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The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte

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The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
The Great Conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte

Alexander Tat

History 4B
Professor Swanson
April 09, 2015 When I ask you who the greatest conquerors in history, who do you think about? Is it Alexander the Great? Alternatively, is it the infamous Adolf Hitler? How about Napoleon Bonaparte? Who are these people? They were all very influential in their lifetime, but how did Napoleon stand out from the rest? We sometimes wonder what made this man a great conqueror. All great leaders have different traits that set them apart, but what made Napoleon “great”? First, how did Napoleon rise up and embrace his conquering persona? Second, how did Napoleon 's greatest flaws lead him to crash and burn towards the end of his life, but what does a great leader truly consist of? The definition of a good leader can go on and on, but there were specific details that made Napoleon rise as a conqueror, and also things that led to his inevitable downfall. In his life, Napoleon proved that he was not a person to be made an enemy of. There are many qualities that Napoleon held that made him the leader we know from history books. Many people argue that Napoleon’s quality as a commander led him to both his success and his downfall. Early in Napoleon 's career, he gained trust and support from many people by showing that he was for the people. Bonaparte made a display of republican virtues; cautiously avoiding all ostentation, and in this respect, put himself on a footing of perfect quality with persons of ordinary standards in society.1 Napoleon created a reputation for himself and gained support of the pope. A smart man like Bonaparte knew that he needed to have the support of the people. In his career, whether it was just a normal citizen, or a soldier, Napoleon had a way with his words to gain supporters. Bonaparte played the role of what politicians do today, which is to say what the people want to hear. For example, Napoleon preached about equality and liberty



Bibliography: O 'Meara, Barry Edward. Memoirs of the Military and Political Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Hartford: C. Goodrich, 1822. Secondary Sources: Bourrienne, Louis Antoine Fauvelet De, and Ramsay Weston Phipps. Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1891. Lualdi, Katharine J McLynn, Frank. Napoleon: A Biography. New York: Arcade Pub., 2002. Tarbell, Ida M. A Short Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: S.S. McClure, 1895. Wilde, Robert

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