Napoleon Bonaparte: Hero Or Devil, National Pride In France

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Napoleon Bonaparte: Hero or Devil?
Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero as a result of the successes he gained on the battlefield and his impact on the advancement of France. Apart from being a great genius in military operations, Napoleon was a hero to his citizens. He managed to form a new government, and evidence suggests that his great decisions and ideas influenced several nationalists and revolutionaries across the world. Napoleon was not a saint, but this does not imply that he was a tyrant. The coup he did in France in 1799 was mainly for power more than anything else (Kaplan 46). When the French Revolution came to an end new ancient regime returned, he developed the Napoleonic Code that was possibly the supreme law to be applied across Europe since the Code of Justinian. This paper argues that in spite of several controversies associated with Napoleon Bonaparte’s leadership, he was a hero in his strategies in war and forming an identity and national pride in France.
Napoleon was in charge of the formation of national pride and identity in France and was responsible for the development of the two world wars. Using the Law of 20 May, he reestablished slavery. Napoleon was a France emperor between 1799 and 1815 following the demise of the Directory (Dietrich 1). France was a military supremacy in the Napoleonic era, and Napoleon managed to gain and control of huge portions of land across Europe. Although some scholars argue that Napoleon was a callous dictator, the endeavors he attained in the battleground far outweighed the outrages in which he was involved. He played an instrumental role in enabling France to achieve solidity following the French Revolution, and he obliterated the Feudal contract. Napoleon is also considered as an excellent schemer who managed to utilize his army schemes and stratagems to cause panic and overthrow his enemies. During his leadership, Napoleon managed to gain big portions of land, and by the culmination of his leadership, his kingdom was composed of all of Italy, Spain, and small areas of Russia and Austria.
Due to several controversies associated with Napoleon's leadership, his attributes made him become one of the most premeditated thinkers in Europe. He used groundbreaking developments and unique tactics and strategies to revolutionize warfare. Although some of his characteristics appeared to be heinous, evidence indicates that he was a leader who enabled France to achieve steadiness and he was, therefore, a hero (Stock 6). His urge to gain power, more land, and conquer the world are some of the reasons that led to his downfall. However, the fact that he managed to unite France during a challenging period made him a hero. The background of Napoleon reshaped who he was. He was born in 1769, and his family owned land in Corsica. Despite being born in a modest family, he managed to rise rapidly through the military positions, and he became a general in the French army by the age of 24.
After some victories on the battlefield, Napoleon used his popularity to attain huge public support and become the France emperor. A series of victories over Russian, Italian, and Prussian armies enabled him to expand the French territory, and evidence indicates that his military tactics are still being studied today. After the Napoleonic code was established, the structure of the government was changed, and most of his derivatives continue to be used in several governments today (Stock 1). Furthermore, he managed to influence other countries in Europe to rise up against aristocracies and form democratic governments. He was a whirling dynamo with lots of energy and scholars believe that he was not lazy. He is probably one of the most written-about individuals in history.
Napoleon utilized authoritarian strategies to attain liberal ends. Religious liberty and freedom of expression were curtailed. Nevertheless, the fact that Napoleon managed to replace the chaotic legal and political patchwork of Europe with rationalism and uniformity was a benevolent and civilizing act which made him a hero (Kaplan 46). Despite Napoleon was ruthless, he possessed a surprising streak of magnanimity. Napoleon believed in the significance of lack and he often referred to it as "the goddess fortune." Sometimes, Napoleon's martial arts failed him and some scholars believe that his understanding and knowledge of naval affairs and strategies were dismal. As a result of his tactical errors, he deserved to lose the battle in Waterloo. Furthermore, his campaigns cost the lives of millions of his soldiers. For instance, when he invaded Russia, hundreds of thousands of French soldiers were killed and their corpses were strewn across the blood-soaked winter landscape.
Napoleon's first military victory was at the siege of Toulon w...