Effective Military Leadership (Napoleon)

Napoleonic Legend

Napoleon was the man who brought stability and unity back to France and was an enlightened ruler anxious to being lasting reforms beneficial to the French people and to consolidate the gains of the revolution

Successful due to power

Successful due to noble aims

Successful due to persistence and the ability to "make things happen"

Successful due to cleverness/manipulation

Successful due to effective political authority

Won respect from the regime given his response to the Vendemiaire rising

Successful due to chance

Born into wealthy family

Son of a noble

Won a place in preparatory school and then as an artillery officer

Led to him being given the chance to command the forces in Italy in 1796

Began to make peace in Austria without authority from the French Government

Presented with an agreement that was "too good to resist"

1797 - sent his generals to help to purge the assembly of royalists (who opposed him)

1797 use of army against the royalists helped to improve the political position of the army

Ambitions allowed him to travel to Egypt

Several victories while in Egypt

Abbe Sieyes and other politicians were looking for a general to help lead troops against the Second Coalation

Napoleon made up one legislative body of the Coup of Brumaire

Led to a rewritten constitution

Work in Egypt provided him with numerous unexpected opportunities, namely working with Sieyes

France's political and social position was struggling greatly at the time, the country was desperate

Worked with Sieyes to give the impression that the coup was secure to maintain his military and political status

Napoleon sought political authority and control - wanted dictatorship

Gained popular support due greatly to his aims for France's political body - seemed to abolish monarchy

Made himself first consul - control over second and third consuls would grant him complete power

Did not want the legislature to have a dominant place in the Constitution

Seemingly noble but does suggest that he did not want to be held accountable

Sought effective political power in France

Worked with the Church to come to agreements for over a year - dedication to his cause

Control led him to make decisions which impacted the societal experience within France

Electoral system was based on tax liability

Napoleon made himself emperor in 1804

Achieved control by following 'senatus consultum' methods to issue decrees, he was able to ensure that all changes were followed through to his satisfaction

Ultimately he was the head of the consuls, the legislative process and the executive

Established dictatorship that favoured others frequently, for example, with popular sovereignity

Added extra 'yes' votes to the column for the use of an army

Sought ways to make his rule seem less oppositional

Published the Civil Code

All of these elements which made Napoleon an effective leader seem to have largely contributed to his ability to lead a military and therefore provide effective militia within France during the Revolution

May be argued to not be very noble as it favoured the upper class and was likely to harm lower class workers

Focused greatly on education

Napoleon implemented various secondary educational schools as well as the Imperial University

Victories in 1802 greatly improved the financial situation of France in 1802

Was able to handle the oppositional parties (Jacobins, Royalists, Tribnate, etc.)

His means of handling this were often violent and resulted in raids, formation of new policies and other means

Was able to use assassination plot to his advantage to deport Jacobin activists

Did not believe in freedom of the press - dictorial

"The truth is not half so important as what people think to be true"