...The Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte The great French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte had initially capitalized on the changes of the French Revolution to improve the lives of French citizens. But over time, Napoleon's lust for power overcame his good economic, political and military accomplishments, and his transformation into a selfish dictator led to his fall. Napoleon was born on 15th August 1769 at Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, he was the second son (having 7 siblings) of a lawyer who had minor connections to the aristocracy and was far from wealthy (Dugdale). His family was radical in outlook and as a young man he strongly identified with his Corsican heritage. Thanks in part to his mother’s adultery with the French military governor Comte de Marbeuf he began his military education at Brienne military academy and later in 1784 at the Military school in Paris, and he worked hard to complete his studies in a further year rather than the required three years (Dugdale). This was the natural choice of service for the young Bonaparte as he was gifted at science and mathematics, which were essential skills for any artillery officer of the time (Dugdale). The young Napoleon spent much of the next 8 years in Corsica supporting the Corsican rebel Pasquale Paulo who had been a patron of Napoleon's father. When the revolution broke out the Bonaparte family fled to France and Napoleon became opposed to Pasquale. He would quite likely have...
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...To what extent was Napoleon’s rise to power aided by the failings of the Directory?! ! Introduction! ! Crook comments that Napoleon’s rise to power had “acquired an aura of inevitability”1, and such inevitability was aided by the fall of the French monarchy, the failings of the Directory, and more importantly, Napoleon’s personal ability and appeal to employ such opportunity. This essay will argue that his rise to power was indeed very much aided by the failings of the Directory, but it was Napoleon who recognized such failures and used these to his advantage that ensured his rise. It will begin with a short background of the origins and result of the French Revolution. It will then summarize the failings of the Directory and how Napoleon used such failings to rise to power. ! ! The French Revolution! ! To evaluate the Directory’s impact on Napoleon’s rise to power it is essential to examine France in the late 18th century, a time of uprisings and turmoils. There was a general public discontent in the French monarch, Louis XVI, due to his inability to find a solution of the impoverished France. France was in such a state because it spent a large sum on warfare, namely the funding of the American War of Independence. This Pyrrhic victory almost bankrupted France. While the King taxed the poor, the royal family and the nobles still lived in luxurious lifestyles. After a series of events, the King was overthrown. ! ! Napoleon Under the Directory! ! After the overthrown...
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...My question is based on the Napoleon time period: How did Napoleon’s rise to power affect France post-French Rebellion? In order to accurately answer this question, the research has to be done. Not only on Napoleon, but also the Coalition caused by him and what was won by them. Napoleon was a general for the French army during the french Revolution increasing in military ranking every time he had won a battle that would benefit France. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island Corsica of France, but rejected them and fought for the winning side, which was France. He used his power to create new rules and legislature for France, but also wanted to take over all of Europe. Analyzed Sources: Merriman, John. "Hist-202: European Civilization, 1648-1945." Open Yale Courses....
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...impact of Napoleon on Europe The Napoleonic Empire came into existence following the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France at Notre Dame in 1804. The frontiers of the ancien regime had been expanded up to and beyond France’s natural borders, with the momentum of expansion following in direct correlation with the pace of France’s military conquests under the leadership of Bonaparte himself. The ‘Great Empire’ is often referred to as a single entity embracing French controlled Europe, but territories were in fact separated depending on the levels of French control. Territory ruled directly from Paris was known as the pays reunis which compromised of France’s natural frontiers (borders of the Rhine, Alps and Pyrenees) as well as annexed territories of Piedmont, Parma, Papal States and Holland after 1810. It was also divided into the pays conquis, which were nominally independent satellite states and formed a zone protecting the borders of the French Empire from attacks from countries such as Britain. These were ruled by Frenchmen who were usually close to Napoleon as a family member or as a close friend, such as Jerome Bonaparte who was King of Westphalia and Joachim Murat who was King of Naples. When discussing impact, the effects of Napoleon and his policies on factors such as economies, religion and nationalism in satellite states that composed the Napoleonic Empire will be taken into account, whether positive or negative on the states. Napoleon changed...
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...Background: Napoleon Bonaparte was the fourth born among his eight siblings, born from a noble family. His father was Carlo Bonaparte, who was a gentleman of Ajaccio, Corsica, whose family of Tuscan origin had settled there and later on married him to Laetitia Ramolino who was a young girl of the island. His father had inherited a lawsuit which focused on the task of recovering an estate which the French church had taken possession of. His mother, Madame Bonaparte, played a significant role in the shaping and upbringing of Napoleon as she was a firm and determined lady who was extremely thorough when it came to matters of order and economy amongst her family. (Markham, 1966) “I was born,” said Napoleon, “when my country was perishing. Thirty thousand Frenchmen were vomited upon our soil. Cries of the wounded, sighs of the oppressed, and tears of despair surrounded my cradle at birth.” During the time of his birth, the Corsicans who were led by the Patriot Paoli led a revolt against the French, who at that time were the masters of the island. Napoleons father was part of the revolt and played a significant role by sharing his fortunes of his chief to the end of the struggle of 1769. They were defeated and they, including Napoleons Family fled to the mountains. As time passed by, the Corsicans submitted and the Bonaparte’s went back to Ajaccio where Napoleon was born. (Markham, 1966) In order for his father to gain support from the French government, he humbled himself...
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... | | | | | | | | |The Campaigns of Napoleon | | |During his long career Napoleon Bonaparte conquered most of Europe and became such a feared soldier that his opponents in Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia had| | |him declared 'an enemy of humanity'. This section on his military campaigns covers the important details and battles of the wars that led to Napoleon Bonaparte | | |becoming the greatest leader of armies in history. | | |First Coalition | | |1792 to 1797...
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...Napoleon Bonaparte: the best of leaders; the worst of leaders 1 comment Posted in Leaders from History | 1 comment I must confess that I have a bit of thing about Napoleon. A quick check on Amazon will show you (reassuringly, perhaps, for me) that I am not alone. There are a lot of books about Napoleon. If you are a student of leadership, then you come up against Napoleon like a student of modern art comes up against Picasso. There is simply no way around the man. But why? Firstly, Napoleon had a very large canvass to work on. The French revolution was a truly remarkable event. It began as an essentially liberal revolution, but was hijacked (as revolutions so often are) by homicidal fanatics: Robespierre and his fellow Jacobins. When Napoleon seized power in a nearly botched but nevertheless bloodless and generally welcomed coup, he became the leader of a nation that was beset on all sides by the old monarchies of Europe, desperate to snuff out this terrifying, king-killing, unthinkable republic in its midst. The French people were equally desperate to retain their new and bitterly hard-won freedoms from the essentially feudal rule of the Bourbon kings and the Ancien Régime. A significant sector of society was also keen to keep its hands on the financial benefits that they had accrued by buying up, at a very good price, the lands and estates previously owned by the monarch, the aristocracy and the church. Napoleon found himself at the head of nation that was predisposed to welcome...
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...Introduction As indicated in the discussion of the French Revolution, there is a logical and long-range pattern that revolutions follow. Therefore, understanding the pattern of past revolutions can help us anticipate events in current revolutions, more specifically the final stages of the process now taking place in Russia and China. One word of caution, however: these are likely trends, not absolute certainties. Outside events (e.g., a major war) and other historical forces unique to Russia and China respectively, could divert events in a very different direction from what is indicated here. Still, this pattern generally holds up and should serve as a guide in how we deal with nations still undergoing this process. That being said, following is a comparison of the French Revolution, which after 82 years finally reached a stable democratic form of government by 1871, and the Russian Revolution, which after 92 years is presumably in its final stage of evolution toward democracy. Forces leading to revolution Both countries shared three elements that helped lead to war: 1) Both regimes were burdened by heavy debts incurred from wars. In France’s case, this was the debt incurred by its support of the American Revolution. For Russia, this was the even higher cost in lives and money suffered during the first three years of World War I....
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...Mississippi River especially at the vital seaport of New Orleans. This is further explained in an article, “Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase”, in which the website states that, “when France regained control of Louisiana, Napoleon, who had now risen to power in the French Revolution, threatened to block American access to the important port of New Orleans on the Mississippi River.” The economies of the colonies along the Mississippi River depended on trading their goods freely along this major transportation route and France occupying this region severely disrupted that. The disruption was so severe that Thomas Jefferson nearly allied with Britain to force the French to respect their trading route. This possible alliance was extremely desperate because tensions between the United States and Britain were still lingering from the Revolutionary...
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...University of Phoenix Material French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Worksheet 1. Essay Explain, in 1,050 to 1,400 words, how the following ideas and ideals influenced the events and motivated the participants in the French Revolution: Liberty Equality Brotherhood Hubris Fiscal irresponsibility Democracy Technology The French Revolution was a quest for liberty, and centered on people who wanted their freedom. They wanted to be treated as equal participants in the community, not as slaves for the royals or nobles. The peasants who represents more than 90% of France’s population, were working for their own families and everyone else as they paid much more in taxes. Brotherhood was the way of everyone coming together as one. Hubris is excessive pride in one’s self, people during the French Revolution did not want to admit they were wrong for what they were doing and that they did not want less entitlement then they had. Fiscal irresponsibility was brought on by the higher debts, and taxes were raised so the government could get out of the finical hole they were in. The democracy was a new construction of power where the politics were giving everyone the chance to be heard and to be equal. Technology at the beginning of the French Revolution was lacking, but as it continued throughout the years it became a resource at war. Liberty was the main goal for the French people, to be free from the poor work conditions they were in. The work environments for the...
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...CHAPTER 1 Italy in the early nineteenth century INTRODUCTION In September 1870, the troops of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy entered Rome. Italian unification, the bringing together different states of the Italian peninsula under one government, was complete. The Risorgimento, the reawakening of Italy, had reached its climax. However, the creation of the new Italian state was neither inevitable nor had it been planned. Although Italian unification had taken place, there was little enthusiasm for the new state among the Italian people. In 1861, an Italian politician named Massimo d’Azeglio remarked to Victor Emmanuel: ‘Sir, we have made Italy. Now we must make Italians.’ The story of what follows is of how Italy was made, but it is also a story of division and the failure to ‘make Italians’. THE STATES OF THE PENINSULA Towards the end of the eighteenth century the peninsula of Italy was home to a number of states. The Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont) From its capital city of Turin, the House of Savoy ruled this relatively poor part of Italy. Despite its poverty, successive rulers built up a strong army and governed with an effective civil service. The island of Sardinia was particularly backward and was sparsely populated. Until 1815, the important port of Genoa was part of the Republic of Genoa. It was politically separate from the Kingdom of Sardinia. Lombardy and Venetia In the 1790s, Lombardy was part of the Austrian Empire. Its capital, Milan, was the second largest city of that...
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...author and philosopher who supplied much of the intellectual foundation of the glorious resolution wrote in his Second Treatise on Government: “Man being born, as has been proved, with a title to perfect freedom, and an uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature, equally with any other man, or number of men in the world, hath by nature a power, not only to preserve his property, that is, his life, liberty and estate, against the injuries and attempts of other men…” Locke further contended that the role of government is to preserve these rights and that the power of government is a result of the individual citizens collectively agreeing to be ruled. In July of 1776 Thomas Jefferson would modify Locke’s treatment of natural rights into the following words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That 160 Chapter 15 to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the...
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...Washington Era Administration – 1789 John Adams – Vice President Precedents: 1. struggle for visiting hours with the Pres. – public meetings on Tuesday afternoon and Friday evening 2. Names – Mr. President 3. Access to Congress – dinners with the representatives – set up an alphabetical order system – see everyone on a fairly regular basis 4. advice and consent from the senate – Washington having an Indian problem – needed to sign a treaty – important – sets the precedents that Presidents will handle treaty negotions – 2/3 of the Senate has to approve Handle foreign policy/initiative Pushes for the need of a cabinet 1st Congress – lots of work. 1.Springtime meeting – ½ of all trade takes place at that time, concerned about losing revenue James Madison – drafted tariff and tonnage bills Tariff – import tax – Tonnage – licensing fee Generate revenue to kick start the economy 2. Bill of Rights Originally their were 12 – but gutted down to 10 2nd amendment right – right to bear arms AND maintain a well-regulated militia Reaction to Boston Massacre, Quartering Act, etc. All amendments reactions to the revolution Passed and ratified by 1791 3. Pay for the President and Congress 4. unilateral removal of individuals – the cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President 5. Establish a Cabinet 1st sec of state – Thomas Jefferson 1st sec of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton 5. Creation of the Judiciary - Judiciary Act of 1789 – 1. deemed...
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...that particular conflict? “The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle… It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.” Ecclesiates 9:11 is an often cited passage of the bible used to explain the unexplainable or as an excuse for failure. I will allow that circumstances will always arise (whether in war or everyday life) that could not be predicted; however, the relative reaction to those circumstances is what separates the truly great from the merely average. I will show in this paper that the ability to creatively control ‘chance’ is the single most important factor of Carl von Clausewitz’s paradoxical trinity in understanding the greatness of Napoleon Bonapart. He called this ability in a battlefield situation, ‘military genius’ and although Clausewitz believed in the equity of the three points in his trinity, I would posit that the ability to successfully apply military ingenuity and initiative to the probabilities and uncertainties of war is what was ultimately the deciding factor in the Napoleonic Wars. A closer look at the Battles at Austerlitz, Borodino and Waterloo will demonstrate the role of chance and the military genius in victory and defeat. It is necessary first to briefly explain Clausewitz’s trinity. There are many interpretations of the precepts described in On War, but the work and research of Christopher Bassford and Edward Villacres describe the trinity as violence...
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...Napoleon, after the French Revolution ends, takes power of the French state and becomes emperor of France. The people are fine with this because Napoleon is conquering many foreign lands across Europe and even many other parts of the world. He becomes too powerful in his quest for world domination, and the French and many other countries do not like the amount of power this one man has. Also, before this time Oliver Cromwell had deemed himself “consul for life” of England, and that also upset the people, and the others feel as if Napoleon is becoming like Cromwell maybe even worse. The people decided and feel that the absolute power of one man creates problems for everyone including the nobility and clergy. As a result, the Congress of Vienna is formed, consisting of many countries in Europe, they are created to make sure that in the future not one single monarch or country can control more than they should. Also, the people overthrew The Directory, because it was a strong dictatorship and failed at efforts to establish stable representative government....
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