Napoleonic Wars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Napoleonic Wars - Essay Example He decided early on a military career and won a scholarship to a military academy. His ensuing military conquests threatened the stability of the world and made France a powerful force. He built an empire extending throughout Europe, but his quest for France's total world domination was doomed to failure. Napoleon was decidedly effective against the Austrians in Italy in 1796. Ever a great self-publicist, he maintained the popular profile of a political independent, thanks partly to the newspapers he ran. Because he controlled printed matter in France, he was able to influence public opinion. His political talents and military expertise on land expanded his powers. He did, however, fail in his attempt to invade Egypt, and, crushed by the British navy, he was forced to abandon much of his army and return to the European front. In the meantime, however, the French public was aware only of his military successes, and he was considered a hero. Napoleon took control of France after overthrowing the republic. By 1801, as First Consul, he had restored order in France. He established the Civil Code on March 21, 1804, and it was renamed Code Napoleon in 1907. With its stress on clearly written and accessible law, it was a major step in establishing the rule of law. The principal tenet of the Civil Code was that every French person was equal before the law. Napoleon wanted to replace a series of existing laws in France with a standard code for all people. However, the law was inconsistent in that it established supremacy of husband with respect to wife and children, but allowed divorce on a relatively liberal basis, including divorce by mutual consent. Other major points of the law were: Laws could be applied only if duly promulgated and if published officially. No secret laws were authorized. Ex post facto laws were prohibited. Judges prohibited from passing from general judgments of a legislative value. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopaedia Napoleon's empire controlled-either directly or through states under his sway-France, Portugal, Spain, modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands, and large parts of modern Italy, Germany and Poland. Alliance with Russia between 1807 and 1812, and dominance over the remaining continental powers of Austria and Prussia, showed the empire at its peak. Napoleon's rule began with the annihilation of the French monarchy, which would never again be in control. He established an independent nationhood based on ability and rose to power through political coups. The French Directory was replaced by the Consulate, a new government run by three consuls (Bonaparte, Sieys and Roger Ducos) with Bonaparte as First Consul (Time Traveller's). In 1804, Napoleon declared himself emperor and ruled from 1804-1814 when he abdicated to Elba, and then reclaimed power from March to June 1815. Continental System Napoleon established the Continental System in 1806, his scheme to stop all shipping of British goods into Europe, which ended up hurting France more than Britain, and leading to the rise of nationalism in Europe. The response of the United Kingdom with a counter blockade indirectly led to the War of 1812 (Napoleonic, 2006). One of the most dramatic results of this commercial warfare was "the English bombardment of