Napoleon’s place in French history

Napoleon’s place in French history

Napoleon’s rise to power began when he was made Commander of the French army in Italy. The time period was after the French Revolution and France was not as stable as it had once been under the monarchy of its past. It was a country still searching for a foundation on which to build, and Napoleon Bonaparte was a strong, decisive leader who was a master at military strategy. In 1796, Napoleon put down a revolt in Paris and the aftermath was the formation of the Directory, a new French government with Napoleon at the helm.

Napoleon’s strength as a military leader won him a place in French history. Napoleon was supported by a group called the Directory, which included such famous names as Talleyrand. The Directory was searching for a foothold in which to gain power after the bankruptcy of the Republic and, having seen the military accomplishments of Napoleon, latched on to him as a potential leader of the new France.

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His years as ruler of France were lucrative domestically, as his rule saw the formation of “centralized administration, higher education, tax system, a central bank, law codes and road and sewer systems” (Napoleon I). While many would argue that his rule helped to fulfill the ideals of the French Revolution, the fact was that by the end of his reign he had given himself enough power to be Emperor for life and was in fact wielding as much power as the monarchy once had.

The years of 1798-1799

The years of 1798-1799 were some of the most infamous for Napoleon, as it was during this time that he went into Egypt, which was then a part of the Ottoman Empire, and in the end abandoned his army when it was clear that he was losing the battle. The cultural results of this campaign, however, were magnificent, as many of the artists, writers, and others who had followed Napoleon’s campaign returned to France with artifacts, art, and stories about the incredible people and history that resided in Egypt.

The Egyptian style became all of the rage and left an indelible mark on France for years to come. The French Empire under Napoleon was unique as well in that it involved a number of satellite states that surrounded it, including Belgium, the Netherland, Germany, and Italy. As time went by, his rule extended farther and the way they were ruled were through departments (Rosensweig). In the end, though his administration showed some foresight into how they would govern the expanding empire, it became a burden that was too much as the empire continued to grow at a fast pace.

The Russian operation that would become his most miserable failure occurred because it became apparent that the Russo-French alliance was beginning to deteriorate and to let Russia break away would mean other nations would follow suit and the empire would crumble. This left Napoleon without any options but to invade. The operation failed when Napoleon tried to enter Moscow, only to have the Russians burn the city rather than see it in the hands of the French. Napoleon was forced to retreat, and Napoleon’s Empire began its decline (Napoleon I).