FILE: Historiographic text about Napoleon Bonaparte.

() The French would not have appreciated a monarchical restoration; thus, the
Empire seemed to naturally follow after, the typical progression. What was strange was
Napoleons insistence on being consecrated by the Pope in Notre Dame, which
generated a huge disgust amongst our enemies. () Upon his arrival, Pope Pius VII was
surprised to find that Josephine, who was to be named empress, had not been married in
the Church. Thus, the religious marriage between Napoleon and Josephine hurriedly
took place in the Louvre the night before Napoleons consecration, and on 2 nd
November, 1804, Napoleon became Emperor of the French
Andr Maurois (984): Napoleon. Great biographies.
Activities:
1) Carefully read the text and classify it according to the methodology used in class.
About the author of the text, you should know that he is a well-known novelist
and French essayer of the 20th century. Among other pieces, he wrote the biography of
Napoleon, whom he deeply admired.
2) Summarize the main ideas of the text.
3) Explain how and when Napoleon came to power.
4) Answer the following questions:
What social and economic interests did Napoleon represent?
What was the Consulate?
What was the position of the European powers, Napoleons enemies, after his
coronation as Emperor by the Pope?
5) The text mentions the consecration of Napoleon as Emperor in the cathedral of Notre
Dame in Paris. Look at the painting of J.L. David and try to describe the coronation
scene.
The coronation of Napoleon is a
painting by J.L. David, official painter
of Napoleon Bonaparte, made between
1805 and 1808. The painting has
impressive dimensions (6,29x9,79m)
and is in the Louvre Museum. The
coronation and consecration took place
in Notre Dame in Paris, a way to show
that Napoleon was a son of the
Revolution: Paris was appointed the
capital as the political, administrative
and cultural centre of France.

6) Describe the main characters of the neoclassic painting we have named. You may use
the following picture and links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Napoleon
http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/628093/Coronaci%C3%B3n-de-Napole
%C3%B3n (In Spanish)

7) For the previous activities you can use the following video from documentary about
Napoleons life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4-hcmBsll0