...Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power consisted of many mistakes, wrong turns, and pitfalls, yet he managed to become head of the most powerful country in Europe at the age of thirty. During his formative years, his character was ambiguous and his intensions were often ill defined. He was, however, highly ambitious, and it was this that advanced his career and social status (Asprey). His most important and consistent aim was to create a French Empire and establish French dominance over Europe, which he was able to accomplish (Grab). However, as Napoleon became more powerful, his opposition grew stronger. It was evident that he was destined to be deposed by political responsibility and personal betrayal. Unfortunately, his threatening obsessions and potential for violence later led to his fall (Leggiere). Napoleon Buonaparte was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, on August 15th 1769 (Asprey, 7). The Buonaparte’s were a wealthy family from the Corsican nobility, but were considered poor when compared to the great aristocracies of France. Not quite nobility, one would assume that Buonaparte’s chance to rise was somewhat slim. But Napoleon was ambitious to become a well-known leader, and therefore strived to do so. He spent his early years in a military school in France but was considered an outsider because many of the other students came from very wealthy French families (13). Napoleon was driven by his father’s death in 1785. He graduated as second lieutenant in the artillery after attending...
Words: 1881 - Pages: 8
...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...
Words: 1719 - Pages: 7
...World history II College 1 November 2012 NAPOLEON RISE AND FALL Napoleon did help to promote and spread the ideal of the French revolution. During much of the middle and late period of the French Revolution (1796-1799), the young General Bonaparte had been winning battles and gaining great popularity among the French people. This was largely due to his image as a savior of the Revolution, an image which remains today. In 1799, he participated in a coup d'état which established a three person consulate with him as first consul. Under the newly established system of government, most of the power rested with Napoleon. On December 2, 1804, First Consul Bonaparte became Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, and his control over the government became virtually complete. The state of French education was not all that it could have been when Napoleon began to rule. This fact was made abundantly clear by the results of a survey of all prefects in the nation conducted in March of 1801, under the direction of Minister for Home Affairs Chaptal. Numerous complaints were heard regarding the lack of schools in many areas, lack of professionalism among teachers, lack of discipline and attendance by the students and, in a few areas, the lack of religious education (Markham). These schools had provided most of the education available to girls, a fact that conveniently reflected Napoleon's attitudes toward female education ( my own knowledge). Napoleon felt that education was important for girls...
Words: 907 - Pages: 4
...Napoleon Rocks! These are my top five picks for why Napoleon rocks! The Original Spin Doctor and brilliant PR man – through creation of his own Bulletins, articles for the official press, campaign newspapers, medallions, and selected patronage of the arts, Napoleon was the first modern man to create and publicize the image he wanted portrayed. The effects of this calculated positive public image on events from 1796 onwards cannot be underestimated in contributing to his political and military success. Ended the French Revolution – after 10 years of civil strife, constant violence, topsy-turvy governments, revolution, counter revolution, counter-counter-revolution, economic instability and general uncertainty, the French people just wanted someone to bring stability to their nation on all these fronts. After the Coup d’Etat of 18 Brumaire, they finally had it. Napoleon Bonaparte. Significant Civil reforms – in the span of just a few short years he accomplished what some nations take decades (or in some case centuries) to achieve. Complete re-write of the legal code (Code Napoleon), created the Banque de France to restore financial stability, reformed the education system, instituted an extensive program of public works (building roads, bridges and canals, dredging harbours; and beautifying cities, especially Paris), centralized the governmental systems which is still in effect today in France, settled the dispute with the Catholic Church (Concordat)…the list goes on. Meritocracy...
Words: 368 - Pages: 2
...late 1790’s with the ascension of Napoleon Bonaparte. This period in European history is one of the most bold and iconic periods in the west and through it came many things of significant historic value. During this period, French citizens radically changed and redesigned their country’s political landscape, a system of century old institutions such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system. This revolution first grabbed the attention of the world due to what it promised as its outcome, human rights and broad-based political participation. Its most famous slogan pledged “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” for all. (595) Like in the American Revolution, the French Revolution was brought on by the ideas of enlightenment, in specific, the ideas of popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. The movement played a pivotal role in shaping modern nations. Although it failed to achieve all of its goals and at times degenerated into violent bloodbaths, the French Revolution did however show the world something, the power inherent in the will of the people. The beginnings of the French Revolution can be looked at as starting shortly after the American Revolution due to the French’s involvement. The French’s involvement in the American Revolution was a costly one, and piled along with the frivolous spending of King Louis XVI, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy. While food was running low, disease and bread prices were continuing to rise with no stop in sight. Peasants...
Words: 1447 - Pages: 6
...Antonette, and Napoleon Bonaparte are all important historical leaders of France. They are remembered for influential decisions they made. These men and women are popular to the french people, and played a significant role into shaping France into the country it is today. Jeanne d'Arc was a warrior and Military leader. She lived from 1412 to 1431. She was nicknamed “The Maid of Orleans” Joan was born in Domremy, France. She is remembered as a brave martyr in france today. She led a division of the French army to victory over the British during the Hundred Year War when she was only 18. At the time of Joan, France was in a...
Words: 1675 - Pages: 7
...Chapter 1 The French Revolution French Society during the Late Eighteenth Century 1774: Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France. Under Louis XVI, France helped America in gaining their independence from Britain. France was experiencing financial instability due to the long years of wars fought by her and the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the palace of Versailles. Taxes were increased for meeting the expenses of maintaining an army, the court and running government offices or universities. The French Society was divided into three estates– First Estate: Clergy Second Estate: Nobility Third Estate: Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, landless labourers and servants. The first two estates enjoyed certain privileges by birth which also excluded them from paying any taxes to the French government. The members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the State that included a direct tax called taille and a number of indirect taxes levied on the articles of daily consumption. Peasants served in the fields and houses of the privileged classes and they also built the roads and served in the army. The Church collected taxes known as tithes from the peasants. The price of the food grains increased with an increase in the demand for the same. Fixed-waged workers could not afford the expensive food grains. Hence, the gap between the poor and the rich widened. A growing Middle Class 18th...
Words: 1520 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 1791 - Pages: 8
...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...
Words: 1539 - Pages: 7
...The Rise and Fall of The French Revolution By Rhiannon Collins When starting this paper the question that was kept in mind was the French Revolution worth the price that was paid and was the revolution a success. My first answer was no due to the amount of violence and the amount of lives lost, also due to the fact that the monarchy in some sense, had been reestablished through Napoleon. Though there was tens of thousands of lives lost the French Revolution played an important role in history. Jeff Goodwin, a professor of sociology at New York University, defines revolution as," any and all instances in which a state or political regime is overthrown and thereby transformed by a popular movement in an irregular extra constitutional and/or violent fashion". The sheer violence of the revolution was something that stood out to me. The French Revolutionary war was certainly violent, especially compared to our own American Revolution in 1775. It is quite possible that the French were encouraged by the American Revolution. They saw the colonies join together in revolt against an overseas king, so why could they not revolt in their own country, against their own monarch for their own rights. In the time leading up to the French Revolution, France was wealthy and extremely powerful. Through my perspective there were a few causes of the historic event of the French Revolution. Let us take a look at some of them. One causes I believe is the rise of the cost of food prior to the...
Words: 1711 - Pages: 7
...Revolutions 159 Revolutions 1688-1815 Chapter 15 W Louis XIV’s bedroom in Versailles. Each day officially began with a ceremony of getting him out of bed, his “rising,” and ended with a similar retiring ceremony at night. The small fence was to keep the onlookers at a safe distance, somewhat like a fence at a zoo. hen William and Mary ascended to the British throne in 1688 it was hailed as “the Glorious Revolution” for no blood had been shed and the British had a nation with greater political freedom than 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...
Words: 5714 - Pages: 23
...The French Revolution (French: Révolution française; 1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a fundamental impact on French history and on modern history more broadly. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed within three years. French society underwent an epic transformation, as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside.[1] Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy regarding monarchs, aristocrats, and the Catholic Church were abruptly overthrown by new principles of Liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity). The royal houses across Europe were horrified and led a countercrusade that by 1814 had restored the old monarchy, but many major reforms became permanent. So too did antagonisms between the supporters and enemies of the Revolution, who fought politically over the next two centuries. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetency of King Louis XVI and the continued indifference and decadence of the aristocracy. This resentment, coupled with burgeoning Enlightenment ideals, fueled radical sentiments, and the French Revolution began in 1789 with the convocation of the Estates-General in May. The first year of the Revolution saw members of the Third Estate proclaiming the Tennis Court Oath in June, the assault...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...1815-Napoleon’s empire ended, and nationalism began its rise. Rising nationalism would eventually be a leading cause of World War I. 11. In the 17th century, witchcraft hysteria took hold in England, Scotland, Switzerland, Germany, New England, and various other countries. Many people, mainly old women, were accused of witchcraft with no evidence. In the 1950s, many American people were accused of being communist sympathizers with no evidence. These events mirrored the witchcraft hysteria. 12. In 1648, the Thirty Year’s War ended. The Peace of Westphalia was created, allowing all German states to determine their own religion. 13. In 1699, the Treaty of Karlowitz was created. Austria took control of Hungary, Transylvania, Croatia, and Slovenia. The empire never became centralized due to all of the national...
Words: 3274 - Pages: 14
...28-32 Atlantic revolutions (American, French, Haitian, Latin America) Rise of nationalism Industrialization Global transitions: the americas, the ottoman empire, Romanov Russia, Qin China, Japan. Global empires. Atlantic Revolutions: In the early modern period (1450-1750. Period of early European exploration and contact. It caused the establishment of european commercial empires. Primary tributary, it focused on trade, and some settler comics. This caused there to be “nation-states”, in tern proto-industrialization in europe (innovation) Europe started into three major processes: Revolution, (and nationalism) Industrialization Imperialism Lastly the Rise of the “nation-state” Age of Enlightenment (1650-1780’s) There were plenty of forward thinkers. Each was moving toward science as the new way of thinking. They used the application of universal laws of the natural world to social world. They valued ration over revelation. The government was as a contract. The ideas of Freedom, equality and sovereignty were held as the highest. The belief was to move forward in progress. French Revolution (1789-1799) The aim was to abolish the monarchy that was in france, it ultimately failed. It was far more radical than the American, but still failed. Mostly because they had no idea how to run a government. Whereas the Americans had some knowledge about their own rule. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) Declared himself emperor and attempted to bring political stability...
Words: 3255 - Pages: 14
...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 the 18th century as a starting point in the rise of major European powers in the face of waning non-Western empires, which led to the consequent politicization of the region as a whole, raising the stakes in the division and distribution of resources, areas of influence and geostrategic waterways. During the 18th century, Europe has seen the rise of despotic monarchies in some of the European...
Words: 24910 - Pages: 100
