Napoleon Bonaparte

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Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica on August 15th, 1769 (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). Napoleon was a complex man who served in the revolutionary war working his way up in rank and ultimately using his military successes to gain political popularity and power (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). In 1799, Napoleon became the First Consul by overthrowing the directory and he would control France, eventually, making himself Emperor (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). This essay is going to expand on domestic and military accomplishments of Napoleon, as well as his greatest success and failure. Two domestic achievements of Napoleon were the reforms he made to education and the economy. Napoleon made reforms to the education system that would impact the primary, secondary, and technical schools, as well as colleges making a complete system for each to follow (“NAPOLEON.”). The University of France would also be established and would oversee the curriculum that would be taught as well as the licensing of teachers (“NAPOLEON.”). Napoleon also believed that it was important for France to be a leader when it pertained to the sciences and its application (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The new education system would include science as an important aspect focusing on chemistry and physics (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). The economic reforms made by Napoleon would also be important for France as he was able to stabilize currency, and he would also support industry (Kishlansky, Geary, and O'Brien). Napoleon would also reform the tax system in France, require all government bodies to have a balanced budget, and create a central banking system, The Bank of France in 1800 (“NAPOLEON.”). In the Military Napoleon also had success one was ... ... middle of paper ... ...ilitary, he also had success working his way up the military ranks and spreading France's rule into Italy helping to launch his political career. In the military Napoleon also uses his knowledge of war and strategies to defeat nations like Russia and make treaties with Austria for peace. Even though Napoleon was skilled in the military, one of his biggest mistakes would happen during war in Moscow. He was overly confident and did not prepare for a battle that would last longer than he expected. When he arrives in Moscow he finds it burnt to the ground leaving his troops no shelter or food. Works Cited Kishlansky, Mark, Patrick Geary, and Patrick O'Brien. Civilization in the West. 7th ed. U.S.A: Pearson, 2008. Print. "NAPOLEON." GPS Faculty Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .

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