French Revolution and Napoleon

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The French Revolution pretty much started modern politics. But did Napoleon carried on with the ideals of the French Revolution? After Napoleon was defeated power was very much returned to the monarchy. What was the effect of the revolution on 19th Century Europe??

Napoleon was a great general, but if he had not been so ambitious as to want to control Europe, he could very much had made France a super power. Instead they lost a generation it cost them greatly.

But under his rule France had pretty much resembled a modern state. Would modernization of Europe had come much faster if Napoleon had not been defeated?

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Grande, Welcome to A2K. A really good question, and for now I'm bookmarking.

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Well... Napoleon (from what I learned at school, a long ago...) had pretty good ideas at the beginning... Unfortunately, he turned out to be a kind of dictator, and was logically defeated...
But he wasn't the only one to have good ideas. As far as France is concerned, Kings had brought progresses, and of course, the presidents that followed them.
Maybe Europe would have been different if Napoleaon hadn't been defeated, but maybe not for good (as Europe would have become part of France, and that it could have weakened both France and the rest of Europe...)
Don't know... Maybe historians could try to answer...
But it's a really good question!

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Napoleon revolutionised military organization and training, sponsored the Napoleonic Code, established the long-lived Concordat with the papacy and re-introduced monarchy to France.

Most, if not all, was taken over by nearly all (western) European states within a rather short time, in some way or the other.

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French rule of Europe (what Napoleon conquered anyway) really established democracy in many areas, that really led to the eventual collapse of monarchy in many areas. He greatly weakened the autocratic Austrian Empire and really ideas of democracy and nationalism filtered down from France to the rest of Europe. Even after he was defeated Europe was never going to be the same again. IMO if not for him the ideas of the French Revolution (equality and all that) may be be the norm today.

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Grande Armee wrote:

French rule of Europe (what Napoleon conquered anyway) really established democracy in many areas, that really led to the eventual collapse of monarchy in many areas.

Could you name one of those monarchies, which collapse due to Napoleon???
(Napoleon even introduced totally new monarchies - like e.g. the 'Kingdom of Westphalia'.)

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Grande Armee wrote:
French rule of Europe (what Napoleon conquered anyway) really established democracy in many areas, that really led to the eventual collapse of monarchy in many areas.

Could you name one of those monarchies, which collapse due to Napoleon???
(Napoleon even introduced totally new monarchies - like e.g. the 'Kingdom of Westphalia'.)

Ok perhaps I phased it wrongly. When I said establish democracy I did not mean real democracies, more like a new world order.

And I also said 'eventual collapse' He did not destroy any monarchies other than the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) but he severely weakened them. French ideas also filtered through to Italy, Austria, Germany and even Russia. That was what lead to the Revolutions of 1848, which although did not suceed severely undermined the monarchies. In fact some small states (Switzerland and Belgium) introduced universal male suffrage and Britain was forced to expand their electorate. Democracy was seeping through to the rest of Europe. But yes I see your point - Monarchy was only really destroyed after WW1.

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Hm.

It was after 1815 that the modern phenomenon of nationalism was explicitly formulated, during that time, what is called "Romanticism".

This uprising nationalism lead to the 1848's revolutions.

You could say that this ultimate change of ideas was reasoned to Napoleon, but it never has been his idea.

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Hm.

It was after 1815 that the modern phenomenon of nationalism was explicitly formulated, during that time, what is called "Romanticism".

This uprising nationalism lead to the 1848's revolutions.

You could say that this ultimate change of ideas was reasoned to Napoleon, but it never has been his idea.

Romantism leading to Nationalism happened mainly in Germany, not so for the rest of Europe.

France under Napoleon was very different from a normal monarchy as all the old priviledges of the nobles had gone and there was upward mobility for the talented. After Napoleon, many of the small states who had hoped to overthrow the autocrats on the basis of Nationalism actually wanted France to help them. (A bit like Soviets and the Eastern Bloc) relationship but then France (after Napoleon) never did.

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Grande Armee wrote:

Romantism leading to Nationalism happened mainly in Germany, not so for the rest of Europe.

Some think, this was a (another) source for the Italian unification :wink:

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Grande Armee wrote:

Romantism leading to Nationalism happened mainly in Germany, not so for the rest of Europe.

Some think, this was a (another) source for the Italian unification :wink:

Italians didn't really want unification. Garibaldi really conqured the South and handed them on a plate to King Emmanuel of Piedmont-Sardinia (I think). There were really problems after that for Northern Italy was much more wealthier and advanced than Southern Italy. Basically Nationalism did nowt for both Germany and Italy. It was more of unification through conquest. "Blood and iron" as Bismarck said.

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Can someone tell me what Napoleons role in France was.

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sporty_gurl wrote:

Can someone tell me what Napoleons role in France was.

A couple of Cognacs (and some Armagnacs) are called 'Napoleon' as far as I know.

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its also useful to look at the fortunes of the other aging superpower of the time
the Hapsburgs, and the effects of the Napoleanic Wars on territories under their control

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/world/A0856780.html

specifically the breakup of the Holy Roman Empire, the loss of the Netherlands and the aquisition of Lombardy, Venetia, Istria, and Dalmatia
as a prelude to the unification of Italy

a telling qoute regarding the Congress of Vienna
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/history/A0861788.html

Quote:

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sporty_gurl wrote:

Quote:

Can someone tell me what Napoleons role in France was

Napoleon is one of the topics most written. Everything said about him can be subject to controversy.

Tying not arise one, I can basically say this :

Born in Corsica (an island France bought from Genes kingdom), he made studies of military arts and became general.

After some successful campaigns, he was asked by the French Directory to reestablish order in insurgent Paris.

Then, he manoeuver to gain political power.

He made himself "Emperor of the French" by 1804, imposing the Pope to bless his crowning.

After that, he made endless military campaign all over Europe and Asia.

Successful for more than ten years, he was defeated by 1815.

He was sent in exile in Elba Island.

He escaped exile and took the power again.

He was finally defeated in Waterloo and sent in exile again in St Helene (South Atlantic) till his death.

I'll try answer any specific question...

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I'm currently enrolled in my AP European history classes. One of our questions is why did the French Revolution, marked by it's hatred of the Old Regime and its ways, seemingly wanting a more liberal form of government, ultimately lead to rise of Napoleon Bonaparte?

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French Revolution and Napoleon

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