Napoleonic wars and the activities of the anti-French coalition. Napoleon's military campaigns

Na-po-leo-new wars are usually called the wars waged by France against European countries during the reign of Na-po-leo-na Bo. na-par-ta, that is, in 1799-1815. European countries created anti-Napoleonic coalitions, but their forces were not sufficient to break the power of Napoleonic army. Napoleon won victory after victory. But the invasion of Russia in 1812 changed the situation. Napoleon was expelled from Russia, and the Russian army began a foreign campaign against him, which ended with the Russian invasion of Paris and Napoleon losing the title of emperor.

Rice. 2. British Admiral Horatio Nelson ()

Rice. 3. Battle of Ulm ()

On December 2, 1805, Napoleon won a brilliant victory at Austerlitz(Fig. 4). In addition to Napoleon, the Emperor of Austria personally participated in this battle and Russian Emperor Alexander I. The defeat of the anti-Napoleonic coalition in central Europe allowed Napoleon to withdraw Austria from the war and focus on other regions of Europe. So, in 1806, he led an active campaign to seize the Kingdom of Naples, which was an ally of Russia and England against Napoleon. Napoleon wanted to place his brother on the throne of Naples Jerome(Fig. 5), and in 1806 he made another of his brothers king of the Netherlands, LouisIBonaparte(Fig. 6).

Rice. 4. Battle of Austerlitz ()

Rice. 5. Jerome Bonaparte ()

Rice. 6. Louis I Bonaparte ()

In 1806, Napoleon managed to radically solve the German problem. He eliminated a state that had existed for almost 1000 years - Holy Roman Empire. An association was created from 16 German states, called Confederation of the Rhine. Napoleon himself became the protector (protector) of this Union of the Rhine. In fact, these territories were also brought under his control.

Feature these wars, which in history were called Napoleonic Wars, it was that the composition of France's opponents changed all the time. By the end of 1806, the anti-Napoleonic coalition included completely different states: Russia, England, Prussia and Sweden. Austria and the Kingdom of Naples were no longer in this coalition. In October 1806, the coalition was almost completely defeated. In just two battles, under Auerstedt and Jena, Napoleon managed to deal with the Allied troops and force them to sign a peace treaty. At Auerstedt and Jena, Napoleon defeated the Prussian troops. Now nothing stopped him from moving further north. Napoleonic troops soon occupied Berlin. Thus, another important rival of Napoleon's in Europe was taken out of the game.

November 21, 1806 Napoleon signed the most important for the history of France decree on the continental blockade(a ban on all countries under his control to trade and generally conduct any business with England). It was England that Napoleon considered his main enemy. In response, England blocked French ports. However, France could not actively resist England's trade with other territories.

Russia remained a rival. At the beginning of 1807, Napoleon managed to defeat Russian troops in two battles in the territory East Prussia.

July 8, 1807 Napoleon and AlexanderIsigned the Peace of Tilsit(Fig. 7). This treaty, concluded on the border of Russia and French-controlled territories, proclaimed good neighborly relations between Russia and France. Russia pledged to join the continental blockade. However, this agreement meant only a temporary mitigation, but not an overcoming of the contradictions between France and Russia.

Rice. 7. Peace of Tilsit 1807 ()

Napoleon had a difficult relationship with By Pope PiusVII(Fig. 8). Napoleon and the Pope had an agreement on the division of powers, but their relationship began to deteriorate. Napoleon considered church property to belong to France. The Pope did not tolerate this and after the coronation of Napoleon in 1805 he returned to Rome. In 1808, Napoleon brought his troops into Rome and deprived the pope of temporal power. In 1809, Pius VII issued a special decree in which he cursed the robbers of church property. However, he did not mention Napoleon in this decree. This epic ended with the Pope being almost forcibly transported to France and forced to live in the Fontainebleau Palace.

Rice. 8. Pope Pius VII ()

As a result of these conquests and Napoleon's diplomatic efforts, by 1812 a huge part of Europe was under his control. Through relatives, military leaders or military conquests, Napoleon subjugated almost all the states of Europe. Only England, Russia, Sweden, Portugal and Ottoman Empire, as well as Sicily and Sardinia.

On June 24, 1812, Napoleonic army invaded Russia. The beginning of this campaign was successful for Napoleon. He managed to cover a significant part of the territory Russian Empire and even capture Moscow. He could not hold the city. At the end of 1812, Napoleon's army fled from Russia and again entered the territory of Poland and the German states. The Russian command decided to continue the pursuit of Napoleon outside the territory of the Russian Empire. This went down in history as Foreign campaign of the Russian army. He was very successful. Even before the beginning of spring 1813, Russian troops managed to take Berlin.

From October 16 to 19, 1813, the largest battle in the history of the Napoleonic wars took place near Leipzig., known as "battle of the nations"(Fig. 9). The battle received this name due to the fact that almost half a million people took part in it. At the same time, Napoleon had 190 thousand soldiers. His rivals, led by the British and Russians, had approximately 300 thousand soldiers. The numerical superiority was very important. In addition, Napoleon's troops were not as ready as they were in 1805 or 1809. A significant part of the old guard was destroyed, and therefore Napoleon had to take into his army people who did not have serious military training. This battle ended unsuccessfully for Napoleon.

Rice. 9. Battle of Leipzig 1813 ()

The Allies made Napoleon a lucrative offer: they offered him to retain his imperial throne if he agreed to reduce France to the borders of 1792, that is, he had to give up all his conquests. Napoleon indignantly refused this proposal.

March 1, 1814 members of the anti-Napoleonic coalition - England, Russia, Austria and Prussia - signed Chaumont Treaty. It prescribed the actions of the parties to eliminate Napoleon's regime. The parties to the treaty pledged to deploy 150 thousand soldiers in order to resolve the French issue once and for all.

Despite the fact that the Treaty of Chaumont was only one in a series of European treaties of the 19th century, it was given special place in the history of mankind. The Treaty of Chaumont was one of the first treaties not aimed at joint conquests(did not have an aggressive orientation), but for joint defense. The signatories of the Treaty of Chaumont insisted that the wars that had rocked Europe for 15 years would finally end and the era of the Napoleonic Wars would end.

Almost a month after the signing of this agreement, March 31, 1814, Russian troops entered Paris(Fig. 10). This ended the period of the Napoleonic wars. Napoleon abdicated the throne and was exiled to the island of Elba, which was given to him for life. It seemed that his story was over, but Napoleon tried to return to power in France. You will learn about this in the next lesson.

Rice. 10. Russian troops enter Paris ()

Bibliography

1. Jomini. Political and military life of Napoleon. A book dedicated to Napoleon's military campaigns until 1812

2. Manfred A.Z. Napoleon Bonaparte. - M.: Mysl, 1989.

3. Noskov V.V., Andreevskaya T.P. General history. 8th grade. - M., 2013.

4. Tarle E.V. "Napoleon". - 1994.

5. Tolstoy L.N. "War and Peace"

6. Chandler D. Napoleon’s military campaigns. - M., 1997.

7. Yudovskaya A.Ya. General history. Modern History, 1800-1900, 8th grade. - M., 2012.

Homework

1. Name Napoleon’s main opponents during 1805-1814.

2. Which battles from the series of Napoleonic wars left the greatest mark on history? Why are they interesting?

3. Tell us about Russia's participation in the Napoleonic wars.

4. What was the significance of the Chaumont Treaty for European states?

Napoleon leads the battle

The Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815) are an era in the history of Europe when France, having taken the capitalist path of development, tried to impose the principles of freedom, equality, fraternity with which its people made their Great Revolution, surrounding states.

The soul of this grand enterprise, its driving force there was a French commander political figure, who eventually became Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. That's why they call it numerous European wars beginning of the 19th century by Napoleonic

"Bonaparte - short stature, is not very slender: his body is too long. Hair is dark brown, eyes are blue-gray; complexion, at first, with youthful thinness, yellow, and then, with age, white, matte, without any blush. His features are beautiful, reminiscent of antique medals. The mouth, a little flat, becomes pleasant when he smiles; The chin is a little short. Lower jaw heavy and square. His legs and arms are graceful, he is proud of them. The eyes, usually dull, give the face, when it is calm, a melancholy, thoughtful expression; when he gets angry, his gaze suddenly becomes stern and threatening. A smile suits him very well, suddenly makes him look very kind and young; It’s hard to resist him then, as he becomes all prettier and transformed” (from the memoirs of Madame Remusat, a lady-in-waiting at Josephine’s court)

Biography of Napoleon. Briefly

1769, August 15 - born in Corsica
1779, May-1785, October - training at military schools in Brienne and Paris.
1789-1795 - participation in one capacity or another in the events of the Great French Revolution
1795, June 13 - appointment as general of the Western Army
1795, October 5 - by order of the Convention, the royalist putsch was dispersed.
1795, October 26 - appointment as general of the Internal Army.
1796, March 9 - marriage to Josephine Beauharnais.
1796-1797 - Italian company
1798-1799 - Egyptian Company
1799, November 9-10 - coup d'etat. Napoleon becomes consul along with Sieyes and Roger-Ducos
1802, August 2 - Napoleon was presented with a lifelong consulate
1804, May 16 - proclaimed Emperor of the French
1807, January 1 - proclamation of the continental blockade of Great Britain
1809, December 15 - divorce from Josephine
1810, April 2 - marriage to Maria Louise
1812, June 24 - the beginning of the war with Russia
1814, March 30–31 - the army of the anti-French coalition entered Paris
1814, April 4–6 - Napoleon's abdication of power
1814, May 4 - Napoleon on the island of Elba.
1815, February 26 - Napoleon left Elba
1815, March 1 - Napoleon's landing in France
1815, March 20 - Napoleon's army entered Paris in triumph
1815, June 18 - Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
1815, June 22 - second abdication
1815, October 16 - Napoleon imprisoned on the island of St. Helena
1821, May 5 - death of Napoleon

Napoleon is considered by experts to be the greatest military genius in world history.(Academician Tarle)

Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon waged wars not so much with individual states, but with alliances of states. There were seven of these alliances or coalitions in total.
First Coalition (1791-1797): Austria and Prussia. This coalition's war with France is not included in the list Napoleonic Wars

Second Coalition (1798-1802): Russia, England, Austria, Turkey, the Kingdom of Naples, several German principalities, Sweden. The main battles took place in the regions of Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Holland.
—

1799, April 27 - at the Adda River, the victory of Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Suvorov over the French army under the command of J. V. Moreau
1799, June 17 - near the Trebbia River in Italy, the victory of the Russian-Austrian troops of Suvorov over the French army of MacDonald
1799, August 15 - at Novi (Italy) victory of the Russian-Austrian troops of Suvorov over the French army of Joubert
1799, September 25-26 - at Zurich, the defeat of the coalition troops from the French under the command of Massena
1800, June 14 - at Marengo, Napoleon's French army defeated the Austrians
1800, December 3 - Moreau's French army defeated the Austrians at Hohenlinden

1801, February 9 - Peace of Luneville between France and Austria
1801, October 8 - peace treaty in Paris between France and Russia
1802, March 25 - Peace of Amiens between France, Spain and the Batavian Republic on the one hand and England on the other

—
France established control over the left bank of the Rhine. The Cisalpine (in Northern Italy), Batavian (Holland) and Helvetic (Switzerland) republics are recognized as independent

Third Coalition (1805-1806): England, Russia, Austria, Sweden. The main fighting took place on land in Austria, Bavaria and at sea
—

1805, October 19 - Napoleon's victory over the Austrians at Ulm
1805, October 21 - Defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet from the British at Trafalgar
1805, December 2 - Napoleon's victory over Austerlitz over the Russian-Austrian army (“Battle of the Three Emperors”)

1805, December 26 - Peace of Presburg (Presburg - present-day Bratislava) between France and Austria

—
Austria ceded to Napoleon the Venetian region, Istria (a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea) and Dalmatia (today mainly belongs to Croatia) and recognized all French conquests in Italy, and also lost its possessions west of Carinthia (today federal state within Austria)

Fourth Coalition (1806-1807): Russia, Prussia, England. The main events took place in Poland and East Prussia
—

1806, October 14 - Napoleon's victory at Jena over the Prussian army
1806, October 12 Napoleon occupied Berlin
1806, December - entry into the war of the Russian army
1806, December 24-26 - battles at Charnovo, Golymin, Pultusk, ending in a draw
1807, February 7-8 (New Style) - Napoleon’s victory in the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau
1807, June 14 - Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Friedland

1807, June 25 - Peace of Tilsit between Russia and France

—
Russia recognized all the conquests of France and promised to join the continental blockade of England

Napoleon's Peninsular Wars: Napoleon's attempt to conquer the countries of the Iberian Peninsula.
From October 17, 1807 to April 14, 1814, the fighting between Napoleonic marshals and the Spanish-Portuguese-English forces continued, then fading, then resuming with new ferocity. France never managed to completely subjugate Spain and Portugal, on the one hand because the theater of war was on the periphery of Europe, on the other hand, because of opposition to the occupation of the peoples of these countries

Fifth Coalition (April 9–October 14, 1809): Austria, England. France acted in alliance with Poland, Bavaria, and Russia. the main events took place in Central Europe
—

1809, April 19-22 - the battles of Teugen-Hausen, Abensberg, Landshut, and Eckmühl in Bavaria were victorious for the French.
The Austrian army suffered one setback after another, things did not work out for the allies in Italy, Dalmatia, Tyrol, Northern Germany, Poland and Holland

1809, July 12 - a truce was concluded between Austria and France
1809, October 14 - Treaty of Schönbrunn between France and Austria

—
Austria lost access to the Adriatic Sea. France - Istria and Trieste. Western Galicia passed to the Duchy of Warsaw, Bavaria received the Tyrol and Salzburg region, Russia - the Tarnopol district (as compensation for its participation in the war on the side of France)

Sixth Coalition (1813-1814): Russia, Prussia, England, Austria and Sweden, and after the defeat of Napoleon in the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig in October 1813, the German states of Württemberg and Bavaria joined the coalition. Spain, Portugal and England fought independently with Napoleon on the Iberian Peninsula

The main events of the war of the sixth coalition with Napoleon took place in Central Europe
—

1813, October 16-19 - Napoleon’s defeat from the allied forces in the Battle of Leipzig (Battle of the Nations)
1813, October 30-31 - the battle of Hanau, in which the Austro-Bavarian corps unsuccessfully tried to block the retreat of the French army, defeated in the Battle of the Nations
1814, January 29 - Napoleon’s victorious battle near Brienne with Russian-Prussian-Austrian forces
1814, February 10-14 - victorious battles for Napoleon at Champaubert, Montmiral, Chateau-Thierry, Vauchamps, in which the Russians and Austrians lost 16,000 people
1814, March 9 - the battle of the city of Laon (northern France) was successful for the coalition army, in which Napoleon was still able to preserve the army
1814, March 20-21 - the battle of Napoleon and the Main Allied Army on the Au River (center of France), in which the coalition army threw back Napoleon’s small army and marched on Paris, which they entered on March 31

1814, May 30 - Treaty of Paris, ending Napoleon's war with the countries of the sixth coalition

—
France returned to the borders that existed on January 1, 1792, and were given back most of colonial possessions lost during the Napoleonic Wars. The monarchy was restored in the country

Seventh Coalition (1815): Russia, Sweden, England, Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal. The main events of Napoleon's war with the countries of the seventh coalition took place in France and Belgium.
—

1815, March 1, Napoleon, who fled from the island, landed in France
1815, March 20 Napoleon occupied Paris without resistance
How the headlines of French newspapers changed as Napoleon approached the French capital:
“The Corsican monster landed in the Bay of Juan”, “The cannibal goes to the Route”, “The usurper entered Grenoble”, “Bonaparte occupied Lyon”, “Napoleon is approaching Fontainebleau”, “His Imperial Majesty enters his faithful Paris”
1815, March 13, England, Austria, Prussia and Russia outlawed Napoleon, and on March 25 formed the Seventh Coalition against him.
1815, mid-June - Napoleon's army entered Belgium
1815, June 16, the French defeated the British at Quatre Bras and the Prussians at Ligny
1815, June 18 - defeat of Napoleon

Outcome of the Napoleonic Wars

“The defeat of feudal-absolutist Europe by Napoleon had a positive, progressive historical meaning... Napoleon inflicted such irreparable blows on feudalism from which it could never recover, and this is the progressive significance of the historical epic of the Napoleonic wars.”(Academician E.V. Tarle)

1769, August 15 Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Emperor of France, was born. great commander and politician.
1779 Entered Auten College.
1780 – 1784 Study at the Brienne Military Academy.
1784 – 1785 Napoleon was assigned to Paris - to an elite military school, after which he received his first rank (junior lieutenant of artillery).
1792 Napoleon is a member of the Jacobin Club.
1793 Napoleon's family leaves Corsica, where an uprising against France broke out. In the same year, Napoleon received a promotion and became a brigadier general.
1795 Napoleon is arrested for similarity of views with Robespierre, but he is very quickly released.
October 17955 Barasse, with the help of Napoleon, suppresses the royalist uprising.
1796, March 9 Napoleon and Josephine officially marry. It is known that when drawing up the marriage contract, Bonaparte attributed himself a year and a half, and Josephine reduced her age by 4 years.
1796 – 1797 Bonaparte - commander-in-chief of the Italian army.
1797 Treaty of Napoleon with the Pope, according to which the church recognizes Napoleon as Emperor of France.
1797 Treaty of Campoformia between Napoleon and Austria.
1798 – 1799 Napoleon's unsuccessful Egyptian campaign. Ended in absolute failure
1799, November 9 – 10 Napoleon overthrows the Directory and gains power over France. He then received the title of Consul for Life of the French Republic in 1802.
1800 II Italian campaign, under the leadership of Bonaparte, was completely conquered Northern part Italy.
1800-1801 An attempt at rapprochement with Russia, but the assassination of Paul I prevents it.
1801 Support of the papacy.
1801 – 1802 Peace treaties of Napoleon with Russia, Austria, Prussia and England.
1803 War with England.
1804 Declaration of Napoleon as French Emperor.
1805 Coronation of Napoleon I in Paris.
1805, December 2 Battle of Austerlitz. Napoleon defeated the troops of the first anti-French coalition.
1806 Creation of the "Rhine Confederation".
1806 – 1807 The troops of the new second anti-French coalition were defeated, as a result of this, Russia leaves the war, concluding the shameful Peace of Tilsit.
1809 Minor war with the Austrian Empire. It all ended with the Peace of Schönbrunn.
1810, May 4 Napoleon gives birth to a son, Alexander, not from Josephine, but from Maria Walewska.
1810 Divorce of Napoleon and Josephine. Wedding with the Austrian Princess Marie Louise.
1811 The rightful heir to the throne, François Charles Joseph Bonaparte, or simply Napoleon II, is born.
1812 Patriotic War Russian people with foreign aggression. Complete defeat Napoleonic army.
1813 The Battle of Leipzig, often called the "Battle of the Nations", in which Napoleon was defeated.
1813 – 1814 Napoleon is offered a series of peace agreements, but he rejects them one after another and continues desperate attempts at resistance.
1814 Napoleon's reign was officially interrupted by a decision of the Senate. The new king of France is a representative of the Bourbon dynasty, Louis XVIII.
1814, April 6 Napoleon abdicates the French throne. He is sent to Fr. Elba, where he waits in the wings.
1815, March 1 Napoleon's landing in France.
1815, March 20 – June 22"One Hundred Days" of Napoleon. During this period, Bonaparte returned to France and immediately began to assemble an army in order to deal with his main opponents in turn, but the allies united mobilely in order to destroy the existing threat. A huge Allied army takes to the battlefields of Waterloo against a significantly smaller number of French. Bonaparte lost the battle. After this, he surrenders and is sent to the island of St. Helena.
1815 – 1821 Bonaparte lives on the island. St. Helena and writes his famous memoirs.
1821, May 5 Napoleon Bonaparte died in captivity. The cause of Napoleon's death has not yet been clarified. He was either poisoned or died of cancer.
1830 A nine-volume set of Napoleon's memoirs has been published.
1840 Napoleon's remains were reburied in the Invalides in Paris.

07.06.2012 14:09

At the beginning of 1799

November 9, 1799

February 9, 1801

June 18, 1804

April 11 (March 30, old style) 1805

In July 1806

Autumn 1807

In January 1809

By 1811

June 24 (12 old style) 1812

May 30, 1814

(Additional source: Military Encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing House, Moscow. 8 vols., 2004)

Napoleonic Wars - wars of France during the Consulate of General Napoleon Bonaparte (1799-1804) and the Empire of Napoleon I (1804-1815) against anti-French (anti-Napoleonic) coalitions of European states and individual countries of the world.1http://www.rian.ru/docs/ about/copyright.htmlPavel Balabanov.GIM Napoleon army battle action painting history exposition exhibitFrench troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812rian_photovisualrianRIA Novosti Reproduction of the drawing "French troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812." Patriotic War of 1812. State Historical Museum. Reproduction of the drawing "French troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812." Patriotic War of 1812. State Historical Museum.1French troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812. Reproduction of the drawing "French troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812." Patriotic War of 1812. State Historical Museum. French troops in Smolensk on October 28, 1812 http://visualrian.ru/images/item/631627/1812_chronology/20120607/639665113.html/1812_spravki/Inquiries/1812_referat/Abstracts/1812/War and Peace 1812/181 2_chronology/ Chronicle and diaries Napoleonic Wars: history and chronicleNapoleonic Wars - wars of France during the Consulate of General Napoleon Bonaparte (1799-1804) and the Empire of Napoleon I (1804-1815) against anti-French (anti-Napoleonic) coalitions of European states and individual countries of the world. Napoleonic Wars: history and chronicle/authors//

Napoleonic Wars - wars of France during the Consulate of General Napoleon Bonaparte (1799-1804) and the Empire of Napoleon I (1804-1815) against anti-French (anti-Napoleonic) coalitions of European states and individual countries of the world. Their main goal was to achieve military-political, commercial and industrial superiority of France in Europe, territorial conquests and the creation of a world empire centered in France. At first they were directed against the organizer of all anti-French coalitions - England (France's main rival) and its allies on the continent, and subsequently turned into a constant source of income for the Napoleonic government and the bourgeoisie closely associated with it.

At the beginning of 1799 France's short peaceful respite after Bonaparte's Italian campaign (1796-1797) ended and it entered the war with the 2nd anti-French coalition. Military operations began unsuccessfully, and by the autumn of 1799 the situation in France was difficult. The military expedition of French troops in Egypt continued, and the expeditionary army, cut off from the metropolis under the command of General Jean Kleber, was in a critical situation after Bonaparte's departure in 1799 to Paris. French dominance in Italy was lost as a result of Suvorov's Italian campaign (1799). The 150,000-strong Austrian army on the Upper Rhine threatened to invade France. The English fleet blockaded French ports.

November 9, 1799 As a result of the coup d'etat, Bonaparte became the first consul of the 1st French Republic, effectively concentrating all power in his hands. In an effort to improve the position of France, he decided to defeat the Austrian army in Northern Italy, withdraw the Austrian Empire from the war, depriving its ally, England, of support on the continent, and thereby force the allies to peace negotiations. Already in November 1799, Bonaparte began to pull together separately formed units to the southeastern borders of France, which, after uniting at the Swiss border, were called the Reserve Army. General Louis-Alexandre Berthier, who in reality served as Bonaparte's chief of staff, was officially appointed commander-in-chief. The French managed to achieve absolute secrecy in the formation of the army, which was the main condition for the success of the campaign. In May 1800, the Reserve Army moved to Italy along the most difficult route - through the Alpine ridge, where the Austrians did not expect an attack. Having overcome the Alps, French troops entered the Po River valley - behind enemy lines. On June 14, in a decisive battle near the village of Marengo, Bonaparte defeated the Austrian army. This battle predetermined the outcome of the entire campaign. Austria was forced to ask for a truce. However, in December 1800, hostilities resumed. On December 3, 1800, the French army under the command of General Jean Moreau inflicted a new defeat on the Austrians in Germany near Hohenlinden.

February 9, 1801 The Treaty of Luneville was concluded between France and Austria, according to which the Austrians left the occupied territories of Lombardy, due to this, the borders of the Cisalpine Republic dependent on France (daughter) were expanded (created under its patronage in the territory of Northern and Central Italy), the French border was established along the left bank Reina. In October 1801 they signed peace treaties France with Turkey and Russia. England lost allies and on March 27, 1802 was forced to conclude the Treaty of Amiens with France, which completed the collapse of the 2nd anti-French coalition. England returned to France and its allies the colonies seized from them (except for the islands of Ceylon and Trinidad). France pledged to withdraw its troops from Rome, Naples and the island of Elba. There was a short peaceful respite.

In May 1803, the war between England and France resumed.
June 18, 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed “Emperor of the French” by Napoleon I. Hoping to defeat England, Napoleon concentrated significant forces of the French fleet and expeditionary army in the area of the city of Boulogne, where he prepared to cross the English Channel and land troops on the British coast. But on October 21, at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), the combined Franco-Spanish fleet was defeated by an English squadron. British diplomacy launched active efforts to create a 3rd anti-French coalition in order to divert the attention of the French emperor in the European theater of military operations. Russia, concerned about French expansion in Europe, despite serious disagreements with England, accepted its proposal for joint action against Napoleon.

April 11 (March 30, old style) 1805 The St. Petersburg Treaty of Union was concluded between Russia and England, which marked the beginning of a coalition, which Austria joined in August. The allied states expected to field a united army of 500 thousand people against Napoleon. In August, the Russian-Austro-French War began (1805). Napoleon sought to defeat the Austrians before Russian troops arrived on their territory. By the end of September 1805, he deployed an army of 220 thousand people on the Rhine, officially called the “Grand Army”, which, taking advantage of the disunity of the allies, went to the rear of the Austrian Danube Army of Field Marshal Karl Mack and defeated it in the Battle of Ulm (1805). Russian troops arriving at the theater of operations found themselves face to face with the superior French army. By skillfully maneuvering, the commander of the Russian troops, Infantry General Mikhail Kutuzov, avoided encirclement. In the Battle of Krems (1805), he defeated the French corps of Marshal Edouard Mortier and united in the Olmutz area with the corps of Infantry General Feodor Buxhoeveden, who had arrived from Russia, and the remnants of the retreating Austrian army. But in general Battle of Austerlitz(1805) the Russian-Austrian coalition forces were defeated. On December 26, 1805, Austria concluded a separate Treaty of Presburg with France. Under its terms, the Austrian Empire recognized all French conquests in Italy, Western and Southern Germany, transferred the Venetian region, Dalmatia, Istria to Napoleon and was obliged to pay a significant indemnity. This led to the collapse of the 3rd anti-French coalition and to the strengthening of French positions in Europe. Napoleon's attempts to make peace with Russia ended in failure. Signed on July 20, 1806 by the Russian representative in Paris, Peter Oubry, in violation of the instructions given to him, the Paris Peace Treaty was rejected by the Russian State Council.

In July 1806 Napoleon created the League of the Rhine from 16 small German principalities, headed it as protector and stationed French troops on its territory. In response to this, England, Russia, Prussia and Sweden formed the 4th anti-French coalition in September 1806. Prussia, before the end of allied military preparations on October 1, presented France with an ultimatum to withdraw troops beyond the Rhine. Napoleon rejected it and on October 8 ordered the invasion of French troops into Saxony, allied with Prussia. The "Great Army", concentrated in Bavaria before the offensive, crossed the border in three columns. Ahead in the central column moved with the cavalry Marshal Joachim Murat, and behind him with the main forces was Napoleon himself. The French army numbered 195 thousand people, Prussia fielded about 180 thousand soldiers. On October 10, in the battle near the city of Saalfeld (Saalfeld), the Prussians lost 1.5 thousand people killed and captured, Prince Ludwig died. On October 14, the French defeated the Prussian army in the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt (1806) and entered Berlin on October 27. After the first-class Prussian fortress of Magdeburg surrendered on November 8, Napoleon signed a decree on the continental blockade (1806-1814) directed against England on November 21. Fulfilling allied obligations, on November 16, 1806, Russia again entered the war against France. Having occupied Prussia, Napoleon moved east to meet Russian troops, and at the end of November entered Poland. At this time, the advanced units of the Russian army approached Warsaw. Napoleon hoped to defeat the Russian army on the territory of Poland and East Prussia and force it to a peace beneficial to France. In the bloody Battle of Pultus (1806) and the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (1807), with heavy losses on both sides, he failed to do this. However, on June 26 (14 old style) June 1807, Russian troops were defeated in the Battle of Friedland, and the French reached the borders of Russia. Napoleon was afraid to cross the Neman, realizing that Russia's military resources were not exhausted. The Russian government, having no allies on the continent and tied to the war with Iran and Turkey, was forced to turn to Napoleon with a proposal for peace. On July 8, 1807, the Franco-Russian and Franco-Prussian peace treaties were concluded in Tilsit. Fulfilling the conditions of the Peace of Tilsit (1807), Russia joined the continental blockade of England, and on November 7 (October 26, old style) declared war on it. Napoleon left Prussia within its old borders as part of Pomerania, Brandenburg and Silesia. After Tilsit, virtually all of Europe (with the exception of England) came under Napoleon's rule, and Paris turned into the “capital of the world.”

Having set the goal of economically strangling England with the help of a continental blockade, Napoleon intended to conquer The Iberian Peninsula and take the entire coast of Europe under French customs control.

Autumn 1807 By secret agreement with the Spanish government, French troops under the command of General Jean Andoche Junot were introduced into Portugal through Spanish territory. On November 29, the French entered Lisbon, The Royal Family fled Spain on an English warship. During the winter and spring of 1808, Napoleon's troops crossed the Pyrenees and concentrated in Spain (in March there were up to 100 thousand people there). Taking advantage of internal strife in the country between King Charles IV and his son Infante Ferdinand, French troops under the command of Joachim Murat occupied the Spanish capital on March 20-23, 1808. In Spain, Napoleonic's army for the first time encountered a mass popular uprising for the country's independence (guerilla), which began on May 2 with a spontaneous uprising in Madrid. Napoleon's attempt to suppress the resistance of the Spaniards with limited military forces ended in failure (the defeat of French troops in 1808 at Bailen and Sintra). By this time, the British had landed in Portugal and ousted the French from Lisbon, turning Portuguese territory into their base. All this forced Napoleon at the end of 1808, at the head of an army of over 200 thousand people, to arrive in Spain. Within two months, most of the country was occupied. However, to break the resistance of the Spanish people, who switched to guerrilla methods the fight failed. The Spanish-French war became protracted and pinned down large forces of the Napoleonic army in Spain.

In January 1809 Napoleon returned to France - a brewing crisis was brewing in Central Europe. new war with Austria, which the English government managed to involve in the 5th anti-French coalition. Hostilities began in April, and on May 13 Napoleon captured Vienna. After the heavy defeat of the Austrian army at Wagram, the Austrian emperor was forced to sign the Treaty of Schönbrunn with France on October 14, 1809, according to which it lost a huge territory (part of Carinthia and Croatia, Carniola, Istria, Trieste, the county of Hertz, etc.), and was deprived of access to sea, paid a large indemnity. Victory in this war required significant efforts from the Napoleonic army: the Austrian troops acquired military experience and their fighting qualities improved. During this period, the French had to face the national liberation struggle of the peoples of Central Europe against foreign domination. In April 1809, an uprising of Tyrolean peasants began under the leadership of Andreas Hofer. Anti-French protests indicated the emergence in Central Europe popular forces who opposed the Napoleonic yoke.

By 1811 The population of the Napoleonic Empire, together with its vassal states, was 71 million people (out of 172 million people inhabiting Europe). Contributions, requisitions, direct robbery European countries, customs tariffs favorable to France provided a constant income for the Napoleonic empire and made it possible to implement the plan for conquest of world domination. However, internal and external contradictions undermined its power. In the country, due to continuous recruitment into the army and rising taxes, discontent grew in various sectors of society. The Continental blockade caused a crisis in some industries. Russia, wary of French expansion, was main force on the continent, which blocked her path to world domination. Napoleon began to conduct diplomatic and military training to war with Russia. In February 1812, he forced Prussia to sign an alliance treaty with him; in March, a Franco-Austrian alliance was concluded - both agreements had an anti-Russian orientation. The Allies pledged to place 20 thousand Prussian and 30 thousand Austrian troops at Napoleon's disposal for the war with Russia. Napoleon needed alliances with Prussia and Austria not only for replenishment" Great Army", but also to divert part of the Russian forces to the north and south from the direct road Kovno (Kaunas) - Vilno (Vilnius) - Vitebsk - Smolensk - Moscow, along which he planned an offensive. The governments of other states dependent on France were also preparing for a campaign in Russia.

The Russian government, in turn, took measures to strengthen the army and prevent Russia from being isolated in the event of war. In April, Russia signed the St. Petersburg Union Treaty (1812) with Sweden, which provided for joint actions against France. The parties recognized the need to bring England, which at that moment was at war with Russia, into the alliance. The peace treaty between Russia and England was signed during the outbreak of the war between Russia and France. Russia’s great political success was the conclusion of the Treaty of Bucharest (1812), which concluded Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812).

June 24 (12 old style) 1812 The French crossed the Neman and invaded Russian territory. For the campaign against Russia, Napoleon assembled an army of over 600 thousand people, 1372 guns. The Patriotic War of 1812 began for the Russian people. The crushing defeat of Napoleon's troops in Russia marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from French domination. The political situation in Europe has changed dramatically. The Prussian government, under pressure from the national liberation movement in the country, concluded the Kalisz Union Treaty with Russia on March 11-12 (February 27-28, old style), 1813, which laid the foundations for the 6th anti-French coalition. Despite the success of the French army in the Battle of Bautzen (1813), Napoleon agreed to a truce, which was his strategic mistake, since Austria joined the anti-French coalition. The French victory in the Battle of Dresden (1813) did not affect the strategic position of France; it continued to deteriorate. At the Battle of Leipzig (1813), French troops suffered a serious defeat and began to retreat across the Rhine. At the beginning of 1814, the Allied armies invaded France. By this time, the French had suffered a crushing defeat in Spain. By early 1814, Anglo-Spanish troops crossed the Pyrenees and moved into France from the south. During the short-term military campaign, Napoleon's leadership talent was revealed in all its brilliance. Having relatively small forces at his disposal, he inflicted a series of defeats on the allied armies that were repeatedly superior in number at Brienne, Montmirail, Montero, and Vauchamps. However, the overwhelming Allied superiority decided the outcome of the campaign. Following their victories at Laon (Laoen) and Arcy-sur-Aube, the Allied armies launched an attack on Paris and entered the French capital on March 30. Napoleon abdicated the throne and at the end of April was exiled to the island of Elba.

May 30, 1814 A peace treaty was signed in Paris, under the terms of which France was deprived of all territories conquered after 1792, and the royal Bourbon dynasty (Louis XVIII) was restored to the French throne. In October, the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) began its work with the aim of resolving issues of the post-war political structure of Europe. However, Napoleon, knowing about the deep dissatisfaction of the army and people of France with the policies of Louis XVIII and the disagreements among the participants in the anti-French coalition at the congress, fled from the island of Elba on March 1, 1815, with a small detachment of soldiers and officers loyal to him, landed in France and easily restored his power.
Participants in the Congress of Vienna created the 7th anti-French coalition, fielding an army of 700,000 against Napoleon. On June 18, 1815, the French army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Waterloo; on July 6, coalition troops entered Paris. Napoleon abdicated the throne for the second time and was exiled to St. Helena under the supervision of the British. On November 20, 1815, it was signed in Paris new agreement between France and the participants of the 7th coalition, the conditions of which turned out to be more difficult for France than under the treaty of 1814.

The Napoleonic wars left a big mark on the history of the development of the armed forces and military art, primarily ground armies, since the main military operations took place in the European land theater of military operations. At the first stage of the Napoleonic Wars, the French army waged offensive wars. From the second half of 1812, its almost continuous retreat from Moscow to Paris began, with only short transitions to the offensive.

One of characteristic features The Napoleonic Wars saw a sharp increase in the number of armies of the warring states. Huge masses of people were involved in wars. During the Napoleonic Wars, the armies of the main European states became massive. In 1812, the size of the Napoleonic army reached 1.2 million people, the Russian army by the beginning of 1813 - almost 700 thousand people, the Prussian army in 1813 - 240 thousand people. Up to 500 thousand people took part in the largest battles of the Napoleonic Wars. Fighting became violent. If in all the wars of the 18th century before the Great French Revolution, France lost 625 thousand people killed and wounded, then in 1804-1814 1.7 million French died. Total losses during the Napoleonic Wars, including those killed, those who died from wounds, epidemics and famine, amounted to 3.2 million people.

The emergence of mass armies determined changes in the organization of troops and in methods of conducting combat operations. The infantry division, which included brigades and regiments, became the main organizational unit of the troops. It united all three types of troops available at that time (infantry, cavalry and artillery) and was capable of independently solving tactical problems. The creation of corps and armies operating in separate operational directions was finally established. Organizational structure troops ensured the maintenance of interaction in battle (battle) of both individual elements of the battle order and various types of troops. The increase in the number of armies and the increased scale of military operations determined the need to further improve command and control and implement larger preliminary measures to prepare the state and army for war (campaign). All this served as an impetus for the development general staffs in the armies of European states.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

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