Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica and was sent to

military school at age 9, becoming a lieutenant in the

artillery at age 16, and later joined the army of the new
government when the Revolution emerged. He was handed
his opportunity for glory in October 1795 when Napoleon
was told by a government official to defend the delegates,
becoming the hero and hailed as a savior to the French
republic. He lead his first army in 1796 against the forces of
Austria and Kingdom of Sardinia.
The Directory had lost control of confidence in the French
people and only the control of the army kept them in power.
Napoleon and his wife Josephine came up with a plan in
motion by Napoleon meeting with influential persons to
discuss his role in the Directory, while Josephine used her
connections with the rich directors to influence their
decisions. The legislature later voted to dissolve the
Directory, instead establishing a group a three consuls
including Napoleon, who assumed dictatorial powers that
were known as a coup detat, meaning blow of state. In
1799, British diplomats assembled the Second Coalition to
drive Napoleon out of power.
A plebiscite was known as the vote of the people, to approve
a new constitution. Napoleon made an efficient taxcollection system and made a national bank, which had
better control of the economy, and he supported laws that
strengthened the central government and wanted to
achieve goals of the Revolution. He set up lycees, which
were government-run public schools. He also signed
concordat (agreement) with Pope Vius VII, making a new

relationship with the church and state. French government

ran with bishops, which appointed parish priests. The church
was rejected control in national affairs but recognized by the
government for its influence. The
Napoleonic Code was a system of
laws that limited liberty and
promoted authority over
individual rights. It took away
rights of speech and press and
restored slavery in the Caribbean
French colonies.
He later sold the Louisiana
Purchase to America and gained
money to finance operations in
Europe, and punish the British. He
lost one major battle in the Third
Coalition, the
Battle of

Trafalgar, which assured

British supremacy of their
navy and forced Napoleon
to give up on his plans to
invade Britain

Kevin Hahn 1P
584-588 Period 4