A Historical Analysis of Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte, born Napoleone Buonaparte, was born on August 15, 1769 on the island of Corsica shortly after the island's cession to France by the Genoese. He identified himself as a Corsican, even after its takeover by the French, and spoke a dialect of Italian. One unusual physical attribute of Napoleon's was his height: he is believed to have been extremely short, around 5'2". Some say that he was mocked by classmates and friends for being short. In fact, he was 5'2" by French standards, which equates to 5'6" by English standards. For a man in the 18^th century, this was a respectable height. But, the misconception of him being short must have been exacerbated by the fact that he hired only tall men for his imperial guard, which he surrounded himself with at all times. He wore high boots in order to lessen the height difference. Though slightly attractive, Napoleon suffered from scabies, which left his face covered with reeking sores. Napoleon died of stomach cancer, like his father, on May 5, 1821 at 51 years of age. He died after being exiled on the island of St. Helena for six years. Many believe in conspiracy theories in which Napoleon was poisoned.

Napoleon was born into a gentry family, low-profile, aristocrats who were not entirely rich. He was educated at a French military academy after winning a scholarship at age 14. He attended Autun for a brief period of time, the Military College of Brienne for five years, and spent one year at the military academy in Paris. Napoleon graduated 42 in a class of 58. Napoleon's career consisted mainly of military posts: he became a lieutenant at the age of 16. He was also the First Consul of France (1799-1804) and the Emperor of France (1804-1815). Some of Napoleon's accomplishments were the reorganization of France in two years, the establishment of a bank, and the codification of a new system of laws called the Napoleonic Code. The Napoleonic Code was French law systemized in a logical way. Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais in 1796. Sadly, he had to reluctantly annul their marriage due to a lack of procreation. In 1810 he married Marie-Louise, the daughter of the Austrian emperor. Together they had a son, Napoleon, who was born one year after their marriage. Napoleon was also known to have many mistresses. Napoleon was a Caucasian male who identified with scattered religious and political views. Early in his political career he had Republican sympathies. Generally he maintained the profile of a political independent, partially because he could control the newspapers of France. He followed Rousseau's philosophy, supported Robespierre, and viewed Cesar as his greatest role model. Napoleon was an idealistic revolutionary who wanted a new republic and believed in complete equality and freedom. Regarding religion, Napoleon had a strong belief in God, but criticized organized religion. He had a utilitarian view of religion, stating that, "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet," and "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."

Napoleon Bonaparte was a man with strong morals. He believed that a man should be helped, no matter what nationality. A story is told that once after a battle, Napoleon came upon a dying soldier. After he called for a stretcher, his aide remarked that he was "only a Russian." Napoleon responded with one of the most respectable phrases in history: "After a victory there are not enemies. Only men." Regarding sex, Napoleon was not particularly impressive. According to his wife Josephine, he liked his sex fast and furious, "like a fireman tackling a fire." It could be so extreme that, for example, on their wedding night, Josephine's dog bit Napoleon while under the impression that he was trying to attack Josephine. As well, later mistresses described a three-minute time limit and the inclination to remove no clothing, save for his sword. It was later discovered that at the time of his death, Napoleon's penis measured one inch in length (though stricken with disease). Napoleon was known to have several mistresses, including Madame George, a French actress, and Countess Marie Walewska.

Dominant, strong, and stubborn were words used to describe Napoleon. He had a choleric personality and was at times extremely arrogant. He lacked social graces, and had was extremely egotistical. Napoleon was known to have said, "You need a savior? Here I am." He was also known as a power-hungry conqueror who had to always be the victor. Once during class, Napoleon's teacher separated the students into two groups, Carthage and Rome. Napoleon's brother was placed in the Rome group and Napoleon became part of Carthage. But, once learning that Carthage was to be defeated, Napoleon persisted to ask his teacher to switch his and his brother's positions until his teacher complied. The "Napoleon Complex" has been named after Bonaparte; it is a complex in which short men overcompensate for their lack of height by seeking power. This is a type of inferiority complex. Interestingly enough, as mentioned before, Napoleon was of average height for his era.

Napoleon was a witty individual who had a great capacity for concentration and was able to commit many facts to memory. He was especially talented at remembering the location of his troops and other military information such as status and subordinates' records. He had a certain genius that allowed him to inspire others, granting him a strong and devoted following. His wit was illustrated during one meeting with enemy Russian officers: the Russian stated how Russians were superior to Frenchmen in every way, especially how "Russians fight for honor [while the] French fight only for gain." Napoleon replied, completely composed, "You are quite right. Each fights for that which he does not possess."

According to some, Napoleon was responsible for the invention of canned foods. As his troops would be on voyage for long periods of time, they would need food that didn't spoil quickly. In order to find a solution, Napoleon offered a cash reward to anyone who could create a way to preserve foods for a long period of time. Through this contest, one individual invented canned food. As well, napoleon designed the national flag of Italy with the colors of green, white, and red.

I am personally drawn to the character of Napoleon Bonaparte partially due to an unexplainable interest in anything French. As well, Napoleon's rise to fame is truly inspirational as he was able to make his way up the ranks based on sheer intellect and hard work. Napoleon's achievements are also commendable, even though the methods he at times used were questionable. Such a methodology could be seen in the future with United States President Abraham Lincoln, who once said in response to criticism, "The ends justify the means."

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