The collapse of the Empire Flashcards

1
Q

when was LXVIII invited to take the French throne and by who ?

A
  • The allies

- April 1814

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2
Q

What were the conditions of LXVIII taking the throne ?

A
  • A charter of74 articles
  • Drawn up by Napoleonic ministers and Louis’ own advisors eg Talleyrand (France’s representative at the Congress of Vienna)
  • Conditions : Fair taxation, equality before the law, constitution with a 2 chamber assemblies, freedom of individuals, relatively free press, freedom of worship, abolition of conscription and owners of biens nationaux would keep their lands
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3
Q

Where was NB exiled to ?

A

Elba

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4
Q

When did LXVIII leave exile in Britain ?

A
  • 3rd May 1814
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5
Q

How did LXVIII show himself to be a monarch ?

A
  • Processed through the streets in traditional royalist pomp + installed himself in Tuilleries palace
  • The freedom as it was promised was his personal gift to the people not their basic right
  • Made clear his belief in divine right and refused to accept any responsibility to a new assembly
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6
Q

When was the First treaty of Paris drawn signed ?

A
  • 30th May 1814
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7
Q

What were the conditions of the treaty ? (First peace of Paris)

A
  • Allies agreed to withdraw form French soil and allowed France to keep looted artworks
  • No war indemnity but the French had to accept the borders of 1792 (extended east of the Rhine even though Belgium, holland, Italy and Germany would be lost BUT 500,000 more people would be included in France since 1790)
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8
Q

When was the Vienna congress ?

A
  • Lasted 8 months and was signed in June 1815
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9
Q

Who hosted the Vienna congress and how much did it cost them ?

A
  • Austrian Emperor Francis I

- Equivalent of 7 million

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10
Q

Which key figures attended the Vienna congress ?

A
  • British Foreign secretary : Viscount Castlereagh
  • Austrian Foreign minister : Viscount Klemens von Metternich
  • Tsar Nicholas and his foreign minister
  • Prussian king, foreign minister
  • French foreign minister : Talleyrand
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11
Q

How many people attended the Vienna Congress ?

A
  • 4 Kings
  • 2 crown pieces
  • 3 grand duchesses
  • 32 German Royals
  • 215 Princes
  • Governments ministers and other state representatives
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12
Q

How was business conducted at the Vienna congress ?

A
  • Through informal discussions and through 10 special committees
  • No full sessions and participants only met all together in June 1815
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13
Q

When did the Hundred days last between ?

A
  • 20th march 1815 and 22nd June 1815 (94 days)
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14
Q

When did news reach that NB had escaped Elba and landed in France ?

A
  • 11th march 1815 (when the congress was in session)
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15
Q

What was lavish about the Vienna congress ?

A
  • The entertainment : Balls, banquets, concerts, theatre, ballet and hunting parties
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16
Q

What declaration was signed 13th march 1815 ?

A
  • Major powers signed a declaration declaring NB as an outlaw
  • offered LXVIII their assistance to resist any attempt by NB to regain power
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17
Q

Where and when did NB land in France ?

A
  • 1st March 1815
  • South Coast near Cannes
  • With under 1,000 men but attracted a huge number of workers and peasants as he moved Northwards through France
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18
Q

what nay have the troops been duped into believing with regards to NB ?

A
  • His falsehood that he had been summoned to Paris by the allies
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19
Q

When was there a rising against the Bourbons and when ?

A
  • Lyons

- Before NB even reached the city (9th march 1815)

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20
Q

How was NB successful on landing in France ?

A
  • Acquired ever increasing forces

- By the time news about his landing reached Vienna, he had 12,000 supporters

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21
Q

When did the Royal army defect to NB and what did it result in ?

A
  • 19th march
  • The royal army stationed outside Paris defected to NB
  • LXVIII (whose vulnerability was clear despite claiming divine right) left the capital
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22
Q

Why was NB easily able to win support ?

A
  • Failure of LXVIII to win loyalty and respect
    1. Army officers were disgruntled as LXVIII put them on half pay and Bonapartists were purged so there were mass desertions when they saw rather old leader
    2. taxes were high and promises to reduces taxes on tobacco/salt where’t honoured due to French debts
    3. Hostility to ongoing conscription
    4. Rumours that the biens nationaux would be seized and fears of losing lands
23
Q

How did NB put forward a new constitution ?

A
  • Through the Acte additionel
24
Q

How did NB attempt to regain trust ?

A
  • Promised peace
  • Spoke so persuasively that the French Press (previously referred to him as a scoundrel) started to refer to him as ‘our great and beloved Emperor’
25
Q

What was included in the Acte Additionels ?

A
  • attempt to appeal to the liberals

- Promised : free elections, free press and a constitutional monarchy with a 2 chamber government

26
Q

What was the plebiscite results for the acte additionel Constitution ?

A
  • 22% turnout

- 1.5 million in favour and 6.000 against

27
Q

Who helped NB prepare the Acte additionel ?

A
  • Benjamin Constant (liberal who was previously exiled)
  • By it the legislative power lay with the Emperor, 2 chambers of parliament (Peers were hereditary and appointed by the Emperor + there were 629 representatives who were elected for 5 year terms
28
Q

What were the disagreements at Vienna between the allies ?

A
  • Conflicting interests of the ‘Great powers’ (Russia, Prussia, Austria, GB and France)
  • Eg Russia’s desire to take Poland aroused suspicion amongst the allies
29
Q

How many people did NB’s army compose of to oppose the forces of the 4th Coalition which were gathering at the the natural frontier ?

A
  • 300,000 (no match)

- BUT he hoped they would be unable to cooperate due to the disagreements over Vienna

30
Q

What happened on the 12th June 1815 ?

A
  • NB left Paris to join the French army (preparing to cross in to Belgium/the New Kingdom of the Netherlands)
  • Aimed to prevent British forces under wellington and Blucher’s Prussian forces from joining up
31
Q

What happened on 16th June 1815 ?

A
  • At Ligny, NB defeated the Prussians but didn’t follow through his victory
  • Assumed that the Prussians had fled + attacked some of Wellington’ forces in an inconclusive fight
32
Q

Wellington’s position at Waterloo ?

A
  • Held ground in a good position (hid some men behind a ridge in the hill)
33
Q

What happened on 18th June 1815 ?

A
  • French struggled to destroy the British
  • Timely arrival of Blucher and his 81,000 troops in the late afternoon helped secure an ally victory over the French
  • Even NB’s imperial guard was forced to retreat BUT their steadfast loyalty is a mark of NB’s spell over his men
34
Q

What did NB do following loss at Waterloo ?

A
  • Made his way back to Paris
35
Q

How did NB surrender and what did he attempt to do ?

A
  • 22nd June 1815 : gave in to clamours for his abdication BUT attempted to promote his son as his successor
  • 15th July surrendered (believing the British to being the most generous of his enemies) to the British Captain Maitland who took him to Plymouth
36
Q

Where was NB exiled to in 1815 ?

A
  • St Helena (5,000 miles away)

- Guarded by GB until his death 6 years later + he wrote his memoirs

37
Q

When did LXVIII re-enter France and how was this eased ?

A
  • Wellington’s troops

- 8th July re-entered Paris where 1000s of Parisians turned out to greet him and cheer

38
Q

what proclamation did LXVIII issue on June 26th 1815 ?

A
  • Promised a pardon to all but the instigators of those who served the Emperor in the Hundred days
39
Q

When was a new Peace of Paris dawn up and signed ?

A
  • November 1815
40
Q

Why was the second peace of Paris drawn up ?

A
  • The degree of support NB had during the 100 days made them rethink their formerly generous treatment of France
  • To ensure France would never again threaten European peace
41
Q

what were the terms of the second peace of Paris ?

A
  • French borders reduced to that of 1790
  • French were to pay an indemnity of 700 million francs + the costs of defensive fortifications in neighbouring countries
  • return all looted artworks
  • Army of occupation under wellington for 5 years or until the indemnity was paid
42
Q

How was the basis for future European diplomacy laid out after the Second peace of Paris ?

A
  • Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia agreed to work together in a quadruple alliance
  • Pledged to have multiple meetings to preserve the peace of Europe + resist further attempts of NB/family to return to France
  • Backed by the guarantee of 60,000 men each in any attempt to overturn the peace settlement
43
Q

What was an important aim of the allies following the second peace of Paris ?

A
  • Contain France by using buffer states around the country (referred to as the Cordon Sanitaire)
44
Q

What was the Vienna settlement based on ?

A
  • Determination to restore traditional values of monarchy and control at the expense of democracy + nationality
  • Settlement was based on conservative principles and fear of revolution which pushed the clock back rather than forwards
45
Q

How was France of 1815 different from that of the Ancien Regime ?

A
  • Administration system of departments, prefects, tax system, Bank of France, Napoleonic civil code of law and a uniformed system of law
  • careers of open talent ensured Bourgeoisie continued to dominate social and political life
  • Those who benefitted under NB continued to do well
  • Appointment of nobles as ministers (restoration failed to reverse the decline of influence)
  • clergy and many emigres had to accept the loss of there lands
46
Q

how did the economy recover after 1815 ?

A
  • Industry prospered from this recovery (released from the continental system and the positive economic reforms from under NB
  • agriculture also thrived
  • Although there were indemnities to be paid off
47
Q

Which advisors did LXVIII rely on ?

A
  • Moderate ones : Talleyrand and Fouche at the expense of the ultras led by LXVIII’s younger brother, Charles (more royalist than the King)
48
Q

which group had the most political influence under the new regime of Louis XVIII ?

A
  • Pays legals
  • Right to vote which was restricted to property owners over 30 who paid 300 francs a year in direct taxation
  • Largely landowners, senior government officials and high earning bankers
49
Q

How big was the electorate in 1815 ?

A
  • 100,000 men from a population of 29 million
50
Q

1815 : Who could propose laws ?

A
  • King or ministers but the Chamber could refuse to pass them or grant taxes
  • Second chamber of peers was nominated by the King
51
Q

1815 : requirement to sit in the chamber of deputies ?

A
  • male
  • Over 40
  • pay 1000 francs in taxes
  • Only 12,000 men were eligible for this
52
Q

How did NB promote liberty ?

A
  • Equality of opportunity

- Ensured religious toleration

53
Q

what was LXVIII’s outlook ?

A
  • remained traditionalist but was wise enough not to push his case too far and ensured the essential principles of the revolution were retained
54
Q

Treaty of Fontainebleau

A
  • April 1814

- NB made to give up his throne but was allowed to keep the title of Emperor + income of 200,000 in Elba