Napoleon Crossing The Alps By Jacques-Louis David

Napoleon Bonaparte was a patriotic and passionate man. He was a military genius who indelibly stamped his personality on an era. His theories about waging war, his conduct of campaigns, and battlefield tactics all became benchmarks for military commanders throughout the 19th century and today. “If I shall be defeated here this day it would be by the greatest general in the modern world” (Field Marshall Lord Wellington cited in Vandalia 1963:78)

Although his armies enjoyed unprecedented successes and expanded the French Empire from Spain to the steppes of Russia, the Napoleonic way of war was fraught with deficiencies. Due to the Napoleon's genius and mastery of this period of military manoeuvres, he was able to forestall the affects of the inherent limitations of his system until the war of the Sixth Coalition (1813) and eventually the fateful battle of Waterloo (1815). One the most significant, intrinsic flaws in Napoleon's system was related to issues of command. During the beginnings of Napoleon's career, he commanded armies of sizes up to 60 000 troops. In Italy in 1796, he commanded a force of just 38 000. With the increasing sizes of forces in the later empire, due to concepts such as levee en masse and recruitment legislation of 1792, the inability of a single commander to control such vast forces was becoming apparent. The sheer immensity of the forces now mustered was unprecedented. In 1812 the Grande Armee, consisted of a staggering 611 000 soldiers. Much to the hindrance of the later empire, few, if any officers in the Grande Armee, besides Napoleon himself, could command forces

     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.

Napoleon won battles in Italy and Austria early in his rule, but eventually, the French Emperor attempted to conquer other major powers in Europe. Napoleon lost major battles in Russia and Britain, and the French people’s perception of their king began to change. Document 5 shows a painting of Napoleon in 1812, during the French invasion of Russia. Napoleon is depicted very negatively: he appears to be short, almost small, overweight, and certainly not the heroic image he carried early in his rule. In Document 7, Napoleon is controlled at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, dancing like a puppet. The painting was published in 1815, the year Napoleon was officially removed from power. As Napoleon’s initial success faded, so did his

As the slaves in Saint Domingue started revolts, a Napoleon emerged, taking charge over a broken people. With revolutions blooming in Europe and North America, many people in the Latin America wanted freedom and started their own revolutions. One of the first revolutions in Latin America took place in Saint Domingue, today known as Haiti. A major leader of the Haitian revolt against France was Toussaint L’ouverture. He helped the fight for freedom of his people and their land. Former slave that he was, made him well liked among most of the population and his disposition only helped his popularity as Saint Domingue progressed towards becoming a free country. Toussaint Louverture is an important figure in Haitian history for being a liberator of slaves, a ruler of Saint Domingue, and a successful military commander.

Napoleon Bonaparte is seen by historians in a variety of lights. Some judge him for his lack of mercy for those in his warpath along with his unmatched air of confidence. Others choose to see him for the leadership abilities and keen mind that fueled his remarkable triumphs as a general, commander, First Consul of France, and even emperor. Owen Connelly uses his work, The Epoch of Napoleon, to bridge the gap that other historians and authors have skimmed over, giving the reader an inside look at not only Napoleon’s military life, but also his political and personal life. Furthermore, Connelly achieves this by showing both the ruthless and heroic sides of Napoleon, including non-military details from the life of Napoleon, and lastly, including quotes from Napoleon and those that interacted with him.

When Napoleon was young, he had a dream of becoming a general, and with the help of his father, he was able to get into a prestigious military school. However, Napoleon did not do well in the school in his first year. Noticing that he needed to improve, Napoleon studied hard by himself and with some help from the professors. The following school year, Napoleon’s performance dramatically improved. Because of this, Napoleon got more attention from the professors. Soon, his talent, which was unnoticed before, was acknowledged by the professors, and Napoleon was given a chance to lead an army in a battle in Egypt. He was largely successful in the battle and as a result was given more opportunities. These opportunities eventually lead Napoleon to become the most well-known general in the history. Napoleon’s failure had fueled him with the urge to become better. Therefore, obstacles can motivate one to try harder which can help one

Kehinde Wiley’s, “Napolean Leading the Army Over the Alps” was recreated from Jacques Louis- Davids, “Bon Aparte Crossing the Alps.” Wiley was always aware of the challenges young urban black men would face. His art consist of young black men today in their street clothing. The way he creates his art is by picking up street men and asking them to pick a painting from art history and pose in it. “Bon Aparte Crossing the Alps” was painted to symbolize Spain’s new relationship with France. It shows a commander on a horse leading his troops up a mountain on a battlefield. Wiley kept the same concept but the main difference is the man on the horse. The black man on the horse was dressed in decorative clothing like camouflage pants and shirt with a bandana and timberland boots. Instead, Wiley’s background had a design and it symbols a male virility. The concept and meaning behind Wiley’s work expresses how African Americans were

In 1796 as a young officer of 27 years old, Napoleon was given command of the French army in Italy. In his proclamation to his troops, Napoleon said, 'The two armies which but recently attacked you with audacity are fleeing before you in terror; the wicked men who laughed at your misery and rejoiced at the thought of the triumphs of your enemies are confounded and trembling.' Acts like this display the strong personality that Napoleon possessed and how his endearing nature captivated his troops. The control and support of the army was effective in enabling Bonaparte to eventually seize power.

Napoleon was an opportunistic leader who’s military genius was unmatched and his political prowess very solid, but his goal of overtaking Europe ended his power. Napoleon was a powerful military leader who was able to gain the respect and admiration of France through his military victories. He saw the opportunity to be the French leader and jumped at it, but his goal of a unified Europe hurt him. His ego also played a part in his fall from power in his ill-advised decision to have his brother rule Spain. Napoleon’s military power was so great that he came close to ruling Europe in its entirety before meeting the end. His rule over France was very successful and he was able to run a country very effectively. He was even able to rule over

I wish that you are doing well in teaching Theology to your new class in Avignon. I on the other hand, am doing well and have arrived in Utopia. From my last letter, The Ascent of Mount Ventoux, I have written to you about the struggles to the “blessed life” and finding true happiness. I have realized the temptations of earthly pleasures and have decided to contemplate about my mind and try to improve it. Therefore, on this trip, I do not want to focus on foreign goods for pleasure, but what these men act with each other in their and my definition of virtue.

The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David is imposing in its dimensions. It stands at twenty feet by thirty feet and is displayed in the main gallery of the Louvre museum in Paris. David began this work of art after being orally commissioned by Napoleon in September of 1804. The painting came to its completion November of 1807. The sole fact that the painting took three years to complete demonstrates something about the magnitude and scale of the painting. This was all done on purpose of course in order to record this significant moment in the emperor’s life.

Napoleon seemed to have been seen as a man chosen and destined by god to find victory, though in reality he was a workaholic, and spent long nights carefully drafting his plans for battle. He was careful to maximize his manpower where it counted most. That said, Napoleon saw a value in remaining unpredictable, always maintaining an aggressive stance to force his opponent to respond to his moves. He often determined that the “moment” was more important than manpower. Often, after maneuvering for some time, Napoleon would order his men to charge towards the enemy’s approximate location. Sometimes he himself recalls that the approximation was weak, but it was more important to move quickly and definitely, than to wait for complete intelligence to reveal the true nature of the enemy’s whereabouts. Napoleon did not hold many rules on his troops when on the march, only that they move at a steady pace and stay close together so that they could get into formation quickly. Ultimately, it is clear that Napoleon had a natural gift for choosing the right moves, and furthermore seemed to be at his best when under the pressure of an intense battle, while the commanders of other armies tended to mishap.

The definition of a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. One of the most influential heroes in the United States is George Washington but that’s just what Americans think of him. The British, who were fighting against the United States in the Revolution don’t see George Washington as a hero because he won the war for the United States but lost that territory for England. A hero is only defined by the people they protect and serve. Likewise, after the fall of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte swept in and seized power. At the young age of 30, he was already in charge of the First Counsel. By 35, he was the dictator of France. Through cunning military strategies and ambition, Napoleon climbed through the ranks of the French military. Napoleon at the time of his reign was seen in the French perspective as revolutionary and a savior. But, when the statistics are put into account, he wasted millions of dollars and lives for unsuccessful wars. He was seen as controlling and wasn’t even native to France. Napoleon can be considered a tyrant based off of the misery, death and grief he caused the French citizens during his reign.

Leading the French forces at Waterloo was the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a man who rose through the ranks of the French military during the French Revolution. Napoleon’s started his military career as an artillery officer in the French army and when the