Saturday 29 October 2011

Was Napoleon for or against the French Revolution? Thanks

You could
argue this both ways.

Napoleon was clearly a part of the French Revolution. 
He participated in the Revolution and was an ardent Jacobin.  He is also known for having
defended the new government against conservative rebels in the battle in Paris on 13
Vendemairie.  So, in this sense, he was clearly a supporter of the Revolution.


However, you can argue that he was not, in the end, a supporter of the values of the
Revolution.  Napoleon did not, after all, bring about a system of "liberty, equality, and
fraternity."  He did not create a democratic system once he was in power.  Instead, he
created another monarchy with himself at its head.  In this way, he did not really support the
Revolution.

Overall, then, it depends on what it means (to you) for someone
to be "for" or "against" the Revolution.

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