Malkers ol |lislory CHAPTER-4

Napoleorn Bonaparte (1769-1821)

apoleon Bonaparte is known as one

N of the greatest generals in the world
like Alexander the Great and Julius
Caesar before him. He was also a skilled
ruler.
Napoleon was born in 1769 in Corsica,
an island in the Mediterranean Sea,
ruled by the French. He was not French
by birth. He was short and stout and
spoke with a foreign accent and so he
was teased a great deal by other boys Napoleon Bonaparte became an oficer in tihe
when he went to the military school in French army at the age of only 15
France. However, he proved to be a military genius. At the
ageof only 15, he became an officer in the French army.
Atthat time, there was great discontent in France. King
Louis
XVI and his nobles lived splendidly. They wore silk and satin
clothes, ate from silver plates and spent all their timeenjoying
themselves. The poor people had to work all the time and even
nen they hardly had enough to eat. When Queen Marie
Antoinette heard that the people did not have bread, she said,
"Why don't they eat cake?"
There was a big prison called the Bastille. People were put
inside it even when they did not do anything wrong. IF the King Louis XVI

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 Makes of History
king or some nobleman was
SOmeone, he was put behind displeased
bars. These with
Were no people
were never heard of again. There
protect them. The people were incited to laws to
rage after
reading the works of Voltaire, a French writer
and
philosopher, and Rousseau, another French writer
and philosopher. So at last on 14th
terrible revolution broke out. The people July, 1789 a
Bastille and released the prisoners attacked
T'orle attacked Bastille and set
the prisoncrs fre crying out,
'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity'. Subsequently,
thesepeople killed the king and the queen and many of the rich nobles.
However, the new leaders quarrelled amongst themselves and the neighbourine
URtries were afraid that the French Revolution mightencourage the people in their
own countries to revolt. So, Spain and England
attacked France in 1793 to put an end to the
revolution. Napoleon defeated them. He came
to power by quelling a mob in Paris which
nobody could do. He was then made general of
the French army. Later when Austria attacked
France, Napoleon defeated the Austrian
army to0.
As the commander of the French army,
Napoleon was able to drive away the enemies.
Napoleon defeated the armies of England and He introduced many new tactics of warfare. He
Spain when they attacked France
always made a surprise attack. He also kept
reserve troops who joined the battle when those in the
battlefield got tired. When he returned to Paris he was famous.
ifsrssfirg fast Before leaving for the war, Napoleon had married Josephine.
In the years following She was beautiful and came from a rich and influential family
Napoleon's death,
innumerable books and helped in advancing Napoleon's career. Not content with
about him were driving off the enemies, Napoleon now started attacking hs
published
the
including neighbours. He was victorious everywhere. The Tsar of Russid.
memoirs of many an:agreementthat
persons who had Alexander I, met Napoleon and they came to
joined him in exile in all the land between France in the west and Russia in the eds
Saint Helena.
belonged to France. Only Britain with her fleet of warships and

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 Makers of History:
the English Channel separating it from
France remained outside Napoleon's
influence.
At this time Britain was helping the ex
rulers of France. Napoleon decided to
attack Britain. He thought that if he could
prevent Britain from carrying on trade
with India, it wouldmake them helpless. So
as the first step in his war against Britain,
he attacked and defeated Egypt which was
the nearest port. But Nelson, the famous In the Battle of Nile, Nelson,
British admiral, had burnt all Napoleon's the British admiral, burnt all of
Napoleon's ships
ships(in the Battle of Nile)while the latterwas in Egypt.
Leaving his army behind,Napoleon
not have astable government. The managed to return to Paris. At that time France did
new kind of government set up by the
was not working well. So Frenchpeople
Napoleon and some others BRITAIN
took over the government and ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Napoleon becanme the leader. GERMANY
RUSSIA
He was made the First Consul Waterloo "Leipzig
Paris "
and in 1804, he was made the
FRANCE
Emperor and Josephine the AUSTRIA

Empress. He had become so BLACK SEA

proud that he crowned himself CORSIÇA ElDa ITALY

Emperor and then Crowned SPAIN

Josephine. AsEmperor, he
MEDITERRANEAN SEA

brought about many beneficial

changes. He reshaped Europe.
His domestic achievements
EGYPT
Were long-lasting. The
Catholic religion became the Map showing the sites of the famous Napoleonic Wars
State religion. His new legal code, the Code Napoleon, is still the basis of French
Tie established a national educational network, a centralised laws.
administration and a
banking system. He abolished serfdomn, reduced the power of the Church and
introduced new taxes.
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 Wakers of History.
almost all over the
what We
w now have
All these are the basis of and nationalism.
human rights
rule, Napoleoniscalledithe
isrssirgfaci world: parliamentary emperor,
Serfdom was the Thisis why,in spiteof beecominganprotected its principles. But
Revolution as he ambitious nature and greed
labour system under Child of the
which most European continuedwars, Over Thousandsof
because of his else.
agricultural workers popularity and everything
Iived during the Napoleon lost his
his wars. nearly the whole of
Middle Ages. people werekilled in taken over
Napoleon's armies had
By 1807, Napoleon decided to try again and
exception of Britain. In
1807,
with the blockade England, that is, he stopped
Europe,
Britain. This tinme he used his navy to carrying food to England. Since
COnquer ships from
grow enough food to support
England did not into
Napoleon wanted to starve them
herself, blockade of England
submission. This economic
called the Continental System. Many sea
was
English and the French
battles betweern the
France entering
followed. The English attacked
timne the
Spain and Portugal. At that
through unfriendly, so
Sea battle between the Englislh Russian Tsar also becamne
you
and the Frenclh
Napoleon decided to attack Russia. Russia, as
hugecountry, has freezing winters and very little food can be grown there.
all know, isa all the towns
The Russians avoided fighting by deserting
in
and villages which fell in Napoleon's path. Only the
defeat
Borodino, did Napoleon come across and
soldiers.
Russian troops, but he lost thousands of his own
Then hemarched to Moscow. The whole place was empty.
The Russians had deserted the place and burnt the
neighbouring villages. Napoleon could not get any food
for hissoldiers. It was winter and bitterly cold. The ground
was covered with snow. When Napoleon and his men
marched back to France, of the 600,000 men less than10,000
were left. Napoleon had lost his grand army in Russia.
After this disaster,the rest of Europe joined hands with the
King Louis XVIII English armies which entered Paris, and defeated and
captured Napoleon in 1814. He was kept as a prisoner
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 Makers of lisiory
thetiny island of Elba,between Corsica and Italy. A
new king, LouisXVIII, was CrOWned in France. Ayear
later Napoleon escaped and collected 1000 soldiers
and marched intoFrance.
The King'sarmy would havecasily defcated them,
but Napoleon using his personal magnetism got all
the army over to his side. Napoleon came back to
power butonly for afew months. To drive away the Battleof Waterloo in 1815
foreign allied troops from the border, he again
started fighting. He was defeated in the battle of Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington in
1815. This time he was sent to St. Helena where he lived until he died-six years later at
the age of 51 years.He was one of the greatest generals and rulers of the modern age.

New Words Points To Remember

blsçontent Unhappiness. Napoleon Bonaparte is known as one of

Displeased Angry. the greatest generals of the world.
As the commander of the French armny,
Réserve Keep aside for later use.
Napoleon was able to drive away the
Influential Powerful. enemies.

Centralised : Brought under one Napoleon married Josephine.

control, especially in As emperor Napoleon brought about
government. many new changes.
The rest of Europe joined hands with the
Submission Forcing people to be English army which entered Paris and
obedient.
defeated and captured Napoleon in 1814.
Deserted Left. Napoleon was defeated in the battle of
Waterloo by the Duke of Wellington in
1815.

Exercise.
1. Answer the following questions orally born?
Napoleon
When and where was
1.
Napoleon attack Egypt? What happened there?
2. Whydid
as a prisoner?
3. When was he sent to Elba
emperor?
4. When did he become the
 lakers of lHistory

Wbat kindof childlhoodandeducation didNapoleon have?

1.
Whathappened when Napolcon attackedRussia?
Iuwhatways was Napolcon agood general?
Wh did Napoleon attack Egypt? What happened there?
Whatdid Napoleondowhen he became the emperor?
thehlahs withtlhehelpof tlhewots qven in the box:
1814, Corsica, 1769, liberty,equality and fraternity, Bastille,
St. Helena, Waterloo, 51 years, Wellington, Voltaire, Rousseau, 1804
Napoleon was born in, on th island of CSICO.
1
2 The people atacked the prison of BoHle cryingli<c.cLLy orsa cÑ
3
WateÓ0_bythe Duke ofelirdto
Napoleon was defeated Ën the battle of
4 Hewas imprisoned in dtHeUCtor six years. He died at the age of 5lears.
5 de and KOLSeOnspired the people of France by their writings.
Napoleon was made the Emperor of France in the yearK
7. Napoleon was sent as a prisoner to Elba in the year | 1
Put Tfor True or 'Ffor False against the following statements:
1. Nelson burnt all the French ships while Napoleon was in Egypt.
2. Napoleon's legal code is still the basis of French laws.
3. In 1814, Napoleon was sent to St. Helena.
4.
Napoleon was a great general.
What do you know about the following:
1. Louis XVI
2
Josephine
3. Nelson

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