Napoleon Bonaparte- Pride Cometh Before a Fall

1769 was a distinct year in France. With the French Revolution just 20 years away, France was beginning to experience social and political unrest. This also marked the beginning of Europe’s industrial revolution and the Battle of Ponte Novu was fought on May 8th. This battle was important because it was the end of the Corsican War, which resulting in France occupying the island. The 1770s saw a period of greater social unrest and political turmoil. The American Revolution began in 1776 and thoughts of liberty and justice were also making their way across the Atlantic to France. France’s participation in the American Revolution had also left the country financially drained and the national debt was high. Versailles, where the royal court lived, was somewhat isolated from the rest of the country’s problems and the French people felt that the monarchy was not understanding of their needs.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in Corsica to Charles Bonaparte and Letitia Romalino. His father, who was of noble Genoese ancestry, had married 14 year old Letitia at the age of 18 and the couple had little money. “Letitia’s background differed considerably from that of her husband. Raised in the country with almost no formal education, she had early matured as an attractive, hard working, naturally shrewd and intelligent woman…” (Asprey 8). The Bonaparte’s had eight children but Napoleon was the problem child. “I was a little handful…I feared no one” (Asprey 9). Napoleon also was not well educated, though he was very outgoing and made friends with sailors who would come to the docks. Despite the Bonaparte’s lack of money and education, Charles Bonaparte worked very hard to have his sons eligible for appointment, so that the...

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...ws of France by removing laws that made them inferior to Catholic citizens.

Works Cited

Asprey, Robert B. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Basic, 2000. Print.

Kidder, David S., and Noah D. Oppenheim. The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class. New York: Rodale, 2006. Print.

McLynn, Frank. Napoleon: A Biography. New York: Arcade Publishers, 2002. Print.

Schneider, John. “Napoleonic Literature.” Napoleonic Literature. 30 May 1996. Web. 21 June 2011. http://napoleonic-literature.com/

Schom, Alan. Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life. New York: Harper Perennial, 1998. Print.

Wilde, Robert. “Napoleon Bonaparte – Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte.” European History – The History of Europe. Web 21 June 2011.