Did Napoleon uphold or betrayed the ideals of the French Revolution (1799-1815) Free Essay Example, 1000 words

His strategic brilliance and shrewd tactics helped to recapture Toulon and overnight, he shot to fame. He was promoted to Brigadier-General and thereafter, he never looked back. ‘He is the sort of man of whom nature is sparing and who only appears on earth at intervals of centuries†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Markham, 1966). Besides being a great strategist and an expert artillery official, Napoleon was also a shrewd politician, a trait that was evident while, he led his troop to success after success in the various battles against the resurgent armies of the neighbouring countries. During the 1785 failed coup which was organised by some discontent republicans and royalist, Napoleon was given the command and he had agreed on the terms that ‘once my sword is drawn, it would not be sheathed until order is restored’ (Dugdale, 2006). Within en hours, he had restored the peace and order, effectively quelling the rebels. His support to his political leaders amply showed that he believed in upholding the new order that was established after the revolution. He was made Major general at the age of twenty six. We will write a custom essay sample on Did Napoleo n uphold or betrayed the ideals of the French Revolution (1799-1815) or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now He had become a hero with a huge following. Napoleon was a staunch nationalist and intrinsically believed in the welfare of his people. When he went to Nice to take over the command, he tried to understand their need and made efforts to alleviate their problems and boost their morale with praise. He motivated his troops to the extent that they became his most loyal followers and helped him to win many battles with Austria, Egypt, Turkey etc. He inspired his soldiers and people and restored their pride for their nation. He also edited his Courrier de lArmà ©e dItalie and other military gazettes from the Journal de Bonaparte et des hommes vertueux and articles–sometimes written by Bonaparte himself–analyzing the current political situation in France were found among the gazettes pages2. When he came back to France, he found that his country lacked a dynamic leader who was able to look after the extended territory of France with he had increased from his various victories in the battlefield. He filled the gap by conferring himself with the title of First Consul3 in 1799 and later became Emperor. The period from 1799-1815 was one of the golden period which had made France as one of the most powerful country of the West. During this period, France not only attained military supremacy but art and literature came into prominence and established France as a leader in the field. Napoleon had made complete and clear codification of French constitution with code of civil procedure, equality of all men, penal code etc.