However Napoleon was able to escape with his remaining army. By the time he returned to France he was left with only 40,000 soldiers. His campaign in Russia was a total failure and yet another factor in the inevitable decline of the French Empire.
War of the Sixth Coalition
Following Napoleon's disastrous defeat the whole of Europe was revitalized at their enemy's loss. By 1813 the Sixth Coalition marked the largest coalition yet against France, consisting of Great Britain, the Russian Empire, the Austrian Empire, Prussia, Sweden, the Rhineland, the Spanish Empire, and Portugal. Napoleon was able to quickly rebuild his army and won early victories in Germany at the Battle of Lutzen and Bautzen.Meanwhile during this time the Peninsula War had intensified as British commander, Arthur Wellesley (The Duke of Ellington) captured and liberated numerous French fortifications throughout Spain. By June of 1813 with the help of their British allies, the Spanish people were able to defeat the French occupation at the Battle of Vitoria. Napoleon's brother, Joseph, was forced to leave his post and the French loss all their territory in Spain. This marked an end to the Peninsula War.
However the Coalition pursed the French and began their invasion of France in Feb of 1814. Napoleon's was able to mount a resistance in a series of defensive victories known as his Six Day Campaign. However he was unable to amass more than 40,000 soldiers at this time and ultimately ran out of man power to face the persisting Coalition forces. On April 6th he was forced to abdicate his throne, bringing an end to the French Empire. Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba and the French monarchy was restored. King Louis XVIII of the Bourbon dynasty returned to the throne.
War of the Seventh Coalition
In hopes to get an early jump on the Coalition, Napoleon planned a preemptive strike in the region of Belgium. He was able to drive out the Prussians from the region and achieved a solid victory at the Battle of Ligny. Meanwhile his 2nd in command, Michel Ney, was able to block the British armies under the Duke of Wellington from aiding their Prussian allies. Both the British and Prussian armies were forced to retreat, and united outside of Brussels in the village of Waterloo. This was something Napoleon had planned against and would lead to his final defeat on June 18th of 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. His army was surrounded by the British forces of the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian Armies. Napoleon was forced to surrender and once again abdicate his throne.
Napoleon's Final Exile
By July 7th of 1815 the Coalition forces had reentered Paris, brought a 2nd end to the French Empire, and once again restored King Louis XVIII to the French monarchy. Napoleon was once again exiled, this time to the even more remote island of Saint Helena, in the far off Atlantic Ocean. It was believed here that the conditions were harsh and Napoleon spent his final years in growing despair. He was under tight surveillance by the British empire and the thoughts of escape were practically a fantasy. He died in 1821 at the young age of 51, the cause of death being a stomach cancer. Twenty years later his body was returned to France and buried in the Les Invalides military complex in Paris.With the death of Napoleon this marked an end to pivotal revolution France had caused the past 30 years throughout Europe. The world was forever changed by enlightened ideas, constitutional governments, nationalized people, and the emergence of total warfare. Napoleon's impact on history can be debated as one of selfish tyranny or sheer glorious commanding. He was perhaps one of the last great conquerors in history in the likes of Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar. He was a romantic hero and the crowning jewel of the French Revolution.
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