Why Did Napoleon Bonaparte Rise To Power?

Napoleon Bonaparte was a well-known military leader that lived from 1769 until 1821. Napoleon moved through the ranks of the military very quickly. By 1802, Napoleon had gained full power over the French government, and by 1804 Napoleon self proclaimed himself Emperor Napoleon I. Through reading and analyzing primary and secondary sources, it is clear as to why Napoleon was so quick to rise to power and what principles of the Revolution Napoleon upheld and which ones he did not.

Napoleon began his rise to power through numerous opportunities that were presented to him through the French Revolution. Napoleon was able to gain most of his power not only in France, but also directly and indirectly throughout the majority of the continent of Europe. Looking at Madame de Remusat’s earliest writings, it is clear that

He was even “successful in persuading foreign sovereigns that he constituted a barrier against republican influences.” In reviewing Joseph Fouche’s Memoir about his role with the secret police, it becomes clear that it too supports, how quickly Napoleon rose to power and why. Napoleon was quick to take those, like Fouche and “invest [in] me with stronger functions than those which I had possessed." By doing such a thing, he undoubtedly increased his own powers, too. Besides serving as the head of police, Fouche was part of spying on “friendly powers, and counteract hostile governments”. Fouche had “all the state prisons under [his] control, as well as the gendarmerie." By building up the power of the police force in such a way, it also catapulted Napoleon’s power throughout the country. Clearly France was in a position, having just come off of the Revolution, to put their trust in to Napoleon to lead the country and he did so one group of people at a