napoleon Flashcards
HWta were the weaknesses of the thermidorians
In its short 15-month life the Thermidorian regime wasunpopular
It failed to address most of their grievances or improve their lives, and repeated several mistakes made by earlier governments
They wanted to remove price controls to encourage a free market and this provoked Germinal and Prairial risings as food prices rocketed
The constitution they created had many serious weaknesses.
White terror
The first year of the Thermidorian Convention was dubbed the White Terror, as those connected with the Jacobins or their government were harassed, attacked, driven into exile or murdered. Paris’ Jacobin club was shut down almost immediately and outlawed in November 1794.
Chouans revived guerrilla fighting against conscription.
The Directory
The Directory placed power in the hands of the upper middle class and called for a two house legislature and an executive body of five men.
The Directory placed power in the hands of the upper middle class and called for a two house legislature and an executive body of five men.
Almost immediately it had to deal with royalists and the Verona Declaration.
Almost immediately it had to deal with royalists and the Verona Declaration.
Why did the directory fail
Constant change – annual elections and failure to settle disputes.
Interfering with election results so that no one respected the constitution.
Use of the army to settle disputes.
Middle classes alienated by forced loans
War and Jourdan’s Law imposing conscription.
Coup d’état of Brumaire
why was nap. successful
He was regarded by the French as the most successful general of the day.
There was general disillusionment with the Directory.
He was rescued by his brother Lucien.
He risked everything to win
napoleons frinance and economic achivementns
taxations all citixens must pay no exemptions
national back of france
issued paper currency
Education achivements
governtment run schools called Lycees were the first steps toward public education
Religious achivements
Concordant of 1801 with rome
recognised catholic faither as the faith of majority of french citz
in return the pop would not demand the return of church land seized in rev
codification of laws
Napolionic code
Preserced many of the gains of the revolution auch as wquality of citizns before law
strictly curtailed some people like women
domestic policy
developed powerful centralized adminastrative machine with mromotion based on ability
opening government carrers to individulas based on their ability was one chnage middle class wanted
created a nwe aristocracy based on merit in the state service
created 3263 nobles between 1808 and 1814
more than half were military officers and middle class
Empire
destoryed ravolutionary ideals, replace liberty with despotism shut down 60 of 73 newspapers
known for military not domestic leadership
his conquest began soon after he rose
reasons for success
Inspiring leader Great organiser Great energy Ruthless Weakness and disunity of his enemies Rapid mobility Use of artillery He could improvise brilliantly Used mixed order tactics
why did he create an empire
The empire that Napoleon created was the larges in Europe since Roman times.
Napoleon claimed he did this in order to protect revolutionary France and to take the revolutionary principles to oppressed people in Europe.
Some historians say he did it to enjoy power – and personal glory.
Others say it
worked for France.
problems with england and continemtal blockade
Napoleon did not understand naval warfare and he faced Nelson.
At the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 the French and Spanish fleet was destroyed.
This caused Napoleon to think of alternative methods of defeating Britain.
He thought that preventing them from trading would bring them to their knees.
