ALIGNED WITH CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS LEVEL HISTORY
What caused the rise and fall of
Napoleon Bonaparte?
Military reputation Brumaire Consulate Authoritarian control Domestic reform
Empire Overextension Defeat
France, 1774–1814 • Unit 1.4
,1.4
Enquiry focus and learning outcomes
Knowledge Analysis Evaluation Judgement
Connect military
Explain Napoleon’s rise, Assess continuity with the Rank long-term
reputation, Directory
authoritarian control, Revolution and the balance weaknesses, turning points
weakness, administration,
domestic reforms and fall between reform and and immediate causes of
war and imperial
in 1814. dictatorship. collapse.
resistance.
02
,1.4
The central argument
The rise The fall
Military success created reputation, wealth and Permanent warfare and British resistance forced
political connections. Directory weakness imperial expansion. Spain, nationalism, economic
opened the coup, while Napoleon’s ambition strain and Russia weakened the system, while
and control of the army allowed him to Leipzig and the capture of Paris completed
dominate the new constitution. collapse.
03
, 1.4
Five dimensions of Napoleon’s rule
Legitimacy Administration Reform Coercion War
Victory sustained
Plebiscites and Police, censorship,
Ministries, prefects Law, education, prestige and
revolutionary appointed judges
and the Council of finance and religion resources, but
language presented and controlled
State centralised stabilised French defeat exposed the
personal rule as elections restricted
government. society. regime’s narrow
popular choice. opposition.
foundations.
04
What caused the rise and fall of
Napoleon Bonaparte?
Military reputation Brumaire Consulate Authoritarian control Domestic reform
Empire Overextension Defeat
France, 1774–1814 • Unit 1.4
,1.4
Enquiry focus and learning outcomes
Knowledge Analysis Evaluation Judgement
Connect military
Explain Napoleon’s rise, Assess continuity with the Rank long-term
reputation, Directory
authoritarian control, Revolution and the balance weaknesses, turning points
weakness, administration,
domestic reforms and fall between reform and and immediate causes of
war and imperial
in 1814. dictatorship. collapse.
resistance.
02
,1.4
The central argument
The rise The fall
Military success created reputation, wealth and Permanent warfare and British resistance forced
political connections. Directory weakness imperial expansion. Spain, nationalism, economic
opened the coup, while Napoleon’s ambition strain and Russia weakened the system, while
and control of the army allowed him to Leipzig and the capture of Paris completed
dominate the new constitution. collapse.
03
, 1.4
Five dimensions of Napoleon’s rule
Legitimacy Administration Reform Coercion War
Victory sustained
Plebiscites and Police, censorship,
Ministries, prefects Law, education, prestige and
revolutionary appointed judges
and the Council of finance and religion resources, but
language presented and controlled
State centralised stabilised French defeat exposed the
personal rule as elections restricted
government. society. regime’s narrow
popular choice. opposition.
foundations.
04
