Why Did Napoleon Support The French Revolution

Napoleon would not be considered a dictator because he seized power to help better the country of France. When Napoleon became First Consul, it was to eliminate corruption in the current government and to create a Republic (Schom 209-214). The current government of France was in ruins after King Henry XVI was executed, paving the way for unjust rule in France. Napoleon sought a government founded on “true freedom, civil liberties, on full representation” (Schom 214). Napoleon wanted to make a government that was fair and just for his people, which is thinking that is very unlike that of a selfish dictator.

In this unit, you examined the American and French Revolutions. The American Revolution, sparked by conflict over British rule and influenced by Enlightenment ideas, broke colonial ties with a monarchy and yielded a new nation. The French Revolution, inspired by the American Revolution as well as the Enlightenment, freed French citizens from an absolute monarchy and secured equality before the law for all male citizens.

In Document A, there is a map showing the land Napoleon conquered for France, Napoleon and his military conquered a lot of land for France and it even explains in Document B that Napoleon conquered so much land because he wanted to eliminate the tyrants of other countries to better the lives of people under their rule. Napoleon cared about the happiness and well being of others. In Document E the Napoleonic Code explains “All Frenchmen shall enjoy civil rights.” During the Reign of Terror and the Revolution Frenchmen had no civil rights and had no protection from the government. Napoleon reintroduced civil rights to France after their rights had been taken away from them. Document C explains that Napoleon believed in better education for France and thought better education would help create a stronger military. Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero for France because he believed in better education for the people of France, he wanted to get rid of the tyrants of other countries to better the lives of people under their rule, and people had civil rights, which they didn’t have prior to his reign as

Firstly, he created a new government called the consulate which gave absolute power to three individuals (he was one of them). Later on, in 1804, Napoleon declared himself emperor of France. This act directly opposed the revolution’s idea of a constitutional government. During this time, he created a new bureaucracy based on ability and not social class. Anyone had the opportunity to be a noble, one had to only be qualified based on their skill. This approach promoted the Revolutionary idea of not having established classes based on who your parents were, and instead giving equal opportunity to all citizens. During his reign, Napoleon did not support the freedom of the press. While in power, he shut down 60 of the 73 newspapers in circulation and made sure that the government read anything that was released to the general public. While this policy directly opposes the revolution's goal of freedom of the press, it did, to some degree, stabilize the nation. By not having freedom of the press there would be no new revolution of ideas under Napoleon's reign. Most of napoleon's political and administrative policies went against the goals of the revolution, but the new bureaucracy promoted

Should people be persecuted for their beliefs? The Reign of Terror lasted less than two years, from the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793 to late July 1794. During those eighteen months, more than 20,000 French people were put to death by guillotine. Guillotines were large falling blades that were used by political extremists called radicals to decapitate conservatives, who were people that wanted to keep the old ways. It is not right for people to be persecuted for their beliefs. The Reign of Terror in France was not justified. This claim can be supported by looking at three areas: external threat, the internal threat, and the methods.

Napoleon Bonaparte is a controversial figure in history, while some argue that he was a tyrant, others would say that he was a saviour of the French people, and a spreader of secular values. Regardless of one’s opinion, we mustn't neglect the many accomplishments he achieved throughout his reign as Emperor of France. As a young man, Napoleon joined a military academy, where he grew fascinated by famous figures like Julius Caesar, Hannibal Barca, and especially Alexander the Great. With the eruption of the French Revolution, Napoleon was quickly able to rise up through the ranks, eventually leading the French people to a victory over the monarchy, and later, the tyrants of the Reign of Terror. During his reign, he maintained his belief in the ideals of the revolution, which form the current national motto

Napoleon Bonaparte greatest work was the creation of the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code gave revelation the country a uniform set of laws and eliminated many injustices. However, because the Napoleonic Code promoted order and authority over individual rights, it limited freedom of speech and the press. These rights were all important components that were established during the French Revolution. Not only did the Napoleonic Code take away many rights from the citizens, this code also restored slavery in the French Colonies in the Caribbean. This shows Napoleon didn’t believe in the freedom of an individual person, and how Napoleon wants to be in control and have all the power. Napoleon Bonaparte went against the goal of Liberty in the French Revolution by reviving slavery, taking away the freedom of the people, and promoting order and authority over individual rights striving to acquire full control which lead to his citizens thinking of rights that they believe they deserve and how equality was strongly

Napoleon’s Imperial Decree at Madrid stated that “from the publication of the present decree, feudal rights are abolished...all feudal monopolies of ovens, mills, and inns are suppressed” (Document 8). By abolishing feudalism, Napoleon promoted liberty and freed people from their duties to their lords. Individuals no longer had to conform to their social status and were able to pursue their own success by having access to previously exclusive resources. Napoleon believed that the privileges of the upper class should be abolished (Pagano “Napoleon Domestic Program Good”). He created the Code Napoleon, which guaranteed equality under the law, regulation of the economy, absolute security of wealth and private property, and the end of feudalism (Pagano “Napoleon Domestic Program Good”). The Code Napoleon showed his desire for lower class citizens, such as poor farmers, to have an equal opportunity to succeed. His actions to regulate the economy alleviated the issues with taxing the Third Estate faced. Napoleon extended liberty even to those he conquered. In a speech to troops, Napoleon said that “there is one condition you must swear to fulfill - to respect the people whom you liberate...your property, your religion, and your customs will be respected” (Document 1). By placing emphasis on respecting, and not oppressing, Napoleon aimed to create stability. Respecting their rights to own property and practice their own religion was an effort to maintain the liberty of the people. In other words, he did not want them to feel inferior and threatened, believing that they should also have an opportunity to thrive in society. Thus by promoting individual choice and freedom, Napoleon was able to ensure stability in

After a time of uncertainty in France brought about by the French Revolution, Napoleon restored the stability of France through the military. France had experienced a time of military failure during the 1790’s when other European nations declared war on France. Napoleon emerged in this time as a skilled soldier and tactician. He led the French army to many victories from the time he became a commander, and later a general, in the army. These victories include wars in northern Italy and Egypt against the nations who declared

Napoleon spread enlightenment ideas that benefited the people in France. He created the Napoleonic code, which was basically the first written document of laws. That meant that the judge could not change anything, but the laws applied to all citizens equally and protected their rights. He gave people religious tolerance, which means people had religious freedom. He also created a system of meritocracy, giving positions based on people's talents and not to the ones that are higher classes. People that were more poor, got a chance to earn more money. Another enlightenment idea that he supported was education and art, and he built free public schools so all children were able to get educated. Some might argue that he crowned himself king and his brother King of Spain, which means that he did not get rid of the monarchy even though that was one of the main ideas during Enlightenment. But Napoleon had plebiscites, people that were allowed to vote, and

Before Napoleon became emperor, France was in a post-revolutionary state after a series of civil wars. Napoleon Bonaparte’s accomplishments were achieved inside and outside of France. Napoleon’s political feats were achieved by having superior military leadership. Napoleons leadership of France ended up turning tables in many different areas from gaining economic stability to establishing an agreement with Pope Pius VII of the Roman Catholic Church. The greatest achievements that made the years 1801-1805 the height of Napoleons political career were the Concordat, the Napoleonic Code, and the reformation of French economy.

However, even after the abolition of the monarchy, France still experienced violent bursts of political mayhem and eventually Napoleon established a dictatorship in 1799. Meanwhile, as the political conflict in France intensified, the National Assembly made extreme changes to French laws and on August 26th, 1789, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was published, declaring all men free and equal. Overall, what was occurring in France in the time around the onset of the Haitian Revolution, in that the slaves took inspiration from the French uprisings and applied them to their own goals. These events helped set the stage for 1791, when the first slave revolt occurred and signaled the beginning of the Haitian Revolution.

Imagine being alive in a time when more than 40,000 people were beheaded in the name of freedom. That's exactly what happened in the early stages of the French revolution. The French Revolution was a period of drastic social and political change in France and is thought to have been carried forward in the later years by one man, Napoleon Bonaparte. Much controversy surrounds this idea, many say he betrayed the revolution, some say he saved it, and others say the revolution ended before Napoleon's rule even began. The truth is Napoleon Bonaparte was a young man who wished to fulfill the ideals of the revolution at the beginning, with those ideals being equality, liberty, and fraternity in simple terms. However, later on, he became corrupt much

Napoleon is one of the most celebrated personages in the Western history. According to Godechot, he was the one who “revolutionized military organization and training, sponsored the Napoleonic Code, the prototype of later civil-law codes, reorganized education, and established the long-lived Concordat with the papacy” (1). All these left a lasting mark on France and much of western Europe.

Regarded as one of the most tactically gifted generals of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte controlled France’s fate after the radical modification brought on by the French revolution. Napoleon is a man of controversy and remains one. Napoleon’s behavior has been considered eccentric by some individuals. However, the question that is being contemplated is whether Napoleon was heir to the French Revolution. Did Napoleon build upon what was founded by the Revolution? Did he, at all, maintain or develop some of the fundamental ideals? Napoleon indirectly influenced and spread ideals of the French revolution throughout Europe, his government and social hierarchy were an embodiment of these ideals.