Napoleon Bonaparte was one of history’s most influential military leaders. Between 1795-1799, he proved his military genius and rose the ranks to become the ruler of France. This was no easy task, as France had been harmed by the preceding, corrupt Directory (previous government of France), and was still recovering from the French Revolution with King Louis XVI and the Reign of Terror. Not only was he able to quickly rise to power, but he advanced France, all the while maintaining the overall satisfaction of the citizens. He had incorporated multiple economic organizations to uplift his country’s past repercussions. Additionally, he incorporated several sociopolitical systems that would benefit the government and meet the needs of the people. …show more content…
The France Directory, the previous rulers of France, were extremely corrupt, and deprived citizens of many rights. Before being disbanded in 1799, the Directory was the cause of political uproar throughout France. Napoleon, a lieutenant of the army at the time, formed the Consulate, and stormed and overtook the Directory, much to the approval of the French people. During his rise to power, Napoleon ensured every step he took strengthened the bond between the future government and its citizens. Furthermore, to ascertain a just future, he set up lycees, a government-run school, to train future officials and government representatives. Although it was inevitable that Napoleon was the next ruler, he still held a plebiscite, a vote, so the people had a chance to interject. Napoleon took to restoring order within France. His efforts in doing so proved effective from the people. One of his greatest works was the Napoleonic Code. The Code, created in 1804, was Napoleon’s all-inclusive, complete system of laws. It “gave the country a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices,” (Source A). Though it deprived women of some rights, and denied the people of France freedoms like speech/press, the Code’s laws achieved some of the goals of the Revolution and strengthened the central government. It provided all people of France with equal rights, a concept that was difficult to achieve throughout the Revolution. Another …show more content…
From the beginning of his reign, Napoleon had always been concerned for the status of France, but he impacted much more. Through his military campaigns, he was able to spread nationalism wherever he conquered, along with his beliefs and values for what he thought the way a country should run to succeed. His efforts may have been short-lived, and many of his ideas were rejected. Although he may not have done what he wanted to achieve, Napoleon Bonaparte had a significant impact on France, Europe, and the world as a
Napoleon Bonaparte’s attitude towards the French Revolution is one that has often raised questions. That the revolution had an influence on Bonaparte’s regime cannot be denied – but to what extent? When one looks at France after Napoleon’s reign it is clear that he had brought much longed for order and stability. He had also established institutions that embodied the main principles of the revolution. However, it is also evident that many of his policies directly contradict those same principles. Was Napoleon betraying the same revolution that gave him power, or was he merely a pragmatist, who recognised that to consolidate the achievements of the revolution he needed to sacrifice some of those principles?
Through the Napoleonic Code, a unitary legal system for all of France, private property was protected and equality was preserved before the law. During his reign, France was a meritocracy in that positions were awarded to people with the most talent and ability, preserving equality. He also allowed the people to vote through the plebiscite, a yes or no vote for the leader of France. Napoleon also preserved the ideal of religious toleration. He did this by agreeing to the Concordat of 1801.
Napoleon had betrayed the idea of liberty of the French Revolution through his conquests and new laws. His conquests led to multiple reforms and laws which failed because they were considered politically impossible. He established new codes that limited the freedoms that the conquered had previously. After crowning himself Emperor, Napoleon started regulating public opinion, censoring books and media, and monitoring his people to avoid rebellion. He had suppressed anyone who tried to write articles that attacked him, curtailed free speech and freedom of the press, and
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...
One of the most controversial figures in European History, Napoleon Bonaparte has never ceased to be a generator of debate and analysis among historians, authors, and students. Napoleon has been closely scrutinized by many in attempts to defend or demote his motives, ambitions, and actions as Emperor of France. Nonetheless, those with true qualities of a ruler are few and far between – and Napoleon possessed the drive and ambition to bring these qualities to their full potential. Napoleon was the hero of nineteenth-century France, restoring the country to its former glory after the violence, instability, and turmoil of the French Revolution. Napoleon was the classic underdog, originally viewed as a “second-class Frenchman” due to his Corsican origins, but rising to success based on his own hard work and determination. He demonstrated the most improbable capacity for resilience; although he faced defeat on multiple occasions, he persevered and continually refused to surrender. As well, Napoleon was a protector and enforcer of “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” through the promotion of religious freedom and the nationwide application of French laws throughout his rule.
Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution written by Martyn Lyons in the year 1989. Lyons purpose for writing this article was to inform the audience of the significance of Napoleon’s rule. The article argues that Napoleon’s regime was the fulfillment of the “bourgeois” of the French Revolution.
Napoleon was an outstanding military commander and enjoyed many successful campaigns. Napoleon maintained the Revolutionary syst...
Napoleon's entire reign started with the constitution. After all the economic trouble in France there was a need for a new constitution, so Abbe Sieyes asked Napoleon to secure the success of the new constitution that was based on a principle of "confidence from below, power from above." Bonaparte was a very decisive individual, so he did not pay much attention to Sieyes and established his own Constitution of the Year VIII. This constitution made him the First Consul and had an overwhelming success. After convincing his subjects that the establishment of the dynasty was unavoidable, Bonaparte created another constitution, which made him an Emperor of the French. During the French Revolution, constitution was an important idea. In fact, all the revolutionary ideas were summarized in the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. Napoleon pursued this concept.
Kirchberger, Joe H. The French Revolution and Napoleon. New York: Facts on File inc, 1989.
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.
Napoleon Bonaparte is often seen as a tyrant, however; through Napoleon’s strong tactics and military leadership he led France through a time of great turmoil and provided the stability and guidance France so desperately needed. During his reign, Napoleon was able to bring an end to the French Revolution, a series of wars that had fractured the French at their core. After the resolution of the revolution, Napoleon developed the Civil Code or Napoleonic code to unite all of France under one governing law. The Civil Code blended the governing laws of the Roman law practiced in the South with the customary law practiced in the North. Through the Code, Napoleon brought unity to France, improved the rights and lives of citizens, and allowed for France’s own growth and development. The Civil Code is considered one of Napoleon’s
How did a man with a promising military career loose it so quickly? Napoleon was one of the greatest military minds but did not always use it correctly, which eventually led to his downfall. This essay will explain what led to the downfall of Napoleon.
Napoleon Bonaparte remains one of the most prominent figures in the history of France, and his impacts on the courses of the history of his nation are so evident and outstanding. Ever since he seized power, there have been many debates and discussions as whether he was the “savoir” and the defender of the French Revolution or was he a tyrant who destroyed the ideals of the revolution in search of his own personal ambitious glory. In this respect, Napoleon is considered as a complex and ambiguous character who is portrayed as an heir to the revolution and at the same time its betrayer.
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the famous figures in French history by the importance of his internal reforms. However, he remains primarily in global memory as one of the greatest military commanders in history. Indeed, Napoleon Bonaparte delivered more battles than Alexander the Great, Hannibal, or Caesar. His campaigns covered all Europe from Spain to Russia, without forgetting the East with Egypt and Syria. The French Emperor entered in the prestigious capitals of Europe, Milan, Vienna (twice), Berlin, Madrid and Moscow. Napoleon has greatly influenced the Western way of war, not only by the new organization of armies, but also by the optimization of different capabilities and the combination between leadership and creativity in the battlefields.