13 Facts About Napoleon Bonaparte You Should Know
His influence expanded all throughout Europe. Some say perhaps the entire world. However, most people don’t know much about Napoleon. In this article we will try to unravel many of the myths and mysteries about this historic figure.
The Colossus of the Nineteenth Century
Not since Joan of Arc has there been a greater champion of French cultural nationalism than Napoleon Bonaparte. He accomplished this by justifying French expansionism and military campaigns through the ideals of “liberty, equality and fraternity,” which the French Revolution espoused. He rationalized his actions by claiming France had the right to spread these enlightened paragons across Europe. Principles he betrayed by becoming an emperor and dictator.
Notwithstanding his tyranny and insatiable appetite for conquest, he brought about wide-reaching social, economic, and political changes throughout Europe and perhaps the world. He managed this by giving the common people the rights they deserved, meanwhile pushing the nobility out of power. Napoleon granted the commoner the right to private property, a privilege reserved to the aristocracy. He also guaranteed the…
