how was the nationalism important in the defeat of Napoleon's empire?

Answer 1

Napoleon's Empire helped to create nationalism in Europe. When French armies conquered far and wide in the few years just before and after 1800, many people took a strong interest in defending their cultural identities. For instance, a new literature celebrating German cultural heritage (there was no German state at the time, just a very loose federation of hundreds of principalities and regions, often at war with each other) arose in response to the French threat. The Brothers Grimm wrote their fairy tales in part in an invention of a German tradition.

Napoleon's invasions also consolidated defensive states a little. Russia was hugely complex, and very dissolute. The Napoleonic Wars contributed to its cohesion as a state, and the people's sense of nationality. If nothing else, they knew they weren't French.

The Spanish were also offended by French empire. The Spanish and French royals were related, and Napoleon replaced the Spanish royals with his own relative. This was unacceptable to ordinary Spanish people, and some widespread meetings (cortes) to assert national control occurred partly in reaction to this. You'll want to check into that because I remember a much later date - the 1820s - in connection with that, and Napoleon was in exile and possibly dead by then.

Nationalism contributed to the defeat of Napoleon by rallying non-French commoners to serve the causes of their nation-states, or of their nations-without-states, as in the case of Germany. The English were particularly key in this regard, but not alone. Napoleon used his land conquests in part to finance naval expansion, but the British had little new land, and depended on their widespread trade network, and naval power, for their newborn empire.

Therefore, the British developed a strong hatred of Napoleon, and renewed their antipathy toward the French, during the reign of Napoleon (1799-1814). The exploits of the British Navy and the British feeling of moral superiority at ending (and enforcing the end of) the Atlantic slave trade added to the national sentiment and again, a rallying against France. (See the jolly-good Master and Commander: the far side of the world movie for some of that feeling.)

Answer 2

Corrupt and degenerate as the Coalition heads of state and representatives were, they were in fact asserting the right of self determination to within their own countries whereas had they not they would be purely satellite states under French hegemony to be replaced and moved about at whim or will. Check Emil Ludwig's biography on Napoleon. Verbatim on how he moved around states and thrones if his brother Lucien would ' Return to the Imperial fold ' as it were. Hilarious, too!

Answer 3

Napoleans Empire

Answer 4

Napoleon tried to triumph over Europe and positioned his relatives to blame of all those countries. nicely Austria, Spain, Prussia, the Netherlands, ect. did not opt for to be French and that all of them fought Napoleon.

Answer 5

It wasn't as important as all that. Napoleon fell because all his enemies jumped on him at once. The nationalists wrote the history books, that's all.