EURO1004 Chapter 6: The Impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon on Europe and the Congress of Vienna
CH 6: THE IMPACT OF THE FRENCH REVOLTUTION AND NAPOLEON ON
EUROPE AND THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
Section A
THE VARIED IMPACT ON FRENCH RULE
• Between 1792 and 1812 France’s way over the rest of Europe had an extra-ordinary growth,
which extended at its greatest from Hamburg in the north to Palermo in the south and
Moscow in the east to Lisbon in the west
• However it was followed by an even more precipitate decline in French power
• The impact of French domination was felt in a variety of ways – it is difficult to define the
nature of the impact
• In order to understand the effects of the French Revolution on Europe, one has to balance:
- The liberating impact of revolutionary ideas and institutions against the arbitrary
financial exactions
- The commercial interference through the continental system
- The toll of manpower through conscription
- The crushing of opposition which were all characteristic of Napoleon’s rule
The influence of the Revolution
- In the first period of French rule:
o There were lasting legacies in the Austrian Netherlands, Holland, parts of
Switzerland, the left bank of the Rhine and northern Italy
o Orderly systems of administration were introduced
o In many of these areas, religious orders were suppressed, their assets
confiscated and sold off
o Civil marriage was introduced
o Press censorship relaxed
The influence of Napoleon
- Due to Napoleon’s introduction to power, it caused changes of regime
- The Code Napoleon was introduced into Italy in 1806, Napes and Westphalia in
1808, Holland in 1809 and to the parts of Spain which were under French control
- This caused taxes to be more efficiently collected, schools promoted and
communications improved in parts of the empire
- Napoleon’s insatiable ambition meant that a lasting peace with Britain was
impossible and left him with two campaigns that he could not win, in Spain and
Russia
-
Continental system:
led to the closing of European ports and the loss of markets,
particularly in America
- Internal tariffs were erected to protect French products and manufacturers against
competition –
e.g. Italian textile producers
-
Code Napoleon:
introduced conscription into all areas he controlled and levies
were impose on his dependants and allies
o Frenchmen constituted less than half of the
Grande Armée
of over
600,000 that invaded Russia in 1812 – has been estimated that at least 1
million foreigners served in napoleon’s armies
- They only had a brief moment of solvency, followed by mountings indebtedness
as the scale of Napoleon’s operations (particularly military) grew
-
Impossible to separate the gains from the losses of Napoleon’s rule and it met with
a variety of reactions
o Outright opposition was comparatively rare and tended to coincide with
periods of economic hardship and extra demands for troops
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Document Summary
Ch 6: the impact of the french revoltution and napoleon on. The varied impact on french rule: between 1792 and 1812 france"s way over the rest of europe had an extra-ordinary growth, which extended at its greatest from hamburg in the north to palermo in the south and. In order to understand the effects of the french revolution on europe, one has to balance: The liberating impact of revolutionary ideas and institutions against the arbitrary financial exactions. The commercial interference through the continental system. The crushing of opposition which were all characteristic of napoleon"s rule. In the first period of french rule: there were lasting legacies in the austrian netherlands, holland, parts of. Switzerland, the left bank of the rhine and northern italy: orderly systems of administration were introduced. In many of these areas, religious orders were suppressed, their assets confiscated and sold off: civil marriage was introduced, press censorship relaxed.
