Napoleon as the Betrayer to the French Revolution
Napoleon Bonaparte has remained one of history's most furiously debated characters. This is because there has been much speculation and many differing interpretations of his actions as leader of France from 1799-1815. Most historians tend to have been torn between the portraits of Napoleon as the heir of the Revolution or as the destroyer of the Revolution's most sacred principles. However, a third opinion has emerged that suggests that Napoleon made revolutionary ideas practical and therefore acted as a bridge between the Ancien Regime and the lofty ideals of the Revolution.
Napoleon can be seen as the defender of the French Revolution for
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Napoleon realised that religion was of great importance to the people of France. He managed to agree to a Concordat between France and the Pope that recognised Roman Catholicism as France's principle religion and sees the Pope as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. However, Napoleon managed to introduce further terms that effectively made France in charge of religion.
The view that supports Napoleon as the defender of the Revolution is Napoleon himself! Emmanuel de Las Cases, who accompanied Napoleon into exile on St. Helena, was the author of Napoleon's main biography, "The Legend of Napoleon". In his writings, Napoleon became the founder of the Revolution and the protagonist of its achievements. He preserved the principles of liberty and equality, confirmed the destruction of feudalism, united the fractions within France and propagated the principles of the Revolution abroad. In the 1830s and 1840s, the Napoleonic Legend arose in France. People in France yearned for the excitement and adventure of Napoleon and his legend provided this. Napoleon actually himself believed that he was the heir to the Revolution and that he made the principles work for France.
However, many historians view Napoleon differently. They see his reforms for France as increasingly autocratic. They perceive that the Legend glorified Napoleon
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.
There is no question in the fact that Napoleon Bonaparte was a significant character in France. However, there have been debates among historians for years around the central question: “Was Napoleon Bonaparte a hero or a villain?” The answer here relies on how one looks upon the situation. Was Napoleon Bonaparte a savior to the French, or was he a tyrant to the French? Although many historians’ answers do rely deeply onto perspective, their answers also lie within which stage of life Napoleon Bonaparte was in, as well as the shift in opinions that come as time changes. Paul Stock and Phillip Dwyer analyze Napoleon Bonaparte’s influence and through the analysis, debate on whether Napoleon Bonaparte should be considered a hero or a villain,
Napoleon did not always follow through with his theories and ideas about the well being of France with actions, making him very hypocritical; there are however some contrasting points to suggest that not all his choices were insincere. Therefore his initial claims and theories were not completed, his actions contradicted his preliminary ideas. Consequently, Napoleon betrayed the ideas of the French Revolution: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
In France in 1789, A revolution began. The people of France were fighting for their inalienable rights such as freedom from serfdom , equality between the classes. Within this chaos in France, Napoleon, a new thinker, came about and changed France in many ways. Napoleon's policies can be seen as preserving the legacy of the French Revolution by giving equality to the lower classes and creating a governmental system that helped to put the people in charge of their sovereignty, however it can be seen as hurting the legacy by protecting the ideas of absolutism.
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
Initially, the people of France saw him as a hero. This is clearly demonstrated by Document 3. The painting of Napoleon, published in 1800, just one year after he rose to power, depicts Napoleon’s valiant figure. The French people saw him as a hero because of the prior events in France. Preceding Napoleon’s rule was the “Reign of Terror” instituted by radicals in power of the government. The French people were desperate for a ruler to stabilize the country, and Napoleon was the answer. In Document 1, Napoleon motivated the French army, and promised them riches and honor. Napoleon, again, was the answer to the people’s problems. The
The American Revolution was when the British colonies in America revolted against British rule for being taxed by people not even living on their land and gained independence by overthrowing British imperial rule under King George III. The French Revolution was a period of social and political upheaval in France, marking the decline of powerful monarchies and churches and the rise of democracy and nationalism. The French Revolution began less than two decades after the American Revolution. In many ways, the American experience was an inspiration for the citizens of France. But the people of the two countries had different situations and had different concerns, which influenced the way each revolution began, progressed, and ended.
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
He said, "Fifty . . . bishops paid by England lead the French clergy today. Their influence must be destroyed. For this we need the authority of the Pope." Through the concordat, the Catholic church was able to gain back authority that it had lost during the revolution, however, it was never allowed to recover its former autonomy or power. Napoleon kept the French church in his pocket. He paid the clergy directly, and he made them financially dependent on his treasury. As a child of the enlightenment, Napoleon used cold authority and calculation to wield one of the most powerful weapons in the world—religion—and he did it successfully.
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.
The French Revolution evokes many different emotions and controversial issues in that some believe it was worth the cost and some don't. There is no doubt that the French Revolution did have major significance in history. Not only did the French gain their independence, but an industrial revolution also took place. One of the main issues of the Revolution was it's human costs. Two writers, the first, Peter Kropotkin who was a Russian prince, and the other Simon Schama, a history professor, both had very opposing views on whether the wars fought by France during the Revolution were worth it's human costs. Krapotkin believed that the French Revolution was the main turning point for not only France but for most
Napoleon Bonaparte like many others rose to prominence during the turbulent times of the French revolution- he was therefore lucky to have been born at such a time in to justify his advancing position. However his reputation as a skilled tactician and strategist enabled him to initially capitalize on the reforms of the French Revolution to improve the lives of French citizens. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as an important figure for re-establishing order in France and initially gained the trust and support of his countrymen, winning many great military victories against the nations of Europe. But over time, Napoleon's lust for power overcame his good economic, political and
France had many problems after the Reign of Terror and looked to Napoleon for help. Therefore, Napoleon changed many government officials such as, having the Directory resign and then created a three-member consulate. He agreed with many Enlightenment ideas by promoting freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. In 1796, Napoleon wrote how he felt sympathetic for declaring Catholicism as the official religion, "It was by becoming a Catholic that I pacified the Vendee and a [Muslim] that I established myself in Egypt; it was by becoming ultramontane that I won over public opinion in Italy," he cared about everyone's religion and believed in religious tolerance. Napoleon beliefs made him very popular with the people and
From conquering most of Europe in the early 19th century, to crowning himself emperor in 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was a very important figure in history. Not only did he do these things, but many more in his lifetime. For Instance, the making of the “Napoleonic Code”. Although there were these great events, Napoleon also witnessed a very significant downfall which eventually led to his death. Napoleon has definitely had an influence in the French Revolution and on the people during the French Revolution.
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the best leaders throughout the French history who took over most of Europe in the early 1800s and was known for his brilliance. He was born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. He became the hero of the hour and rose through the positions during the revolution. During his military expedition in Egypt, a French soldier found the Rosetta Stone, which provided the translation of hieroglyphics. After getting hold of the power in France in a coup d’état, he stabilized France and crowned himself emperor in 1804. Ambitious and a genius military strategist, Napoleon won wars against a lot of European countries and stretched his territory. However, after he tried to invade Russia in 1812, Napoleon resigned the throne two years later and was banished to the island of Elba. In 1815, he temporarily returned to power in the Hundred Days campaign. After he was beaten at the Battle of Waterloo, he resigned once again and was banished to Saint Helena, and he died there at 51.