How Did Napoleon Bonaparte Influence The French Revolution

Introduction
Arguably, one of the most recognizable names in history is Napoleon Bonaparte. He led France to become one of the most powerful and dangerous nations in Europe during the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. The French Revolution will inspire revolutions for centuries. The French Revolution is important because “By this time the French Revolution had inspired in the Spanish government a healthy fear of the results of radical thought, and steep measures were taken to seal off Spain from the contagion of revolutionary ideas.” King Charles IV and the Spanish government are worried about revolution because their government is similar to that of when the French citizens revolted. Napoleon realizes that the Spanish
It began as a plan to weaken the British. Napoleon wrote to his brother Joseph in November 1800 that, “The greatest damage we could inflict upon English Commerce would be to seize upon Portugal.” Napoleon was only originally neutralizing Portugal because they are the closest allies to the British. Napoleon is aware that the Portuguese are a vital trading partner and ally of the British. He writes to his ally, King Charles IV of Spain saying, “Above all Portugal must be wrested from the influence of England.” Napoleon is aware that without Portugal, the British will be hit very hard economically. He started the invasion of Portugal by crossing through Spain on October 18, 1807. The invasion is very successful and does not last much longer than a month. Napoleon then launched an invasion against Spain because they overthrew their leaders. He put Joseph on the throne to try and stabilize the country in his
There is a great article by Don W. Alexander called, “French Replacement Methods during the Peninsular War, 1808-1814”, that describes what it was like for the French to combat the problems caused by guerrillas. Alexander explains that conducting logistics was difficult in the Iberian Peninsula by saying, “For the first time Napoleon was locked in a vicious battle of attrition… Spain was already a quartermaster officer's nightmare - guerilla opposition exacerbated the horrendous supply problems imposed by the desolate conditions in the peninsula.” Napoleon was in a situation that he was not accustomed to. He was used to steamrolling his enemies, but now he had to face this highly motivated force that would not stop harassing his army. The mountainous terrain of Spain made it difficult to transport supplies, which also made it easier for the Spanish guerrillas to harass the