Army And Conquest During The Consulate And Empire Flashcards

1
Q

What were pays réunis

A

Territories brought under French rule which bordered France and were viewed as being brought back under French control; in which French legislation and administration automatically applied.

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2
Q

Under Napoleon expansion, what was added to pays réunis?

A

Pays allies (allied satellite states) and pays conquis (conquered territories).

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3
Q

How many departments were there by 1810?

A

130 with a population of 44 million.

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4
Q

How did Napoleon view the empire?

A
  1. He wanted to provide the peoples of Europe with a ‘common fatherland’. Peoples from all backgrounds and languages would coexist with a shared view of law and judiciary.
  2. He also saw his Empire as spreading the enlightenment and helping to rid France of absolute rule, aristocratic privilege and feudal law.
  3. He believed he was offering an effective replacement for the decayed Holy Roman Empire, which ended in 1806 when he established the Confederation of the Rhine as this comprised territories, which had belonged to the Holy Roman Emperor.
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5
Q

How did Napoleon see himself?

A

Within a tradition of great emperors:

  1. Alexander the Great, who created the vast Ancient Macedonian Empire and was one of the Nine Worthies (legendary and ancient figures who had been held up as paragons of virtue and chivalry during the medieval and early modern periods).
  2. Justinian, who was the a Roman Emperor famed for his unified code of law.
  3. Julius Caesar and Charlemagne who brought civilised values to oppressed peoples (Charlemagne had united much of Europe)
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6
Q

How did Napoleons ideas reflect the running of the empire?

A

He behaved in a similar way to the royal families of Europe, by creating a dynasty and placing his own family and French marshals on the thrones of other conquered European nations rather than reforming the systems of government there. He even continued the tradition of diplomatic marriage alliances, by marrying himself to the Austrian princess Marie-Louise in 1810 when his union with Josephine had not produced an heir.

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7
Q

What opposition did France face in 1799?

A

In September (two months before the coup of Brumaire) the Russian army was defeated at Zurich and withdrew from the second coalition. Although this weakened the coalition, when Napoleon became First Consul, he was still facing the combined force of Austria, Prussia and Britain, among others.

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8
Q

What did Napoleon do against this opposition in 1799?

A

His first target was Austria. In 1800, Napoleon planned a surprise attack on Austrian forces south of the Alps, in Northern Italy.

  • May 1800 Napoleon led 50,000 men across the Great Saint-Bernard Pass through the Swiss Alps. The crossing took longer than planned and the Austrian forces were waiting.
  • June 1800 Austrians attacked the French forces at Marengo and the French force looked set to lose until the arrival of reserve troops enabled them to win.
  • November 1800 second army against the Austrians, travelling north of the Alps towards Vienna.
  • December 1800 victory for the French at Hohenlinden.
  • February 1801 Austria was forced to sign the Treaty of Lunéville. By this France was allowed to keep former gains (Belgium, the left bank of the Rhine and Northern Italy), as well as new lands in Tuscany, while Austria lost all lands in Italy except Venice and the Dalmatian coast.
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9
Q

What was the terms of the Peace of Amiens

A

Signed in 1802, France agreed to leave the United Provinces, Naples and the Papal States in return for British withdrawals:

  • Oversees territories taken by the British during the war, including several West Indian islands, were to be returned to France.
  • Minorca was to be returned to Spain and the Cape Colony on South Africa to the Dutch.
  • Egypt was returned to the Turks.
  • Malta returned to the knights of St John.
  • Britain would keep Sri Lanka (taken from Dutch) and Trinidad (from Spain)
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10
Q

How successful was the Peace of Amiens?

A

The Peace did not last and neither side fully honoured the terms; Napoleon stayed in the United Provinces and Britain stayed in Malta. In May 1803, Britain declared war again and Napoleon spent time planning an invasion of Britain.

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11
Q

How did Napoleon prepare to invade England after the fail of the Peace of Amiens?

A

Between 1803 and 1805, Napoleon amassed a force of 193,000 men and 9149 horses, which became known as the ‘Army of England’. This force camped along the Channel Coast where 2443 boats were built for the crossing.

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12
Q

Why was there no invasion of Britain?

A

As a successful operation would have required at least four days and therefore distracting the British Navy was necessary. In order to do this, Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve drew the British, under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson to the West Indies and back, but Napoleon had postponed his invasion to deal with the threat from Austria in August 1805. On 21 October, the 27 ships of the British fleet defeated the combined French and Spanish navies at the Battle of Trafalgar (off south-west Spain). This victory in which Britain lost no ships in comparison to the Franco-Spanish fleet’s loss of 22, confirmed British Naval superiority and, dashed Napoleons hopes of invading Britain.

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13
Q

What military campaigns showed Napoleon’s concentration of his forces against Austria and Russia?

A
  • October 1805 Napoleon surrounded and defeated the Austrians at Ulm on the River Danube, capturing more than 50,000 troops with minimal French losses.
  • November 1805 Napoleon entered Vienna unopposed.
  • December 1805 French armies defeat a much larger Austrian-Russian force (90,000 men to 68,000) French at Austerlitz. The subsequent Treaty of Pressburg ended Austria’s role in the coalition and transferred all of Austria’s Italian and German lands, in addition to Venice, Istria and Dalmatia to France. Loss in this battle also forced Russian forces to retreat.
  • July 1806 the Confederation of the Rhine was established to consolidate French control over western Germany after victories at Ulm and Austerlitz. Initially, the confederation comprised 16 states of varying sizes, including Bavaria and parts of the Holy Roman Empire; this had grown to 36 states in 1808. Most states took the Code Napoleon and all supplied troops for the army and embraced the continental system.
  • September 1806 this confederation provoked Prussia, who were already annoyed by French attempts to end trade with Britain, to join the coalition with Britain and Russia in September 1806.
  • October 1806 Prussian forces were crushed at Jena and Auerstadt and Napoleon entered Berlin.
  • February 1807 Prussian and Russian defeat at Eylau.
  • June 1807 Russian forces defeated at Friedland
  • June-July 1807 peace negotiations between France and Russia at Tilsit. Napoleon had agreed to meet Alexander I and Prussian representatives earlier the middle of the Nerman river which formed the border between Prussian and Russian territory in Poland. Two white tents were erected on a raft, featuring the imperial eagle and an N on the French side, with a A on the Russian side. Both leaders stayed at Tilsit and dined together each day.
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14
Q

What were the terms of the Treaty of Tilsit?

A

July 1807

  1. Prussia had to give up its share of Poland, from which the French created the grand Duchy of Warsaw.
  2. Lost territory which was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia.
  3. French army occupation until an indemnity of 120 million francs was paid.
  4. Russia agreed to join the continental system.
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15
Q

How strong was Napoleon by 1808?

A

Through military victories and successful peace negotiations, Napoleon had broken up the Third Coalition and occupied the historic capitals of Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw. By 1808, Napoleons empire was looking strong.

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16
Q

What happened between Napoleon and Italy by 1808?

A
  1. February 1808 Napoleon ordered the occupation of Rome.
  2. March 1808 diplomatic negotiations between the Papacy and France were broken when the Papal provinces of Ancona, Macerata, Fermo and Urbino were annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. This annexation strengthened Napoleons continental system and demonstrated the shift in power away from the papacy and to the Emperor.
  3. May 1809 Napoleon issued two decrees from the Schönrunn Palace, near Vienna which confirmed that all territories under the control of the Papal States were annexed to the French Empire. The Pope was given a pension of 2 million francs per annum in compensation, however he excommunicated Napoleon for his actions. As a result he was moved to Grenoble and then Savonna in the Ligurian Republic, where he was confined. He did not return to Rome until 1814.
17
Q

Why was Napoleon so successful?

A
  1. Napoleon’s armies
  2. Napoleon’s military leadership
  3. Weaknesses of France’s enemies
18
Q

How had Napoleon’s army changed?

A
  1. Experience and training - promotion by merit had increased the pool of skilled and talented officers. There was a greater emphasis on military training and study, which Napoleon embedded in his long-term planning by developing the lycées and military academies.
  2. Weaponry - a decade of war had also brought advances in weaponry, for example lighter field artillery. Lighter, more manageable cannon and better quality barrels and ammunition were used to good effect at Valmy in 1792. This also produced more aggressive battlefield tactics, so that artillery came to be a decisive and highly destructive force.
  3. Recruitment - from 1793 conscription, rather than volunteering, had been used which meant that France’s army reached an unprecedented size. French recruits were also imbued with revolutionary ideals which was harnessed by Napoleonic propaganda encouraging soldiers to fight for ‘liberty and equality’ and ‘La Patrie’. Carnot’s process of amalgame which had been instituted from 1793 ensured that fresh recruits fought alongside experienced soldiers.
  4. Organisation - Napoleon inherited military organisation by corps, which he had used to good effect as a general. In 1800, Napoleon permanently reorganised his army, creating the corps d’armée, smaller units which could advance by separate routes and then concentrate for battle. These corps lived off the land rather than waiting for baggage carts. This enabled them to be more flexible and manoeuvre able force.
19
Q

How was Napoleon in a unique position as a political and military leader?

A

Before assuming political power, Napoleon was a formidable general with considerable experience. From the early stages of his career he had also shown an interest in studying tactics and military matters. As both head of state and commander in chief, he had knowledge, resources and capabilities to support campaign. His position of absolute power meant he could draw on whatever resources he needed, including forced loans from satellite states.

20
Q

How did Napoleon’s personal involvement influence his success?

A

Napoleon used his experience to good effect, and took a personal role in devising well-planned strategies, which often surprised the enemy and could be used to divide enemy forces. This involvement did not stop at the planning stage, father Napoleon also directed battles once troops were engaged. As a result of this involvement, and his confidence, he was prepared to abandon pre-planned strategies and to improvise.

21
Q

How did Napoleon’s charisma influence his success?

A
  • Napoleon boosted morale by making troops feel valued. He addressed soldiers directly before and after battles and he reported their valour in his military bulletins.
  • soldiers were rewarded for their effort. Ordinary soldiers were given extra rations and the opportunity to plunder. More senior officers were given an honour or even land in some cases.
  • the enduring loyalty he inspired among soldiers can be seen in the Russian campaign of 1812 and during the Hundred Days.
22
Q

How did the weak personnel and tactics of France’s enemies lead to success?

A
  1. Generals of enemy armies had often been appointed as a result of their position rather than military experience.
  2. Commanders often fought using traditional methods: massed ranks (as opposed to corps) which moved across land slowly and were supported by long lines of supply wagons. During battle, they adopted static formations which were difficult to alter as battle situations developed.
  3. Armies were made up of conscripted soldiers who were not always committed to the cause they were fighting for.
  4. As these armies were often tricked into occupying weaker positions or fell victim to the use of French reserve troops and flexible battle tactics, their morale and confidence suffered.
23
Q

How did divisions in France’s enemy armies lead to success?

A

France’s enemies were never united in their fight against Napoleon. The various partners in the second and third coalitions fought for different purposes and Napoleon was able to exploit these differences. For example, in 1800, Napoleon capitalised on Russian and Prussian opposition to British interference with neutral shipping. He used this tension to encourage Tsar Paul I to create a League of Armed Neutrality against Britain. The League included Prussia, Russia, Sweden and Denmark and thereby turned some of Napoleon’s key opponents against their previous ally. In 1801, when Tsar Alexander I succeeded his father, after Paul’s assassination, this organisation rapidly collapsed. However it had served Napoleon’s purpose of dividing his enemies and removing most of his opposition on mainland Europe.