Napoleon's characteristics

Napoleon background

his family had Italian origins having migrated to Corsica in the 1500s

he LOVED his mum but had a difficult relationship with his dad, and had 7 siblings

the early death of his father when Napoleon was 15 was grounding, and reminded him that no one is immortal

NAPOLEON WAS NOT FRENCH

he was baptised a Catholic under the name Napoleone di Buonaparte

he desperately wanted Corsican independence

his family was very minor nobility, they were far from rich but owned much land

military academy

he attended Brienne-le-Chateau

He spoke Corsican and only learnt French when he was 9. His French was poor and he spoke with a heavy Corsican accent

he was teased at school for his accent, his olive skin, and having a father who had to certify his nobility. it made it difficult for him to make friends 😔

he moved to L’ecole Royale Militaire in Paris where he trained to be an artillery officer

at 16 he was commissioned - he was one of the youngest AND the only Corsican to hold an artillery commission in the French army

Napoleon’s rise to power was due to his personality and characteristics:

• Napoleon’s military training

• Vendemiaire - whiff of grapeshot innovation set him apart from the rest, able to disperse 25,000 protestors

• Siege of Toulon 1793 - Napoleon displayed tactical brilliance

• Napoleon marries Josephine who uses her connections to boost Napoleon’s social standing amongst the old aristocracy

• the Italian Campaign 1796-97 - Napoleon’s confidence and military capability quickly won over the Command there. Napoleon has confidence to set up the Cisalpine Republic. Napoleon forces Pope Pius into submission

• Egyptian Campaign 1798-99 - Napoleon painted himself as a hero and had flattering paintings of himself commissioned

• Napoleon visited the plague victims in Jaffa, and commissioned a saintly painting of himself extending his hands to the sick

• Napoleon finesses the position of First Consul after Brumaire. He then abused this position and made himself like a dictator

Napoleon’s rise to power was due to happenstance:

• the situation in France - no King, made it easy for Napoleon to take power. France relied too heavily on his money from the war, which put him in a VERY powerful position

• Vendemiaire Uprising - Napoleon was just there at the right time, as in the heat of the moment he was promoted to Commander of the Interior

• Coup of Brumaire - Napoleon was the only Commander who did not have his army (they were in Egypt), which was important for the conspirators because they didn’t want anyone too powerful