Abstract
This paper reviews the political career of Napoleon Bonaparte, examines some of his political maneuvers and discusses the debates around his public stance. The paper also explores Napoleon's assessment of his own military career as well as the historical reality of his perception.

From the Paper
"Napoleon Bonaparte's memoirs offer the reader an opportunity to see how a leader perceived reality after his defeat. Although some may have thought of him as a modern hero whose destiny was to bring the benefits of the French Revolution to the entire world, others looked at him and saw a small cowardly man who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds and thousands of soldiers who fought for his unjust cause."

Tags:french, napoleon, revolution, leader, autocrat, ruler, violence, murder

Abstract
This paper explains that the French Revolution ignited new ideas regarding equality, justice, freedom and the very nature of social interaction; but, ironically, it was a dictator, Napoleon, who perpetuated and spread many of these ideas. The paper points out that the Napoleonic Code, the introduction of liberal ideas to Egypt, and the beginning of the drive for the unification of Italy were all things that resulted from ideas derived from the French Revolution that spread because of Napoleon and his rule. The author believes that the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon's dissemination of its ideas can be demonstrated by the fact that even after the defeat of Napoleon, none of the old European monarchies or regimes ever enjoyed the absolute power that they once held.

Table of Contents
Introduction
The French Revolution
Napoleon Early in the Revolution
Quest for Power
Napoleon as a Ruler and Conqueror
The Tragedy of Napoleon's Life
The Legacy of Napoleon and the French Revolution
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Napoleon is a tragic figure in that few have had so much and lost it all. From being the world's most powerful man to becoming a lonely exile must have been a bitter pill to swallow. Napoleon's life is also tragic in that so many people were fanatically loyal to him, yet his first love Josephine, was unfaithful to him and never provided the male heir that he so desperately wanted. But, the greater tragedy is the waste of Napoleon's talents. True, he achieved monumental military accomplishments, but his conquests were ephemeral; they did not last. Universally recognized as one of the great military minds, Napoleon was equally talented as an administrator. If he had turned his attention to these pursuits, he could have done so much lasting good. He was also a man of contradictions. Vain, arrogant, and ambitious, he loved himself, but he was not afraid to recognize and praise ability in others. He was ruthless when necessary, but he does not seem to have been driven by hate as some later dictators were. All in all, he still fascinates us today."

Tags:legacy, dictator, tragedy, code, liberalization

Abstract
This paper explains that, after Napoleon was commissioned as a second lieutenant and garrisoned at Valence in Burgundy, he developed the habit of voracious reading, which definitely affected all of his future endeavors; almost every subject was part of his reading, including law, political economy, geography, medicine, political science, the philosophies of Voltaire, and a great deal of history, especially ancient history with an emphasis on Alexander the Great. The author relates that, in October of 1795, as part of Comte de Barras's uprising in Paris against the Thermidorians, Napoleon so impressed Barras that Napoleon was named commander-in-chief of the Army of the Interior. The paper concludes that, having finished the Revolution, Bonaparte proclaimed himself emperor of France, an act that outraged most of Europe and infuriated Ludwig von Beethoven to the point that he tore up his 'Eroica symphony', which was written as a dedication to Napoleon.

From the Paper
"By 1793, Napoleon, caught in the midst of the revolution, was in Paris when Louis XVI was dethroned. As a result, he joined the government troops who were attempting to capture Toulon, where anti-Revolutionary factions had turned over the great naval base to the British and Spanish fleets. And at Toulon, Bonaparte the artillery officer "accomplished that which he had been trained for in 1784, for he demonstrated himself as a formidable officer, a budding tactician and a born strategist" (Markham, 167). In this atmosphere, Bonaparte placed his batteries in position to bombard both the port and the British fleet, but above all, it was Napoleon's forcefulness and energy that impressed his superiors, which had played an all-important part in the recapture of Toulon. At the age of twenty-four, Napoleon was soon promoted to brigadier general which seemed to indicate that his future would be bright and magnificent."

Tags:reading, thermidorians, commander, emperor, italy

Abstract
This piece is a survey of Napoleon's Bonaparte's career. The piece first describes Napoleon's rise and early successes as the leader of several artillery regiments, followed by an impressive squelching of an insurgency which threatened the French Directory. Following several successful opportunistic military campaigns, the narrative then discusses Napoleon's ability to isolate and conquer France's enemies by building strategic alliances taking advantage of opportunity. Napoleon's growing ambition to control Europe when he became Emperor, his inability to enforce his own economic policies and his growing arrogance are described as causing the eventual downfall of this brilliant but flawed military strategist.

Abstract
The paper focuses on three events in Napoleon's life; his Egyptian campaign, his involvement in the Peninsular war and his Russian campaign and how they portray Napoleon as a tyrannical dictator who only sought to better himself. The paper argues that despite some temporary glory and beneficial reform for France, the final result of Napoleon's actions name him as an evildoer who failed in his attempt at achieving ultimate power.

From the Paper
"Many perceive Napoleon as an evil dictator who only aimed for personal gain, while others believe he was an excellent leader and accomplished great things for his country of France. Unfortunately, Napoleon's actions during his rise to power and during his reign over the French people are inexcusable and make him a dictator. Napoleon Bonaparte was a tyrannical dictator who sought only to better himself. In fact, Napoleon's dictatorial strategies were modeled by future leaders such as Hitler and Stalin over one hundred years after his death. Napoleon was not the first dictator, and certainly not the cruelest, so why was he idolized in the eyes of future tyrants? Three events in Napoleon's life which force the title of tyrant towards him were his Egyptian campaign, his involvement in the Peninsular War, and his Russian campaign.

Tags:dictator, Peninsular, war, Egypt, Russia, campaign

Abstract
This paper argues that, in order to evaluate whether Napoleon was a genius or an opportunist. The author states that the objective is not to determine whether Napoleon was a good or a bad man, or whether his military campaigns were right or wrong. By discussing Napoleon's actions as a general, it is possible to consider the success of his military campaigns as related to both the opportunities afforded him by the historical contexts of his activity and to the intellectual abilities that were demonstrated in the implementation of battle strategies.

Abstract
This paper analyzes the statement that "Napoleon Bonaparte can be considered as both an engine pushing France and Europe into the future and as an anchor tying Europe to the past." The paper considers the events before and after Napoleon.

Tags:napoleon, bonaparte

Abstract
The combination of ambition, ego, and drive was what allowed Napoleon Bonaparte to institute various beneficial reforms, but these very traits also caused his good intentions to result in cruelty and despotism. This paper presents an analysis of Napoleon's social and financial reforms, his reorganization of the government, religious tolerance, and territorial expansion. It supports the assertion that Napoleon truly believed he was going to reform France for the better; however, his underlying egotistical character was what ultimately prompted many of those reforms to take a turn for the worst.

From the Paper
"Napoleon, in seeking to become "a warrior hero who was to eventually save France", embarked on the creation of a unified European Empire with him as ruler (Dwyer, 128). Driven by his genuine belief that he was destined to create a peaceful France, Napoleon viciously sought imperial power. He aimed to reduce British power, strengthen his military position, and improve imperial trade in Europe through his Continental Blockade. The achievement of these goals undoubtedly would have benefited the French people. However, the Continental Blockade was an ineffectual means of achieving these goals and was driven by Napoleon's ego, which caused him to focus solely on hurting Britain so that no other nation was more powerful than France."

Tags:18th, century, revolutionary, Continental, Blockade

Abstract
This paper discusses Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power specifically through the lens of his own character and utilizing his owns words and thoughts. The paper provides a brief summarized history of Napoleon's development and self-proclamation as the Emperor of France. It then analyzes how his love of all things military and his insatiable lust for power developed.

From the Paper
"Whether Napoleon meant what he said in his oath, or whether he was telling people what they wanted to hear is arguable. From Bonaparte's character it seems likely that his virtual tyranny was in the best interests of the honor and glory of France."
"In 1801, Napoleon's forces in battling the British in the sands of Egypt were forced into capitulation. At this same time Bonaparte was in the process of negotiating with British representatives at Amiens. The Preliminaries of Amiens were signed on October 1, 1801 with a formal peace treaty soon following in March of 1802. It is interesting to note that Napoleon used this brief interlude of peace in Europe to "...claim that he had honored his promise to bring peace through victory" and shortly after he was appointed First Consul for life."

Tags:military, soldier, reign, power

Abstract
This paper is a biography of Napoleon. It examines his life, his motives, his goals, and his actions in a manner which illuminates him as a person.

From the Paper
"Napoleon's title as the "greatest military leader in history" undeniably resulted from his high level of ambition, which interestingly also contributed greatly to his downfall. Napoleon had political ambitions, yet he intelligently suppressed these urges while he built his military reputation (Caryle, Thomas). Eventually, Napoleon seized control of the French Government, and became dictator. His strong leadership skills, military prowess, and political abilities brought him an empire that covered most of Central and all of Western Europe. These skills, all of which were brought out by his ambition, led him to overextending himself both politically and geographically, and ultimately, to his downfall. "

Tags:french, leader, military, napleon, france