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What positive achievements did Napoleon have other than the Code Napoleon and liberating Poland? His negative aspects - bringing death, ruin, and misery to millions via war - are well known, but what were his positive aspects?
What positive achievements did Napoleon have other than the Code Napoleon and liberating Poland? His negative aspects - bringing death, ruin, and misery to millions via war - are well known, but what were his positive aspects?
The Code Napoleon was the primary justification for the expansionist military actions, it was supposed to be France exporting the values of the revolution even if there was still a strongman at the top calling the shots. One may also argue, as did the French at that time, that tom protect their revolution it was necessary to spread it. That was not just justification for expansion, the Europeans powers did indeed very much wish to see Napoleon toppled and the French monarchy restored, they were a threat.
The Napoleonic Codes did away with royal privilege, did away with religious monopolies, and in theory was to be a meritocracy where one's abilities counted for more than one's birth. The main idea was to finally overthrow all of the last traces of feudal stagnation.
I would not blame all of the warfare on Napoleon alone. There were two sides, the progressives and the royalists, with irreconcilable views on how the affairs of nation should be ordered. The conflict was about which of those views would prevail.
Spent so much waging war that he was forced to sell his holdings in the US. The Louisiana Purchase changed history here in America.
Imagine the state of affairs now if that had not occurred......
What positive achievements did Napoleon have other than the Code Napoleon and liberating Poland? His negative aspects - bringing death, ruin, and misery to millions via war - are well known, but what were his positive aspects?
Napoleon founded France's "Grandes Ecoles" modern style polytechnic universities to train engineers, technicians, administrators and other specialists such as doctors.
He also created the modern mass army using conscription, redrew the administrative map of France (creating the Departments), rebuilt the city of Paris to make it a proper Capital of the World he wanted to create.
He freed the Jews from the ghettos. They were free to participate in society in a much greater way. Napoleon wanted them treated equally with other religions. Here is a good article:
His negative aspects - bringing death, ruin, and misery to millions via war - are well known, but what were his positive aspects?
Napoleon was not Attila. The countries that were opposed to him were autocratic regimes that hated the ideals of the French Rebolution and wanted a fellow monarchy back in France.
Napoleon shook up Western Europe in a way it needed to be shaken up for it to enter the modern era. In his campaigns he finally put an end to the barely surviving, middle age patchwork of territories known as the Holy Roman Empire, further weakened the Spanish Empire and basically wiped the political remains of the middle ages and early modern era off the map of Europe. While the victorious powers tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together again in the Congress of Vienna, this only lasted a few decades and because political entities like the Spanish Empire and Holy Roman Empire were weakened or destroyed, that paved the way for the creation of the modern Nations of Germany and Italy 50-70 years later and thus a modern, nation state political structure Western and Central Europe.
Back in my formative years, high school, and most of college, I still clung
to the notion that Napoleon was not evil.
The more I've come to understand the truth, the more evil I see in him.
Back in my formative years, high school, and most of college, I still clung
to the notion that Napoleon was not evil.
The more I've come to understand the truth, the more evil I see in him.
"Usher in the rally cries
Revolution's here again
The emperor's bond's are broken
And free he shall remain
Escape, though narrow, was demand
While his reign remained in view
This fight for France, Till bitter end
He must see it through
Coalition forms of many lands
Against Napoleon, west to east
Dogs of war will take to arms
And soon will be unleashed
Prussian, Russian, and Austrian
All follow British lead
At allies' helm is Wellington
Who must make his foe concede
-
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be force to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
And you will see your hundred days
Come to an end
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
It lies before you, fate shall befall you
-
Quickly, the allies gather force
Near the Franco-Belgian line
While 124,000 French
March there in double time
As the battle begins
Napoleon springs his audacious plan
He'll attack them on two fronts
Splitting up his warring band
As the Prussians sound retreat
Behind they leave 12,000 slain
Most of their force is still in tact
And will live to fight again
Wellington, Who felt the loss of 5,000 men
Would feel more under cannon fire
Bombardment from the French
-
Of all the wars I have waged
To propel my nations might
For this I'll be remembered
From now 'till the end of time
If to the victor go the spoils
I may die an impoverished man
For in the end, Irony
Has dealt the cruelest hand
The French Force was swift and sure
but their attack would be repelled.
And though their center battered
the Anglo-Dutch line would be held.
As fate or skill would have it
an army moves in from the east.
The Prussians who slipped out of his hands
would soon spell his defeat.
The French lines now are broken
and being open to attack.
The Emperor has no choice
and the Old Guard pulls him back
There were 45,000 wounded or dead
when the fight was finally through
On a three mile square battlefield
at a town named Waterloo"
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