...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 to the French government, who in return gave him benefits such as...
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...The War of 1812 In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world: Great Britain. The War of 1812 played a very important role in the molding of America as a nation, consisting of many battles, courageous leaders, and victory. The War of 1812 had an immense impact on the young nation’s future and was celebrated in the United States as “the second war of independence”. (“War of 1812” 1) The starting of this war had multiple causes. One of the causes of the war was that the Royal Navy outraged Americans by its practice of impressment, or removing seamen from U.S. merchant vessels and forcing them to serve on behalf of the British. Form 1803 to 1812, the British impressed some 6,000 American sailors. (“War of 1812 Timeline” 1) Another big cause of the war was that the British and the French were interfering with America’s trade system. Britain and France were both in conflict with each other and in an attempt to cut off supplies from reaching the enemy, both sides attempted to block the United States from trading with the other. From 1803 to 1807, the British seized 528 U.S. flag ships and France seized 206. One other cause was that Britain was encouraging Native Americans who were residing in America to revolt and turn hostile toward Americans. There were many incidents building up that fueled to the start of the War of 1812. First, there was the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair on June 22, 1807. This was the event in which the U.S...
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...Set during the French Russian war of 1812, Denise Cory Blake's, Guy De Tournet: Child of Revolution Son of France accompanies readers back in time, with a tale of war, adventure, drama and romance that follows the life and adventures of its titular character, a gallant, handsome Frenchman and Captain of Calvary in Napoleon's military. An intriguing character to follow, Guy De Tournet, serves as a dedicated soldier in Napoleon's Grand Armée as Captain of Calvary. Life was not easy for him or the other soldiers, serving during the invasion of Russia, they faced tremendously demoralizing hardships while serving a strict commander. In fact, Guy had served in multiple war campaigns with Napoleon Bonaparte, but none was as difficult to endure as the current one. Their pursuit of the illusive Russians soldiers in their hostile and unfamiliar environment proved intensely hard to bear along with a scarcity of food, proper shelter, warm clothes and shoes....
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...Use Clausewitz’s “paradoxical trinity” to analyze a specific war from the H100 block. Which of the three magnets of Clausewitz’s paradoxical trinity is most important for understanding 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...
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...Changing views of the contribution of popular Spanish resistance to victory in the Peninsular War. The guerrillas have been viewed in a variety of different ways in the historiographical record of the Peninsular War. Until relatively recently, according to Tone, “historians have paid them scant attention” putting the focus on, according to Esdaile “great men, great armies and great battles”. This essay will explore some aspects of the guerrillas that have been the subject of debate in the historiography, focussing first on exploring who the guerrillas were and what their impact was on the war. Tone, in a study of the English language historiography and that of France and Spain identified that there was a difference in the way each treated the guerrillas. He summarised that while the British ignored the guerrillas’ role, the French overplayed the role of the church and the Spanish tended to portray the popular resistance as comprising the whole of the population. It could be argued that this reduction of three historiographic traditions to just three simple ideas is an oversimplification, but there is some justification for at least one of these ideas. To illustrate, and explain the British view, Tone cites Napier’s 1882 history of the Peninsular War as discussing the guerrillas, or partidas (the name given to guerrilla bands by the Spanish themselves) in less than glowing language. Reading the rest of the Napier, it is true that there are very few mentions of the guerrillas...
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...Many would argue that, the statement ‘generals win battles, logistics win wars’, is true to some extent. Throughout the Napoleonic era, Napoleon had won countless of battles that were against set the odds. To win a battle, it is prominently down to the leaders, and Napoleon is identified as being a very good leader, with his charisma, ruthlessness as well as his ability to motivate his men. Napoleon had used Guibertian warfare to his advantage, Austerlitz is one of the most significant battle for Napoleon, as it highlights him as a great leader. Although Napoleon was never innovative, he was great at implementing them, at the Battle of Austerlitz, the French were heavily outnumbered and were at a major disadvantage seeing as the Russians were on the high ground. However, despite this the French army had trust in Napoleon, and believed that he would find a way to defeat the Russians. The French skillfully tricked the Russians to abandon their high ground, and when they did they had seized the opportunity and attacked from the rear, and the point of contact was led by Davout, who had been following Napoleons plan. Leadership plays a prominent role in motivating men, even when the chances of victory seem unlikely. Napoleon maintained this position within his army, and inspired his soldiers to not see defeat as an option. This had help in many of their battles, having the morale high had maintained their goal and had won several battles against the odds. However, although Napoleon...
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...Assess the 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...
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...shows how much of the world's lands and seas were known to Europeans by the A.D. 1300's. Areas that Europeans knew about included northern Africa, far northeastern North America, much of Asia, the Mediterranean Sea, and parts of the North Atlantic and Indian oceans. The 16th century brought the Reformation, when many Christians rejected the authority of the pope and the Protestant movement was begun. The 17th and 18th centuries formed a period of savage wars by which the various European monarchs sought to increase their territories. England became a limited monarchy and aspirations for political freedom appeared in other parts of Europe. Low Countries in the 16th century. The Low Countries, including most of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, came under Spanish rule in the 1500's. The north won independence in 1648. The Industrial Revolution, a term applied to the results of the factory system for producing goods with machinery, began in England in the 18th century. This economic change played a major role in shaping the development of modern Europe. It brought with it a new economic system—capitalism. The Industrial Revolution...
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...Academy was nearly abandoned. At this low point, the school had only 14 full-time staff members. Upon becoming Tsar, Alexander was determined to reform the suffering education system. He knew that advances in the areas of math & science would help to improve the strength of the military as well as make an impact on the economy of his nation. Just in the first three years after inheriting the throne, Alexander reopened the Dorpat University and opened 3 new universities, including Vilna in 1802, Kazan in 1804, and Karkov in 1804. With the opening of these new institutions, he still faced one major challenge: Who was going to teach the students all this math and science? As hesitant as Russia was, foreign instructors were hired to fill this role. The issue with this was that these foreigners didn’t speak Russian! This hurdle was ultimately overcome and in fact, these outsiders were able to reopen communication with the West so students received the education they needed and deserved. Unfortunately, this productive balance was short lived. During...
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...APUSH Study Guide 8 A weak Confederacy and the Constitution, 1776-1790 Themes/Constructs: The federal Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican...
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...Course: European Political History Required Sources: A History of Modern Europe 1789-1981, 7th Edition, H.L. Peacock (available at GAU library) The Pneguin History of the World, 3rd Edition, by J.M. Roberts (available at GAU library) Recommended Sources: Donald Kagan et al: A Political History of Europe, since 1814 by Charles Seignobos, S. M. Macvane, The Western Heritage, Brief Edition, 2003 Websites: The course focuses on European history from the early 17th century to the end of the Second World War. The following aspects of political history of five selected countries - France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain- are covered : early kingdoms, unification, nationalism movements, political philosophies, conferences, alliance systems and conflicts which had an impact on Europe during the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries.Topics such as the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, the Concert of Europe, and the two world wars will also be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on the relationship between the rise of liberalism and nationalism, the industrial revolution, and the emergence of modern political systems in Europe. Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Political history of France : Chapter 2 Political history of Germany: Chapter 3 Political history of Great Britain: Chapter 4 Political history of Italy: Chapter 5 Political history of Spain: Introduction In studying political history of European states, we put a focus on the beginning of...
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...the woman question emerged as a prevalent topic for debate. It questioned women’s gender roles within society. The increase in women’s agency within the public sphere during the eighteenth century, brought on by Peter the Great’s reforms, changes in property laws, salon culture, and charity, engendered the woman question in the nineteenth century and influenced responses to it. Four responses to the woman question emerged: the feminist response, the nihilist response, the radical response, and the reactionary right response. Each of these responses reacted to or built upon preceding responses, each broadening the scope of the next. The feminists drew on eighteenth-century charity to shape its response that women’s...
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...any other in Europe. Their ascent to the throne was quickly followed by a Declaration of Rights which guaranteed things like trial by jury and parliamentary representation to all British citizens. John Locke, the 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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...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 peasants were horrible and needed to be changed. They were working to feed their families and the landlords. The landlords were taking all of their harvest and leaving them with nothing. The French government was not paying taxes and the lower class was paying twice as much to cover the royal community. They worked like slaves to barely get by and children were abused and be used to do more...
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...The History of the American Bottom Two of the nations largest rivers meet in the American Bottom. The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers served as channels of change to the area, bringing outside influences of many different peoples to an Indian-inhabited land. Like the constant flow of the rivers, there was a constant change in the American Bottom. The progress eventually developed the area into a center of economic activity and gateway to the west, but also excluded native and long-time residents. The Illinois Indians long dominated the American Bottom. They were a unique and special tribe, who were complex politically, religiously, and socially. They were also an independent people until French colonizers came to settle in the area. The French Creoles became the dominant population in the region, effecting trade and implementing French Creole culture in the region. The French would not be the last group trying to develop and profit from the American Bottom. When the United States gained control of the territory, it changed even further and eventually Americanized into an U.S. State. The importance of the region increased as the U.S. continued to grow westward. The American Bottoms location between the two great rivers made it the ideal location for a center of economic growth. Prior to the contact period, or the time when the Illinois first came into contact with Europeans, the Illinois were a great and influential tribe. They were a very interesting tribe who had a culture...
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