Napoleon the Hero or Napoleon’s Heroic Antics Napoleon is a hero because he gave the common people rights that only the nobles and clergy had prior to Napoleon becoming emperor, freed the people of Italy from tyrannical rule, and saved France from civil war. There was a scientific Revolution spreading through Europe many of the scientists involved, during the last years of the Scientific Revolution the Enlightenment began spreading throughout Europe like wildfire. During the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment people also began to question the Catholic Church. The French government was undergoing reconstruction before Napoleon was crowned emperor after using a Coup d’état to forcefully overthrow the government’ before this France was a monarchy, a limited monarchy, and a dictatorship. Prior to Napoleon France was ruled by Maximilien Robespierre who by using terror. After Napoleon seized power he allowed the people to vote on a new constitution, allowed people to practice religion, and gave France a uniform set of laws. Napoleon is a hero because he gave common people rights that under the Old Regime only belonged to the privileged estates (clergy and nobles). The third estate was made up of the bourgeoisie, the city workers, and peasants. The bourgeoisie were as rich as the nobles but paid a lot of taxes. The peasants were by far the biggest class, but the city workers were the poorest. The taxes on the poor were so high it was virtually impossible to conduct
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of history’s most known figures. Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero to all people of France. Napoleon did a lot to help the people of France out with keeping the country safe. He also agreed with the French Revolution. Before Napoleon it was chaotic, and terrible.
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,
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.
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.
Consequently, as most people of such a high status, Napoleon was expected to do immense things for his country. Such things include bringing peace to France and stopping the political disorder within the country. Most importantly, people wanted him to completely encompass the things that they fought for during the French Revolution. Napoleon himself had said that he had kept the best policies and ideas from the Revolution. With all of these things that Napoleon needed to do, many people looked up to him, making him an even higher figure than before. This let him use his power to generate funds for a more nationalist and patriotic country. He had solved many of the problems people were talking about after rising to power, such as making peace between the government and the church.
Napoleon was one of the most important figures in European history. As one of the greatest military leaders, Napoleon did many things to modernize the European nations he ruled.
Napoleon Bonaparte was inarguably an important figure in the history of France and Europe. However, there has been much controversy over the subject in the past. Would history perceive him as a hero or an enemy of France and the world? Many twentieth-century dictators would later model themselves on Napoleon, more than a hundred years after his death. Napoleon was not the first dictator, so why was he such an important figurehead for future dictators? Some historians may consider that Napoleon was a savior of France, and a brilliant military genius. Others would believe that he was a corrupted tyrant and had betrayed key ideals that had been established in the French Revolution. His rise to and consolidation of power made him a full
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
There have been multiple great war heroes throughout the course of history. Most fall short of the reign of power of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon’s reign began just years after he was born in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15th, 1769. The story of Napoleon could be one compared to a super hero. His lack of fear and death led to a lifetime of success in the world of war. He had one goal throughout the course of his life: conquer all land, and bring France to the very top of the war chain.
Certain individuals approved of Napoleon 's reign as the saviour of France. He finished and completed the Revolution by fulfilling the ideals the people of France demanded. A person such as one belonging to the bourgeoisie, or even a peasant would be very satisfied with the way Napoleon ruled over the country. He gave them equality, freedom, justice, and many rights. Such things never existed
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 will remain in the heart of many French nationals as one of the greatest military leaders that the nation has had when it comes to warfare history. In 1799, Napoleon launched a series of wars, which historian call, “Napoleonic wars” in a bid to extend the territory of France in Europe. Many historians argue that the Napoleonic wars were a continuation of the earlier war under the tag, French revolution in 1789. The French revolution in itself had so many influences in Europe, especially with the armies who felt the greatest impact of the revolution. The revolution brought with it many changes, especially in the production of modern mass weapons with the conscription in place. The new improvements in weaponry made Napoleon seek hegemony in the entire Europe sparking his quest to expand and increase the revolutionary and territorial borders of France. Napoleon, Corsican aristocrat, who was a minor, rose to the position of emperor in France because of the revolution and his idea was to sweep the entire Europe with the reforms brought about by the revolution (Dwyer 32). The idea was to liberate the continent so that all citizens had a chance to take the helm of leadership and do away with the issue of kinship rule. Napoleon was a symbol of change, and although at some point, he comes out as a dictator, he was progressive and created rationalization of governance and all the social
Napoleon was a good leader during that period of time,because he was a strong military commander who made France into a powerful empire. He created a government in France that supported equality and liberty. 1. His men follow him. Be it army or men, French people are extremely loyal to Napoleon. Which is one reason why he is a good leader. Even after the battle of Borodino, which was a disaster, soldiers never blame Napoleon for their defeat. (there are evident of this in one of marshal's memoir). Even after he was banished to Elba, when he came back, and alone, soldiers who were with Louis returned to his side, not a singe shot was fired.
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.