Chapter 15 - Military Campaigns And Expansion Abroad Flashcards
Where was Napoleon born?
Corsica
What was N’s education?
College d’Autun - learned French
Military college of Brienne - 5 years
Ecole Militaire in Paris - 1 year
What was his early career?
2nd lieutenant of artillery
Jacobin Club
NG in Corsica
1793 - helped drive British from Toulon
Major -> Adjutant general -> Brigadier general (only 24 atp)
Why was N career briefly threatened?
Robespierre’s fall - he made N Commandant of the French army in Italy
As N was close friends with R’s bro - spent time in gaol - spared guillotine
How did N redeem himself?
Helped in the Vendemaire rising
(shooting at royalists in Paris)
This made him Commander of the army of the interior + could advise Directory
What was he also made Mar 1796?
Commander-in-chief of the army of Italy
Who did he marry?
Josephine
Who was in charge of the campaign against Austria in 1796?
General Hoche
What was N’s objective in the Italian campaign?
To hold back the Austrians in Italy as a diversion
What did N do to transform the French army of Italy?
Troops paid in silver (not paper money)
Fed them
Where did he get victories?
The Montenotte campaign
What happened Apr 1796?
Piedmont-Sardinia withdrew from the War of the First Coalition
Why was this so benefitial?
Brought boost to N + Republic
It gave Savoy and Nice + lesser territories to France
Provided supplies, munition + free passage through Piedmont for French troops
What was N bravery well publicised in?
When he fought the Austrians at Lordi in May
What did this encourage the Pope and King of Naples to do?
Sign rapid treaties with the F
Paying indemnities to avoid potential F takeover
What did N do a lot when his armies went across Italy?
Took artworks
He established the first official military division dedicated to the seizure of cultural objects
Where did N advance into?
The ‘quadrilateral’ = Mantua, Peschiera, Verona and Legnago
How many did he capture?
3
Which one did he struggle to take?
Mantua
But won victories at Arcola + Rivoli so it fell
How many armies did the Austrians send against him?
4
Where were N forces occupying by May 1797?
Venice
What did N establish after the Battle of Lodi?
Two client states
What was the first one called?
Cispadane Republic
South of Po river
What was the second one called?
Transpadane Republic
North of Po river
What happened to these after further victories?
Merged to create Cisalpine Republic 1797
Where was the capital?
Milan
What did he create in Milan?
A Directory, appointed ministers + set up 2 chamber legislature
What else did he also establish?
The Lingurian Republic
North-west Italy
Also had its own republican constitution + Directory
Where did N next advance?
Into the Austrian empire
What did N + Count Philipp Von Cobenzl (rep the A monarchy) agree on?
The Treaty of Campo Formio 17 Oct 1797
What did it agree on?
- Recognition of F control over former Austrian Netherlands (later Belgium)
- A acceptance of Cisalpine + Lingurian Republics, F to recognise A influence over part of the Venetian Republic
- Recognition of the F Rhine frontier
- F possession of several islands in Mediterranean + Venetian islands in the Adriatic
What did the treaty do?
Reshaped the map of Europe to French design
Ended War of First Coalition
Marked a major step in N fame
What did it prove in long term?
Only a break from war
No peace with Holy Roman Empire
War of Second Coalition in 1799
What did N not ask for when doing all of this?
Permission from the Directory
Why did N ambitions frighten the Directors?
He showed himself to be a military commander + diplomat + state maker
Also created his own image carefully in press releases + propagandist reports
Only general to rival him - Hoche - died 1797
What was N appointed to do in Oct 1797?
Command an army to carry out an invasion of England
Why did he not want to do this?
Hoche’s attempts to invade Ireland abandoned
Strength of B navy - F allies + Spain + Bativsn Republic defeated before
What did he instead suggest to the Directory?
To invade Egypt
What would the expedition do for France?
- Protect F trade interests
- Attack B commerce in Mediterranean + possessions in India
- Undermine B access to India + East Indies
- Distract navy + make invasion possible
- Est F presence in ME
- Win easy success (area in disorder)
- Export Enlightenment to the Egyptians
What happened in May + July 1789 in the Egyptian campaign?
May - Expedition to Egypt + Syria begins
July - Invasion of Egypt + Battle of Alexandria + Battle of Pyramids
What events happened in 1799 in the Egyptian campaign?
Aug - May = Campaign in Lower Egypt
Sep = Ottoman Empire declares war on the F
Oct = Native uprising in Cairo
Feb - Jun = Campaign in Palestine + Syria
Mar = Siege of Jaffa
Mar - May = Siege of Acre
When did the directory agree to the plan?
March 1798
Why did the directory not worry about the concerns of its cost and scope?
They wanted N away from Paris
How many troops did he take?
35,000
It was the Army of the Orient
What country did he take?
Malta
When did he reach Egypt?
July
What battle were the Egyptians defeated in?
Battle of the pyramids
Who won against the French?
Nelson’s British navy squadron
Aboukir Bay
Cut Napoleon off from France
What did N act like when the B blockaded them + there were nationalist uprisings?
Unbothered
Acted like an ‘absolute ruler’
Where did he intend to go?
Constantinople + India
Where did he go instead?
Syria
How many were with him?
13,000
What did N do when he took Jaffa?
Shot 2,000 prisoners
What did he have to abandon?
A siege of Acre - in Palestine
(Route between Egypt + Syria)
Why was N not able to siege Acre?
Underestimated the resilience of defenders + B to land men and guns to help Turks
When was peace maintained in Europe after the Treaty of Campo?
Oct 1797 - Mar 1799
How did N anger the Tsar of Russia?
He expelled the Knights of St John from Malta in 1798
What did Austria do to take advantage of this?
Made a new coalition against France
Who was involved?
Austria
Britain
Russia
Ottoman Empire
Portugal
German states
Italian states
What did they do in 1799?
Mounted several invasions
Where were the campaigns + invasions?
Italy
Switzerland
Anglo-Russian invasion of Batavian Republic
What reports did N receive in Egypt?
That the Russians and Austrians won victories in Italy and Germany
They were on the French borders
What did N do after this?
Aug 1799 left armies in Egypt
Went back to France with a small group of men
What happened when he arrived back in Oct 1799?
Enemies were repelled
Russians with drew from coalition
What position were the Directory in?
A weak position
Had coups and purges internally
Did people know about N failures?
No
How was N greeted when he went back?
Greeted as a saviour
What was N reputation?
Military genius + strategist
What were his tactics in strategy?
Moving quickly
Small corps mixing infantry, artillery and cavalry
(Used to be separate)
Moved troops in different directions to deceive the enemy ‘March divided, fight united’
Kept back reserve corps
What did N develop the idea of?
A ‘forced march’
In Italian campaign General Augereau’s corps marched 80km in 36 hours
What strategy helped with logistics?
‘Living off the land’
Improved speed + take up superior battle positions
What tactic did he use to take Mantua?
Made misleading moves
How else did N have strong military strength?
His personality:
Speeches
Bulletins
Leading by example
Travelling with troops
Stayed when food was low
What did N make sure his troops had?
Food
Money
Supplies
What was he respected for?
Charm
Hard-work - put in 18-20 hours a day
What gave him some drive?
His recent marriage to Joesephine
Did he have officers from aristocracy or talent?
Talent
Why were his soldiers motivated?
They were fighting for a cause they believed they could win
Could win promotions if they served well
What flaws did he have?
Took risks that could’ve led to disaster
Little understanding of naval matters
Ignorance to weather + climate - men died needlessly in Egyptian + Syrian campaign
Why did his negative traits get overlooked?
They weren’t uncommon for the time
What was his greatest characteristic?
His ability to adjust to different circumstances
