CLIL LESSON : THE AGE OF NAPOLEON

The Directory 1795–1799 The Thermidorian Reaction By the time the French army had almost completely staved off foreign invaders, Robespierre no longer had a justification for his extreme actions in the name of public “safety.”  On July 27, 1794, a group of  moderates( who had been repressed under the Reign of Terror—many of them Girondins) arrested Robespierre After the execution of Robespierre and of the others jacobins on July 27, 1794 (THERMIDOR) , the National Convention continued to rule as the government. Anyway, a new constitution was written, which once again denied the right to vote to those who could not afford to pay a vote tax. This constitution established the office of five directors, known as the Directory, who ruled France  from 1795 until 1799. The rule of the Directory was marked by corruption, financial difficulties, political purges, and a fateful dependence on the army to maintain control. . Discontent with Directory rule was increased by military reverses; during this time a great soldier was steadily winning the heart of France: this was the famous Napoleon Bonaparte.
Early Life  Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. Coming from a fairly wealthy family, Napoleon was able to attend school and get a good education. He went to a military academy in France and trained to become an officer in the army.
Military Commander  In 1796, Napoleon was given command of the French army in Italy where he forced Austria and its allies to make peace and became a national hero.
Becoming Dictator  He led a military expedition in Egypt, but was defeated by a British navy under admiral Horatio Nelson, who destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile. Napoleon returned to Paris in 1799. With the government in disarray, Napoleon launched a successful coup d’ etat on November 9, 1799. He proclaimed himself “First Consul” and did away with the elected Assembly [appointing a Senate instead]. In 1802, he made himself the title of "First Consul". His powers as first consul essentialy made him dictator of France. Bonaparte, First Consul, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
PEACE WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Concordat of 1801 Napoleon wanted to heal the divisions within the Catholic Church after the confiscation of Church property and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. The State got to keep the church lands that were confiscated by the first phase of the Revolution. Catholicism was recognized as the majority religion in France. But, Napoleon’s clear intent was to use the clergy to prop up his regime.
Ruling France  As the dictator of France, Napoleon was able to institute a number of government reforms. One of these reforms was the famous Napoleonic Code (March 1804) a set of laws which forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs should go to the most qualified. Napoleon also helped to improve the French economy by building new roads and encouraging business.
Napoleon's power and control continued to grow with his reforms. In 1804, he was crowned the first Emperor France. At the coronation, he did not allow the Pope to place the crown on his head, but instead crowned himself.  The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine on December 2, 1804  by Jacques Louid David
Conquering Europe  Initially, Napoleon maintained peace in Europe, however, soon France was at war with Britain, Austria, and Russia. After losing a naval battle against Britain at the Battle of Trafalgar, Napoleon decided to attack Austria. He soundly defeated the Austrian and Russian armies at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. Over the next several years, Napoleon expanded the French Empire. At its greatest extent in 1811, France controlled much of Europe from Spain to the borders of Russia (not including Britain).
Invasion of Russia  In 1812, Napoleon made his first major mistake. He decided to invade Russia. Napoleon marched a huge army to Russia. Many of them starved to death along the way. After a fierce battle with the Russian army, Napoleon entered Moscow. However, he found the city deserted. Soon, the city was on fire and many of the supplies were burned. As winter approached, Napoleon's army ran out of supplies. He had to return to France. By the time he returned to France, most of what was left of his army had died from the weather or starved to death.
Exile on Elba  With much of Napoleon's army decimated from the invasion in Russia, the rest of Europe now turned on France. Despite winning a few victories, he lost the battle of Leipzig or  Battle of the Nations (1813) and soon was forced into exile on the island of Elba in 1814.
Return and Waterloo  Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815. The army quickly backed him and he took over control of Paris for a period called the Hundred Days. The rest of Europe, however, would not stand for a return of Napoleon. They gathered their armies and defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 and was once again forced into exile. This time on the island of Saint Helena where he died on May 5, 1821. It is likely that he died from stomach cancer. His remains were moved to France in 1840 to Les Invalides in Paris.