NAPOLEONIC WARS: ANTECEDENTS, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY

The Napoleonic wars or coalition wars were a set of warlike confrontations that occurred under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte; This series of wars is usually considered a consequence of the gestation of the philosophical and social ideals conceived during the French Revolution.

The military feats carried out by Napoleon and his soldiers during this period are highly appreciated by military discipline, as it is an excellent strategy that allowed Bonapartist expansion throughout the western peninsula.

Bonaparte's military strategies are still considered of a very high standard. Source: Anderiba12

Therefore, many of Bonaparte's decisions are objectively admired, even though they may or may not have been immoral. In other words, it is an objective analysis of the war events and Napoleon's achievements, even though for many this French military man has been a dictator and a totalitarian ruler.

At present, the Napoleonic wars are also known as the coalition wars because, according to the records, it was the allies of Great Britain who triggered these clashes.

For some historians these battles began within the context of the different wars of the French Revolution and ended with the overthrow of Napoleon at the well-known Battle of Waterloo. Other authors consider that the Napoleonic wars began when Bonaparte assumed power in the Frankish country during the year 1799.

The Coronation of Napoleon (oil by Jacques-Louis David)

The Napoleonic wars were based on the confrontation between two main powers, which had a good number of allies each: on one side was France, under the command of Holland, Spain and Serbia; and on the other was Great Britain, whose coalition included the Russian Empire, Portugal and Austria.

Likewise, these warlike confrontations were characterized by taking place mainly on land; however, some battles were fought on the high seas. According to some chroniclers, the Napoleonic wars lasted fifteen years, although there were prolonged periods of peace as a result of some treaties and agreements.

Background

The Napoleonic Empire

The French Revolution

Several historians agree that the Napoleonic germ was conceived during the French Revolution.

This is due to the fact that during the 18th century the French were ruled under an authoritarian and absolute monarchy which, thanks to the excesses of the court, had become alienated in its festivities, which resulted in a loss of control of the French people and the power.

In response to the notable political asphyxiation, a whole philosophical current emerged, fed by enlightened thought, which was characterized by preaching principles of equality and freedom. The bourgeoisie took up these values in order to convince the French people of the need for a change of government.

All this political and economic conflict resulted in the French Revolution, whose warlike confrontations continued for ten years. This period ended with the figure of Napoleon Bonaparte, who decided to carry out a coup in 1799.

Napoleon Bonaparte (portrait of Jacques-Louis David, 1812) Josephine Bonaparte (detail of a portrait of François Gérard, 1801)

Bonaparte took up arms while upholding Enlightenment ideals by preaching on law and liberty, for which he quickly gained the support of the people. He also managed to obtain the support of the most favored social classes.

From this moment on, Bonaparte was decorated as the first French consul; With this title, the young military man decided to extend the French territory with the excuse of liberating the other lands from the monarchical tyranny. This idea also nurtured it with the nationalistic and patriotic values that were in vogue during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Brumaire Coup: Napoleon Dissolves the Council of the Five Hundred (oil by François Bouchot)

Countless things have been said and written about Napoleon Bonaparte, many of which are more fiction than reality. This character was so important that it even marked a milestone in the history of art, as Bonaparte symbolized the introduction of the neoclassical period.

According to some historians, from an early age Bonaparte displayed a remarkable ability to direct and organize others. However, other sources establish that Bonaparte was rather a taciturn, thoughtful and reserved young man.

Napoleon was raised in the bosom of a middle class family, so his origins are mainly provincial and humble. The future French emperor had a basic education and attended a mediocre-ranking military academy, but this did not prevent him from performing great feats.

With the emergence of the first revolutionary movements, Napoleon saw an opportunity to change his destiny and to change the course not only of his modest and simple life, but also of his country. Thanks to his mathematical knowledge and his good strategies, Bonaparte managed to enter the political and military sphere.

Causes

Conflicts between nations: the French Revolution as a threat

In the year 1789 a group of forces were facing each other on the Old Continent. Before the French Revolution there was a tolerable balance between the different European powers.

With the arrival of the revolution, France had to endure a series of coalitions of an unstable nature, which implied a breakdown of this modest balance between the countries.

For this reason, the European monarchies wanted to defeat revolutionary France: none of them suited the enlightened idea of the sovereignty of the people, since it implied tearing down the image of kings as sent by God on earth. Due to this situation, there were only two feasible possibilities for the rulers: conquer or die.

For their part, the French had the advantage that they were well received by the inhabitants of the other territories, as they were seen as heroes and liberators sent to end the monarchy.

At that time the greatest enemy of the revolution was in England, whose representatives detested the idea of accepting the new democratic principles.

Ambition of the French Empire

All the ideals of the French Revolution allowed ambition to enter French territory. For this reason, the Frankish country decided to extend its domains and its territories, as they could thus grow as a power.

One of the first decisions they made was to carry out a continental blockade on the Empire of Britain, while they developed other battles throughout the continent.

Then, Great Britain decided to respond to these attacks and these French threats, reason why it organized different coalitions with the help of other European empires that also felt vulnerable in front of the expansionist ambition of the French.

The other European powers were also concerned about enlightened ideas that sought to completely change the perception of monarchies; It was then that the well-known Napoleonic battles or wars began.

Development

It can be established that the Napoleonic wars were carried out through a series of coalitions in which Great Britain was involved together with her allies.

The British Empire was in charge of financing a series of countries in order to put an end to French ambitions; with this they would be able to maintain control over their governments and monarchies. In total there were 7 coalitions, the last being the Battle of Waterloo, in which the Frankish country finally lost the war.

The Battle of Waterloo (1815)

First coalition

The first warlike confrontation between the European powers occurred in 1792 and lasted until 1797. The countries of the United Kingdom, Italy, Prussia, Austria and Spain participated in this battle.

This first coalition managed to win France through different military strategies, but also thanks to the execution of several peace treaties.

Second coalition

The second confrontation occurred between the years 1798 and 1801, in which the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire and even the Ottoman Empire participated; the kingdoms of Austria, Naples and Portugal were also incorporated.

During this period France was going through a financial and economic crisis, so it had a decrease in military lines. However, the capacity of Napoleonic strategy managed to overcome adversity and defeated the coalition of the British Empire.

Third coalition

The third coalition took place in 1805 and its duration was short. The United Kingdom and Russia once again participated in this coalition; in addition, they were joined by the forces of the Swedish country.

During this confrontation Napoleon Bonaparte tried to invade the territory of Great Britain; however, it did not achieve its objective as it had to dedicate itself to the continental war that was brewing in its surroundings.

Fourth coalition

This confrontation took place between 1806 and 1807, and its participants were the territories of Prussia, Saxony and Russia.

Thanks to the French military strategies, whose executors were experts in the defense lines, Napoleon was once again victorious in this battle.

Fifth coalition

This warlike confrontation took place in 1809. Austria and, as on previous occasions, the United Kingdom participated. Once again Napoleon managed to emerge victorious from this fight, which allowed France to have the greatest control of territory in the entire Old Continent.

Sixth coalition

It lasted two years and occurred between 1812 and 1814. The countries of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom and Sweden participated in this coalition.

Bonaparte managed to invade Russian territory by an amazing military feat; however, he had to abandon it because he could not support the troops. The price was very high and the terrain was untamed.

Despite this, Bonaparte achieved several victories against the Prussian team. Although he achieved several triumphs, he also lost many soldiers, so he had to retreat. This resulted in the French commander losing Spanish territory.

During this period the allies of the United Kingdom managed to enter the Parisian capital, which led to Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba, where the French leader dedicated himself to devising an upcoming strategy to recover everything lost.

Seventh and final coalition

It was developed in 1815 and a notable group of countries such as Russia, Prussia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Austria and several German groups participated in it.

Napoleon managed to retake Paris after devising his strategy on the Isle of Elba; However, as soon as this was achieved, the European allies prepared to carry out the seventh war.

Before his final defeat Bonaparte had several successes; However, the Battle of Waterloo ended everything the French leader had achieved. As a consequence, Bonaparte had to go into exile to another island called Saint Helena.

Despite the fact that France was the victorious country in most of the coalitions and extended its dominance across Europe for several years, it could not be saved at the Battle of Waterloo.

This defeat led to the loss of all the hegemony that had been achieved in recent years. Similarly, Bonaparte lost his title of emperor due to this failure.

Consequences

High cost of lives

The Napoleonic wars resulted in a notable loss of human life, as well as economic assets. This is because the fighting had lasted a long period and had required an exaggerated effort to achieve victory.

These wars also involved a large number of wounded and the development of terrible diseases.

Loss of French hegemony

With the Battle of Waterloo, France had to retreat in all the territories that it had managed to conquer, which brought about a radical change in the territorial divisions of that time.

After this battle, several communities sought to declare their independence, which implied a definitive separation between the conquered countries and the military forces of the Frankish country.

Spain as a vulnerable territory

One of the countries that suffered the most attacks from the French hegemony was Spain, which resulted in this territory losing the dominions it had over the American colonies.

In other words, the Latin American countries were gradually achieving their independence, who had also sought inspiration in the nationalist and libertarian ideals of the French country.

In addition, thanks to all these associations with the other European countries, Great Britain was able to become the new great power of the world, taking the place of France, which could never again recover the glory it acquired during the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The Napoleonic code

During the mandate and the conquests of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader established a series of laws that sought to organize the different territories under the same regulation. For this reason, many countries kept this code at the end of the Napoleonic wars.

References

(SA) (2010) The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from EGO: ieg-ego.eu
(SA) (2019) The 19th century: Napoleonic Wars and American Independence. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from CISDE: cisde.es
Codera, F. (1902) History of the Napoleonic wars. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from Cervantes virtual Library: cervantesvirtual.com
Mugica, S. (sf) History of the Napoleonic wars: Napoleon's campaign in Spain. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from w390w.gipuzkoa.net
Puigmal, P. (2012) Napoleonic, Europeans and liberals in American independence. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from Dialnet: dialnet.com
Woods, A. (2010) Rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. Retrieved on March 2, 2019 from the Federico Engels Foundation: fundacionfedericoengels.org

NAPOLEONIC WARS: ANTECEDENTS, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025