The Effects Napoleon Had on France

Many would argue that Napoleon is a hero as his heroic nature provided France with the institutions and sense of national identity they needed. Others would argue Napoleon is not a hero, as his use of propaganda made the French public believe he was their savior. I believe Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero, as his many accomplishments modified the French society and ultimately the civilized world. Not only did he better France through his domestic policy, he also expanded the territory of France with many battles won through strategic warfare. He as well gave the citizens of France the sense of national identity and pride they needed.

During his time as a leader of France, Napoleon appeared in some respects to be an enlightened ruler, but many of actions contradicted that appearance. His goal was to make the the citizens of France believe he was doing everything in his power to help them, and he was successful. That allowed him to increase his popularity throughout France. The people believed he was doing everything he could to improve their living conditions. His motto was “order, security, and efficiency,” and that motto determined the way he managed warfare, politics, and economic problems.

Napoleon’s great schooling, where he excelled, and his power earned him a good military position where he gained respect and strong military leadership qualities very fast. Napoleon start... ... middle of paper ... ...te: Napoleonic: Wars: History: Military: Battles: Navy: 3 Oct.1999.Web.02.Apr.2010.. Paret, Peter. Lexis Nexis, 5 Mar. 2010. Web.

The French Revolution had made it possible for his rise as both a military leader and emperor of France. As a military commander Napoleon lead the French Republican Army to several victories over royal forces and rose to power as France’s leader, but ultimately in his quest for absolute p... ... middle of paper ... ...leon’s memory would continue to haunt French political life (Spielvogel, 2007). Works Cited Chew, R. (1995). Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of the French. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from Lucidcafe: http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/95aug/napoleon.html Landau, E. (2006).

Napoleon who became general and later emperor of France, is without doubt one of the greatest military and political leaders of all time. He has dominated people’s imaginations and become an icon mostly associated with his exceptional tactical brilliance, political power and ambition. His accomplishments has made him extremely famous to this day and promoted him to the legendary status. To understand how he reached this status, Napoleon’s leadership should be examined through leadership theories. Fred A.Jr.Manske states in his text “What is Leadership?” that leadership mainly involves creating a vision and making the followers committed to this vision.

This is not to say that there were aspects of his reign that were tyrannical, but he was overall beneficial for France. Napoleon’s military career is what eventually led to his prominence. Napoleon began his military career above most of the other men his age. He rapidly made his way through the ranks eventually gaining a great support system. As the directory leaned more and more heavily upon the military, a coup d’état developed.

So retentive was his memory of numbers, that sums over which he had once glanced his eye were in his mind ever after (69).” If I lived in his empire I would at least respect Napoleon for his brilliance, his ability to memorize information, and his will to learn more. Although, Napoleon still had his flaws. He was still only human ... ... middle of paper ... ...gh his extremely successful Italian campaigns, his revolutionary changes in the French government and battles against the Third Coalition Napoleon gave France total domination over Western Europe. France then became a great nation because of Napoleon’s brilliance and achievements as a leader. Works Citied Blair, Victor.

He was a big supporter of the revolution and the Directory and served them well. According to the Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia of January, 2013: “Napoleon’s remarkable early success was in part a matter of good fortune and in part the product of an unconquerable will and energy that took the maximum advantage of every political and military opportunity” (Rollyson). He was a brigadier general for the revolution, but was imprisoned when Jacobins were taken out of power and Thermidorean was sent into it. He however was soon released. With many great victories in Egypt and a powerful marriage, he was a very known and liked man.

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's personality has always been an intriguing aspect of his life and career. It has been said that Napoleon displayed a variety of personality traits some even contradicting, but it is clear that certain traits were very effective in hoisting Napoleon to the heights he achieved. First and foremost, Napoleon's dangerous ambition is something that ultimately helped him seize power and make himself the unanimous Emperor. His ambition is reflected in his younger years where Napoleon became a second lieutenant in the royal artillery at the age of sixteen.

It is the historian's job to unravel these layers; these layers contain the truth behind both the man and history. Like any other man Napoleon Bonaparte had layers that are to this today complicated to know, but like no other man he was great in seizing the opportunity of a time and place that was vulnerable. Great men are born with a stroke of genius, and hold all the luck in the world at the palm of their hands, but great men know how to take advantage of the good and the turmoil. Bonaparte possessed qualities of a leader, but it was the events that took place in 17th century France that molded him into emperor. From the perspective of the French Bonaparte was a heroic emperor, but in the eyes of an enemy Bonaparte was tyrannical emperor.