Napoleon Blog Post

Napoleon was one of the most successful rulers in French History. His military might allowed him to conquer a majority of Europe at one time, Creating a kingdom that reached from Paris to Moscow. He was only able to achieve these great feats through a rigorous military campaign where Napoleon stole the hearts and minds of his followers who were, for the most part, devoted to following in his footsteps. This was somewhat surprising as Napoleon ruled ruthlessly and used fear and threat to help drive his empire forward. Politically speaking, his following allowed him to climb to the highest positions in the French government, eventually culminating in him crowning himself emperor. In The Lost Voices of Napoleonic History, it is said Napoleon had the "peculiar combination of military genius, civilian disinterestedness and domineering will, which were just what France wanted". He struck fear in the hearts of men that opposed him, yet they admired his mind as well. Socially, Napoleon was in favor of Human advancement, and cared little for the class based system that had existed in France before him. J.T. Headley was quoted as saying that "Napoleon's moral character was indifferent enough; yet as a friend of human liberty, and eager to promote the advancement of the race, by opening the field to talent and genius, however low their birth...". This also lead to him being revered by the bourgeoisie in France, but held in contempt by the nobility. One such Nobility was Madame de Stael, the daughter of a previous french financial adviser to King Louis XVI. She believed Napoleon was nothing more than a tyrant who used brute force to control people and get what he wanted. She also thought he quote "found contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature...". Economically, Napoleon helped to raise France to one of the most economically sound countries of the time. He did this by collecting wealth and treasures from the nations he conquered, as well as having them pay hefty taxes to France while conquered. He also conducted public works projects, such as roads, which helped to create more effective trade routes throughout the French empire. In short, Napoleon was one of the most powerful rulers in the History of France, and the world and had a huge
impact on Europe at the time.

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