Napoleon Response Final
Zachary Padula
Professor Scheck
HI112
February 28, 2014
Jakob Walter, Diary of a Napoleonic Footsoldier
The are two sides to every story. The French Revolution brought significant change to France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was a period of time that produced a remodeling of the French Government system, an Enlightened mindset, and the rise of a new prominent ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte. Emperor Napoleon, as he so deemed himself, initially took on his duties by trying to bring together what had been a much divided nation. He made concessions with both the left (the constitutionalists) and the right (the monarchists). His concessions earned him respect from many, however, as his power grew and grew, Napoleon developed a tendency to rely strongly on his military to gain power. His militaristic eagerness to monopolize Europe earned him much respect and praise from the French people, but very infrequently do we recognize those individuals that served in the military to carry through Napoleon’s aggressive orders. Those who fought for Napoleon’s success received very little in return; much to lack of motivation. Fortunately for the world, Jakob Walter’s story as a conscript for Napoleon’s Grand Army has been public for the world. His powerful accounts of the pitiful conditions that conscripts endured during their wartime travels would give many a different opinion of the “Great” Napoleon. As mentioned earlier, there are two sides to every story. It is from the perspective of the foot soldier that could perhaps detail a little more to the textbook description of Napoleon. Within this perspective lie a few issues that perhaps every soldier within the Grand Army can identify, as told by the egregious letters at the end of the text. For example, wretched living conditions, no food, no money, mistreated war wounds, etc. For many soldiers, enough was enough. A quick slash of their own throat put them out of their misery. But not Jakob Walter.
Professor Scheck
HI112
February 28, 2014
Jakob Walter, Diary of a Napoleonic Footsoldier
The are two sides to every story. The French Revolution brought significant change to France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was a period of time that produced a remodeling of the French Government system, an Enlightened mindset, and the rise of a new prominent ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte. Emperor Napoleon, as he so deemed himself, initially took on his duties by trying to bring together what had been a much divided nation. He made concessions with both the left (the constitutionalists) and the right (the monarchists). His concessions earned him respect from many, however, as his power grew and grew, Napoleon developed a tendency to rely strongly on his military to gain power. His militaristic eagerness to monopolize Europe earned him much respect and praise from the French people, but very infrequently do we recognize those individuals that served in the military to carry through Napoleon’s aggressive orders. Those who fought for Napoleon’s success received very little in return; much to lack of motivation. Fortunately for the world, Jakob Walter’s story as a conscript for Napoleon’s Grand Army has been public for the world. His powerful accounts of the pitiful conditions that conscripts endured during their wartime travels would give many a different opinion of the “Great” Napoleon. As mentioned earlier, there are two sides to every story. It is from the perspective of the foot soldier that could perhaps detail a little more to the textbook description of Napoleon. Within this perspective lie a few issues that perhaps every soldier within the Grand Army can identify, as told by the egregious letters at the end of the text. For example, wretched living conditions, no food, no money, mistreated war wounds, etc. For many soldiers, enough was enough. A quick slash of their own throat put them out of their misery. But not Jakob Walter.