Was Napoleon Bonaparte A Hero?
He was a savior of France. If there had been no Napoleon, the Republic would not have survived,” said David Chanteranne, editor of a magazine published by Napoléonic Memory. Napoleon Bonaparte was considered a hero by much of France during the 19th century. He had outstanding military expertise and great leadership qualities, so he is a hero in my eyes as well. Napoleon is known as one of the world’s greatest military leaders, because of his unique strategies and determination. He was also the first emperor of France and the creator of the Napoleonic Code. Napoleon did cause some bloodshed and make a few bad decisions, but so has any other great military or political leader. He helped France rise and he gave his people the hope that they needed.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a genius in the operational of war, and his campaigns are still studied in military schools worldwide. Napoleon was a military commander from 1796 up …show more content…
until 1815. He fought in 60 battles and only lost 7. He was a very smart man and understood geography, so he knew which paths to take during battle. He had two main battle strategies. When facing a larger army he would split the enemy in half and then eliminate each part. When facing a smaller army he would distract the enemy and then surround it. His men were endlessly faithful to him, even after he made mistakes such as the Russian Campaign, in which 500,000 men were lost due to starvation and harsh winter conditions. Napoleon once said, “Courage isn’t the strength to go on- it is going on when you don’t have strength.” I think that this quote represents what Napoleon and his men stood for. They never gave up. His men fought longer and harder than the men from the other armies, because his men were fighting for freedom, while the others were fighting for tradition. Napoleon’s success fueled his ambition, and he was able to lead France to victory after victory against armies bigger and stronger than his own.
After gaining more and more power as a military commander, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned the first emperor of France in 1804. His goal was to make Paris the greatest city and France the greatest country. He was able to make many positive impacts on French society. He reformed the taxation system, created the Bank of France, and made levies on goods, such as wine, tobacco, and salt. With all of these changes he was able to balance France’s budget for the first time since 1738. He also made many improvements to the educational system. He created a system of secular and public schools, and founded the University of France. In 1806 Napoleon emancipated Jews from having to live in ghettos, and he expanded their rights to property, worship, and careers. During the end of Napoleon’s reign he became power hungry and wanted to rule all of Europe, because of this he was eventually exiled. But, during his time as emperor, Napoleon helped France prosper and he improved the country as a whole.
During the time that Napoleon Bonaparte was involved in the government of France he created the Napoleonic Code, made effective on March 21, 1804.
It replaced the patchwork system of feudal laws in place prior to the French Revolution. The code embodied Enlightenment ideas and was able to be easily understood. One of the main principles of the Napoleonic Code was that it ensured the equality of all men under law. It also allowed for religious tolerance, advancement based on merit, and it created a program of public works. However, the code did contain some parts that were not helpful in improving France. It didn’t grant women any rights and it tightened divorce laws. Men were further empowered as the rulers of their homes, and they could even imprison their children for up to a month. Aside from these few flaws, the code has ultimately helped in the advancement of mankind. The code was adopted by many European and Latin American countries during the 19th century, and we still see parts of it in governments around the world
today.
There is no question whether or not Napoleon Bonaparte served an important part in history, but it is controversial whether he was a hero or a tyrant. I can see why some people believe him to be a tyrant. He made some errors on the battlefield, costing many men their lives. He is also sometimes seen as a greedy and power hungry man. But his character flaws don’t change the fact that, in the end, he made France, and our world a better place. Ultimately, his good overpowered his bad, and that is why I see see him as Napoleon, the hero.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a genius in the operational of war, and his campaigns are still studied in military schools worldwide. Napoleon was a military commander from 1796 up …show more content…
until 1815. He fought in 60 battles and only lost 7. He was a very smart man and understood geography, so he knew which paths to take during battle. He had two main battle strategies. When facing a larger army he would split the enemy in half and then eliminate each part. When facing a smaller army he would distract the enemy and then surround it. His men were endlessly faithful to him, even after he made mistakes such as the Russian Campaign, in which 500,000 men were lost due to starvation and harsh winter conditions. Napoleon once said, “Courage isn’t the strength to go on- it is going on when you don’t have strength.” I think that this quote represents what Napoleon and his men stood for. They never gave up. His men fought longer and harder than the men from the other armies, because his men were fighting for freedom, while the others were fighting for tradition. Napoleon’s success fueled his ambition, and he was able to lead France to victory after victory against armies bigger and stronger than his own.
After gaining more and more power as a military commander, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned the first emperor of France in 1804. His goal was to make Paris the greatest city and France the greatest country. He was able to make many positive impacts on French society. He reformed the taxation system, created the Bank of France, and made levies on goods, such as wine, tobacco, and salt. With all of these changes he was able to balance France’s budget for the first time since 1738. He also made many improvements to the educational system. He created a system of secular and public schools, and founded the University of France. In 1806 Napoleon emancipated Jews from having to live in ghettos, and he expanded their rights to property, worship, and careers. During the end of Napoleon’s reign he became power hungry and wanted to rule all of Europe, because of this he was eventually exiled. But, during his time as emperor, Napoleon helped France prosper and he improved the country as a whole.
During the time that Napoleon Bonaparte was involved in the government of France he created the Napoleonic Code, made effective on March 21, 1804.
It replaced the patchwork system of feudal laws in place prior to the French Revolution. The code embodied Enlightenment ideas and was able to be easily understood. One of the main principles of the Napoleonic Code was that it ensured the equality of all men under law. It also allowed for religious tolerance, advancement based on merit, and it created a program of public works. However, the code did contain some parts that were not helpful in improving France. It didn’t grant women any rights and it tightened divorce laws. Men were further empowered as the rulers of their homes, and they could even imprison their children for up to a month. Aside from these few flaws, the code has ultimately helped in the advancement of mankind. The code was adopted by many European and Latin American countries during the 19th century, and we still see parts of it in governments around the world
today.
There is no question whether or not Napoleon Bonaparte served an important part in history, but it is controversial whether he was a hero or a tyrant. I can see why some people believe him to be a tyrant. He made some errors on the battlefield, costing many men their lives. He is also sometimes seen as a greedy and power hungry man. But his character flaws don’t change the fact that, in the end, he made France, and our world a better place. Ultimately, his good overpowered his bad, and that is why I see see him as Napoleon, the hero.