Napoleon Notes III

Napoleon’s reforms in France

• Strengthened central government
• Controlled prices, encouraged new industry, built roads and canals
• Set up system of public schools that world push military training
• Concordat of 1801, Napoleon kept the Church under state control but ensured religious
toleration of all Catholics
• The Napoleonic Code

Napoleonic Code

• Napoleon wrote a new code of laws that embodied Enlightenment principles.

• Equality of all citizens before the law, religious toleration, and abolition of feudalism
• Napoleonic Code did not include the advancement of women’s rights

Napoleon’s Invasion of Europe

• Napoleon always traveled with his armies during conquests

• The French Army conquered most of Europe. 1812 was the greatest extent of the French Empire

Continental System
• Napoleon could not defeat the British Navy
• Continental system closed all European ports to British goods
• Britain responded by blockading European ports
• British exports declined but still had the ability to keep trade routes open to the Americas and
India
• In continental Europe there was a scarcity of goods causing prices to rise

Nationalism works against Napoleon

• Spanish rebels sought to end the French occupation of Spain
• Used guerilla warfare (hit and run) tactics to fight the French Army
• Inspired by the Spanish, Austria renewed hostilities with France
• In 1809 at the Battle of Wagram, Napoleon’s Army crushed the Austrians again, 34,000 French
soldiers and 50,000 Austrian soldiers killed.

1812 Napoleon Invades Russia

• Tsar Alexander I unhappy with the enlarging of the Duchy of Warsaw at its borders and negative
economic effect of the Continental System
• Russia pulled out of the Continental System and began trade with Britain, breaking the alliance
with France