Napoleon Bonaparte: A Societal Hero

A hero would emerge from the late 1700’s that will be willing to lead their country, unite them, and bring order to their society. That hero’s name is Napoleon Bonaparte. He created a well-known domestic system that improved the French society and is still used today. His experience in the battlefield and profound wisdom of tactics revolutionized military during his time and for years to come. He also led France to become a dominant nation in the world. Lastly from his many contributions, he created a sense of nationalism and identity nothing like the French had ever had before. All of these accomplishments not only improved France but the world as well.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born August 15, 1769 on his homeland Corsica. He was sent to France to go to school and at an early age of nine he started attending some of the most prestigious military schools throughout France. After the eruption of the French Revolution in 1789, he became a follower of the new government. There he swiftly rose through the ranks and directed the artillery at the siege of Toulon, a French city that rebelled against the revolutionary government after the Reign of Terror begins. Napoleon then successfully defeats the British ships at Toulon. Because of his performance at that victorious operation, at the early age of twenty-four, Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general and was in charge of the army of Italy in December 22, 1793.

However, in July 1794 Napoleon’s career experienced a setback when the radical revolutionary regime of Robespierre, with whom Napoleon had become associated with, fell. Robespierre is then killed in 1794 during the Thermidorian Reaction. This lead to Napoleon’s imprisonment for about a week and was released because of his perso...

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... to crumble. And on April 6, 1814 he was forced from his throne. He was exiled to an island called Elba. In about a year, he was able to gather about 1,000 soldiers and marched to Paris and regained his power. He ruled for a short time, and then he surrendered to the English. He was exiled to an island called St. Helena in the south Atlantic. There is stayed until he died on May 5, 1821. He allegedly died of cancer but there are speculation that he might have been poisoned.

He is considered as one of the greatest military and political genius in the history of mankind. His talent led him through extremely successful Italian campaigns, major battles against the Third Coalition and helped him rule politically to keep the expansion of the revolution. From his military conquests and political changes, he made France a great nation and became a hero to the French people.