Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleons leadership essay
Short note of role of robespierre
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
After the death of Louis XVI in 1793, a river of blood flowed down the streets of France. The Terror, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took the lives of many by guillotine who have been claimed to be "counterrevolutionary," no matter how outlandish the evidence was. The people of France longed for a new form of government as "none dared to utter the word 'republic' so deeply had the Terror stained that name" (Remusat 491). In other words, they needed an able body to put an end to the chaos and in 1799, by the means of a coup d'état, it would be Napoleon Bonaparte who would bring such order to the French government. In 1804, he crowned himself emperor and through his Code Napoleon, he provided post-revolutionary France "its first coherent set of laws concerning property, colonial affairs, the family and individual rights" (history.com). This code was based the three principles of the French Revolution: equality, liberty, and fraternity. It granted all male citizens equal rights and religious freedoms, rules completely different from that of the Ancien Régime and similar to the ideas of the French Revolution. Thus, it can be said that from 1804 to 1815, Bonaparte used his political and military intellect to uphold order and preserve the reforms and principles made during the French Revolution.
Others may say that Napoleon Bonaparte was, in fact, a destroyer of the Revolution. They disagree that he was a preserver of the Revolution because they believe that although most of Bonaparte's actions were based on the principles of the French Revolution, his arrogant way of thinking disputes them. For instance, Joseph Fouché describes in his memoirs how Bonaparte implements a secret police. He was made minister of this secret police by the...
... middle of paper ...
...History and Theory. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1939. Print.
• Fouché, Joseph. Memoirs: Napoleon's Secret Police. London: Gibbings and, 1894. 188-91. Print.
• Grossman, Ira. "Napoleon the Reader: The Early Years." The Napoleon Series. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. .
• "Napoleonic Code Approved in France — History.com This Day in History — 3/21/1804." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. .
• Robinson, James Harvey., ed. Readings in European History. Vol. 2. Boston: Ginn &, 1904. Print.
• Rogers, Percy M. Aspects of Western Civilization. Eagle Wood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Print.
• Smith, Bonnie G. Changing Lives: Women in European History Since 1700. D.C. Health and, 1989. Print.
Bonaparte Betrayed the Revolution ‘Bonaparte betrayed the revolution.’ Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer to the question. Napoleon Bonaparte’s attitude towards the French Revolution is one that has often raised questions. That the revolution had an influence on Bonaparte’s regime cannot be denied – but to what extent?
Only a year before Napoleon was born, Genoa had been forced to sell Corsica to France. In one of history’s amazing coincidences, this would forever tie Napoleon to France, even going so far as to change his name to a more French sounding name. Had Genoa kept hold of Corsica, Napoleon would have been born an Italian, and the thousands of books since written about him would have ceased to exist. Alas, fate had a role to play, and Napoleon found himself a part of a minor noble family in an island wishing for independence. From a young age Napoleon would wish to be a part of the struggle to regain sovereignty for Corsica. Here is where he would become fascinated with history in an attempt to write a history of his homeland. At that time one could not learn about history without learning about the great empire of Rome. This knowledge of Rome would influence Napoleon’s actions for the rest of his life.
The History Guide. “Napoleon’s Proclamation to His Troops in Italy (March-April 1796)”. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History. Steven Kreis, 2000. Web. 17 January 2014. http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/nap1796.html. Primary.
Unlike the leaders of America, the leaders of the French did not turn out to be as positive for the country. In fact, some of these leaders caused much more harm than good. These leaders taught the French people more about what type of government would be the best option for them. One of the most radical, and extreme leaders was Maximilien Robespierre. The duration of his dictatorship was known as "Reign of Terror." He demanded a republic and soon after his demands; the monarchy was overthrown. He also felt that a constitutional government would have to wait until all the enemies of the revolution have been eliminated. To accomplish this task, he murdered close to 40,000 people, most by guillotine, and some sentenced to life in jail. The Reign of Terror was one of the most controversial, and terrifying phases of the Revolution. Some French colonists thought it to be a path to democracy; others thought it was just a attempt for Robespierre to assume dictator. The other great leader was Napoleon Bonaparte. He believed that the only way to have control in France was to put a limit on democracy. Over a period of time Napoleon 's party overthrew Robespierre 's party. Soon enough, Napoleon was dictator of France. The French soldiers who fought in the American Revolution came back from the war with new ideas and reason for revolution. These ideas included the right to take up arms against tyranny, all men should
During the late eighteenth century the colonies were in a fight for independence; a fight for a revolution from a government that had oppressed them, taxed them, and basically enslaved them. So why did the new government they were struggling to construct so closely resemble the government they detested to be under? Thirteen colonies all fighting against one common foe, however governing themselves would cause many obstacles within. The new government was being pieced together from the only political system they have even been a part of, a monarchy. As a result there was a severance between the people on how the government was to be run. Some felt it was too democratic while others opposed claiming it was not enough. Colonists really didn't have a choice in the matter. It was going to be a trial and error situation until they could agree how to govern the new world. Even with the Articles of Confederation established, many things were still unethical and people felt that the new government was no better then the government they condemned. In time the fight for independence would change many things however the "Revolution" of the new government was a slow process. Some aspects of Parliament remained leaving speculation to whether or not this was a revolution at all.
1789--Fall of the Bastille--a state prison--symbol of royal authority, oppression and privilege; July 14 even today is a national holiday in France "Bastille Day."
Kreis, S. (2001). The History Guide. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History: The Code Napoleon. 15 July, 2010, http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/code_nap.html
French Revolution brought a great number of great ideas, but ideas are not beneficial unless they are realized and stabilized. The man to stabilize the concepts of French Revolution was Napoleon Bonaparte. He started out as an Italian general and ended up being one of the greatest historical figures. First, Directors requested Napoleon's support while organizing a coup d'etat. Then, Bonaparte fought Britain in order to benefit France. Lastly, he was called to help creating a new constitution and ended up as the First Consul of France. At home, he ruled using flattery, but also he strongly resisted the opposition. Napoleon is a pro-revolutionist because he denied all the privileges of the aristocracy, created a new constitution, and also established the Napoleonic Code.
During the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson succeeded in defeating the incumbent, John Adams, and assumed the presidency. In terms of elections though, the election of 1800 itself was a fascinating election in that it a heavily-contested election and was effectively the first time political parties ran smear campaigns against each other during an election. The Republican Party attacked the Federalists for being anti-liberty and monarchist and tried to persuade the public that the Federalists were abusing their power through acts such as the Alien & Sedition Acts and the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion (Tindall and Shi 315). The Federalists, on the other hand, attacked Jefferson for his atheism and support of the French Revolution and warned that his election would result in chaos (316). By the end of the presidential election, neither Adams nor Jefferson emerged with his reputation completely intact. Still, rather than an election between Adams and Jefferson, the election of 1800 ultimately boiled down to a deadlock between Jefferson and his vice presidential candidate, Aaron Burr, who each held seventy-three electoral votes, resulting in the election was sent to the House of Representatives. In the end, the deadlock was resolved only by Alexander Hamilton, whose immense hate for Burr allowed Jefferson to claim the presidency. However, the election of 1800 was more than just a simple presidential election. The election of 1800 was the first peaceful transfer of power from the incumbent party to the opposition and represented a new step in politics, as well as a new direction in foreign policy that would emerge from Jefferson’s policies, and to this extent, the election of 1800 was a revolution.
...er 3, 1791 France adopted its first written constitution. The compromise that was made did not sit well with the influential radicals like Maximilien de Robespierrse, Camille Desmoulins and Georges Danton. They began stirring up popular support for a more republican form of government and the trial of Louis.
... It is important to understand that since France had just exited a revolution, it was pretty fragile; one big mistake and France might have ended up in another one. Napoleon was not only a child of both the French Revolution and the Enlightenment, he was also a very intelligent person. His cunning and wits led him to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, enlightened despots of all time. Works Consulted (none of the above).
Was Napoleon Bonaparte the Saviour or the Destroyer of the Ideals of the French Revolution?
Napoleon Bonaparte is often seen as a tyrant, however; through Napoleon’s strong tactics and military leadership he led France through a time of great turmoil and provided the stability and guidance France so desperately needed. During his reign, Napoleon was able to bring an end to the French Revolution, a series of wars that had fractured the French at their core. After the resolution of the revolution, Napoleon developed the Civil Code or Napoleonic code to unite all of France under one governing law. The Civil Code blended the governing laws of the Roman law practiced in the South with the customary law practiced in the North. Through the Code, Napoleon brought unity to France, improved the rights and lives of citizens, and allowed for France’s own growth and development. The Civil Code is considered one of Napoleon’s
The French Revolution, which occurred from 1789 to 1799, was a time where the monarchy was overthrown, a republic was formed, and limits were put on the church. The French Revolution ended with the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. The French Revolution created France’s legislative assembly, which is still in place today. Many would argue that the Enlightment was a cause of the French Revolution, but the Enlightment was not one of the main drivers for the Revolution. The bad living conditions, France’s monarchy, and the involvement in the American Revolution and other wars caused the French Revolution.
Napoleon should knowledge equaled power throughout his life. He started to show it at age 9 when he was sent a military school. From there Napoleon looked up to older classmates and people who were in the military and he strived to be like them. During school, Napoleon would take the role as a leader to his classmates and direct them on what to do. An example of this is for fun him and his classmates would have war based snowball fights and he would lead his “soldiers” against the enemy. He learned basic leadership from military school and tested it in real life scenarios such as snowball fights. During his studies at school, Napoleon realized he always had to win against someone, or just win in general. He strived to be better than everyone and cram as much knowledge of military and soldier basics into his head so he could be the best. He could be a winner. When he 16 he graduated with lots of knowledge and still at heart wanted to be a leader, he started off as an Artillery Lieutenant. From there he worked his way up the branche...