Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the most important leaders in the history of the world, started his struggle as a simple soldier, rose rapidly thanks to his military genius, conquered most of Europe and became an emperor. Let’s take a closer look at who is Napoleon Bonaparte and see his role on the stage of history.
When we look at the history of the world and the universe, a few thousand years of human history remains child’s play, but unfortunately, we have plenty of heroes because we fought a lot in this short time. Napoleon Bonaparte is one of them. Napoleon Bonaparte managed to get his name written in golden letters in world political history. He is considered among the most famous European leaders.
What makes the name Napoleon Bonaparte so important is that he started out as a simple soldier, rose rapidly in his struggle, and became an emperor who conquered almost all of Europe thanks to his military genius. Even if what they do is controversial, it is important to know how important it is. Who is Napoleon Bonaparte Let’s take a closer look at the question and see its role on the stage of history.
Who is Napoleon? Son of an ordinary Corsican family:
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on 15 August 1769 in Corsica, a Mediterranean island of France. Napoleon, whose father was a lawyer, was the second of eight children in the family. When Napoleon was born, the island of Corsica had been bought from Italy by the French just a year ago. This is why Although the Bonaparte family were nobles of the island, Nor were they wealthy, so they were considered provincial in mainland France.
Napoleon, one of the lucky children of the family, was enrolled by his father in a school in the French mainland, where he After learning French, he enrolled in the military academy. He graduated from the academy and joined the artillery regiment as a first lieutenant. For some unknown reason, he took frequent leave during his early years of service and spent a long time in his hometown of Corsica.
Napoleon was not there during the French Revolution:
With the French Revolution in 1789, the monarchy was overthrown and a republic was declared in its place. Napoleon was a member of the Jacobins, a pro-democracy group at this time. and he spent most of his time on leave in his hometown of Corsica. After the conflicts on the island, the Bonaparte family had to flee to the French mainland.
From this point on, things get interesting. Napoleon Bonaparte was closely associated with Augustin Robespierre, brother of the Jacobin revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre, and He was fighting against the revolutionaries. Thanks to his work, he became a brigadier general. After Robespierre’s execution, Napoleon was sentenced to house arrest. He became major general when he played a key role in suppressing a royalist revolt. He was a man who rose to power step by step.
Napoleon becomes a great commander:
At that time, France was both fighting against the opponents of the revolution and at the same time was at odds with other states. Not long after, in 1796 France began warring with Austria. The commander of the French was Napoleon Bonaparte. At the end of the war, the treaty was concluded in favor of France and a large land was gained.
It was at this time that the idea of invading England arose. Napoleon said they weren’t strong enough yet, but Egypt was attacked to cut off British power. The French were flattened by the British at the Battle of the Nile in 1798, although they had a small victory.
Napoleon Bonaparte, who did not want to be idle while he was there, He occupied Syria, which was Ottoman territory at that time. But at the same time, political instability prevailed in France. Thereupon, Napoleon left his army in Egypt and returned to France.
Napoleon Bonaparte finally comes to French power:
After Napoleon Bonaparte returned from Egypt, 18 Brumaire coup was carried out in France and the new order was established. Napoleon was elected consul. The defeat of the Austrians after this change strengthened Napoleon’s hand. After the peace treaty signed with the British in 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte became stronger.
In 1804 the consulate became an empire and Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned emperor. Napoleon, who made many innovations during this period, sold the French territory of Louisiana in America. Although still weak against England, he achieved important victories against the Australians and Russians.
Napoleon Bonaparte achieved important victories in wars against other states. Expanding France’s territory on the other hand, it was consolidating its power within the country. He re-established the aristocracy that had been destroyed by the French Revolution and distributed noble titles to his friends and family.
Things started to go wrong:
In the summer of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte set his sights on Russia and advanced into the country with a large army. But things did not go well and The French army of 600 thousand people left Russia as 100 thousand people. In the Peninsula War that followed, the Spanish and Portuguese, supported by the British, inflicted great losses on the French.
In the War of the Nations in 1813, an army of Austrian, Prussian, Russian and Swedish troops flattened the French and After the Battle of Leipzig in 1814, the union captured Paris. Forced to abdicate, Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of Elba.
Napoleon wanted to make one last move:
Fleeing the island of Elba after a year’s exile, Napoleon Bonaparte entered Paris with a small group of a thousand men. When a large crowd greeted him king XVIII. Louis had to flee and Napoleon became emperor again.
Of course, when the news came that Napoleon Bonaparte was back in the city, the unit that hated him deeply regrouped. invader of Belgium The French faced the Prussians in Brussels. When the British-backed Prussian army defeated the French, Napoleon Bonaparte was forced to abdicate again on 22 June 1815.
The great commander Napoleon Bonaparte died a modest man:
Napoleon Bonaparte, who abdicated for the last time, was exiled to the British-controlled island of Saint Helena. On May 5, 1821, at the age of 51, it is not certain, but probably He also died of stomach cancer. Napoleon Bonaparte’s ashes were brought to France in 1840 and buried at the Les Invalides monument in a ceremony attended by millions of people.
Why is Napoleon Bonaparte important?
Although they were shouting democracy, the French also needed a leader in their hearts. That leader was Napoleon Bonaparte. During his time in power, Napoleon developed the French by making important reforms in law, education, banking, religion and many more. Strengthening the army, defying other countries, expanding the country’s territory made him a real hero in the eyes of the people.
So what happens to the Napoleon complex?
Napoleon Bonaparte is only 1.68 meters tall, considered short for a man He had a paint. This situation of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was thought to make up for this deficiency by improving himself in other subjects because he was a short man, was recorded in the literature as the Napoleon complex and became used for short but successful people. Considering that many people who do important work in the world are short, we can say that it is a logical concept.
One of the most important figures in world history Who is the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte We talked about his role on the stage of history by answering the question. The biggest problem with great leaders is that they are eventually defeated, leaving a huge wreckage behind. Therefore, raising strong societies, not strong leaders, should be the main goal.