Napoleon Bonaparte Essay

During the French Revolution Napoleon Bonaparte was the leader of the French Republic. Napoleon crowned himself as emperor, and worked to take over all of Europe. He served his area for sixteen years. Napoleon was a dictator that held power over the french people because he was in love with power, liked people seeing him in charge, and he wants to be considered the perfect image to everyone.

Napoleon was the son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Buonaparte, born in Corsica. He started off as a rather disliked man by his fellow officers, although his stunning military victories allowed him to quickly rise through the military rankings. At the young age of twenty-five, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Shortly after the coup d’etat of 1799, when Napoleon overthrew the Directory, he became the young emperor of France-- determined to strengthen and expand his empire.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a great leader until he took his power too far. He helped France get out of their debt and also won multiple territories from winning wars. He continued to strengthen France with his great leadership and military strategies. Eventually, though, he began to abuse his power. He proceeded through a war, without forfeit and experienced a great defeat. During his time of power Napoleon was a paradox. Napoleon’s fall from being a great leader taught us that, sometimes when people get too used to having so much power and authority, they may abuse their powers to a large extent.

During the Napoleonic Era, from 1799 to 1815, France became a military power gaining and controlling land throughout Europe. While some historians believe Napoleon Bonaparte was a ruthless dictator, his military accomplishments far outweigh any atrocities he committed. He helped France gain stability after the French Revolution and he also abolished the Feudal contract. Napoleon was a brilliant strategist using military tactics to cause fear and to defeat whatever enemies stood in his way. Throughout his rule, Napoleon continually gained ground, and by the end of his reign, his empire encompassed all of Spain, Italy, and a small portion of land by Russia and Austria. (see map) He is one of

Napoleon had great military ability and leadership skills, these abilities led him to become Emperor of France in 1804 and modernize the nation after the revolution1. There are many positive points that can lead people to believe he was a hero of France, but for every one of those points there are negatives that lead us to believe he was a villain of Europe. Napoleon was not absolutely good or absolutely bad which makes it difficult to argue either side, but I believe in the case of Napoleon the bad outweighs the good, which is why I would put him as a 3 on a hero villain continuum. His villainous side appears if we look at the Napoleonic code, the continental system, dropping revolutionary ideas, and over estimating his military ability.

     In Napoleon’s first battle as leader of an army, he became famous. By pointing artillery at the British, Napoleon drove them out of Toulon. The Directory then sent him to Italy to attack an army of Austrians. After this victory, Napoleon gained more fame and was known as a hero.

Many years later, in a galaxy far far away, on the date of August 15, 1769 another war hero and emperor was born, Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon reigned over the French from May 18, 1804 to April 11, 1814 and ruled Italy over the years from March 17, 1805 to April 11, 1814. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, set up Napoleonic Code; it was a major influence in civil law jurisdictions. Napoleon is best recognized for his role in the wars against France, known as the Napoleonic Wars. His success in these multiple battles led Napoleon to be known as one of the best military leaders of all time. His strategies and campaigns are studied at military schools around the world.

Napoleon was born in Corsica, Italy and was entered directly into the Military, at age ten. Napoleon's leadership, and role as emperor, was heavily based around the fact that all of his childhood was being trained in the military! Some people view this in a negative light (seeing other people just as a target, and appreciating human life.) Some people on the other hand, view this in a positive light (Being a good instructor, and knowing how to make the right moves with politics.) During the French revolution the citizens of France tried to create a republic, and when they failed continuously, Napoleon Bonaparte stepped up and became a strong leader in France. In 1799, the government started to grow more and more corrupt, and that's when Napoleon came into play. Napoleon was an

After the French monarchy was overthrown on August 10, 1792, Napoleon decided to make his move up in the ranks. After this, Napoleon started becoming a recognized officer. In 1792, Napoleon was prompted to the rank of captain. In 1793, he was chosen to direct the artillery against the siege in Toulon. He seized ground where he could get his guns in range of the British ships. Soon after Toulon fell, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. In 1795, he saved the revolutionary government by controlling a group of rioting citizens by using a famous technique of his. He loaded a bunch of pellets into a cannon and fired it at the crowd. Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. He defeated four Austrian generals in succession, and each army he fought got bigger and bigger. This forced Austria and its allies to make peace with France. But after this, Napoleon was relieved of his command. He was poor and was suspected of treason. Napoleon had no friends. No one would have suspected what Napoleon would do next. In 1796, Napoleon was appointed to put down a revolt in Paris. He calmly took complete control of the situation. He had his men shoot all the rebels in the streets. The French government was saved, but they decided to form a new government called the Directory. Under the new government, Napoleon was made commander of the French army in Italy. During this campaign, the French realized how smart Napoleon was. He developed a tactic

Napoleons’ rise to emperor in France was indisputable mostly because of his overthrow of the Directory. His success’s as commander of the French army in Italy, only led to his aspiring status change to “Emperor” of France after overthrowing the Directory in November of 1799. His undying ambition for expansion of the empire he was creating however would be his undoing. Napoleons rule as emperor of France was quit spectacular actually and many admired and adored him as ruler. His ways were very appealing, and as a speaker he was very persuasive and admired by most of his people until his later years in his fall and demise. However, Napoleon did not seriously adhere to the ideals of the French Revolution, he did that of the Enlightenment but his undying ambition and character as “Emperor” undermined the true need of the French Revolution.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader and eventual political leader in France who was able to seize power during the end of the French Revolution of the late 1790's and early 1800's. Napoleon was the leader of France from 1804 to 1815 and mostly remembered as a leader in a cycle of European battles. He institutionalized the changes brought about by the French Revolution and sought to spread them throughout Europe. It has been long debated the factors that allowed Napoleon to seize power and eventually crown himself emperor. Such factors that have been considered have been Napoleon's personality, his military exploits, the failings of the Directory, support of the people and army and even sheer luck.

Napoleon Bonaparte was a young boy when his Corsican parents sent him off to a military school. He was short in stature, not very good looking, and overall was an awkward person. So how did such a man like Napoleon gain power? The answer is through the Military and later, through the people. Following Military school, Napoleon moved on to fight in France’s Military. His claim to fame started upon the defense of one of France’s southern ports. During the chaos of the French Revolution, people saw his actions as heroic. He rose to Commander and General of the Interior and defended France’s government, the Directory. Napoleon had a profound hatred for the chaos that ensued with Robespierre’s Reign of Terror. Napoleon mowed down anyone who dare attack the Directory. However, the corrupt Directory was overthrown by Napoleon and his Coup D’etat, or seize of power. He won with 99.8 percent of the people’s votes. Napoleon was dubbed “first consul for life” among 3 other men. This was declared the end of the French Revolution. The population that had lived in fear for years have rejoiced in the coming of a new leader who seemed to be perfect. However, the Napoleonic Code of 1804 gave a new framework of laws that gave people second thoughts. Many freedoms were restricted and total order was established. Napoleon crowned himself as Emperor in 1804. By fighting the chaos and total anarchy of France to gain popularity, Napoleon became favored by the people and rose to power. Throughout his rule, he became just as corrupt as the government that he had helped overthrow years

Napoleon Bonaparte is often characterized as one of the most brilliant and influential military leader in all of history. Known mostly for his diminutive stature and extraordinary military skill, Napoleon Bonaparte is commonly recognized today for his great accomplishments and works regarding the country of France. Though he achieved many great things, the successfulness of this leader is often still debated all across the world. Many believe he was unsuccessful and arrogant while others argue that Napoleon’s great skill shaped the world as it is known today. Though there are numerous conflicting viewpoints throughout the world, Napoleon’s successfulness is more prominent, for his reforms to the country of France and military dominance set him apart from all other preceding leaders.

Napoleon reached power through rising during a wartime because of his military successes. During a time of war promotions are made frequently and Napoleon became a general at a young age. Napoleon was able to move his troops much faster than any other country was able to move their troops. Napoleon’s troops were also much larger than any of the others. These advantages led to Napoleon becoming one of the greatest military leaders ever.

There is a general consensus amongst historians about Napoleon’s intelligence and his ability to inspire and guide his troops with immense skill. As Michael Broers comments: “it is when historians deny him genius, creative power and acute intelligence, that they fail in their task.” Historians also agree that the French Revolution of 1789 played a critical role in Napoleon’s life by shaping his future aspirations. However, in spite of this broad agreement, there are varying views about how he used his genius in his rise to power. Historians tend to take two sides in their scrutiny of Napoleon as ruler. He is either seen as a saviour, a leader who would preserve the revolution, or a tyrant, a man who saw an opportunity to further his place in the world with the use of