Tkb Notes: The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

FACTORS FOR THE RISE OF NAPOLEON TO POWER

1. The French Revolution

There is a common agreement that Napoleon was a product of the French Revolution without which, he would
have died a common man. Napoleon’s rise to power was greatly due to the progressive events of the French
Revolution. He exploited the opportunities provided by the revolution to become Emperor of France, yet he was
from a poor family. The French Revolution contributed in the following ways:

a) The Revolution abolished social discriminative class system and offered equality for opportunities for talented
men like Napoleon. i.e., it brought the principle of career opened to talents where Napoleon was promoted.

b) The revolution cleared off all the senior military Generals of Noble class by 1792 especially during reign of
Terror. This created chance for a young Artillery officer Napoleon to come to power.

c) The Revolution provided chance for Napoleon to expose his abilities and military talents. i.e., in the Italian
campaign and Egyptian campaign, though he failed in Egypt, he was considered a Hero and it increased his
popularity.

d) The Revolution Government of Directory that was too weak provided a power vacuum that Napoleon used to
come to power. i.e., they had failed to fulfill people’s demand.

e) The revolution created the internal and external rivalries through which Napoleon got a chance to participate.
He was appointed to guard the Directory government officials in the assembly against Paris mob..

f) Napoleon exported the Revolutionary Ideas of Equality, Liberty and Fraternity and by doing that, he fulfilled
the aspiration of the revolutionaries

2. Napoleon’s Personality:

Right from childhood, Napoleon had a sense of responsibility, endurance the fact that he was from a poor family.
Before coming out of military academy, he had begun making plans to liberate Corsica. He was a man of high
organizing ability. i.e., he organized the French army using his good language and he was an orator. Napoleon
believed that he had hidden power. He had ability to create friendship with people of influence. This made him
popular hence, his rise to power.

3. His Education Background:

Napoleon’s rise to power can also be attributed to his education. He was educated at the military Academy in
Brienne and later in Paris in France yet by that time, most people were still illiterate. This helped him in that:

a) He read the writings of political philosophers in history and this widen his reasoning capacity and leadership
skills.

b) It was from school that he developed his oratory power and ability to convince people.

c) He also got military skills from Academy and that is why he became the best young Artillery officer of the time.
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d) He was mostly good in mathematics and political power. This made him popular at school.

4. Napoleon’s luck:

There were a number of events and opportunities which Napoleon did not plan but favored his rise to power. This
can be seen below:

a) It was by luck that the Corsica Island was annexed to France a year before his birth making Napoleon a
Frenchman by birth hence, his rise to power.

b) Napoleon was lucky that his father fluked a scholarship for him to study in the military academy in Brienne and
later in Paris. Yet this was only for noble children.

c) It was by luck that Napoleon survived childhood.

d) His luck made him to survive the Reign of Terror in France that swept away all the senior army Generals.

e) His luck made him to escape from Egypt from where he would have been killed.

f) It was by luck that the French Revolution took place and swept away all senior military officers leaving a young
Artillery officer Napoleon with chance to rise to power.

g) He was lucky that the Directory government was weak and people had lost trust in them and Napoleon was the
immediate option.

h) Being an in law of Barras was a great luck to Napoleon to rise to power through a successful coup.

5. The weakness of the Directory government:

The Directory government was the last government within the revolutionary period. Its weaknesses and unpopular
ties paved way for Napoleon’s rise to power. It was weak in the following ways:

a) They had failed to control religious conflicts in France

b) They failed to maintain law and order internally.

c) The Directors were divided by ideological differences, e.g., Abbey Sieyes opposed the war against the second
coalition and wanted peace. This confusion provided chance for Napoleon to come to power i.e. he was helped
by Abbey Sieyes to organize a coup that brought him to power in 1799.

d) The Directory government had failed to solve the problem of corruption that made them unpopular to the French
men.

e) Directory government had failed to provide a strong personality to lead France at home. Napoleon seemed to
offer a solution.
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6. His association with men of influence:

Napoleon’s rise to power was due to his close personal relationship with leaders of the French Revolution his
involvement in the French revolution, brought him closer to the revolutionary leaders and politicians like
Robespierre and directors such as Barras, Abbey Sieyes and Ducos. This led to his rise to power in that:

a) This gave him chance to exploit their weaknesses and introduce him to political science that becomes cornerstone
for his rise to power.

b) His close connection made him to attend most revolutionary rallies from where he got the skills of organizing
and addressing political rallies. this helped him to dominate.

c) His association won him support from Abbey Sieyes that led to the successful coup

In 1799 hence, his rise to power.

7. His own Ambition:

Napoleon was born naturally ambitious man. Right from childhood, he used to wear uniforms of soldiers. He
would reveal to fellow children that he would become a soldier and win all the battles. He also remarked, “My
ambition is so natural like the blood that flows in my veins and cat’s claws which are designed to climb upwards
not downwards.” He was also fond of listening to war stories of soldiers and his ambition led to his rise to power
in the following ways;

a) Ambition made him to go for Italian campaign and Egyptian campaign. This helped to increase on his popularity
in France, hence, his rise to power in France in 1799.

b) Ambition made him to organize a coup against Directory government in 1799.

c) His ambition made him to associate with men of influence like Robespierre, Barras, and Abbey Sieyes etc that
led to his rise to power.

d) Event before he came out of military academy, he had planned to liberate his people of Corsica.

8. Annexation of Corsica from Italy:

The annexation of Corsica Island a year before his birth made him to be born a French man entitled to hold and
office in France. If it had not been so, he would not have been born a French man but Italian and would not claim
any office in France.

9. His family background:

Napoleon was born to a poor family who used to have one meal a day. While in his military Academy, Napoleon
faced lonely life and concentrated on military training among the sons and daughters of the rich. One time he sold
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his only watch to survive while at the military academy. His poor family background led to his rise to power in
the following ways.

a) Such hard conditions made him hard working, very ambitious and had to concentrate on studies. That is why
he was the best in Mathematics and Political Science.

b) This experience made him to hate social class division in France and the need to promote equality.

c) This condition made him very strong in the battle fields and a hard soldier who enjoyed fighting and could
easily walk long distances without food or water.

d) By the fact that he was supposed to be Italian citizen, He later forged French citizenship which enabled him to
acquire military training in the French Academy.

10. Military Capabilities:

Napoleon’s military Genius was also another factor that brought him to power. During his training in the military
Academy, he was the best young Artillery student and that is why he was called back after expulsion from the
Academy. Even in wars that he fought, Napoleon proved that he was beyond other ordinary persons. The Duke
of Wellington later remarked that his presence on the battlefield could be compared to 40 000 men. Bernadotte
said “when you face the marshals, attack, when you face Napoleon retreat”. This helped him in the following
ways:

a) it was from his military capability that he protected the gains and the achievements of the French Revolution.

b) It was also his military capability that he protected Directory government officials from the popular “Whiff of
grapeshot” the Philosophies that he used to re activate the morals of his soldiers reflects his capability.

c) In Egypt, the way he managed to escape from the British ambushes that had surrounded him shows his military
capability.

d) His military capability enabled him to succeed in the Italian campaign and that gave him popularity.

11. Improvement in Science:

The role of Scientific and military advancement was crucial to his rise to power. The Scientific and new
innovations brought in better maps, roads weapons and more mobile Artillery. It made it easier for Napoleon to
organize a coup, made him to succeed in the whiff of grapeshot which earned him promotion and popularity
hence, his rise to the throne in 1799.

12. His marriage to Josephine:

Napoleon’s marriage to Josephine also contributed to his rise to power. In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine
who the daughter of one of the Directors in the Directory government called Barras. The marriage gave Napoleon
greater privileges and powerful connection to leaders of the directory government. It should be noted that the
influence of Napoleon’s father in law i.e., Barras that gave him the privileges to command the French troops in
the Italian campaign. Marriage also made him respected man and mature person hence, increased popularity.
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13. The role of his father

The role of Napoleon’s father Charles Bonaparte was also influential in his rise to power. His father inspired him
to work hard and like his professional career as a soldier, fluked a scholarship for him to study in Brienne
in Italy and later in Paris in France where he got the necessary military skills, oratory skills etc.

14. The Brumaire Coup D’état of Nov, 1799.

The Brumaire coup was the immediate event that marked the rise of Napoleon to power. Napoleon conspired with
other Directors.ie Barras and Abbey Sieyes helped him to organize a coup and over threw the Directory
government. This created apolitical vacuum through which Napoleon rose to power.

15. The role of Lucien Bonaparte

His brother, Lucien, who was the President of the Council of 500 played a significant role in the success of the
Coup of Brumaire.

16. Popular support for stable rule

The French citizens were tired of war and internal unrest. They now wanted someone who would stamp his
authority, stop the chaos and at the same time preserving the gains of the revolution. Napoleon was one such
character.