The emergence of Napoleon

Question 1

history

Answer 1

Born in Corsica after the island had been given to France
1778 gained admission to the college de Autun where he learnt to speak french
Sent 5 years at the military college of Brienne
Played no part in the revolution but was a fan of voltaire
1791 joined a jacobin club in valence

Question 2

Between august and december 1793..

Answer 2

he helped drive the British from toulon
In recognition if his success he was rewarded a promotion to major in September, adjutant general in October and brigadier general in December at 24 years old
Robespierre appointed him commandment of the artillery in the french army of Italy in 1794

Question 3

As a close friend of Robespierre’s brother …

Answer 3

• he was tried for conspiracy and spent month in goal, was spared the guillotine but lost his position
• Saved the republic in the vendemiaire rising (October 1795) using the cannon
• Made commander of the army of the interior and adviser on military matters to the directory
• Appointed commander in chief of the army of Italy in march 1796
• 2 days after marrying Josephine he left for Italy

Question 4

The second coalition and Napoleon’s return

Answer 4

• Between October 1797 and march 1799 following the treaty of Campo Formio peace was maintained in Europe
• However napoleon’s expulsion if the knights of st john from Malta in 1798 on his way to Egypt had angered Tsar Paul of Russia who was the honorary head of the order
• Austria took advantage of napoleon involvement in Egypt to come tether with Britain Russia, ottoman empire, Portugal and German and Italian states in a new coalition against France in 1798-99
• These allies mounted several invasions in Italy, Switzerland and the batavian republic
• August 1799 napoleon left the bulk of his army in Egypt and hurried back to France in October 1799
• By the time he arrived the enemies had been repelled and Russia had withdrawn from the coalition
• However the directory was in a week position and discredited after the coups and purges of 1798-99

Question 5

Military leadership

Answer 5

• Napoleon had acquired a reputation as a military genius in his campaign in Italy and Egypt
• Established himself as an intelligent and military strategist who applied a high level of calculations to the winnings of battle
• Speed and manoeuvrability were key to his success as a leader
• Improved army organisations when fighting in Italy and developed a self contained a small army corps of 30,000 men
• Kept back reserved corps of both cavalry and artillery under his own command, enabling him to decide when in battle these could be put to best use
• Developed the idea of forced march, using speed to take his men across large distances to surprise the enemy
• Insisted that the troops lived off the land improving speeds and enabling him to take up superior battle positive and fragment the opposition
• Military leadership benefited for his personality
• Cultivated his men through speeches and leading by example by travelling with his troops and sharing their privatisations
• Had soldiers who were fighting for a cause they believed him