Napoleon Bonaparte: A Hero Of French History

Napoleon Bonaparte has been the topic of historical debates and discussions since the end of his reign in 1815. Historians and scholars alike have analyzed his early years, his rise to power, his military conquests, his political actions during his reign, and his legacy on the modern state of France. Despite deeply negative criticisms of Napoleon’s motives, he is celebrated by many as a hero of French history. Napoleon is considered, by many, to be a “man of the Revolution” who ushered in a new era for France and paved the way for European integration. European integration is a theory based on the process of industrial, political, legal, economic, social and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or in simpler terms, European integration is known as “a Europe without borders.” On the opposite end, there are those who question the triumphant representations of Napoleon and dispute the claims that his success was based upon his conquest of Europe. One such historian, in his 1997 work titled, Napoleon, Geoffrey Ellis reassesses the glorious depictions of Napoleon and the nature of Napoleonic power to assert his claim that Napoleon’s true legacy was left by his lasting political endeavors. In an attempt to prove his argument, Ellis begins his work by presenting Napoleon’s upbringing and military background. He claims Napoleon’s Corsican background and French education were key components in molding his personality that would later define his imperial