Cian O’Brien
Napoleon was a French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Born on the small island of Corsica, Napoleon quickly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution. Napoleon is considered one of the world's greatest military leaders, but there is still controversy whether or not he held the ideals and goals from the French Revolution as emperor of France. But due to his pPolitical, sSocial and eEconomic achievements for France, Napoleon did uphold the goals of the French Revolution.
The first reason why Napoleon upheld the goals/ideals of the French Revolution was due to his pPolitical benefits for France. According to Source A “Napoleon reduced government
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This was a goal from the start of the Revolution because poorer people wanted the same and equal benefits as the higher class people but with corrupt officials in the government this need was impossible, and the wealthy had the advantage in society. But once Napoleon got rid of all corrupt government officials this made the goal of equality from the French Revolution possible for everyone and not just have benefits for the wealthy. Along with reducing government corruption Napoleon “brought order and stability to France and forged a sense of unity and equality”(Source B) This equality for everyone was a goal of the Revolution and order was especially a priority towards the end of the …show more content…
According to source A “Napoleon set up government run public schools known as Lycees and these schools would be attended by children of ordinary citizens as well as children of the wealthy.” (source A). This shows that both the people of the lower class and wealthy people are being treated fairly which was a goal of the French Revolution. Also these children that attended the schools could then be appointed to public office based off of merit rather than family connections. Which shows again that it isn't based on wealth or family name, anyone can achieve a position no matter where they come from. Also, “Napoleon established the Imperial University in 1808.” (Source K) Which made sure that everyone who wished to continue education would have a fair chance and could be competitive with the private schools. Which the goal of equality was a goal from the start of the Revolution. This shows that Napoleon upheld the goals of the French Revolution because prior to the Revolution only wealthy children would be educated and the poor children would never be given a chance and would be stuck working on the farms for the rest of their lives. But this change Napoleon made gave all the children a fair chance to become what they wanted, which gave equality of the poor and wealthy which was a goal of the Revolution. Another way that Napoleon upheld the
First, the French Revolution was a result of the failed estate system and the extreme economic and social inequality it led to. Under the rule of Louis XVI, the people of France were divided into three main social classes or estates as they are called. The First Estate featured wealthy members of the Church such as Bishops and Priests who held great political power due to their influence on government affairs. The Second Estate was a class comprised of the wealthy nobles and
Firstly, in order to determine whether Bonaparte betrayed the revolution it is necessary to define what one means by “the revolution”. Clearly there never was just one French Revolution, but rather a series of revolutions. These occurred while the French struggled to create a new political and social system – one that would follow principles radically different to that of the ‘ancien’ regime. There were five regimes to French Revolution between 1787 and 1800. However, despite this fragmented revolution the same fundamental principles guided most of the revolutionaries involved. These principles included equality under law, centralisation of government, elimination of feudal rights, religious freedom and careers open to talent, not birth. In short, the three key principles were liberty, equality and fraternity. It is generally thought that Napoleon was a supporter of these principles. Historian ...
Being a part of a small noble family, Napoleon found he was able to attend a school in mainland France. He eventually found himself at Brienne, a school where his Corsican background and lack of French nobility caused him great hardship and stress from other students. This would plant the seeds of hatred for nobility inside Napoleon that would eventually lead him to destroying noble privilege based on birth in his empire....
The French wanted to bring equality to all classes. The French revolution brought much more social change than the American revolution. Inspired by Lafayette’s declaration that, “no group, no individual may exercise authority not emanating expressly therefrom” (de Lafayette 783), the class system was destroyed. The revolutionaries were open to ending slavery, however women remained marginalized within the social structure of France. Similarly to the American revolution, the enlightenment ideas that drove the French revolution were not applied to society as a whole.
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country. Over time, historians’ views on these questions have changed continually, leading many to question the different interpretations and theories behind the Revolutions effectiveness at shaping France and the rest of the world.
Napoleon was a military general that participated in multiple war victories. His interests included history, law, and mathematics. His strengths as a leader benefitted in planning financial, legal, and military plans. His aspiring attitude made him believe he was destined to be the savior of France (Coffin & Stacey, 494). He favored a republic over a constitutional monarchy. When Napoleon came to power, he immediately consolidated personal power by overthrowing the five-man Directory and created a Republic. Napoleon used his status and power during the Revolution to bring out and surface Revolution ideals and help his people. Napoleon’s role in European history was the savior of the French Revolution due to the fact he accomplished most objectives that the people hoped for. Goals of the French Revolution included overthrowing the old regime of an absolute monarch, write a basic and worthy constitution, and give more rights to the third estate and limit the first and second estates power in the Estates-General.
One of Napoleon’s first areas of concern was in the strengthening of the French government. He created a strong centralized government and pretty much got rid of the hundreds of localized law codes that had existed during under the control of the monarchy. He also created an army of government officials. He had the entire country linked under a rational administration. He also was able to get an easy supply of taxes and soldiers under his new and improved French government. Before he could get very far, however, he had to gain public favor and shape the public opinion. To do this he used reforms of propaganda and thus caused people to think that they were getting the better end of the deal, but were actually, subconsciously giving Napoleon their approval for his actions. Among some of the methods he used for propaganda included getting all of the printers and book sellers to swear an oath to Napoleon and all newspapers fell under state control, so Napoleon gained access to almost everything that the citizens of France were able to read. Many of the gains from the French Revolution were kept, such as equality before the law, and careers open to talent. Some anti-revolution actions that Napoleon took included repressing liberty, restoring absolutism, and ending political liberty. He believed that allowing political freedom would end with a state of anarchy. He believed that he could solve these problems by acting in favor of the people’s interests as an enlightened desp...
Napoleon was not only a great leader, he was also a military genius. As a military genius, Napoleon won many battles to expand France and was always welcomed back to France as a hero. His use of strategic warfare throughout many battles allowed him to be seen as a hero not only in France but all of Europe. Although his army was outnumbered by the Russians and Austrians on December 2, 1805, Napoleon's brilliant strategies resulted in a defeat of the opposing armies in the Battle of Austerlitz.
Napoleon maintained the Revolutionary system of conscription and encouraged promotion based on ability.... ... middle of paper ... ... Broers, Michael.
During the Napoleonic reign, the biggest reform appeared to be the loss of hereditary rights of the upper class citizens. Before Napoleon became a king, a lot of jobs were inherited. The purchase of the offices was rather common and skills were not required. Revolution believed in equality. Napoleon established that equality by granting everyone equal right to attempt the job. Now the positions were given out based on merit only. This change created fairness and limited the rights of the nobles at the same time. France was not the only country that felt the influence of the Napoleonic reform. Italian and German aristocrats were overthrown as well, and the weakening of the Spanish nobility even led to the revolt.
The efforts made evident by the French Revolution were denigrated by Napoleon Bonaparte’s wrongdoings as Emperor of France. Napoleon’s speedy rise to power, the lessening of freedoms he imposed, and the many military mistakes he committed completely demolished many of the hopes and dreams of the enlightenment philosophes whose influence began the Revolution in the first place. Nevertheless, Napoleon Bonaparte was a highly influential human being who taught the world many important lessons, such as the horrors that can follow the actions of greedy power.
The social differences in France were very unreasonable. People openly argued that “social differences should not be defined by law, as they were in the old regimes order” (2). In France, much of the inequality came from the social class system. It led to angry peasants and tons of revolting. This could have been avoided if France maintained equality for all estates, as it would have been rational. In addition, the clergy and nobles were given many rights which “included top jobs in government, the army, the courts, and the Church” (109). This was very biased as they were able to get the highest jobs, not because they earned it, but because of their social stature. Meanwhile, commoners or bourgeoisie, were not granted those jobs even if they had the ability to do them. This caused much of the third estate to become mad which led to uncivilized manner in France. If the government had just given equal rights and granted jobs by merit opposed to social class rankings, there would have been less drama between the estates and everything would have been
Napoleon Bonaparte. A hero or a tyrant? There is no denying that he was incredibly gifted with intelligence but how did he use it? Even young, he was smart and thus he won a scholarship to study at a famous military school. When he finishes his studies he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the French army. Napoleon rose through the ranks in just 10 years, becoming the commander of the French army in 1796. Napoleon was known for his speed, decisive action, and initiative. Due to his extensive popularity, he easily overthrew the monarchy in 1799 and crowned himself Emperor of France. Though it may be extensively debated, Napoleon was clearly a tyrant because of his discriminatory policies, sweeping corruption, and attitude.
Napoleon was a French political leader that soared to power during the revolutionary wars. He led many campaigns that were very successful; meanwhile, his military campaigns are being studied all around the world. Napoleons influence gave his soldiers the courage to follow a leader with great power. Napoleon had a certain way to influence the people of France.
With all the glory and the splendour that some countries may have experienced, never has history seen how only only one man, Napoleon, brought up his country, France, from its most tormented status, to the very pinnacle of its height in just a few years time. He was a military hero who won splendid land-based battles, which allowed him to dominate most of the European continent. He was a man with ambition, great self-control and calculation, a great strategist, a genius; whatever it was, he was simply the best. But, even though how great this person was, something about how he governed France still floats among people's minds. Did he abuse his power? Did Napoleon defeat the purpose of the ideals of the French Revolution? After all of his success in his military campaigns, did he gratify the people's needs regarding their ideals on the French Revolution? This is one of the many controversies that we have to deal with when studying Napoleon and the French Revolution. In this essay, I will discuss my opinion on whether or not was he a destroyer of the ideals of the French Revolution.