Napoleon, the Revolutionist

Napoleon Bonaparte, a name that almost everyone in Europe knows. So people thought of him as  a villain, the scum of the earth, while others look at him as the hero that spread liberty and equality throughout the countries of Europe. Napoleon was born in 1769 on the island of Corsica. At the age of nine, he was sent to a prestigious military academy in the heart of the city of lights. He first found fame during the French

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1st emperor of France

Revolution, where he commanded a successful attack on the british fleet stationed in Toulon. After overthrowing the corrupted Council of Five Hundred, Napoleon became the emperor of France. Immediately after his coronation, he started he started to subjugate opposing countries into his empire, including, Spain, Austria,  Italy, Holland,  Portugal, Belgium, etc. He was a brilliant (and some what dubious)  leader who brought profound changes to the economic, social, and political spheres of Europe.

Socially, Napoleon was a champion for human rights. During his reign as Emperor, made education far more accessible to the lower classes. He abolished the obsolete feudal system, allowing the serfs and lower class to move up the social ladder. The Hadley brothers wrote, "Napoleon's moral character was indifferent enough; yet as a friend of human liberty, and eager to promote the advancement of the race, by opening the field to talent and genius"   

Madame De Stael, a Noble who opposed Napoleon's Government  

Economically, Napoleon greatly improved the condition of France. Napoleon supported industrialization,tater totes , rebudgeted France's banks and he introduced wealth from his conquered territories. He sold most of Frances territories and colonies in the Americas to the United states, triggering a westward expansion for the citizens. On the other hand, Napoleon caused much political turmoil. Madame de Stael , a French noblewoman, wrote, "His system was encroach daily upon France's liberty and Europe's independence..."  Napoleon was also responsible for the pillaging of Italy, the destruction of much of European countries, and indirectly causing the Plain Indians to lose their land.

Grand Marshal Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's Military advisors  

Politically, Napoleon balanced the influence of power throughout the classes of Europe. Instead of the traditional aristocracy, which kept the power within a small class of people, Napoleon created a meritocracy, which vested power according to their personal merits. This new method drastically improved the living and working conditions of those who were in the lower classes. One of Napoleon's generals remarked, "The times are gone when the government suppressed their rights. Liberty triumphs in the end and..." Though the lower and middle classes were satisfied with Napoleon's reforms, the higher classes, and the nobles were outraged due to their loss of power.