Napoleon And The French Revolution

The French Revolution and Napoleonic years are very important to European history because they mark a time of great change and transformation, a time when Europe was in the thrall s of its rise to modernity. Two of the aspects of modernity brought to light during the French Revolution were the increasing importance of the middle class and the idea, though not necessarily the practice, of political liberty. However, some of strides made in France toward modern liberty were almost completely erased only a few years after the Revolution by Napoleon Bonaparte, who brought his own thoughts on modernity to Europe with the advent of nationalism and total warfare.

Napoleon Bonaparte’s attitude towards the French Revolution is one that has often raised questions. That the revolution had an influence on Bonaparte’s regime cannot be denied – but to what extent? When one looks at France after Napoleon’s reign it is clear that he had brought much longed for order and stability. He had also established institutions that embodied the main principles of the revolution. However, it is also evident that many of his policies directly contradict those same principles. Was Napoleon betraying the same revolution that gave him power, or was he merely a pragmatist, who recognised that

Napoleon was a very military oriented and organized leader, which positively impacted the people. He reshaped the boundaries of Europe, and continued to expand as much as he could. The people were very happy with him, because they desired a strong leader like this. They felt this way since he seemed to care about the

In the recent events of Napoleon’s new reforms during his rule, different opinions arise about the methodology and strategies used by Napoleon to achieve his goals in the reformation. During his rule, Napoleon governed with an unchallenged and unmatched authority, but he held a plebiscite for each step of his power. He rids France of nobility titles and makes status in society based on wealth, but reinstates slavery. For this reason, some people believe that the reforms achieved during his rule were more helpful to the average French citizen, while others believe that it was more harmful.

Before Napoleon came to power in France, the state of the Jewish people was uncertain. Some years they flourished as a community, but some years they fell victim to anti-Semitism and hatred. They were constantly moving from country to country as they were continually getting expelled from one and accepted to another in a very short time. Their fortunes changed for the better after the French revolution in 1789. In that year, the French national assembly passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The Jews were not specifically named in the declaration, but somehow were recognized. The Sephardi Jews got emancipation two months afterward the Declaration and Ashkenazi Jews, two years after that. These freedoms only happened after long debates between Monsieur Clermont-Tonnerre who represented the Jews and Monsieur De La Faire, who represented the French government, who did not want to give the Jews emancipation.

To many historians and society, Napoleon Bonaparte is hailed as a powerful and successful emperor due to the vast amount of  territories he conquered during his reign and the restoration of France’s economy. Despite these “successes”, Napoleon was actually inimical for France. He not only lost numerous battles that weakened France over time, but created numerous policies that made France less powerful than other nations and even betrayed the fundamental principles that the revolution was based on.

The French Revolution is perhaps one of the few “Revolutions” deserving of a word with a more intense connotation. By all means, the French Revolution completely transformed the country of France and Europe as a whole. And like all revolutions, politics can be found at the epicenter of the event. Thus, Napoleon Bonaparte’s leadership style had a notable impact on the Revolution, especially because he chose to support and undermine the Revolution in many ways simultaneously. The Napoleonic Code, educational reforms, and religious tolerance represent Napoleon’s efforts to support the Revolution.

The end of the 1700’s was a time of turmoil, fear, and uncertainty for the French citizens. The mass violence and killings during the revolution caused the people of France to question the government and what they were doing for the country. France needed a strong ruler to help stabilize the government against, and Napoleon did just that. When Napoleon seized power he was a very successful army general helping him gain popularity with the people. His allowability for citizens to rise in government according to their abilities helped him gain favor throughout the middle and lower classes. Napoleon also created the Napoleonic Code that reassured equality of males under the law and secured their wealth and property. This new code made the citizens

Judging what is good or bad is a different case for everyone. Views can differ depending on one’s class, religion, gender and many other factors. At the time of 1789, the French Revolution was started, and the fight for the third estate’s rights had begun. The war had spilled much bloodshed, and over one million people had died. Yet, in the midst of the battles, one Napoleon Bonaparte rose to aid the people. He came to their aid and started to grow in power. Eventually, he became the emperor of France. Nevertheless, Napoleon is one of the most controversial figures today, with many believing that he had saved the revolution, while others thought that he was a betrayer of it. The goals, however, of the French Revolution are told in these three

Napoleon Bonaparte is easily one of the most authoritative swayers in history.During his reign, he radically changed the landscape of Europe, as well as the politicalplaying field of the time. Born of the French Revolution, Napoleon was able to derivepower from his famous Coup d’état, in which he overthrew The Directory andestablished himself as the ruler of France, a rule which lasted from 1799 to 1814. Whileat first, Napoleon generally adhered to the philosophies of the French Revolution asmanifested in The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, as time progressed, hisabsolute power suffered from corruption at the expense of the French populace.It is thoroughly possible that Napoleon

“Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me” (Brainy Quote). Napoleon Bonaparte, a megalomaniac of a French leader, held many intellectual and tactful abilities within himself that helped him to be a “successful” leader. Bonaparte was a mastermind in strategic thinking since an early age, which helped him aim higher and increase his ego and ambition. Although he was considered a hero to the people of France because he accomplished incorporating Enlightenment principles and an educational system among other things, it doesn’t weigh out the carnage he assumed was crucial for the France’s liberty. To the world's eye, Bonaparte was a self-important despot who wanted power above others. Because Napoleon proclaimed himself France’s emperor, devised the Continental System (which turned to a failure), and invaded Russia which ended disasterously for France and his troops, it proved him to be the ambitious oppressor who put his own power above the security of the country.

Hailed as one of the greatest rulers, military commanders and conquerors in the history of mankind, Napoleon Bonaparte transformed a continent, and made himself a household name and a universally admired icon, even two centuries later. As a French political leader and military general, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered most of Europe in just 16 years. Later crowned Emperor, he transformed land use, education, banking, agriculture, and legal codes that are still used in France today. So how did Napoleon rise to such

Napoleon's reign is a continuation of the Revolution, and while he did create policies that goes against the laws that were made during the Revolution, he never betrayed the essence of the Revolution itself. One might wonder what the essence of the Revolution really is. In order to understand that, one must first know what caused the Revolution. What caused the Revolution was the frustration of the common folks about the extensive privileges of the First and Second Estate. The Third Estate were frustrated that they were the only one who had to pay all the taxes, the fact that the king is the king simply because his father was king, and the fact that they have no political power. Many policies about the death penalty and human rights have changed throughout the revolution, but the laws of the true spirit of the Revolution remained the same. The essence of the French Revolution is equality for all French men, that all men should have equal opportunity to succeed and attain their private properties. In the Declaration of the Rights of Men & Citizen stated that all men are born free and equal, and they all have their "natural rights", among which are liberty and property. Napoleon did just that. Napoleon united France, destroyed the old system of

After the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, France was deeply in debt. Due to unwanted taxation and suffering many years of bad harvest, the French Revolution erupted in 1789. By 1799, the government of France was on the verge of collapse. It was then that the brilliant, young French General Napoleon Bonaparte, having already won fame with a series of victories for revolutionary France in Italy, began hearing of the chaos France while busy fighting a fruitless war in Egypt. Napoleon decided to march his army back to France and he overthrew the French government in an army coup. After securing power, he replaced it with a new form of government, the Consulate. Napoleon self-declared himself as the first Consul.

Napoleon Bonaparte is remembered as a more significant ruler who redefined the history of not only France but also Europe, and the world at large. Interestingly, he went about realizing his objectives by both continuing and breaking from the aims of the revolutionary predecessors. His battleground was critical to determine his prowess by either supporting or opposing the path that had been laid before him. Napoleon made tremendous contributions towards changing the political structure of France through initiating wars that gravely impacted the then already established political order. Further, he made many accomplishments and defeats that significantly shaped the relationship between France and the rest of Europe.