Napoleon: Who Had the First "Short Man's Complex"

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the town of Ajaicco on August 15, 1969. He was the second of eight children in his family. Napoleon Bonaparte went to a religious school in mainland France to learn French, and then was enrolled into a military school. From an early age he was taught about war, and how to become a military leader. During the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte became a military and political leader and created a powerful legal reform called the Napoleonic Code. Between 1804 and 1815, he was the Emperor of the French but is most famous for his lead in the wars against France called the Napoleonic Wars. His war success made him disliked by many, but he is known to be one of the best military leaders of all time. After many wars and battles he was captured and sent into exile to Elba. After escaping from exile, he returned to his noble spot of honor but soon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. Although he was said to die of stomach cancer on May 5 1821, it has been argued that he would have been a victim of arsenic poisoning.

Questions

a) What was it like to live in France when your person did? What was it like socially and politically? How did the time period affect your person and how did they in turn affect everyone else?

Well, during Napoleon's life in France, prior to his exile I would like to imagine everything is as it is portrayed in The Count of Monte Cristo. However, I don't believe that's the case. France was in a state of extremes, there existed two main castes in society, the extremely wealthy, and the extravagantly impoverished. The arts were extremely popular in Europe, and it was what is sometimes referred to as the "Chivalrous Age." Socially, I kind of just explained the whole chivalry, dueling, arts-participating, extravagance of it, politically, Napoleon is the essence of politics for his era. He rose through his ranks in the military and finally became emperor, though he did not strike a very gallant figure unless standing on a box. That is before he was exiled to the Isle of Elba, after which the kingship/kingdom (whichever the word is) was reinstated, wait for it.... until Napoleon came back and reattempted a revolution. Politics truly became a bit of a turmoil during these years of uncertainty, with many loyalist factions forming between the crown and the emperor. He clearly had a huge affect on the country, he ruled as a self proclaimed emperor for life, and as an almost military dictator. He ruled severely, but from the research I've done seemed well liked and to have ruled very justly.

b) Name a few ways that your person changed history. How did his or her thoughts and actions affect the way people thought 50 or 100 years later? Elaborate.

One of Napoleon's biggest legacies is Bonapartism In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. The term can refer to people who restored the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte including Napoleon's Corsican family and his nephew Louis. Napoleon left a Bonapartist dynasty which ruled France again; Louis became Napoleon III, Emperor of the Second French Empire and was the first President of France. In a wider sense, Bonapartism refers to a broad centrist or center-right political movement that advocates the idea of a strong and centralized state, based on populism. Another large impact was the negative impact Napoleon left on the economy, for the next generation or two France was largely bankrupt and in debt and it's economy was in a depression.

c) Using the French skills that you have, write one paragraph in French from your person's perspective.

Je m'appelle Napoleon Bonaparte. Je suis tres petit. C'est vrai. Je veux etre grand, mais je ne peux pas cultiver. C'est tres triste :((((((((. Je ne sais pas faire avec moi. m'aider s'il vous plait!!!!@!@!@#!@#@#!@#!@#