Page 26 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

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cartographers who accompanied Napoleon on the expe- Later in 1800, Napoleon had his Civil or Napoleonic
dition laid the foundation for modern Egyptology, one of Code drafted. Perhaps his most important legacy, Napo-
his enduring academic legacies. leon’s code organized the thousands of Royalist and
When Napoleon returned to France, he took control Revolutionary decrees, abolishing feudal privileges and
of the government in the coup d’état de Brumaire (9–10 establishing equality before the law.The code also estab-
November 1799), becoming, at thirty-seven, First Consul lished freedom of religion and the separation of church
of France. Again faced with the Austrians in northern and state. In 1801 he smoothed relations with Rome by
Italy, Napoleon led his army through the Alps and won signingtheConcordatwithPopePiusVII,bringingCathol-
the Battle of Marengo on 14 June 1800. icism back to France while, over the Pope’s objection,
maintaining freedom of religion.
The 1802 Peace of Amiens with England allowed
Napoleon to concentrate on domestic reforms, including
anationwideinfrastructureimprovementprogramandthe
first moves in Europe toward universal public education.
On 2 December 1804, backed by the Senate and the
people, and to thwart efforts by Royalists to assassinate
him, Napoleon consolidated his power still further, and
was declared Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. How-
ever, his imposition of the progressive Napoleonic Code
over his successive European conquests, effectively dis-
mantling the centuries-old conservative European social
order, arrayed all the monarchies of Europe against him,
and war soon returned.
In 1805, abandoning plans to invade England, Napo-
leon moved his Grande Armée to central Europe to meet
oncoming Russian and Austrian armies. His greatest vic-
tory was the Battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805
—although it was diminished somewhat by Nelson’s ear-
lier destruction of the French fleet off the coast of Spain
at Trafalgar. At Austerlitz, Napoleon defeated a larger
force by employing masterful military and psychologi-
Napoleon, the Emperor of France. cal tactics.

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