The reign of Napoleon: war and legal reforms
I can describe Napoleon's impact on France and the wider world after 1799.
The reign of Napoleon: war and legal reforms
I can describe Napoleon's impact on France and the wider world after 1799.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Napoleon seized power in 1799, failed to recapture Saint-Domingue and completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
- Napoleon made himself 'Emperor of the French' in 1804 and took on absolute power.
- Napoleon introduced the Code Napoleon in 1804 which replaced feudalism with a modern legal framework.
- Britain, France and Russia entered a military coalition against France in 1805 known as the Third Coalition.
- Napoleon conquered much of Europe and exported French laws and ideals to those territories.
Keywords
Consulate - a Consulate is a government normally ruled by more than one ‘Consul’ in a power-sharing arrangement
Emperor - an emperor is a ruler with absolute power, with control over an empire, which is usually a group of countries taken by conquest
Feudal - feudal describes the old French social hierarchy where the king owned all land and distributed it to those below him, who did the same for those below them, in exchange for work, money or service
Coalition - a coalition is an alliance between countries against a common enemy
Common misconception
Napoleon became Emperor of France after he seized power from the Directory in 1799.
Napoleon became First Consul after seizing power from the Directory, but did not crown himself Emperor of France until 1804.
To help you plan your year 8 history lesson on: The reign of Napoleon: war and legal reforms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 history lesson on: The reign of Napoleon: war and legal reforms, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The French Revolution: How did Europe respond to the French Revolution? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
6 Questions
leader of a Republic, usually as part of a power-sharing arrangement
leader of the army
a ruler with absolute power, with control over an Empire
Exit quiz
6 Questions
1799
1803
1801-1803
1804