Napoleon

sleep I was born on the French island of Corsica on the 15th of August 1769. Trained in the art of war at army academies in France, little did his supervisors know at that time that one day, this young officer was going to rise up the ranks in the army to become a General, play an important part in the French Revolution by being at the forefront of effective military operations against the First & moment Coalitions, then overthrow the same revolutionary government he helped install (1799), rule over France as First Consul and then Emperor(1804-1815) and by cleverly crafted wars and policy-making alignments, hold offices and titles as diverse, but equally powerful, as King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, therefrom effectively becoming the earn of much of Mainland Europe. His military and political actions entailed significant influence on European History for years to come. 1Following expansionary policies, from 1800 -1810, the French armed forces were engaged in flip battles against and/or in the social unit of Europe. catnaps military and political prowess earned him a dominating influence over much of mainland Europe. His tactful masterpieces at battle of Austerlitz and Friedland established his military power and forced alliances with weaker states, unwilling to stand up to the fury of his armies. He further consolidated his position by installing members of his family and close-fitting associates as the rulers of all states under(a) French influence, with himself as supreme commander. 2However, piles success story was halted by the catastrophic expedition sent to conquer Russia in 1812. He was away smarted by the retreating Russians and when he ordered a retreat following the conquest of Moscow, he ensured the destruction beyond resurrection of his own Grande Arme.The powers that formed the sixth Coalition inflicted on him another resounding defeat at Leipzig in 1813, and subsequentl y stepped foot on French soil. Surrounded by the assail armies, Napoleon vacated office in April 1814, and was forcefully exiled to the island of Elba. However, refusing to admit defeat, he returned to France, established himself as ruler and proceeded to fight against his foes. However, his endeavors had limited success and he was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. He was exiled again to the uninhabited island of St. Helena where he died a quiet man in 1821. 3Although Napoleon spent a lifetime on the battle field and his military conquests provide ample proof of his intelligence as a general, originality of technique was lacking at his end. He is credited though with the concept of fusing artillery into batteries and rearranging the military hierarchy to ensure that requirement of each core in the army was met adequately. These have become generally accepted principles in modern warfare. To this day, the Napoleonic wars are the subject of scholarly and ac ademic study around the world. History remembers him for his military conquests and for his development of a bureaucratic structure (the Napoleonic Code), still followed in present day French. 4Effects that Napoleon had on FranceIn my opinion, the Napoleonic era proved healthy for France as Napoleon himself was a populist leader and developed the French armed forces into a mighty military machine.Governing FranceThe French vote largely sided with Napoleon and approved of his actions. By the year 1804, Napoleon had established himself as unrivaled in power and authority in all of France. Realizing that the only way he could continue to consolidate his position was through garnering populist support he continued the radical reform process while slowly tightening his snatch on the political machinery. Although there was no single authority in the French state and all laws were make by an elected internal f adequate (the lower house elected, the upper house appointed), Napoleon ensur ed that the weight age of power remained tilted towards him by choosing friendly elected candidates to the upper tier of the National Assembly. Since all laws were made by the Assemblies, Napoleon had considerable influence on all matters. 5Napoleonic CodeThe Napoleonic Code was a law passed by the Napoleon administration that balanced, modernized, restructured, expanded and consolidated some of the previous reforms into a single source document. The code proclaimed the equal standing of all citizens and familiarity to practice ones religion of choice and labor mobility. However, some of the driving points of the revolution were left out of this code and in many places the interests of the common man were made subordinate to the interests of the state. Some laws, including those which guaranteed the rights of females and infants/children, were also repealed. 6French Economy and societyNapoleon understood that to finance his war machinery, he needed adequate finances and thus enshr ined in law that all citizens pay taxes to the national exchequer. His policies helped reduce the level of inflation and ensured that a more just and equal distribution of income and wealth could be brought about. Thus, he abolished feudalism and introduced land reforms in turn increasing peasant land ownership. Furthermore, he ensured that the peasants were rid of their obligations to the Catholic Church as he settled the differences of the Vatican and the French State. On the other hand, the nobles were given freedom to rule over their respective lands as long as they plead political, economic and military fealty to Napoleon. Dedication to the French State and its principles of hard and honest work were acknowledged through the introduction of the Legion of Honor (1802) which remains the highest civil and military pillage in the Modern French State.Changes to educationEducation also saw attention from Napoleon and soon reform was introduced in this sector too. Government live on schools were set up and the curriculum standardized. The schools advocated radical love for the country and the state. The schooling system was divided amongst the primary, secondary, military and technical schools. Although primary education remained more or less the same, the rest of the schooling system advocated discipline, unity and faith along with a strong emphasis on military training. 7The Catholic ChurchNapoleon understood that although the people had strong associations with religion, reform was also the need of the hour. Therefore, he tried to find a balance between the enshrined laws of the church and his new laws. In 1801, he signed a Concordat with the Vatican thus ending the long lasting feud between the state and the Catholic Church. The agreement changed the way Bishops were chosen. antecedently elected, they would now be appointed by the French government. No one but the pope would yield influence over them. In return, the Church end its demand that all materia l interests taken under custody or destroyed by the revolution be returned or compensated for. 8Building and roadsNapoleon understood that a strong infrastructure would greatly help him in war. Therefore, finances were used in the development of roads, bridges and canals to facilitate the bowel movement of troops and goods from the rural areas to the urban centers. At the same time, to signify his own glory, Paris underwent a huge beautification program under which the existing buildings were renovated, new ones were erected and mingled monuments were put up to signify the greatness of Napoleon and the revolution. 9It would be harsh to judge Napoleon as a dictator for it can be inferred that a good number of his measures were aimed at improving the affairs of the common French lot. While many of his measures were unjust, one can argue that they were the need of the hour to entertain the revolution and ensure the establishment of a republic. However, his appointment of himself as emperor negates this view.France fought wars on different fronts from 1792 to 1815 in order to ensure the continuity and survival of the revolution, under threat from the armies of other European monarchist powers, afraid that revolution in France would encourage populist uprising in their own empires. Napoleons skill and expertise ensured that the invading powers were kept at bay for as long as possible given the inherent limitations of any country.At its peak, the French empire spanned the whole of Mainland Europe. The whole area, from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the very borders of Russia was controlled by Paris. Moreover, Napoleon exported the ideology of the French revolution to all areas under French control. 10His measures included freedom of religion, an end to serfdom, and defecation the grip of the Catholic Church on the state. The Napoleonic Code also found itself being implemented in other countries as the source law. However, contingency can strike anytime. N apoleon invaded Russia and despite his hopes of defeating the Russians quickly, saw himself engaged in a long and draining fight with the retreating Russian soldiers.Napoleon was forced to by-line the retreating army deep inside Russian soil and when he finally managed to win Moscow, the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He understood that maintaining a fort in war torn Russia was impossible and ordered a retreat and this decision co incided with the Russian winter, known for its ferocity. The climate and the shortages of food and shelter took the lives of many soldiers while the remaining fell prey to the resurgent Russian military. Despite all his attempts to resurrect his powerful military machine, Napoleon soon found out that time was not on his side and was soon forced to abdicate following the conquest of Paris in 1814 by the Coalition powers. 11The years from the hold up of the revolution to the abdication of Napoleon have had a marked effect on France in particular a nd Europe in general. He introduced equality and legal expert throughout the lands he governed and even though France returned to having an emperor, the new King had limited power. Napoleons wars were followed by the concept of nationalism in Europe that helped shape the future Geo political landscape. In my opinion, the Napoleonic years had a resounding effect on European history and although some of his actions are controversial, it can be argued that he was able to help France move towards a republic. 12ReferencesBaily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. capital of the United Kingdom The Cranford Press, 1908.Bainesville, Jacques. Napoleon. Boston Little, Brown and Company, 1933.Barnett, Correlli. Bonaparte. spic-and-span York Hill and Wang, 1978.Bergeron, Louise. France Under Napoleon. Princeton Princeton University Press, 1990.Bowden, Scott. The Glory Years of 1805 -1807 Napoleon and Austerlitz. Chicago The Emperors Press, 1997.Bruce, Evangeline. Napoleon & Josephine. New York Kensington Books, 1995.Carrington, Dorothy. Napoleon and His Parents. New York Dutton, 1990. 13Castelot, Andre. Napoleon. New York Harper and Row, 1968.Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York Scribner, 1966.Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. Fort Worth Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991.Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. London Harper Collins Publishers, 1971.Geyl, Pieter. Napoleon For and Against. London Jonathan Cape, 1957.1 Bainesville, Jacques. Napoleon. (Boston Little, Brown and Company, 1933). 53.2 Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. (New York Scribner, 1966). 124 3 Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. (London Harper Collins Publishers, 1971). 111 4 Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. (New York Scribner, 1966). 126 5 Bergeron, Louise. France Under Napoleon. (Princeton Princeton University Press, 1990). 225 6 Baily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. (London The Cranford Press, 1908). 26 7 Castelot, Andre. Napoleon. (New York Harper and Row, 1968). 68 8 Connell y, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. (Fort Worth Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991). 91 9 Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. (Fort Worth Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991). 123. 10 Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. (London Harper Collins Publishers, 1971). 73 11 Geyl, Pieter. Napoleon For and Against. (London Jonathan Cape, 1957). 58 12 Baily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. (London The Cranford Press, 1908). 192