Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emergence of an Icon.

Napoleon Bonaparte, The Emergence of An Icon.

Napoleon Bonaparte has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolises military genius and political power, an image which he himself cultivated during his reign through close control of the press and artistic communities. These contemporary representations, and the collective memory which has evolved through countless historical studies of Napoleon since, have contributed to this iconic status. Indeed some writers have gone much further in describing him not just as an icon in military and political terms, but rather as a symbol of humanity itself, ‘So many were his interests, so all-embracing was his genius, so massive were his defects that he can be said to represent on a gigantic scale almost all the qualities and foibles of the human race.’[1] The historic lenses through which ‘icons’ are viewed often belie the humble and unremarkable backgrounds from which they emerged and take as predetermined the key characteristics which later moulded their iconic status, without adequate consideration of important seminal events and chance opportunities. This essay will demonstrate that the circumstances of Napoleon’s early life, his educational opportunities, the local politics of his native Corsica, and his experiences in revolutionary France, played an important role in the evolution of his character and the military and leadership traits which later defined his career. Particular attention will be paid to his first creditable military victory at The Siege of Toulon in December 1793, which, it is asserted, was a seminal event in his career and ultimately provided the platform for his incredible ascension to power.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the fifteenth of August 1769, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, as Napoleon Buonaparte. He was born the second son of a noble family which advocated Corsican independence. The family resided on the west coast of Corsica in the town of Ajaccio. The

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