20.4 pba final product william 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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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)
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.
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>.