French Revolution

Time Line

KEVIN PUTNAM

KEVIN IKELER

 

The Old Regime: Reign of King Louis XVI (1774-1792)

-.Marie Antoinette- the queen and daughter of Maria Theresa. People were angry for her marriage to Louis, they said she  was frivolous and extravagant.

 

-Cardinal Fleury (1653-1743)- André-Hercule de Fleury was a tutor for Louis and was made a cardinal and the prime minister of France.

 

-financial and administrative problems- The cardinal was not doing his job. This caused financial and adminastrive problems.

 

-Demands of the Nobility- the nobles had land and little income but lived far from the center of power.

 

-Identify "Jacques Turgot" (1727-1781)-  Jacques Turgot was a French economist and statesmen. He was appointed the chief executive officer of the district of Limoges where he instituded financial reforms

 

-Identify "Jacques Necker" (1732-1804)- Jacques Necker was a financial wizard. He advised the king to reduce court spending, reform government, and improve internal trade by abolishing all tariffs

 

-Explain Louis Reign-  Louis XVI let himself be ruled by Mari.-Antoinette, his wife, and his brothers, the Count of Artois and the Count of Provence. Confronted by the aristocracy, the king was unable to impose the reforms undertaken by his "enlightened" ministers, Turgot, Malesherbes, Vergennes, Necker, Calonne and Loménie de Brienne, who would all fail in their attempts to redress the country's finances. From 1788, France fell into an economic depression. While the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, in 1783, had ended the American War of Independence, for those members of society who were tired of absolute monarchy it had also sanctioned the republican idea

 

-The Estates General (1788)

 

-First Estate- the first estate was made up of the clergy who owned 10 percent of the land. They collected tithes, and never paid taxes.

 

-Second Estate- The second estate was made up of the nobles who used to be the knights that defended the land. In the 1800s, Louis XVI destroyed the noble’s military but gave them other rights under strict royal control those rights include top jobs in government, the army, the courts, and the church.

 

-Bourgeoisie- the middle class made up of the prosperous bankers, merchants, and manufacturers that held up the French economy

 

-Proletariat- the working class. They were predicted to triumph. It would take control of production and set up a classless, communist society.

 

-Third Estate- the middle class. This consisted of lawyers, doctors, journalists, professors, and skilled artisans, etc.

 

-Peasant life in France- the peasants were mostly very poor. They hardly ever had enough money to pay for their family to have food or anything.

 

-gabelle- a tax imposed on the working class for all salted products

 

-corv'ee- or an unpaid labor to repair roads and bridges.

 

-The Middle Class- the middle class, every nine out of ten were peasants. Few of the middle class were prosperous and owned land and hired laborers to work for them while the others were just tenant farmers.

 

-Urban workers- urban workers were all kinds of workers from every class. These workers include lawyers, doctors, journalists, professors, etc.

 

-King Louis XVI summons the Estates General (1788)

 

-Identify "Elections for the Estates General"-  The “elections for the estates general” were made only by the property owners.

 

-Identify "Demands on the Monarchy"- the “demands on the monarchy” had to keep the king and all the financial records on track. They also had remark the group’s decisions.

 

-Voting By Order-  the voting order was that the first and second estates vote together so they could over rule the third estate. This could allow them to do what they want.

 

-The Third Estate proclaims itself to be the National Assembly (1789)

 

-Identify "The Tennis Court Oath"- the national assembly met at a nearby tennis court after they found themselves locked out of their meeting place. There, they agreed that they would not disband until after a constitution was written.

 

-Identify "Louis XVI Versus the National Assembly"-  the king wanted things to stay the same, he didn’t want to have a constitution but the assembly wanted things to change. As some reform-minded clergy and nobles joined the assembly the king accepted it.

 

-A Paris Mob storms the Bastille (1789)

 

-Describe what happened-  As the Paris mob storms the Bastille, lots of people surrounded the place and demanded weapons and gunpowder. People that got into the place released some prisoners but did not find any weapons.

 

-Jacques Necker's restoration- when Jacques Necker was re-appointed, he was acclaimed the only man capable of restoring sound administration to the disordered

 

-Jean Bailly's promotion (1736-1793)- Jean was the first mayor of Paris and served as a president of the French National Assembly,

 

Marquis de Lafayette's promotion (1757-1834)- The French military leader and statesman, who fought on the side of the colonists during the American Revolution. He later took a prominent part in the French Revolution.

 

-How did the revolt affect most aristocrats?- the war with the Habsburgs was brought to a victorious ending and at home defeating the first concerted effort by the aristocrats

 

-The Great Fear Sweeps the French countryside (1789)

 

-Describe- In the years leading up to the storming of the Bastille, the economic problems of many common people had become steadily worse. Mostly because very bad weather conditions had ruined the harvest.

 

-Effects-  Effects of it included them attacking the residences of their landlords in hopes of protecting local grain supplies and to reduce rents on their d tland

 

-The National Assembly approves the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the citizen (1789)

 

-Describe the Declaration of the Rights of Man- revolutionary manifesto was adopted in 1789 by the National Assembly of France. Attached as the preamble to the new constitution of 1791

 

-Declaration of the Rights of Women- The declaration states that men and women are created equal and that they will not be treated differently

 

-Mob Action (1789)  The mob action played smaller roles in political life. More respectable citizens viewed these activities as disorderly and criminal.

 

-Political Clubs- As the powers shifted away from the king, the people formed political parties in order to take control of the country

 

-The Jacobins-  were determined to establish a democratic republic. Many men in key positions saw the need for a more effective government.

 

-The Cordeliers- Branch of the Franciscan religious order in France. Also known as Observant, and the name of a club of French revolutionaries.

 

-The Feuillants- a monastic order and a political club were two unrelated French organizations.

 

-The Civil Constitution of the Clergy(1789)- Political and social restructuring raised complicated issues with the Catholic Church. The clergy had enjoyed extensive property rights and special privileges under the Old Regime and had always been a target of criticism. The national Assembly incorporated the church within the state stripping people  of their property and rights.

 

-The National Assembly enacts the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

 

-The Constitution of 1791 establishes a constitutional monarchy (1791)

 

-Necker's resignation- Necker finally decided to retire after all the years he had served for the royalty.

 

-Mirabeau-  As a believer in constitutional monarchy, he tried to reconcile the reactionary court of Lousi XVI with the increasingly radical forces of the revolution of 1789 and 1790. The kings royal messenger quickly became a great force in the assembly.

 

-Mirabeau's death (1791) – Mirabeau became the spokesman of the third estate and tried to create a constitutional monarchy which would allow him to become the prime minister. Mirabeau began a secret dealing with the king and queen. The couple did not take his advice. He died just before it was discovered.

 

-Louis XVI and family flee but captured- in order to get away from the debt that they had acquired, Louis XVI and his family fled France. Louis and his family had always placed pleasure before business. Louis had to tax the people in order to pay off his debts. Doing this greatly upset the already taxed people.

 

-Louis accepts New Constitution (Sept. 14, 1791)-  To moderate conformers the constitution of 1791 seemed to complete the revolution. Reflecting enlightenment goals, it ended Church interference in government and insured equality before the law for all citizens. It put power in the hands of men with the means and leisure to serve in government.

 

-Other reforms of the National Assembly (1791)

 

-abolished titles of nobility- The National Assembly made a series of important changes spanning the next two years after moving to Paris. These reforms affected almost all areas of French culture such as economic/financial, religious, political, and judicial. It instituted new currency and completed work on the constitution and had the King sign it into law.

-reorganized local government- When the government moved to disperse the assembly by force in July, Paris rebelled. They seized Bastille and forced the king to accept the National Assembly. A peasant revolt spread across the countryside and moved the alarmed assembly in one over night session on August 4^th and 5^th to abolish feudal dues and privileges, hereditary nobility, and titles.

 

-laissez faire principals- - laissez faire was developed into a tenet of classical economics and a philosophy of individualism in Britain by Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and J.S. Mill. During the 19th century, the Manchester Schools of economics popularized the doctrine of free trade and brought laissez faire into politics.

-Legislative Assembly convenes (1791-92)

 

-Conservatives- Conservatives captured nearly 85% of the seats in the national assembly. The elections in April of 1791 returned a majority of moderates and conservatives to the Constituent Assembly. Their measures against the radicals led to the June Days, three days of bloody street fighting in Paris.

 

-Moderates (centrists)- The foreign occupation ended in 1818. France was accepted into the councils of the great powers. After the assassination of the heir to the throne in 1820. The accession of Charles X in 1824 brought an ultra Royalist to the throne.

 

-Girondists- The Girondins were a moderate Republican faction active from 1791 to 1793, during the French Revolution. They were called Girondins because many of their prominent members represented the department of Gironde. They were also titled Brissotins, after Jacques Pierre Brissot, one of the Gironde leaders. The group first emerged in the Legislative Assembly elected in October of 1791.

 

-Intervention of Foreign Powers (1791-92)- In 1789, the French citizens rose against their monarch, Louis XVI. They eliminated the ancient legal distinctions based on social class, and established a republican government. The French revolutionaries invited all Europeans to follow. Conservative monarchs throughout Europe were hostile toward the revolution. After a few years, wars broke out between France and other of European powers.

-Austria-Prussia Alliance- Frederick William I increased the size of the Prussian army. He rebuilt the organization of the state around the military establishment. His son, Frederick II left enormous financial reserves along with the best army in Europe. Through the military genius of Frederick the Great, Prussia became a major power in Europe. In 1740, Frederick invaded the Austrian province of Silesia and precipitated the War of the Austrian Succession.

-France's Legislative Assembly declares war (April 20, 1792)- The Legislative Assembly and the Girondins, wanted a republic at the same time as they engineered a declaration of war against Austria. In September, the newly formed National Convention promptly proclaimed France a republic.

-The Legislative Assembly deposes King Louis XVI and calls for the election of the National Convention (1792)

 

-Liberty, Equality, Fraternity- The motto Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. The motto first appeared during the French Revolution but it was often called into question, it finally established itself under the Third Republic. It was written into the 1958 Constitution and is now a part of the French national heritage.

 

-Radical Takeover- When the execution of King Louis XVI was over, the cities became a little crazy. In order to solve these hectic problems, the National Convention decided that the Jacobins and the Cordeliers should take over.

 

-Robespierre- Maximilien Robespierre lived from 1758 to 1794. In May of 1793, Robespierre forced the Girondists out of the National Convention. This was because he opposed them and was an advocate of democratic reforms. In July, he was elected a member of the Committee of Public Safety.

 

-Danton-  Danton set up the revolutionary tribunals in Paris. He also helped to engineer the transfer of power from the Convention to the Committee. The revolutionary tribunals had as their charge the trials and executions of the enemies of the Republic. 

 

-Marat- Marat was a prominent physician who had been a radical revolutionary from the beginning. Because of this, he was soon hunted down. He spent part of the Revolution hiding down in the sewers. He was diagnosed with an incurable skin disease. It was so bad that he had to bathe constantly to lower his pain. He was then stabbed to death by a Girondists named Charlotte Corday.

 

-sans-culottes-

 

-King Louis XVI is executed (1793)- King Louis XVI was brought to trial on December 11, 1792, in front of the National Convention who acted as the jury. The King was charged with conspiring against the nation. The jury agreed that Louis XVI was guilty of conspiring against the people of France and was sentenced to death by guillotine on January 21,1793.

 

-The Reign of Terror begins (1793)

 

-committee of public safety- On April 6, 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was created to rule the nation. It aimed to root out counterrevolutionaries, raise new armies, and regulate the economy.

 

-Jacobins- The sans-culottes found support among radical leaders in the Legislative Assembly. The Jacobins were mostly middle class lawyers or intellectuals. They used pamphleteers and sympathetic newspaper editors to advance the republican cause.

 

-Republic of virtue- Both the Convention and the Committee saw themselves as building a new destiny for humanity. They believed that they were going to replace the old, property based monarchy and aristocracy with a new equality based republic of civic virtue. France would become the Republic of Virtue and would rebuild society in order to build this republic.

 

-Justification of extreme violence- The extreme violence displayed by the French during the Reign of Terror was all justified. They believed that the people they executed were either traitors or people that were against freedom.

 

-revolutionary tribunal-Since the date of the report against the Girondins, the Convention had docked itself of 136 of its members. Forty one cited before the Revolutionary Tribunal, nineteen had fled and been proclaimed outlaws and seventy six others who had been placed under arrest and saved from the scaffold by Robespierre. This was a serious loss, which was bound to have as its immediate consequence. 

 

-How many dead?- About 20,000 and 40,000 people were executed as traitors during the Reign of Terror in France. By 1794, the supporters of the revolution began to question the need for constant executions.

 

-The National Convention abolishes the monarchy (1792)

 

-The War of the First Coalition is fought (1792-1797)- In 1793 to 1797, in the War of the First Coalition, France fought against an alliance of Prussia, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1796, Napoleon conducted military operations against Austrian forces in northern Italy for the government of France.

 

-lev'ee en masse- On August 17, 1793, the convention voted the levée en masse or mass conscription, which mobilized all citizens to serve as soldiers or suppliers in the war effort.

 

-coalition- Coalition is used mostly in connection of political parties. Coalition governments are frequently found in countries such as France and Italy. They may be formed when a single party is not strong enough to obtain an electoral majority.

 

-French military victories- Between 1795 and 1799 a final coup was organized by Napoleon Bonaparte. His victories saved France at the beginning of the revolution.

 

-Treaty of Basel- In 1792, Hardenberg entered the service of the king of Prussia. In 1795 he negotiated the Treaty of Basel, ceding Prussian territory west of the Rhine to revolutionary France.

 

-The Thermidorean Reaction ends the Reign of Terror (1794)

 

-Thermidor- group of dissident Jacobins including members of the Committee of Public Safety had supported the Reign of Terror but feared Robespierre would turn on them. On July 27, 1794, year II in the revolutionary calendar the conspirators of Thermidor, who came to be known as Thermidoreans.

 

-guillotine- The guillotine was a machine used in the execution of people by using a huge blade to sever the head of anyone condemned to the death penalty. The first evidence of the existence of a guillotine was used at an execution in Ireland.

 

-The National Convention drafts the Constitution of 1795 (1795)

 

-Who controlled it?- Moderate republicans agreed that two-thirds of the first legislature had to be made up of members of the former convention. The constitution was ratified by popular vote. Neither protected the government or prevented the concentration of power.

 

-How was it controlled?- The National Convention was controlled by the members of the former convention. This party looked over the convention and had final say in what happened. The constitution was ratified and had to go through this party before it could be passed legally.

 

-Council of Elders- Napoleon  came up with a new constitution in December of 1799. This constitution modeled the French Republic on the old Roman Republic. Executive powers were to be held by three men. The Council of Elders was modeled on Louis XIV's Council, the legislature was still democratically elected and power was divided among branches of government.

 

-Dissolving of the National Convention-

 

-The Directory begins to rule France(1795-1799)

 

-financial crisis- The Directory was corrupt, the finances of the government became so strained that bankruptcy was an issue. The Directory searched for financial security by means of military conquest. In need, they appointed Napoleon Bonaparte who facilitated the Directory's installation to control the armies in Italy.

 

-corruption- Louis’s greatest accomplishment was to gain the loyalty of the conquered provinces. He was careful against corruption or the abuse of authority by sending out investigators to hear complaints from his subjects about royal officials in his court.

 

-exhaustion- In 1973, the Arab oil embargo hit the French economy hard. French coal reserves were nearing exhaustion and France had no significant oil deposits of its own.

 

-army- An army is a large body of armed and trained personnel for war on land. France was invaded in 1415 by the English king Henry V. He crushed the French army and took control of most of France.

 

 

 

Napoleon Bonaparte

Time Line

 

(1769-1821)Napoleon Bonaparte is born in Corsica-

Birth and childhood- Napoleon Bonaparte was born of lower noble status in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15, 1769.  His parents were Carlo Bonaparte, and Letizia Ramolino Bonaparte.  He had seven brothers and sisters, and despised the French.

Physical stature (Napoleonic complex) - He was called the "little Corsican" because of his height of 5' 2", and constantly teased; he started having dreams of personal glory and triumph.  He was skinny, with brown hair, and blue-gray eyes.  He developed a strong body, learned to swim, fight, and climb trees.

Marriage and political significance-

(1796)Early military successes-

 

(1797)Napoleon's army defeats the Austrians in Northern Italy- Napoleon's first big campaign was his attack on Austria.  During one attack he showed his bravery by forcing his way across a burning bridge.  With this he earned the name "Petit Caporal" or "Little Corporal" in English.  He then attacked the Austrians in Mantua, where troops were sent four different times, all crushed by Napoleon.  In 1797, he came within 80 miles of Vienna when Austria surrendered.  He had won 14 pitched battles and 70 combats.

Treaty of Campo Formio- After the surrender, Napoleon negotiated a treaty called Campo Formio with Austria. Austria gave up Netherlands and Lombardy to France. Austria also recognized the Rhine as the eastern boundary of France. In return, France gave Austria most of the old Venetian Republic.

1798-1799 French extend their control-

Napoleon Fights his Egyptian campaign (1798-1799)

 

Napoleon's invasion of Egypt/ why? - When Napoleon wanted to take an army into Egypt, he came up with the idea that if he conquered Egypt he could attack the English's route to India.  He won the battle of the Pyramids, but his fleet was destroyed at the Battle of the Nile.  So, Napoleon decided to invade Syria. When the English and Turkish troops in Syria had held up against Napoleon, he retreated to Egypt.  Later in July, 1799, he defeated 10,000 Turks at Aboukir, returning to France shortly after.

 

Rosetta Stone Discovery- The Rosetta stone is a basalt slab with identical texts inscribed in hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek. Priests of Ptolemy V usually did the inscribing. The Rosetta stone was found by Napoleon's men near N Egypt in 1799.

 

Battle of the Pyramids- One of the battles in Napoleon's Egyptian campaign was the battle of the Pyramids in July, 1798.

 

Lord Horatio Nelson's role (1758-1805) - Lord Horatio Nelson was a British admiral. He was the most famous of Britain's naval heroes.

 

Battle of the Nile- Another of the Egyptian battles was the battle of the Nile in Aboukir Bay, where Napoleon's fleet was destroyed, and he decided to invade Syria.

 

War of the Second Coalition is fought (1798-1801)

 

Describe the war and its participants- The second coalition consisted of Britain, Austria, and Russia. The British navy continued to destroy French shipping with its attacks.

 

Alliance against France-

 

Napoleon's defeat of the Second Coalition-

 

Treaty of Luneville- The treaty of Luneville was signed in 1801, between France and Austria. The treaty confirmed and supplemented the terms of the treaty

 

Treaty of Amiens (1802) - The treaty of Amiens was signed in 1802. France, Spain, the Batavian Republic, and Great Britain signed this treaty. England was to give up most conquests made in the wars and France was to evacuate Naples and restore Egypt to the Ottoman Empire.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power and becomes first consul (1799)

 

How does he come to power? - When Napoleon returned to France, the Directory was a mess.  He, in his selfish way, saw this as the perfect time for self-advancement.  He worked with Emmanuel Sieyes to overthrow the Directory.  He succeeded and set up a new government called the Consulate.  He was the first of three consuls, and about three years later was made Consul for life.

 

The Constitution of 1799-

 

Consulate- The Consulate was the government Napoleon set up when he returned to France, after overthrowing the Directory with Emmanuel Sieyes.

 

The Concordat of 1801 establishes reconciliation between France and the Papacy (1801)

 

What did it do? - The concordat of 1801 reestablished the Roman Catholic Church in France.

 

Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) - Pope Pius VII conducted himself ably during the period of the French.

 

Civil Constitution of Clergy-

 

Napoleon becomes first consul for life (1802)

 

The Napoleonic Empire / Map (1804)

 

Hereditary emperor- Napoleon I was a hereditary emperor.  He created the Consulate.

 

Eugene de Beauharnais (1781-1824)-

 

Napoleon's divorce 1809) - Napoleon divorced his first wife and married his second.

 

Archduchess Marie Louise (1791-1847)-

 

Napoleonic Administration-

 

Financial Reforms-

 

Centralized Government-

 

Napoleonic Code 1807 (into effect 1804)-

 

Educational Reform/ University of France (1806)-

 

Napoleonic Wars (1805-1815)-

 

War of the Third Coalition (1805-1807)-

 

British Naval Victory at Trafalgar-

 

French Victories on Land- French had many victories on the land.

 

Treaty of Pressburg- There was a treaty called the Treaty of Pressburg.

 

Napoleon creates the Confederation of the Rhine and abolishes the Holy Roman Empire (1806)

 

Describe what it did- The confederation of the Rhine was a league of German states formed by Emperor Napoleon I in 1806. He formed this confederation after his defeat of the Austrians at Austerlitz. Almost all German states except Austria and Prussia joined the confederation. The members disavowed their allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire, and Francis II.

 

Treaties of Tilsit- Negotiations by King Frederick William III of Prussia, an ally of Russia, led to the treaties of Tilsit of July 7 and July 9, 1807. France made peace with Russia in the first treaty. This treaty recognized the grand duchy of Warsaw and secretly promised to mediate between France and England.

 

Tsar Alexander I (1801-1825) - Alexander I was czar of Russia. Frédéric César influenced Alexander I. In 1805, Alexander I joined the coalition against Napoleon. After the Russian defeat over Austerlitz and Friedland, Alexander formed an alliance with Napoleon by the Treaty of Tilsit, and joined Napoleon's continental system.

 

King Frederick William III (1797-1840) - King William III was the King of Prussia. King William III fought against France during the French Revolution from 1792 to 1794. He took the throne in 1797and then rebuilt the economy and the army. In 1805 he joined the allies against France.

 

Napoleon's brothers Kings- Napoleon's brothers, Joseph, Louis, and Jerome, were kings like Napoleon.

 

Joseph (1768-1844) - Joseph Bonaparte became a member of the Council of Five Hundred for Corsica. He later negotiated a treaty with the United States and represented France in the peace negotiations at Lunéville and Amiens. In 1806 Napoleon made him king of Naples, however, he did not rule very effectively. in 1808 he became king of Spain instead.

 

Louis (1778-1846) - Louis Bonaparte was king of Holland. Napoleon forced Louis to abdicate because he defied the continental system. He eventually died in Italy.

 

Jerome(1784-1860)- Jérôme Bonaparte was king of Westphalia, fought in the Russian campaign, and led a division at Waterloo. He served in the navy and then was sent to the West Indies. He was known more for his extravagant irresponsibility than for his administrative or military skill.

 

Napoleon establishes the continental system (1806)

 

Describe what it did- The continental system was a policy adopted by the French government to prevent Great Britain from trading with other European nations. Napoleon wanted Europe to be a self-sufficient nation. Eventually, the British used a blockade to prevent US ships from passing through.

 

Berlin Decree of 1806- Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree in November 1806. The decree declared the British Isles to be in a state of blockade and prohibited all commerce or correspondence with the country.

 

Milan Decree 1807- Napoleon issued the Milan Decree in December of 1807. The Milan Decree declared that any vessel that had been searched by a British government was to be considered a British ship, made a voyage to Great Britain, or paid duty to the British government was to be considered a British vessel and treated as such.

 

The Peninsular War- The Peninsular War was a phase of the Napoleonic Wars that were fought in the lberian Peninsula by Great Britain, Portugal, and Spanish guerillas against Napoleonic France from 1808 to 1814.

 

Sir Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852)- Sir Arthur Wellesley was knighted in 1805. In 1808 he joined Portugal in its revolt against the French. He defeated the French at Roliça and Vimeiro. When he returned to England, he received many honors and became duke of Wellington. He later on became known as "the iron duke."

 

 

Conflict on Other Fronts(1808-1810)

 

Austria- Austria suffered many defeats in the Napoleonic Wars. During these wars, Napoleon fought several European states. Some of the states were Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria.

 

Battle of Wagram (July 1809) - Wagram is the place in which Napoleon gained one of his most brilliant victories. The Austrians were forced to retreat because of Napoleon's "grand battery." The "grand battery," was made up of 100 guns. Over 70,000 people died during the battle.

 

Treaty of Schonbrunn (Oct. 1809) - The treaty of Schönbrunn was a treaty of peace between France and Austria with the latter surrendering much of its territory and joining the Continental System.

 

Plans to restore the French Empire in America (1803) - Napoleon had plans to restore the French Empire in America in 1803.

 

Louisiana territory (1803) - On April 10, 1803, Napoleon notified François de Barbé-Marbois, telling him that he was considering giving all the Louisiana territory to the United States. The United States agreed to Marbois' price of 60 million francs plus the assumption of American claims against France. The total came out to about 15 million dollars.

 

 

War of 1812

 

Describe the happenings of the War- In 1812, Americans declared war against Britain because they were angered by the stopping of US merchant vessel ships by the British navy. The war of 1812 eventually ended in a draw. The war was only a small inconvenience for Britain in its struggle against Napoleon.

 

Napoleon fights his unsuccessful Russian campaign (1812)

 

Invasion of Russia- Napoleon began his fatal Russian campaign in June, 1812.  This was a landmark in the history of the destructive potential of warfare.  Almost all of Europe was under Napoleon's control, and the invasion of Russia was an attempt to force Czar Alexander I to submit once again to the terms of a treaty Napoleon had imposed upon him four years earlier.

 

Prince Mikhail Barclay de Tollay (1761-1818) - A Russian field marshal, of Scottish descent, Prince Mikhail Barclay de Tollay (1761-1818), gained prominence in the Napoleonic Wars, became minister of war in 1810, and commanded the Russian forces against Napoleon in 1812. After his defeat at Smolensk, he was replaced by Kutuzov.  After Kutuzov's death, he again became commander of the Russian forces.

 

Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov- The Russians were led by Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, who could not realistically hope to defeat Napoleon in a direct confrontation, so he began a defensive campaign of strategic retreat against the French.

 

Battle of Borodino- The French and Russian armies took their positions on September 6, 1812, at the Battle of Bordino.  Napoleon's army consisting of 100,000 infantry, 28,000 cavalry and 590 guns.  Kutuzov's army consisted of 72,000 regular infantry, 10,000 semi-trained militia, 17,000 cavalry, 7,000 Cossacks and 640 guns.  The battle began on September 7, 1812, at 6 am.  The war ended with Kutuvoz's order to retreat at 3 am on September 8.  Both sides had brutal losses, the Russians losing around 44,000 men, and the French losing at least 35,000 including fort-three generals.

 

Grand Army entered Moscow- After the Battle of Bordino, the Russians had withdrawn to Moscow, unsure of what to do next.  Kutuzov did not want to hand over Moscow to the French without any sort of resistance.  The Russians had 70,000 men against Napoleon's 100,000, so Kutuzov finally decided to retreat.  Only 25,000 people were still in Moscow when the French arrived on September 14, 1812.  Napoleon's army could not be controlled, and they forced themselves into the palaces and rich houses.  Some time after Napoleon's army arrived at Moscow, the Russians started setting fire to the city, eventually burning it to the ground.

 

French Retreat (Oct 19, 1812)- Frustrated by the loss of his prize, Moscow, Napoleon left on October 19, 1812, with 87,500 infantry, 14,750 cavalry and 533 guns with a trail of some 40,000 carriages and wagons.

 

Russia, Prussia, and Austria defeat Napoleon in the Battle of Nations (1813)

 

 Battle of the Nations- At the three day battle at Leipzig, the Battle of the Nations, Napoleon and his forces were outnumbered in every way, forcing the French to retreat.  On March 30, 1814, the allies captured Paris.  Even Napoleon's generals realized it was a lost fight and gave up.  On April 6, 1814, Napoleon had to give up his throne.

 

Napoleon abdicates and goes into exile on the island of Elba (1814)

 

Describe Napoleon's exile- Napoleon was exiled to the small island of Elba, within sight of Corsica.  He took a few soldiers with him and started a new empire.  He was allowed to keep his title of emperor, and promised to pay two million francs every year to France.  After his exile, European leaders quarreled upon the division of spoils of Napoleon’s empire.  The work of deciding the fate of Europe was done at the Congress of Vienna.

 

Louis XVIII (1814-1824)-

 

Napoleon returns to power, beginning the Hundred Days (1815)

 

Describe the 100 Days- The Hundred Days is the period after the return of Napoleon, from Elba. The Hundred Days are counted from March 20, 1815, when Napoleon arrived in Paris, to June 28, 1815, when Louis XVIII was restored for the second time as king, following Napoleon's disastrous Waterloo campaign.

 

Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo (1815)

 

Describes the Battle of Waterloo- Battle of Waterloo was one of Napoleon's last battles.

 

Duke of Wellington- the Duke of Wellington opposed Napoleon at Waterloo.

 

Gebhard Von Blucher (1742-1819)-

 

Napoleon dies on Saint Helena (1821)