Napoleon Bonaparte and French Revolution

50 years before 1789, France was a wealth country than any another country in the Europe continent under the rule of Bourbon King Louis XVI. It was a country which surrounded by the royalist and landowner. The economic growth in France mirrored its wealthy and symbolized by the glittering of Versailles palace. The King and the beautiful Queen Marie Antoinette plus the royalist enjoyed their position and extravagance despite of suffering burdened by the peasants and commoners. It is a miserable historical fact that the French in the 18th century were suffered unjust wealth distribution. They were imposed with high taxes. On the other way round, the landowner and the noble were enjoyed special privileged that was the exception from paying tax. Malnutrition and unemployment, disease and death were dramatic events which surrounded the life of the French. But in 1789 when the American Revolution exploded, France was doomed by debts due to its support to the War of Independent in America.

Accidently, Ideas of Enlightenment was emerged. People like Thomas Jefferson in America, Maximilien Robespierre in France and Jean Jacques Rousseau successfully reached to the hearing of the French which made the French Revolution became greater.



Robespierre shouted out to the French by bringing up the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Momentarily, the special privilege held by the noble and unjust provision of wealth onto the commoners by the royalists that remain untouched before was brought before the eyes of French, switched the peaceful moment to chaotic scenario. Napoleon was influenced by the ideas of Robespierre. Undeniable, Napoleon was a gorgeous and intelligent man because he was capable to find his bright prospects and key for future destiny. He found the way by sided the leftist because it was they who became the strongest. Napoleon tried to establish a good links with people who had the powers.

The French was really cried for liberty, equality and fraternity. As a result, the Third- Estate, a lower group constituted in General Assembly formed National Assembly and asked King XVI to produce the Constitution.

This made the absolute right of the King and comfort privilege of the nobles and clergy challenged. The spirit of revolution momentarily reached Napoleon. At that time he was serving the army in Paris. He welcomed the changes transforming the country.

In 1792, the King was dethroned. In January 1793, King Louis XVI and the Queen Marie Antoinette were executed to the guillotine.
The institution of absolute monarchy shortly collapsed and replaced with French Republic. The new regime was led by Robespierre.

At the time Robespierre rose, Napoleon wrote a supporting letter to Robespierre and expressed his hate towards the terror and chaos. In July 1794, Robespierre was brought before the guillotine to be executed. The Terror was over and France was reborn with new Constitutional government in August 22, 1795. By the born of Constitutional government in France, forces from Austria, Spain, Prussia and Great Britain were bent on destroying the new government. But France successfully defeated.
Bonaparte made himself the head of a provisional Italian government. Those who resisted his rule were shot. His soldiers sacked towns and burned villages. The greatest treasures of Italian art were looted from palaces and shipped to Paris. Italians quickly turned against Napoleon and the ideals of Revolution he professed.

Bonaparte’s successful campaign in Italy convinced him that he was destined to be a great leader.
He personally negotiated the Treaty of Campo Formio with the defeated Austrians, bringing vast new territories under French control.

The people of Paris welcomed their returning hero. They looked to Bonaparte to end the political chaos into which the Revolution had descended once again.

"What I have done up to now is nothing," he said privately. "I am only at the beginning of the course I must run... I can no longer obey; I have tasted command, and I cannot give it up." (4)

This quotation brought Napoleon's desire to Egypt. "My glory is declining. This little corner of Europe is too small to supply it. We must go East. All the great men of the world have there acquired their celebrity." -Napoleon Bonaparte. (5)

In 1798, Napoleon sailed to Egypt. Unfortunately, the mission was a curse to his army when the Navy Army led by Lord Nelson met with failure despite of gaining a victory on the land of Egypt.

In 1799, Napoleon took part in a coup with Albe Sieyes to overthrow the Constitution. The coup completed and a new ruling institution known as ‘Consulate’ was born with Napoleon as the First Consul appointed by himself through secured election by enacted Constitution of the Year VIII.

As the year 1800 began, Napoleon at the age of 30 was the most powerful man in France.

Within three years of coming to power, Bonaparte completely reorganized France. He set in place a strong, centralized government with a tightly structured bureaucracy. He built new parks, bridges and quays along the Seine, as well as canals, reservoirs, and roads. He founded the Bank of France, which assured French businessmen credit at a reasonable rate. Slowly the economy revived, and prosperity returned to France. All of Europe was in awe.

In 10 September 1801, Bonaparte signed an agreement with the Papacy, the Concordat in order to re-establish good relations with the Church. The agreement made Catholicism as the official religion of France. Napoleon gained everything he desired in the Concordat. He appointed the bishops and archbishops of the French Church, and all bishops had to swear an oath of fidelity to the French Republic.

In 1802, Napoleon used a referendum asking for approval for appointment as Consul for Life.

1803, Napoleon drafted a new law codes, The Civil Code. The law institutionalized equality and guaranteed the abolition of feudalism.


Napoleon applied the Code of Napoleon beyond France. The code mirrored the idea of France Revolution. Special right based on origin and birth was nothing to do. Basically, the law was organized systematically and easy to be understood. As a result, the law was applied not only in France, but also in other states under his power such as Holland and Westphalia.

He forced the nations he had conquered to accept the new laws he had created for France, undermining the centuries-old foundations of European civilization. The monarchs of Europe arrayed their armies against Bonaparte. But time and time again, Austrian, Russian, and Prussian troops were defeated by the citizen-soldiers of the French Republic.

Bonaparte felt that he embodied the spirit of the Revolution through his rule. But had no patience with those who demanded greater liberty. He crushed those who spoke out against him, making a sham of parliament and free elections.

By late 1803, Bonaparte wanted a crown. He made himself Emperor of France (6) despite of ten years back, the Emperor of France, Louis XVI was beheaded.

As he walked to the throne that awaited him, his brothers supported his mantle. He would soon grant them each kingdom over their own. Joseph became King of Naples and Spain, Louis was named King of Holland and Jerome named King of Westphalia. He created the Confederation of the Rhine, consolidating the fractured German kingdoms, annexed Holland and Rome, and founded the Grand Duchy of Warsaw in Poland. Soon Napoleon’s empire would bring 70 million Europeans under his rule.

His mission to invade Russia followed with his on downfall in 1812. He sent his Grand Army entered Russia. His army diminished before the major campaign against Russia started. In September, Napoleon arrived in Moscow. Unfortunately, Russian army destroyed the country. 5 week later, Napoleon decided to abandon Moscow but it was too late. His army faced a big disaster war with Russia. Only 40, 000 out of 600, 000 managed to struggle back to Poland in January 1813. This military disaster then led to a war of liberation all over Europe, culminating in Napoleon’s defeat in April 1814. Austria and Prussia sent their army to battle with Napoleon’s army in Leipzig and Napoleon bored in the island of Elba.

In 1815, Napoleon escaped from Elba Island and returned to France. He gained his power back but other European country strike to overthrow Napoleon from the throne. Napoleon met with failure in The Battle of Waterloo. (7)


He was jailed in St. Helena and died in 1821.