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The Revolution Of The Revolutionary Revolution

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Hunter Sharp Mon/Wed 2:15 Final Paper There have been revolutions which were dominated by important personalities, creating personalist regimes. Revolutionary leaders including Napoleon Bonaparte, Vladimir Lenin, and Fidel Castro have been both an embodiment of revolutionary ideas and an antithesis to many of the original ideals of their respective revolutions. Napoleon Bonaparte During the French Revolution, the poor and oppressed majority are fighting to get a place in society, and get natural rights regardless of their social class. Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military and emerges as a leader then Napoleon gains power and becomes an antithesis to the original ideals of the revolution. Some of the laws, orders, and the Napoleonic Code created when Napoleon was emperor of France shows that he did become an antithesis to many of the original ideals of the revolution. Although Napoleon did give the oppressed French some rights, he still went against the original idea of the French Revolution which was to give every Frenchmen their natural rights regardless of their social class or gender. According to the Napoleonic code divorce was made a little easier for women, but they still did not have rights. Girls were also not allowed to go to school, while boys were allowed. Napoleon censored the press from releasing negative articles about him which violated freedom of the press. Napoleon further became an antithesis when he forced Germans to go into the French

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