Napoleon Bonaparte Essays - French Emperors, House Of Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte Essays - French Emperors, House Of Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte was possibly Frances greatest military mind ever. He was promoted through the ranks by hard work, dedication and his ability to think quickly. He eventually worked his way up to become the Emperor of France. Napoleon was born on August 15, in the year of 1769. He was born at Ajaccio, Corsica. This was a small island off the coast of North Africa. Napoleon?s parents Letizia and Carlo Bonaparte reserved Napoleon a spot at a French military school, and when Napoleon became old enough his parents sent him away to the school which was in Brienne France. Napoleon was not well excepted by the other students at the school. They felt he was a foreigner and Napoleon became a loner devoting all of his time to his studies. After Napoleon?s graduation he continued his military schooling by going on to attend the Cole Military Academy in Paris. Napoleon spent one year there before he was assigned to an infantry unit as a second lieutenant. His unit did not see much action in its fist few years, but Napoleon still managed to show his leadership qualities. In 1789 the French Revolution began. Napoleon look forward to the revolution, and supported it. In 1793 at the siege of Toulon, loyalist leaders and British troops clashed in fearsome battle. Napoleon fought heroically and the British were driven out. As Napoleon?s reward he was given a promotion to general and his own infantry unit. Ufortunitly Napoleon ran into some bad luck, the leader of the French Revolution Maximilien Robespierre became power hungry and lost control. His own men mutinized against him and executed him. Bonapart was also captured and briefly imprisoned because he was a member of Robspierre?s faction. Napoleon was freed just two months later. In 1795 a revolt began in Paris over a new constitution that was presented by the National Convention, the National Convention was name the of the new government that had taken power in France. Napoleon received orders from Frances military leader to defend the convention, and control the situation. Upon his arrival Napoleon realized that the crowd had turned into an ugly mob. Napoleon was able to take control of the situation, disperse the mob and restore peace. Paul Barras who was in control of the French military was so impressed with Napoleon he promoted him to commander. Napoleons next duty was to carry out a series of operations in Italy that would ideally divide and conquer the Sardinian and Austrian armies in Italy. Napoleons plan was to divide the opposing force into two parts. He would then throw his force at one half before the other half had time to rejoin them. Using this tactic Napoleon destroyed the Sardinian armies. Napoleon could not be stopped. The King of Sardinia started talking of peace but Napoleon did not listen, he continued his path of terror and completely wiped out the Sardinians. Now Napoleon was determined to defeat the Austrians. Napoleon first attacked a large Austrian army in Mantua. The Austrian?s sent four separate brigades of reinforcements to help hold off Napoleons army but it wasn?t enough. Napoleon?s army still defeated the Austrians at Mantua. Napoleon continued to forge his way through the country. In 1797 when he came with in eighty miles of Vienna, the Austrians knew they were defeated and surrendered.. After the surrender Napoleon negotiated the treaty with the Austrians, which obviously greatly favored France. Napoleon in total had won 14 pitched battles and 70 combats. Also whenever Napoleon took over a rich lands he used those lands to feed and pay his army, and then the rest would be sent back to France. This greatly helped their poor economy. When Napoleon returned to France he received a heroes welcome. Napoleon was overwhelmed with the support he got from the people. He knew that this would be the perfect time to pursue an office in politics. Napoleon had dreams of being the next Alexander the great. He asked the government if he could take a large army to Egypt. Napoleon thought that if he conquered Egypt he could attack the English by surprise and cut off their trading routes. Napoleon brought 35,000 troops with him to Egypt. He won

The History of Latin America in the Colonial Era

The History of Latin America in the Colonial Era Latin America has seen wars, dictators, famines, economic booms, foreign interventions, and a whole assortment of varied calamities over the years. Each and every period of its history is crucial in some way to understanding the present-day character of the land. Even so, the Colonial Period (1492-1810) stands out as being the era that did the most to shape what Latin America is today. There are six things you need to know about the Colonial Era. The Native Population Was Wiped Out Some estimate that the population of Mexico’s central valleys was around 19 million before the arrival of the Spanish. It had dropped to two million by 1550. That’s just around Mexico City. Native populations on Cuba and Hispaniola were all but wiped out, and every native population in the New World suffered some loss. Although the bloody conquest took its toll, the main culprits were diseases like smallpox. The natives had no natural defenses against these new diseases, which killed them far more efficiently than the conquistadors ever could. Native Culture Was Forbidden Under Spanish rule, native religion and culture were severely repressed. Whole libraries of native codices (they’re different than our books in some ways, but essentially similar in look and purpose) were burned by zealous priests who thought that they were the work of the Devil. Only a handful of these treasures remain. Their ancient culture is something that many native Latin American groups are currently trying to regain as the region struggles to find its identity. The Spanish System Promoted Exploitation Conquistadores and officials were granted encomiendas, which basically gave them certain tracts of land and everyone on it. In theory, the encomenderos were supposed to look after and protect the people that were in their care, but in reality, it was often nothing more than legalized slavery. Although the system did allow for natives to report abuses, the courts functioned exclusively in Spanish, which essentially excluded most of the native population, at least until very late in the Colonial Era. Existing Power Structures Were Replaced Before the arrival of the Spanish, Latin American cultures had existing power structures, mostly based on castes and nobility. These were shattered as the newcomers killed off the most powerful leaders and stripped the lesser nobility and priests of rank and wealth. The lone exception was Peru, where some Inca nobility managed to hold onto wealth and influence for a time, but as the years went on, even their privileges were eroded into nothing. The loss of the upper classes contributed directly to the marginalization of native populations as a whole. Native History Was Rewritten Because the Spanish did not recognize native codices and other forms of record-keeping as legitimate, the history of the region was considered open for research and interpretation. What we know about pre-Columbian civilization comes to us in a jumbled mess of contradictions and riddles. Some writers seized the opportunity to paint earlier native leaders and cultures as bloody and tyrannical. This, in turn, allowed them to describe the Spanish conquest as a liberation of sorts. With their history compromised, it is difficult for today’s Latin Americans to get a grasp on their past. Colonists Were There to Exploit, Not Develop The Spanish (and Portuguese) colonists who arrived in the wake of the conquistadores wanted to follow in their footsteps. They did not come to build, farm, or ranch. In fact, farming was considered a very lowly profession among the colonists. These men therefore harshly exploited native labor, often without thinking about the long-term. This attitude severely stunted the economic and cultural growth of the region. Traces of this attitude are still found in Latin America, such as the Brazilian celebration of malandragem, a way of life of petty crime and swindling. Analysis Just as psychiatrists study the childhood of their patients in order to understand the adult, a look at the â€Å"infancy† of modern Latin America is necessary to truly comprehend the region today. The destruction of whole cultures - in every sense - left the majority of the population lost and struggling to find their identities, a struggle which continues to this day. The power structures put in place by the Spanish and Portuguese still exist. Witness the fact that Peru, a nation with a large indigenous population, finally elected the first native president in its long history. This marginalization of native people and culture is ending, and as it does many in the region are trying to find their roots. This fascinating movement bears watching in the years to come.