The heroism of Marquis de Lafayette evokes near-universal praise as a selfless lionheart, and champion of freedom. From a volunteer commissioned as a Major General in the continental army, to a freedom fighter in revolutionary France, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette’s leadership is admired by patriots in both nations, and historians around the world. His heroism, however, is not just as a result of his wartime triumphs. Indeed, intellectuals praise the man for not just being a warrior, but a humanitarian, a philosopher, and a revolutionary.
Born on September 6th, 1757 to house La Fayette, an affluent family of great heritage. His late ancestor, Gilbert Motier de La Fayette, was the Marshal of France during the Hundred Year’s War, and
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The Battle of Barren Hill was not much of a battle, but more of a tactical retreat from a much larger British force. Lafayette wisely escaped with only three casualties. During the Battle on Monmouth, Lafayette served again under General Greene. Though the result of the battle was indecisive, Lafayette’s implementation of strict military discipline (with the help of Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben) in his men proved effective. In addition, he proved to be a loyal subordinate of General Washington, by informing him of American General Charles Lee’s treachery. This information allowed Washington to bring his troops into battle soon enough to foil British General Cornwallis’s attempt to crush the American force. The British troops withdrew the following night. Lafayette’s heroism was on display yet …show more content…
An angry mob of commoners, lead by lawyer Camille Desmoulins attacked Paris, and famously stormed the Bastille on July 14th. On July 15th, Lafayette was named commander-in-cheif of the French National Guard, and armed force under the control of the Assembly, and attempted to maintain control of the situation. His new position garnered him new political enemies, as both the commoners and the loyalists considered him opposition. As his position left him increasingly vulnerable, he began to lose substantial political power. extremists labeled him a loyalist. Upon entering Champs de Mars on July 17th, 1791, his men opened fire on the crowd (Hickman 13). This event, known as the Champs de Mars massacre, lead to his resignation. Though he prepared a sizable fighting force in Auvergne to fight the Austrians in April of 1792, it became increasingly clear then many of his men where part of the radical extremist groups taking hold in France at that time. In June, he delivered a rousing and highly controversial speech to the National assembly against the radicals, prompting his political enemies to declare him a traitor. In august of the same year, after the abolition of the monarchy, the new minister of justice put out a warrant for his arrest. He fled in 1792, but was soon captured and imprisoned by the Austrians and the Prussians. While he contacted American delegation to ensure his release as a United
In The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming was drawn to enlist by his boyhood dreams. His highly romanticized notion of war was eclectic, borrowing from various classical and medieval sources. Nevertheless, his exalted, almost deified, conception of the life of a soldier at rest and in combat began to deflate before the even the ink had dried on his enlistment signature. Soon the army ceased to possess any personal characteristics Henry had once envisioned, becoming an unthinking, dispas...
“The war correspondent is responsible for most of the ideas of battle which the public possesses … I can’t write that it occurred if I know that it did not, even if by painting it that way I can rouse the blood and make the pulse beat faster – and undoubtedly these men here deserve that people’s pulses shall beat for them. But War Correspondents have so habitually exaggerated the heroism of battles that people don’t realise that real actions are heroic.”
The argument over Arnold’s place in American history has carried into this century. All the Americans relate George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson as their heroes, but there is a debate whether Benedict Arnold was a victim or a traitor. Arnold was a general during the American Revolutinary War, and he fought for the Continental Army. His name became synonymous with the word traitor. Benedict Arnold was a Revolutionary Hero that had a huge effect on succeeding in the war. He had motivated a lot of soldiers during the war with his victorious discourses, and battles. Determination could be one of the most important reasons why the Patriots won the war, and had a chance to create their own country. These days, kids are in school are familiar with Benedict Arnold as a hero, but the Congress at that time did not deliberate him as a hero. In fact, the facts are proving that Arnold looked like a traitor, but he was actually a victim of circumstances because he was not respected as much as the other generals, he had fought for the Continental Army, and lastly he had never thought of betraying to his country.
During the War for American Independence, 78 men were commissioned as general officers into the Continental Army by the Continental Congress. Many of these generals commanded troops with differing levels of competence and success. George Washington is typically seen as most important general, however throughout the war a number of his subordinates were able to distinguish themselves amongst their peers. One such general was Nathanael Greene. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Greene would become Washington’s most important subordinate, as demonstrated by Edward Lengel’s assessment of Greene as “the youngest and most capable of Washington’s generals.” Washington and Greene developed a strong, positive and close relationship between themselves. Greene began his life in the military after having been raised a Quaker. With limited access to literature and knowledge in his younger years, Greene became an avid reader which equipped him with the knowledge necessary to excel as a general during the war. Through his devoted study of military operations, firsthand experience and natural abilities as a soldier, Greene became an excellent military commander. He would become known for his successful southern campaign, during which, he loosened British control of the South and helped lead the war to its climax at Yorktown. Throughout the war, he was involved in a number high profile battles where he built a reputation of being an elite strategist who also understood unconventional warfare, logistics, and the importance of military-civil affairs and had a natural political/social acumen. The thesis of this paper is that Greene’s proven reputation of being a soldier, strategist and statesman would cause him to become the second greates...
Mahoney, Harry Thayer, and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. Gallantry in action: a biographic dictionary of espionage in the American Revolutionary War. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1999.
Trudeau, Noah Andre. Gettysburg A Testing of Courage. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2002. Page 268.
Jacques Louis David began his career as a patriot championing the start of a new Revolution and urging others to devote their lives unto death for their cause. His own friend gave his life for the Revolution and David memorialized him on canvas. However when the time came for David to commit his own life for the cause he desired peace. David when released from prison wished he never had left his studio. Because of David we have visualize and sympathize with the French Revolution from the viewpoint of patriots, martyrs, and conciliators.
"Christophe, Henri (1767-1820)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale World History In Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.
The Marquis de Lafayette is best remembered for the part he played in the American War of Independence. He contributed in helping the Americans gain free control over the colonies by breaking away from British home rule. For sixty years he fought with consistency and insight for political ideals and social reforms that have dominated the history of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hence, Lafayette can be attributed to the spreading of liberty and freedom throughout America and France. Therefore, he is viewed as a symbol of liberalism in a once absolutist world.
Since the beginning of history there has always been conflict and disagreement, which led to battle and confrontation. Ever since these hostilities have emerged, the problems that spark the conflicts and the battle itself have been illustrated in textbooks and plastered all over the internet, yet no one really takes the time to think of the many soldiers and people who risk their lives for our safety and freedom. To gain a tighter grasp on history and what these veterans have done for us, we interviewed army veteran, Christian Werthmuller, who participated in Black Operations, Operation Desert Storm, and the Iraq War.
Foner, Eric. "Chapter 9." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. N. pag. Print.
Lafayette would continue his work in government holding firm his belief in a represented form of government for his country. His last appointment was to the French National Guard, which he held until till his death of pneumonia on May 20, 1834.
Joseph J. Ellis’s main points throughout the book is not only to describe the historical perspective and success of the founding fathers but also the personal emotions, joys, regrets, familiar tragedies and ultimately the final judgments they make about each other and the Revolution. “I wanted to write a modest-sized account in American history without tripping over the dead bodies of my many scholarly predecessors, hoped to render human and accessible that generation of political leaders customarily deified and capitalized as Founding Fathers”(ix).
Enlightened despotism is when there is an absolute ruler, in some cases a tyrant, who follows the principles of the Enlightenment through reforms. Permitting religious toleration, allowing freedom of the press and speech, and expanding education are a few main guidelines to being and enlightened despot. Napoleon I is often referred to as one of the greatest enlightened despots. Although, he did not follow the ideas of the enlightenment entirely, he managed his country in a way that he maintained complete authority as well as many of the gains of the French Revolution. Yes, Napoleon did want to do a few things for himself, but he also ruled for the majority in most cases, promote government-funded education, and supported many other enlightened ideas. But, most importantly, Napoleon did what he thought would make his country stronger.