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ment for the regulation of eccle–
s iastical matters) is concluded
between France and the Papacy.
The Catholic Church agai n be–
comes the official church of
France. The breach is healed.
The next year, Napoleon is
appointed "First Consul for Life."
France puts herself fully in his
hands. He is moving relentlessly
toward his ultimate goal. No hand
can stay him.
Imperial Coronatlon
In 1804 all veils are cast aside.
1t
is
the year of destiny.
In May the French Tribunate
votes in favor of declaring Napo–
leon Emperor. The Senate passes
the measure soon thereafter. A
plebiscite is held throughout
France. The vote is 3,572,329 in
favor, 2,569 against. Napoleon has
become Emperor of the French, his
realm an Empire.
The very Frenchmen who did
away with monarchy 12 years ear–
lier now reestablish it!
Napoleon summons Pope Pius VII
(1800-1823) to París "to give the
highest religious connotation to the
anointing and crowning of the first
Emperor of the French." The Pope
crosses the Alps late in November.
The spectacular coronation cere–
mony is held at the Cathedral of
Notre Dame on December 2, 1804,
a millennium after Charlemagne
was crowned by Leo 1Il in Rome.
Napoleon walks to the high altar
leading his wife, Josephine, by the
hand. She is a beautiful Creole, born
in Martinique in the West Indies.
The Pope is waiting, surrounded
by cardinals. Napoleon approaches.
All expect him to kneel befare the
Pont iff. But, to the amazement of
the congregation, Napoleon seizes
the crown from the Pope's hands,
turns his back on the Pope and the
altar and
crowns himself!
He then
crowns bis knee lin g wife as
Empress.
Napoleon is officially Emperor
of the French at age 34! He has
made it clear that religion must be
in the hands of the state.
The Pope had l:ieen informed of
Napoleon's intentions shortly be–
fore the ceremony, but had chosen
to proceed anyway. He now anoints
and blesses the imperial couple.
In 1806 Napoleon crowns him-
March 1984
self again, this time with the cele–
brated "iron crown" of Lombardy.
One of the great historie symbols of
Europe, this crown had previously
been worn by Charlemagne, Otto
the Great and other European sov–
ereigns.
Heir of Charlemagne
For years, Napoleon has seen him–
self as a new Alexander the Great
and a modern Roman Caesar. Now
he begins to consider himself more
as the heir of Charlemagne. He
goes to Aachen (Aix-Ja-Chapelle)
for a ceremonial visit to the tomb of
the great Frankish Emperor.
"There will be no peace in
Europe," he says to his companions
as he stands before the tomb, " until
the whole Continent is under one
suzerain, an Emperor whose chief
officers are kings, whose generals
have become monarchs."
Napoleon has visions of conquest
on a grand scale.
It
will be he who
will carry out the projects of Char–
lemagne, Otto the Great and
Charles V in the modern world.
" 1 did not succeed Louis XVI ,
but Charlemagne," Napoleon de–
clares.
In 1805 Napoleon makes himself
king of ltaly. "When 1 see an emp–
ty throne," he confides, " 1 feel thc
urge to sit on it. "
" Miracle" at Austerlltz
On December 2, 1805, Napoleon
engages the combined armies of
Russia and Austria at Austerlitz.
Dawn begins with thick fog and
mist. The Russians and Austrians
could wish for nothing better.
Under its cover, they hope, the
Austro-Russian armies will be able
to complete their maneuvers with–
out the French seeing what they
are doing.
" But suddenly," as one historian
will describe it, "the sun with
uncommon brightness
carne
through the mis t , the sun of Aus–
terlitz. I t was in this blazing sun
that Napoleon at once sent a huge
cavalry force under Marshal Soult
into the gap left between the center
and the left of the Austro-Russian
batt lefield." This is the break
Napoleon needs. His victory is
sealed. Many see it as the result of
divine intervention.
France is now indisputably the
leading power on the Continent.
Austerlitz gives Napoleon in–
creased confidence. "Tell the
Pope," he writes to Rome, " 1 am
Charlemagne, the Sword of the
Chu rch, his Emperor, and as such
J
expect to be t reated!"
With renewed vigor, Napoleon
pushes ahead with his plans for a
United States of Europe-a league
of European states under French
hegemony.
" J
shall fuse all the
nations into one," he declares.
Holy Roman Empire Dissolved
In July 1806 Napoleon organizcs
the Confederation of the Rhine
(Rheinbuncf).
lt
is a union of all the
states of Germany (excopt, of
course, Austria and Prussia) under
his protection.
With the advent of this French–
controlled federation, it becomes
clear to all that the Austrian-led
Holy Roman Empire is dead. Napo–
leon has rcarranged the map of
Europe. He is supreme in Western
Europe, and is virtual dictator in the
German states. He has usurped the
Holy Roman Emperor's primacy
among Europe's monarchs.
In view of these facts, it is pre–
posterous for an Austrian archduke
to bear the grandiose title of "Holy
Roman Emperor," pretending to be
supreme over Christendom.
On August 6, 1806, Holy
Roman Emperor Francis 11 formal–
ly resigns his titles and divests him–
self of the imperial crown. He is
now sirnply "Emperor of Austria."
Technically, Napoleon has swept
away the moribund Holy Roman
Empire, the
sacrum R omanum
imperium.
But he perpetuates it,
under a d ifferent name, for another
eight years.
In October 1806 Napoleon
defeats Prussia in the battles of
J ena and Auerstadt. No power can
stand before him. He is the unchal–
lenged Emperor of the West!
Excommunication
Meanwhile, relations between Na–
poleon and the Papacy deteriorate
rapidly.
Pius VII refuses to join Napo–
leon's Continental System, the
emperor 's plan for shutting Great
Britain out from all connection
with the continent of Europe. On
February 2, 1808, French forces
35