How Did Napoleon Bonaparte Come To Power

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The French Revolution was one of the most influential Revolutionary wars in Europe and lasted from 1789 until 1799. During the course of the war, one of the most powerful monarchies in Europe, the French Monarchy, was overthrown and triggered the beginning of the end for monarchies around the world. The ultimate outcome of this Revolution was the creation of political ideologies that are the cornerstone of governments around the world today. The Revolution saw three primary governments come to power during its 10 year course; the Legislative Assembly, the National Convention, and the Directory. Each of the three were a result of an overthrow by its predecessor driven by a need for change by the country, the people and the world. The National …show more content…

Napoleon Bonaparte was the most skilled young general to come out of this time. The King, and then later the governments, utilized his military skills to help secure France’s power during the revolution. His successes were recognized by a leader of the Thermidorian Reaction, Paul Barras, who asked Napoleon to help defend the current government against royalist attacks. Napoleon was successful in fending off the attack known as the 13 Vendemiare. This success is an example of how the Thermidorian Reaction gave Napoleon the opportunity to show the government first had how skilled he was as well as position himself in the good graces of the soon to be Directory. It was because of this battle, in support of the Thermidorian Reaction, that Napoleon was promoted to General and given the campaign in Italy. He was a national …show more content…

This resulted in him leading many successful battles for France. His conquests in Italy helped provide funds to a very poor France. His success as a general led to a shift in the French mindset from focusing on wealth and heredity to intelligence and skill when it comes to honor and credibility among Generals. This shift is exemplified in how the people of France loved Napoleon. Because although he came from a small island, was not extremely wealthy and had Italian blood in him, the people of France loved him for his skills on the battle field. By 1799 Napoleon was a well-known and decorated war