Pros And Cons Of Napoleon Bonaparte

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Throughout centuries, history has presented to life a plethora of individuals who would then impact the world by means of various arduous missions and accomplishments. While certain people are extolled for their grandiloquent changes to society, others may become infamous for imperiling humankind. However, within history lies a character who is interposed between approbation and being loathed, whose name is Napoléon Bonaparte. This particular person was a French leader who ruled as an emperor in 1804 and had performed numerous tasks across his lifetime. As a commander, he performed remarkably when concerning lawmaking, nationalism, military bearing, and restoring order to France. Certain laws and decisions, such as the Napoleonic Code, have …show more content…

One major factor that Bonaparte corrected was religion, as it represented a vast population of his country. Previously controlled by the Committee of Public Safety, this organization desired education and reasoning, which was not supported by the Catholic Church. Catholicism typically encourages thoughts of superstition, and education was not strong throughout the revolution, thus leaving the Committee to create the Republic of Virtue. Said democratic republic had focused on enlightening citizens of France, but also pushed on de-christianization. Once overthrown, Napoleon extricated its action and made up for their errors by assembling a compromise with the Pope, reinstating peace with the Catholic church and empowering catholicism as France’s true religion by providing all citizens with religious rights, along with recognition. Moreover, he adjusted and increased widespread education to edify secondary students (high schoolers), teachers, girls, along with several middle-class citizens, according to J. David Markham’s article (The Revolution, Napoleon, and Education, 2010). Enlightenment, while very important to Bonaparte, was not his primary goal in perfecting France, as he mostly endeavored in reorganizing law and order for his …show more content…

No French figure could remotely match with his patriotism for France. Even as a tyro, he conducted similar to a professional military commander and won mickle battles in the revolution through various arduous tactics and bravery, gaining himself rank-ups much faster than any other French figures at the time, earning titles such as “military hero”, according to McGraw Hill’s textbook (pg. 229-235). His movement, along with everyone’s growing hatred for the Directory, allowed Bonaparte to easily overthrow them and strengthen France as a whole, giving civilians nationalism for their country. Alas, his actions from there only decrease all respect he originally had, as he would move on to attack various countries in Europe and Russia, along with removing women’s rights and silenced freedom of press. Since he shut down said rights (and was beginning to lose battles with Russia), citizens were enraged, thus giving them desires to remove him from power. This aspiration, combined with their recent espy of Europe’s anger at Napoleon, brought more patriotic pride than ever before. Ironically, it was his flaws that led to ultimate nationalism for France, as well as numerous small European

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