The Napoleonic Wars and the Realist Paradigm Comparison Essay by duckie19

This paper explains that, while the major battles of the Napoleonic Wars occurred between the years 1803 and 1815, 18th century long-range factors, such as increased manpower and agricultural, financial and industrial resources, contributed to this prolonged and intense conflict. The author points out that the increase of available resources called for revised methods for command and control over armies. The paper describes, in detail, the relationship of countries, the wars and Napoleon's rise to power. The author states that the downfall of Napoleon can be said to rationalize the liberal paradigm, which proposes that interdependence based on internationally shared interests can mitigate international conflict; however, not all components of the liberal paradigm apply to the Napoleonic Wars. The paper states that the realist paradigm, which argues that the actual international structure may be conducive to warfare, offers a more complete analysis of the the Napoleonic war era.