Tired of the Tyrant

   In class this week we learned about Napoleon. We watched a video about him and took notes on all the places he took over. Then we read two peoples view on Napoleon. These people were Madame de Staël, a writer who opposed Napoleon, and Marshall Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's officers. We also looked at a series of statements about Napoleon and decided whether it relates to the world or France. Using all these sources we could answer the question, "What was Napoleon's impact on the social, economic, and political systems of Europe?”

         Many people believed that Napoleon was a great military leader, they even go as far as to say that he was a genius. Others say that Napoleon was a tyrant and they hated him. Napoleon did many good things to France but also some bad things. Napoleon's economic impact was positive for France. The French control trade routes and the roads and canals are good economy boosters. Also, Napoleon looted money from Italy which improved Frances economy. The people who respected Napoleon's positive economic changes and support Napoleon, like P.C. Headley, said "Napoleon was great -- intellectually towering above the princes and monarchs of many generations." He believed that Napoleon was greater and stronger than any monarch in the past. Napoleon also made positive changes to the political system in France.He overthrew the directory, which was disliked by the French. Marshal Michel Ney said, “ the times are gone when the people were governed by suppressing their rights.” The directory was the government in France which Napoleon got rid of because the people disliked it. Napoleon also had a positive effect on the social system of France. Napoleon’s rule gave people more rights to property and education. He created a system of meritocracy, which rewarded people by their skills not their social class. As much as Napoleon contributed positively to French society, he did make some negative impacts as well. According to Madame de Stael, “virtue, dignity, religion, enthusiasm; in his eyes they are the ‘eternal enemies of the continent’”. She doesn’t believe that Napoleon has any moral values. She sees him as a ruthless tyrant.

Many of the historians that were mentioned in the Lost Voices of Napoleon article believed that Napoleon was both good and bad for France. I agree with them. Ida M Tarbell said, ‘“yet he lacked the crown of greatness -- that high wisdom born of reflection and introspection which knows its own powers and limitations, and never abuses them; that fine sense of proportion which holds the rights of others in the same solemn reverence which it demands for its own."’ She believed that Napoleon was one of the greatest military leaders ever, but he was a tyrant. Napoleon had a big effect on France.