Why Is Napoleon Bonaparte Successful

Napoleon Bonaparte took advantage of the chaos brewing in France post-revolution and the weakness of the French Revolutionary government--The Directory--to become one of the most powerful men in the history of the world. In 1796, after four years of war, France finally took the fight beyond their borders. It was Bonaparte who took command of French forces in northern Italy during the pivotal battles against the Austrians. Napoleon’s performance here cemented his status as the strong military leader that the weakly-governed France so desperately needed. Even when he failed, he was lavished with praise--despite his failures in the Egyptian expedition, he received a hero’s welcome upon returning to France. As the years went by, the Directory grew

even weaker and the population grew weary of yet another repressive regime, high prices and rumours of corruption. At this time, France needed a strong civil administrator because the Directory was unable to make decisions. Napoleon, being a man of great influence, stepped up and took the spot. Napoleon Bonaparte was in the right place at the right time, and that is what allowed him to become as powerful as he did.

Napoleon led the Italian Campaign against Austrian forces. At the Battle of Lodi he defeated the Austrians and drove them out of Lombardy. He was defeated at Caldiero by reinforcements, but gained the upper hand at the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole. Bonaparte argued against the wishes of atheists in the Directory, who planned to overthrow the Pope, stating that this could create a power vacuum that could be exploited by the Kingdom of Naples. Bonaparte was influential enough that the Directory listened to him. And the legend of Napoleon Bonaparte kept on growing--the French army won 18 pitched battles through Bonaparte’s superior tactics and leadership style. During the Italian campaign, Bonaparte’s influence in French politics rose rapidly; he founded two newspapers: one for his troops and another for the general populace. The royalists attacked Bonaparte for pillaging Italy and warned that he might become a dictator. On September 4th, 1799, Bonaparte sent General Pierre Augereau to Paris to lead a coup d'état and purge the royalists on 4 September — Coup of 18 Fructidor. Bonaparte was already a great commander, but he showed that he was a good diplomat as well in negotiations with Austria. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty of Campo Formio, and Bonaparte returned to Paris a hero.