napoleon about establishing a dynasty

• Napoleon’s proclamation of himself as Emperor was not a terrible retrograde step from the Revolution as it might appear at first
  • The attitude of various Revolutionaries towards executive power was always unclear
  • There was a widespread sentiment among French elites to seek an ordered solution to political power after the Terror
  • There were several other French generals various factions were courting for a coup
  • Napoleon’s own elevation to Emperor carried with it several important facets that made quite different than his fellow imperial monarchs like Alexander I or Francis I
    • First off, Napoleon’s title, Emperor of the French carried with it specific, secular connotations and that the title’s legitimacy stemmed from the national principle
    • Second, although the Napoleonic regime borrowed many of the trappings of the ancient regime’s monarchical style, Napoleon used tradition to sanctify the new regime, not symbolize the return of the old one
• Napoleon really did implement and modify elements of Revolutionary government and political thought into the fabric of the First Empire
  • The ideal of an Enlightenment-inspired order and a rational and secular state administration had great currency during the Revolution and found fuller expression within the Empire
  • Napoleon’s erection of client kingdoms instead of republics was cut from much of the same cloth as his republican predecessors
    • Although the Napoleonic regime jettisoned much of the rhetoric surrounding republican freedom, the content of French policy remained much the same
• Napoleon could not ignore the various political ideals and concepts the Revolution unleashed in 1789 despite his pretenses of being a figure above politics.

• Napoleon was able to dominate Europe militarily, controlling Spain, Holland, all of Italy, most of Germany, and France until 1813
  • Seven wars of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era
  • Corps system was key to Napoleon’s success
    • Divided army into small self-sufficient groups
    • Ability to fight independently until other corps could join
  • Flexible command structure
    • Efficient staff system under Berthier
    • Promotion based on merit/talent
  • Invested in logistics, military engineering, and speed
    • Used less well-known routes
    • Heavy investment in map making
    • Utilized semaphore telegraphs
    • Living off land to move quickly
  • Epic History TV has a series on Napoleon’s Campaigns None

• Napoleon seized power after the French Revolution and was crowned Emperor of France.
  • This seems to have generally had popular support from the French people.
• Despite being an absolute monarchy, numerous ideals of the French Revolution persisted, which were spread during the Napoleonic Wars.
  • The spread of French Revolutionary ideals and concepts is described as the greatest codification of laws since the fall of Rome.
• The French people reconciled the ideals they’d developed during the French Revolution with a form of government that stood in direct contradiction to the Revolution’s republicanism.
• It’s incorrect to call the French Revolution “supremely popular” - it was far more accidental and bloody than the product of deeply held sentiments.
  • The execution of Louis XVI was a matter of deep ambivalence, and there were bloody revolts.
  • By the time of Napoleon’s rise, there were still a few revolutionary spirits still in or near power, but they had long since compromised revolutionary zeal with the ambition to keep their heads attached to their necks.
• Napoleon’s French Empire was not a continuation of the French Royal state.
  • The nobility had been minimized, local political power belonged to the bureaucracy which Napoleon reorganized according to his plan.
• The Napoleonic Imperial state was qualitatively distinct from that of the Bourbons.
  • Napoleon was “Emperor of the French,” people, and the Bourbons had been “Kings of France,” the State.
  • Napoleon claimed a personal and national legitimacy, not a patrimony.
• Napoleon was an autocrat and a monarch, but cut from a very different cloth than the kings of France.
  • He claimed the Napoleon’s rule was distinct because he earned his elevated station by service to the nation, while a King merely inherits his.
  • He chose the honeybee as the symbol of his monarchy, which represented “they work” and other reasons.
• Napoleon made it clear that he was separate from the Bourbons.
  • He said that “a man who inherits the throne is shaved by a servant, a man who makes himself Emperor shaves himself.”

• Napoleon’s rule is thought to have moderated the revolution rather than ended it
  • Napoleonic Code is based on equality under the law
  • Three plebiscites legitimized Napoleon’s rule
• People supported Napoleon because they were tired of upheaval and extremism
• Napoleon’s domestic and foreign policy initiatives were in keeping with prior precedents established during the Revolution
  • Napoleon’s nobility was a service nobility earned through service to France, allowing for social mobility
  • Napoleon erected client kingdoms instead of republics, based on prior French Revolutionary governments’ practices
  • Napoleon’s proclamation of himself as emperor was not a terrible retrograde step from the Revolution
• Napoleon did reinstitute censorship, with Napoleon’s censorship laws being among the stricter in Europe at the time with bans on all newspapers except for officially privileged ones

• Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to Create a “new France”, and expanded his influence through war.
  • Had a thirst for power, wanted to conquer all of Europe.
  • Failed to conquer Russia, which led to unnecessary loss of lives.
  • His handling of the Spanish rebellion was harsh.
• Napoleon was viewed as a hero by many, as he achieved peace in France during the revolutionary wars.
  • He created a new aristocracy of merit.
  • Napolean’s military aims were not to conquer Europe, instead he only annexed territories that were part of Greater France.
  • Two nations that refused to accept Napoleon’s claim were Britain and Portugal, making it difficult for him to invade Britain.
  • Napoleon’s weakness was seeing most problems through a military lens.
• Napoleon was known for his campaigns and as one of the greatest battlefield generals ever.
• While George Washington was a great statesman, he was not considered a great general.
• None

💭  Looking into

What other successful revolutionaries underwent a similar authoritarian about-face?

💭  Looking into

How did the chaos of the French Revolution influence Napoleon's decision to establish a dynasty?

💭  Looking into

What evidence is there that Napoleon was an autocrat at heart?

💭  Looking into

What measures did Napoleon take to prove his legitimacy towards other European monarchs?

💭  Looking into

What evidence is there that Napoleon's desire to establish a dynasty was driven by ego?

• The Napoleonic Code was Napoleon’s greatest contribution
  • The Civil Code was a republican endeavor
• Napoleon was an usurper but he established a powerful dynasty that is well connected with all the ancient dynasties of Europe
• Napoleon achieved more alone in less than 20 years than most whole dynasties did in 200
• Philip II Augustus still trumps him
• Napoleon’s gains were reversed in his lifetime and France was weaker after him than before him
• The Napoleonic dynasty failed to install a consistent ruling dynasty
  • Napoleon II never ruled, and Napoleon III failed to install a dynasty
  • As monarchs, they failed
• Napoleon was a great conqueror but he sucked at being the head of the French empire

• Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to establish his own dynasty despite having gotten rid of France’s monarch
  • Was it ego or an attempt to prove his legitimacy towards other European monarchs?
  • He did not believe in the Republic and was an autocrat at heart
  • He saw himself as the man for strong leadership
  • The chaos of the Revolution convinced him further of the need for strong leadership
  • Succession is a very delicate subject when the office holds supreme power
    • Having a designated successor reduces the risk of civil war and confers legitimacy on the successor
  • He pressed through a lot of the ideas of the Revolution, but not Republicanism.
  • Other successful revolutionaries underwent similar authoritarian about-faces.
  • Napoleon likely considered himself much better suited to the job of leading France than anyone else.
  • He defeated the chaos of the Revolution with his own blood-soaked hands, which only helped convince him further of the need for ‘strong leadership’
  • The Revolution failed to establish a republic.
  • Having a designated successor reassures people of continuity with the old regime and confers legitimacy on the successor.
• None

• Napoleon Dynasty establishment
  • Bonaparte dynasty ruling France twice
  • More Bonapartes than Bourbons to maintain the struggle
  • No one’s history has been written by so many different hands, no one’s history read by so many eyes as the Corsican Soldier’s
  • A power higher than fortune guides the destinies of the Bonaparte family.
• Publisher information
  • Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books
  • The book is a reproduction of an important historical work
  • Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work
  • In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition.
• None.

• Napoleon’s Desire to Establish a Dynasty
  • Napoleon aimed to establish a dynasty to secure his reign
  • He wanted his son to continue his legacy and rule France after him
  • After his son’s death, he considered his relatives to inherit the throne
  • His focus on establishing a dynasty contributed to his downfall
• The Bonaparte Family
  • The book, “The Napoleon Dynasty: Or, the History of the Bonaparte Family,” provides information about Napoleon’s family
  • Written by Charles Edwards Lester and Edwin Williams in 1856
  • The book contains 624 pages and reviews aren’t verified
• None

• Napoleon’s birth name was Bonaparte, but he changed it later in his life to better fit into French nobility and society.
  • It would make sense for him to keep his birth name for Italy, which is why his dynasty is not referred to as “Bonaparte” on certain maps.
  • Instead, on the map, his dynasty is referred to as Borghese, which is a noble Sienese family.
  • However, another user claimed that the name Napoleone do Buonaparte should be used instead.
• There is debate among the users on the webpage on what name or dynasty should be used, with some suggesting that it is a historical touch added by the game developers.

💭  Looking into

What is the best way for Napoleon to establish a dynasty?