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The Life and Legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte “Ambition never is in a greater hurry that I; it merely keeps pace with circumstances and with my general way of thinking” (By: Napoleon Bonaparte” By: Wiiam Cheung

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The Life and Legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte “Ambition never is in a greater hurry that I; it merely keeps pace with circumstances and with my general way of thinking” (By: Napoleon

Bonaparte” By: William Cheung

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Background History �  Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 on the

Island of Corsica, into an aristocratic, although non-wealthy family. The small Mediterranean Island had

recently been defeated by the French. Ironically, Napoleon grew up hating France, the empire he would

rule one day. While many of the Corsican rebels fled into the mountains to continue fighting the French,

Bonaparte's father, Carlo, succumbed to French rule and thereon began modifying his lifestyle, to match the

French. Napoleon never forgave his father for completely straying from their original Corsican

heritage. He later criticized his father, by stating that he was “to fond of pleasure.”

Background: Painting of an Seaport in Ajaccio, Corsica

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Childhood �  Though the Bonaparte family was non-wealthy, the clan was still able to

keep their aristocratic title. With a total of eight children, Napoleon lived in a state of impoverishment because of the island’s centuries long economic struggles. During his childhood, the family had adapted to the French style of dress and wore silver buckled shoes, powdered wigs, and embroidered waistcoats. Strict, demanding, and strengthened through the struggles of warfare, Letizia, the Bonaparte matriarch, focused most her attention on disciplining her children to teach them what life hardships and sacrifice was like for her. The Bonaparte patriarch, Carlo, was a representative in the Corsican parliament. After traveling to Versailles, the French capital, Carlo became fascinated with the grandeur of the French court and worked to secure a studentship at Brienne, a reserved French Academy for Napoleon. Surprisingly, Napoleon was never educated in the French language as a young child and did not begin learning the language until he was 10 years old, while studying in France.

Background: Collage of a Corsican Art Painting and Painting of Ajaccio, the town where Napoleon grew up.

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Education �  During  the  early  childhood  years,  Napoleon  obtained  his  primary  

education  at  an  Ajaccio  All-­‐Boys  School.  A  the  age  of  ten,  Napoleon  was  sent  to  study  at  the  College  of  Autun  in  Burgundy,  France  in  January  1779  and  later  moved  to  the  military  academy  at  Brienne-­‐le-­‐Château,  in  May.  While  studying  in  France,  Bonaparte  was  often  mocked  because  he  spoke  Spanish  and  very  limited  French.  In  1784,  Napoleon  concluded  his  studies  at  the  Brienne-­‐le-­‐Château  and  transferred  to  the  prestigious  Ecole  Militaire  School  to  study  advanced  fighting  tactics  and  weaponry.  While  at  Ecole  Militaire,  Napoleon  gave  up  his  naval  ambitions  and  focused  his  studies  on  artillery.  At  16  years  old,  Napoleon  became  the  first  Corsican  graduate  from  the  institute  and  was  commissioned  as  the  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  La  Fère  artillery  regiment.    His  high  aspirations  were  slightly  diminished  with  the  death  of  this  father  in  February  1785;  however  determined  to  succeed,  he  moved  to  his  station  in  Valence.  Because  of  the  peacetime,  Napoleon’s  post  in  Valence  was  extremely  boring.  During  his  commission  there,  he  further  advanced  his  studies  in  rigorous  reading,  geography,  and  history  courses.    

Background: Edited Photos of Brienne-le-château, the town where Napoleon was educated.

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Rise in Rank s  Napoleon  Bonaparte  had  very  high  ambitions,  but  

prestigious  ranks  were  reserved  for  only  people  form  the  upper  classes  in  French  nobility,  not  for  an  ordinary  soldier.  However,  the  French  Revolution  would  alter  the  social  class  restrictions  that  had  been  in  place  for  centuries.  At  23  years  old  Bonaparte  took  an  intermission  from  the  French  Army  and  returned  to  Corsica.  Throughout  the  early  1790’s,  Napoleon  suffered  from  several  oppositions  and  was  even  banned  from  his  homeland.  Finally  in  1795,  Napoleon  was  again  became  hero,  after  defending  the  French  government  from  anti-­‐revolutionary  activists.  From  this  moment  on,  Bonaparte  gradually  earned  more  and  more  respect  in  French  military  officials.  He  married  Josephine  de  Beauharnais  in  1796  and  was  promoted  to  commander  of  the  French  Army  in  Italy.  While  in  Italy,  he  forced  Austria  and  its  allies  to  make  peace.  The  successful  conquest  of  Ottoman-­‐controlled  Egypt  was  another  major  victory  for  Bonaparte.  However,  in  1799  France  was  faced  with  the  major  concern  of  the  Austrian,  British,  and  Russian  alliance.    

Josephine  de  Beauharnais  Napoleon’s  marriage  to  Josephine  was  annulled  after  no  children  were  bore.  He  later  married  Marie  Louis  of  Austria.  

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Ascension to Central Power s  Preceding  Napoleon’s  return  to  

France,  he  was  appointed  first  consul  after  a  sudden  coup  d’état  in  November  1799.  The  significant  rise  in  power  was  not  smooth;  however  his  political  command  skills  were  quite  evident.  The  French  power  domain  was  reestablished  on  the  continent  after  a  European  truce  was  negotiated.  Though  many  agreed  that  he  made  numerous  mistakes,  Napoleon’s  support  remained  significant,  due  to    his  talent  in  propaganda  utilization.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  was  elected  to  consul  for  life  and  later  became  Emperor  of  France  in  1804.  

French  Coup  d'état  The  military  take-­‐over  enabled  Napoleon  Bonaparte  to  be  appointed  first  consul  and  eventually  Emperor.  

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France Under the Bonaparte Regime “I  intent  to  keep  the  Revolution’s  useful  changes,  but  not  to  abandon  the  good  institutions  it  

mistakenly  destroyed.”  (By:  Napoleon  Bonaparte)  

The  Reign  of  Emperor  Napoleon  Bonaparte  was  marked  with  numerous  military  victories  and  improvements  to  society  and  and  the  nation.  

Government  After  the  French  Revolution,  Napoleon  Bonaparte  ruled  the  country  as  a  military  dictatorship.  His  position  as  Emperor  was  unchangeable  and  allowed  him  enormous  amounts  of  power.  The  government  consisted  for  two  National  Assemblies.  The  citizens  first  elected  nominees,  and  the  members  were  then  chosen  from  the  those  who  were  elected,  by  Napoleon.  After  1804,  all  elections  were  terminated  and  the  pre-­‐existing  assemblies  made  all  laws.  The  Napoleon  era  was  marked  with  the  introduction  to  many  new  developments.    

           

Law  System-­‐Code  Napoleon  

After  becoming  emperor,  a  set  of  new  laws,  called  the  Napoleonic  Code,  was  introduced.  It  applied  

to  all  citizens  of  France  and  the  conquered  regions  of  Europe  including,  Italy,  Spain,  and  certain  regions  of  Germany.  The  Law  Codes  abolished  Feudal  rights,  guaranteed  religious  freedom,  and  set  new  restrictions  on  French  society.    Link  for  more  Comprehensive  Information:    http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/code_nap.html  

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France Under the Bonaparte Regime French  Society  

s  One  of  the  most  positive  outcomes  in  rule  of  Napoleon  was  the  decree  for  individual  right  and  freedom.  Nobles  no  longer  had  special  privileges  and  all  citiznes  were  “innocent  until  proven  guilty”…to  a  certain  extent.  Bonaparte  set  a  secret  government  police  force  that  arrested  anyone  without  trial  they  felt  as  a  threat.  In  addition,  Napoleon  censored  and  had  complete  control  over  the  news  broadcasts,  similar  to  a  totalitarian  institute.  Society,  religion,  and  social  class  importance  was  considerably  modified.  The  Catholic  Church  was  restored  through  the  Concordant;  however,  the  Church  never  received  their  stolen  land,  and  all  Bishops  were  chosen  by  Napoleon.  To  help  eradicate  distinct  social  class  discrimination,  feudalism  was  destroyed,  peasants  were  allowed  to  keep  their  land,  and  the  Nobility  lost  many  of  their  privileges.  Though  many  of  the  reforms  greatly  resembled  those  of  Louis  XVI,  Napoleon  did  try  to  make  sure  each  of  the  major  social  groups  benefited  from  his  reign.  

Notre  Dame  Cathedral-­‐Paris,  France  Napoleon  Bonaparte  did  restore  the  Catholic  Church;  however  he  made  several  reforms  that  allowed  him  to  have  totalitarian-­‐like  power  over  the  church.

“If  the  press  is  not  controlled,  I  shall  not  remain  three  days  in  power.”  (By:  Napoleon  Bonaparte)

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France Under the Bonaparte Regime

Educational  Reforms  

s  One  of  the  most  positive  reforms  was  the  French  education  system.  Different  levels  of  schools  were  set  up  in  France,  beginning  with  Primary  and  then  Secondary  School.  The  third  level  of  education  consisted  of  Lycees,  military  schools  and  also  Technical  Institutes.    Education  curriculums  for  Primary  schools  remained  relatively  the  same,  but  Secondary  Schools  began  to  place  more  emphasis  on  Science  and  Mathematics.    

Urbanization    

s  Modernizing  French  was  a  major  part  of  Napoleon’s  agenda.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  invested  immense  amounts  of  government  funds  into  building  and  repairing  canals,  bridges,  and  roads.  Various  projects  were  put  under  way  to  reconstructing  the  splendor  and  magnificence  the  capital,  Paris  once  held.  To  make  sure  that  he  would  be  remembered  forever,  several  memorials  of  Napoleon  were  erected,  in  addition  to  revolution  memorials.      

L’Arc  de  Triomphe  The  monument  was  built  at  the  beak  of  Napoleon’s  reign,  to  commemorate  those  who  died  in  the  French  Revolution  and  Napoleonic  Wars.

“It  is  now  what  is  true  that  counts,  but  what  people  think  is  true.”  (By:  Napoleon  Bonaparte)

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Decline and Legacy Napoleon Bonaparte

Decline  and  Exile  

s  After  numerous  costly  defeats  beginning  in  1808,  Paris  eventually    fell  to  the  coalition  (Prussia,  Austria,  Sweden,  Russia,  Great  Britain,  Spain,  and  Portugal)  and  Napoleon  was  sent  into  exile  on  the  island  of  Elba.  He  was  allowed  to  keep  the  title  as  Emperor  and  given  full  control  over  the  12,00  inhabitant  of  the  island.  After  escaping  in  March  of  1815,  his  brief  second  reign  for  100  days  was  ended  with  the  Battle  of  Waterloo,  where  he  had  to  fight  against  two  armies.  The  British  then  imprisoned  him  on  St.  Helena,  a  remote  island  where  he  later  passed  away.    

Legacy  

s  During  his  reign,  napoleon  installed  two  institutions  that  are  still  in  place  today.  In  1802,  the  Legion  of  Honour  was  installed  to  award  the  gifted  and  industrious.  The  award  remains  one  of  the  highest  honors  in  modern  day  French  society.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  also  introduced  the  Baccalaureate  Examination  (BAC).    The  exam  was  used  to  test  academic  qualification  and  was  usually  taken  at  the  end  of  a  student’s  study  at  a  Lycee.  The  exam  remains  intact  and  in  utilization  in  France,  today.  

Battle  of  Waterloo  The  military    campaign  would  be  the  last  for  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  

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Sources �  "Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)." BBC-History. N.p., 2012. Web. 1 Feb

2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/bonaparte_napoleon.shtml>.

�  "Napoleon: The Man and the Myth." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Feb 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/flash/n_myth/youth/page_1.html>.

�  SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Napoleon Bonaparte.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2005. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.

�  Wilde, Robert. "Napoleon Bonaparte." About.com European History. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. 4 Feb 2012. <http://www.europeanhistory.com/od/bonapartenapoleon/a/bionapoleon.htm>.

�  Miss Lavelle, . "How Did France Change Under Napoleon?." School History. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb 2012. <http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year8links/frenchrevolution/changes.pdf>.