There should be no doubt about it - Napoleon's imposing figure towered over those of his contemporaries, leaving behind the never-dying legend which still stokes the fire of public imagination.
Yet, how "exclusive" was his contribution in the final account? I am repeating the question posed in class - was Napoleon a progenitor of sweeping changes, or a mere instrument of multiple impersonal forces which fed into spread of the Revolution and its tenets beyond the French borders first into Europe and then into the rest of the world? We could turn this issue into a hypothetical quandary - could same, or similar, all-European transformations be brought into effect without Napoleon's involvement?
In your answer, I would like you to engage the primary sources assigned for this week - i.e. Napoleon's speeches to his army and Fichte's Addresses to the German Nation.
Yet, how "exclusive" was his contribution in the final account? I am repeating the question posed in class - was Napoleon a progenitor of sweeping changes, or a mere instrument of multiple impersonal forces which fed into spread of the Revolution and its tenets beyond the French borders first into Europe and then into the rest of the world? We could turn this issue into a hypothetical quandary - could same, or similar, all-European transformations be brought into effect without Napoleon's involvement?
In your answer, I would like you to engage the primary sources assigned for this week - i.e. Napoleon's speeches to his army and Fichte's Addresses to the German Nation.
It is impossible to know exactly, would be a revolution in Europe without Napoleon. We can assume that desire of freedom could become a word of mouth, and finally freedom would occur in Europe. Another assumption is that after spreading of desire of freedom people could not comprehend it. As a result revolution would die.
ReplyDeleteHowever, revolution could come into being even without any connection with France. Perhaps, Napoleon quickened the process of revolution. He was not the only person who could do this. There could be another person in his shoes. But it's important to understand that history is a deal of dialectics. Due to this, Europe would achieve the freedom some time or other.
Napoléon Bonaparte - was a political leader who achived everything by his own. Napoleon - great french military, he was the first Emperor of the French. He used every opportunity to achive his goals. Because of it he had all the respect of his army. Bonaparte looked like a god in french people`s eyes, but infinity war exhausted France. After defeat to Russia he tried to suicide. but failed. Before his sending to Elba, he said his famous speech for his soldiers:
ReplyDelete"Soldiers of my Old Guard: I bid you farewell. For twenty years I have constantly accompanied you on the road to honor and glory. In these latter times, as in the days of our prosperity, you have invariably been models of courage and fidelity. With men such as you our cause could not be lost; but the war would have been interminable; it would have been civil war, and that would have entailed deeper misfortunes on France.
I have sacrificed all of my interests to those of the country.
I go, but you, my friends, will continue to serve France. Her happiness was my only thought. It will still be the object of my wishes. Do not regret my fate; if I have consented to survive, it is to serve your glory. I intend to write the history of the great achievements we have performed together. Adieu, my friends. Would I could press you all to my heart" - Napoleon Bonaparte - April 20, 1814.
But year later, in March of 1815, he escaped back into France, marched toward Paris and gathered an army of supporters along the way.In my opinion, person who had such an amazing support from the people couldn`t be just a marionette.
I find it hard to believe that once Napoleon controlled by some organizations or a secret society. Typically, these organizations put people with low self-evaluation and not very smart, because they are easier to handle than the clever people. Napoleon was on the contrary, was a man with big ambitions, big egos and a brilliant mind.
ReplyDeleteHe helped France to stand up and even make the country stronger than before. Military companies, the new economy (Also do you know that he made the Franc - a new currency) and the new system of education helped to improve France, moreover all this influenced in the future of Europe and the whole world.
Napoleon was not only the emperor but also he was an academician. He became a member of the Academy of Sciences of France for mathematical research in particular geometrical theorem. He changed modern concepts of warfare; he has studied with interest the tactics of the enemy and their weakness, which provided him his Military Merit. This is only part of his contribution, so it's hard to imagine that he was just a pawn. He changed history and the entire world. He proved that one person's ambitions are not just words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffeOvwBYkf4
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAHHkF7VbCY
In the links, you can see the true fact, wich can show you once again proof his greatness and his incredible willpower.(Although this is only an excerpt from the films)
One's spirit imbued with frantic ferment of ambitions, volition resembling incandescent stream of molten rock expelled from the orifice of a volcano, intrepidity which beholds no obstacles along the way and all combined with a vision for great mission in life render one capable to make real difference in the world. I have no scruples to designate Napoleon as the most radical and effective promoter of revolutionary motives. Seizing the opportunity to control the status quo in France and with his strategical mindset worth being admired he managed to put a dead end to ancien régime like no one else.
ReplyDeleteWe might say Napoleon exercised despotism but on a milder degree than Robespierre did. I would say he adhered to Aristotle's “Golden Mean” moral theory: he found a mean between the excess of tyranny and the deficiency of influence so that to prevent society from falling into anarchy. As a rule, Napoleon strove not to impose new paradigms upon people against their will but rather to stimulate the appropriate sentiments of them, that is to say, gradually foster high ideals inside people's minds as his glorious speech to his troops in Italy demonstrates.
It is important to point out that one cannot say for certain what really drove Napoleon: the enlightenment or some other self-seeking purposes. We are unable to get back and burrow into his brain to shed light onto his enigmatic personality. But the fact remains: the principles of revolution became irrevocably consolidated all over the Continent under his reign, though not all, for the list of his accomplishments comprises contradictions. On the one hand, he fought for the equality before law, on the other – exploited the conquered states to the benefit of France. Fichte censured Napoleon for disturbing the internal natural boundaries of countries, violating the spiritual nature of inhabitants and establishment of a universal monarchy. Though, for me Fichte's address for the most part seems like a victimization of Germany.
Unfortunately, I don't have an articulate skill of English, to describe Napoleon, like it did Ravil (really adorably).
ReplyDeleteIf we observe the part of life Napoleon before the Franch revolution, we find that he was the strong person; after bankruptcy and death of his father, he assumed the role of head of household. Moreover, he had a good education, like mathematics and history. He also in the short term has achieved success in the military service and military affairs. So, all of this describe him as a clever, purposeful and strong person.
Napoleon very smart take advantage of "Coup d'État du 18 brumaire" and concentrated power in his own hands. His ideas were modern, there are affected not only on Franch.
"The ideas that underpin our modern world — meritocracy, equality before the law, property rights, religious toleration, modern secular education, sound finances, and so on — were championed, consolidated, codified and geographically extended by Napoleon. To them he added a rational and efficient local administration, an end to rural banditry, the encouragement of science and the arts, the abolition of feudalism and the greatest codification of laws since the fall of the Roman Empire" - Andrew Roberts, 2014, Napoleon the Great.
Conclusions, I think, that Nepolean is a unique person in the history. Without him, history of Franch, Germany and Italy could be completely different. Maybe, also the history of Europe.
Napoleon was one of the controversial figures in history.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand a clever strategist, a reformer who brought the revolution to other countries in Europe, the creator of the Code Napoleon, on the other side of the conqueror: historians account for at least 3.5 million victims of the Napoleonic Wars.
Influence of Napoleon on a Europe region contributed to the development of a modern European society. Code Napoleon represented the new code of civil laws of France, which show the rights adopted after the revolution in France: freedom, liberty, the right to private property and civil marriage. Immediately after the adoption, Code was extended to the countries conquered by Napoleon. To this day, the code is the basis for the formation of the legal systems of many European countries.
I am inclined to think that the influence of Napoleon exaggerated. Of course, he had a tremendous impact. However who influenced on Napoleon? If he was an instrument, we will never know it.