Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis XVI can both be considered absolute rulers of France during their lifetimes. Why do you think Louis XVI was so reviled by France’s people while Napoleon was so accepted? You might mention the Reign of Terror in France and how that event destabilized and terrified urban French residents. You might also mention the actual prowess of each ruler and the ways in which they exercised their rule.
This detailed written assignment is due at 8:00pm on Thursday October 27th.
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ReplyDeleteNo one like Louis the XVI. He came into power at age 16, an age way to young for a King. When Louis the XVI came into power he was young, not confident, and new nothing about warfare or being a King. He was still a kid and France paid the price for this. Coming as King France was already in an economic crisis from King Louis XV. When Louis XVI came into power he married an Australian woman named Marie Antoinette. No one in France liked Marie because she was Australian and France and Australia were not exactly the best of friends at the time. So going into power the King new nothing and the Queen was already hated by almost everyone in France. When the time came for Louis the XVI to create a male heir to someday take his place he was almost incapable of doing it. It took him more than several tries to get the male heir they needed to take power after Louis XVI died. Finally the French Revolution happened and on January 21, 1973 King Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine. Nearly 30 years later came Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was born 1769 in Corsica, and he grew up in a not so wealthy family. He was an intelligent, hardworking man, who won a scholarship to a very prestigious military school at a young age. His parents not being able to afford the tuition turned it down. Then at age 16 he was given the rank of Lieutenant. He worked hard and continued to study military strategy for the following years of his life. In 1792 he became Captain, followed by Brigadier General by the Committee of Public Safety. Napoleon had unshakeable confidence and everyone loved him because he was one of their own, unlike Louis the XVI. Napoleon would act as a soldier and storm the battle with his army and treated the lower class just as evenly. He was hailed as the "darling of Paris." Louis the XVI is the complete opposite of Napoleon Bonaparte. While Louis XVI knew nothing about military and warfare, Napoleon knew everything. Louis XVI treated lower classes badly, Napoleon gave them rights. Louis XVI married a hated woman throughout France, Napoleon married a lovely woman. Napoleon did everything right, and Louis the XVI did everything wrong and that is why people liked Napoleon and hated Louis.
ReplyDeleteI think you mean she was Austrian, not Australian.
DeleteLouis XVI did not care about the people of France. He made sure that him an dhis wife lived a wonderful life and did not dare to think about how hard it was for the people of his country. Louis married Marie of Austria, France's enemey. This did not settle well with the people of France. Louis was disliked by about 97% of France's population because while they were trying to survive, Louis was eating well and lived comfortably. The economy was bad, the class structure was poor, and Louis did nothing to help solve the problems. Then there was Napoleon. Napoleon was a hard worker in school, and got a scholarship to a military school in Paris. He set high goals for himself and expected to reach them. By the age of 16 Napoleon became a military general. He was a very strong military leader and made sure he was respected. He was aways open to helping any of his soldiers and unlike most military leaders he fought with them. Napoleon was known to be very confident. He did everything he could for the people of France even though he wasnt born there. He proved to the French people that he was different and that he would make a difference and help them gain power once again. Napoleon was a strong and caring ruler unlike Louis who did nothing to help France out of the hole he got them in. It was no wonder that the people of France were so accepting and open to Napoleon.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout history there have been thousands of leaders. Many have been successful and many have not been. The largest contribution to the success of a leader though, is the support of his people. If you are disliked by the people you are trying to lead, history shows us in many examples, that it never ends well. A contrast of two leaders and their success, or lack there of is, King Louis and Napoleon. King Louis did not have the support of his people and because of this ended up being executed in the French Revolution. However, Napoleon was favored and fulfilled a very successful reign. Three main factors to how both of these leaders were looked at by their people are; their background, Reign of Terror, and how they managed when in power.
ReplyDeleteA major factor why the 3rd estate was not in favor of King Louis was because of how he got to be in his place of royalty,wealth, etc. He was simply born into it. The 3rd estate did not find this fair. Te fact that King Louis got all of these “luxury's” because he was born into it, and they worked extremely hard for nothing infuriated the people of France.
In contrast, Napoleon was a leader that was looked up to and respected because of how he got to his place of power. Napoleon, like the people he ruled, started with very little but worked extremely hard and made something of himself. Due to this the formed 3rd estate felt like they could relate to him and he was well liked.
The combination of Napoleon’s background and the Reign of Terror was a perfect formula for his success. The Reign of Terror literally terrified the people of France. They saw the results of no formal leadership and self governing. Therefore when a leader came along who they could relate to and had ideals and ways of governing they approved of Napoleon immediately became successful. He was like a security blanket to France.
Lastly, a large distinction to the prominence within society of Louis vs. Napoleon was the way the governed France when they were in power. Napoleon used his power much more constructively,thoughtfully, and well than Louis. Napoleon was careful to preserve many of the right that the Revolution gave France. He achieved this through the Napoleonic Code. These were a set of laws that kept many ideals instilled into France during the Revolution. However, there were aspects that were eradicated by the Napoleonic Code. For example during the time of Louis The Declaration of the Rights of Women was put in place. Through Napoleon’s new laws the little that women had was taken away. He went about changing France in these ways very subtly though, and gave the people most of what they desired. Therefore, during his ruling he was able to make a few changes but keep his people very happy overall.
Napoleon’s background, the Reign of Terror, and his brilliant ways of being a dictator were the three main causes as to why he was so successfull and accepted by France.
Henry Poole
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were the two most significant rulers in French history for contrasting reasons. Louis XVI’s ignorance as a ruler led to the beginning of a bloody Revolution in France. Napoleon followed shortly after and vaulted France to the forefront of Europe. Louis XVI and Napoleon differed significantly in three categories: qualifications, domestic policy, and foreign policy.
Napoleon Bonaparte was significantly more qualified to become leader of France over Louis XVI. Louis XVI was given control of France at the age of 15 after his father died. Louis was an awkward child and did not demonstrate that he had the ability to rule an entire country. Napoleon, on the other hand, went through intense academic studies and was appointed a French Lieutennant at the age of 16. Over the next 18 years, Napoleon rose through the ranks of the military and became one of the most loved figures in all of France. He soon became Emperor of France. Napoleon was much more qualified to rule France when he took over France than Louis XVI.
Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte also had significantly different domestic policies. Louis XVI’s Old Regime took away the rights of 98% of the French population. The lower class during Louis XVI’s reign had no rights or money. All of the power and wealth belonged to the 1st and 2nd estates. After the French Revolution eradicated the Old Regime, Napoleon Bonaparte issued the Napoleonic Code. Napoleon’s new laws kept many of the ideals that were cornerstones of the French Revolution: equality and opportunity for economic prosperity. Although Napoleon’s Law were popular among the men of France, women and children were left behind and no longer had the rights they had gained during the revolution. In sum, Napoleon’s domestic policy granted rights to many men throughout France, while Louis XVI’s Old Regime did not allow for economic and social growth.
Louis XVI and Napoleon also had differed on foreign affairs. Louis XVI spent most of his money on defensive purposes. He fought many hopeless wars against the strong British Navy. He also pumped a lot of money overseas in America during the Americans’ war with the British. In addition, Louis often worried more about protecting himself than the people of France. Louis XVI’s military ventures were failures and unpopular with the French people. Napoleon was a very aggressive leader who wanted to expand France’s borders. Napoleon led campaigns across Europe, and his stories of success gave him a strong reputation back in France. Napoleon’s rapid and expansive military campaigns contrasted with Louis defensive military actions.
Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were stark contrasts. Napoleon Bonaparte was an authoritative emperor who led his country with confidence. Louis XVI was a king who was undeservingly given the throne. Napoleon and Louis had contrasting domestic and foreign policies. Napoleon focused on expanding France’s borders and his new social code gave much of France’s men equal rights. Louis’s misuse of his immense budget set the French economy back many years and his Old Regime strangled French society. Louis and Napoleon’s contrasting styles of rule reflected the state of France and the French people during the time of their reigns.
Louis XVI was hated by his people with the exception of two percent of the population including the second and first estate. He lived in luxury in a remote area just outside the city of France Versailles. His wife was Marie of Austria. She herself was an incredibly big spender buying excessively and everything she may want. One of the main reasons why Louis the XVI was not accepted by his people was because he did not fit in with then. Opposite of Louis XVI Napoleon Bonaparte was tough and ruthless throughout his whole life He was born outside of France, but believed the he himself was a true Frenchman. He was a hard worker in school and was given a scholarship to a prestigious military school in the city of Paris. From there, he became a brilliant young military prospect. After some time he was, became a general at the age of 16 and was given a portion of the Army. He led like a normal soldier. He stormed the battlefields with his men with bravery and unbelievable self-confidence. Most of his men thought of him as invincible, almost as if shot the bullets would go right through him. He was liked and accepted as an authority figure because he was not snotty or living by high standards like Louis. He also had unshakeable confidence that people where memorized by. Louis XVI did not have any of the traits of Napoleon, he hid in his own territory and never interacted with the lower class and because of the he was hated by his people. When everybody else was in need of moral support and financial support in France Louis the XVI did not care and ultimately killed him by aggravating the people. The main reason why Napoleon Bonaparte was liked by soldiers and everybody surrounding him was that although small in stature he was big in heart and mental strength. He could persuade people with ease and he was role model for the typical French man. His military conquests were glorious had had taken over Spain and many parts of Europe that are now separate countries. He had heart, soul and showed true patriotism to his country. Louis XVI was drastically different from Napoleon Bonaparte and at the time, Napoleon leadership qualities fit the France’s needs much more than Louis XVI’s attributes.
ReplyDeleteEvery ruler has their downfall, Napoleon although very successful in the minds of his people took advantage of the power given to him. He names himself supreme ruler or emperor of France. Surprisingly the people of France are okay with this although only 15 years ago they formed a revolution to get rid of Kink Louis XVI. He was very ambitious in terms of capturing foreign lands like France and Prussia. The one that always eluded him was Britain. Many say that this happened because of Britain’s strong Navy. While governing France Napoleon decides to let his brother govern Spain. This turns out horrible and this is the turning point Napoleons leadership career. Later he decides that to make a set of laws later called the Napoleonic Code. The code started out with many laws, but later was condensed to seven laws. Although oppressing the citizens he gives back land to the church and is more popular with the church, but less popular with the citizens. The ultimate failure was not of his fault, but because of the French revolution the territories in which France occupies is now have their own revolution against Napoleon leading him to lose much land. Louis XVI’s downfall was very simple he did not care enough about the lower class and people decided that he must go in order to have a successful life.
Louis XVI was hated by approximately ninety eight percent of his subjects. He had everything a man could want; money, food, cloths, you name it. Louis XVI had all of this and more while the peasants had nothing. To the third estate, a loaf of bread was equivalent to a months pay. Louis' wife was a foreigner who spent France's money on herself. Louis didn't care about his subjects and was unable to relate to them. He didn't know what is was like to be part of the working class and lacked empathy. In contrast to Louis XVI was Napoleon. He wasn't born into wealth and was able to relate to the common people of france. Another characteristic Napoleon had, that Louis lacked, was his determination, intelligence, and ambition. He used his skills to rise throughout the ranks of the military. At the age of sixteen and was made one of the youngest generals in France's history. As Napoleon grew so did his intelligence, ambition, and determination. However he never lost touch with the feelings of the common man. After battles he would spend time with the soldiers and talk to them about their lives and families. Eventually Napoleon seized power and declared himself Emperor of France. As Emperor of France Napoleon took action. He expanded France's territory and improved living for the third estate. He passed several laws derived from the declaration of the rights of man, making everyone equal. Had any other person tried to seize the throne after the revolution there would have been revolts. However, Napoleon understood the people of france and shared a bond with them. This allowed for Napoleon to take action and succeed where Louis XVI had failed.
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI came into power when he was 16 years old. He was married to Marie Antoinette of Austria to try and create peace between the two nations. This angered the french people greatly because they had previously been at war with the Austrians. Marie Antoinette was also a spend-thrift which irritated the population more. Louis made sure that his wife never worried about anything and made sure that they lived comfortable lives. 98% of the french population hated Louis and Marie because of how they treated them. Louis XVI had very little knowledge of how to run a country when he came into power, he basically took all of the tax money for himself and enjoyed life. He ran France into the ground economically. Louis XVI was oblivious to the needs of the french population. Louis XVI was eventually put to death by guillotine during the french revolution as an end to his reign and the beginning of france's economic recovery.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon was a small french man from the Isle of Corsica. He was known for conquering many countries and expanding the french empire. By the age of 16, he was already a lieutenant in the military. He worked hard in school and worked hard at life. He furiously studied military tactics and strategy and was very good at it. As he progressed through the military, he saw an opening in the parliamentary system of france and pronounced himself emperor. The french people allowed this too happen because they were happy with him. He allows them to keep most of their constitution that they gained from the revolution. Napoleon also hired good advisors to help him run the country. Napoleon kept expanding the country during his rule and the french empire eventually included parts of Italy and Prussia. In the end, Napoleon was loved by his people, but he abused his power.
Luis the sixteen was not excepted by the French people for many reasons. He was a strange man who had no experience or confidence at all. He was definitely not ready to take the throne. He could not make his own decision because he got persuaded too easily. He was weak, overconfident and was not fit to be leader. He was a follower. He also was not able to have a child. He also spent to much money and made the “Old Regime” The french people especially the third class hated him for making everything so unequal. The third estate had to pay all the taxes while the second and first class lived without working hard. They took up 98 percent of the population and they were starving. The third estate was even more angry because Luis the sixteen and Mary Antoinette was spending money like it was worthless while the third estate were working for one month for a loaf of bread. There were also rights that were not giving to the third estate. The third estate were also kicked out of the assembly hall which caused the tennis court oath. They had meetings there and planned everything there. It caused the reign of terror. The regin of terror was when the third estate attacked the first and second classes houses to express there anger. There were many events that were caused by inequality. The french people wanted a leader that would care about their opinions and would react to it in a positive way. Luis the sixteen did not do that and only made the first and second estate happy. The 98 percent were furious with Luis the sixteen. Luis the sixteenth was not able to balance the happiness between the people. Napoleon was accepted because he was able to balance between the different groups of people. For example he gave the Catholic church some of their land back and he also gave the revoltuionaries some land. He did not make both groups 100 percent happy but they were both satisfied. Napoleon was a confident and clever man who reacted to the people’s actions. He worked very hard on satisfying everyone. He was a very strong man from his youth. He was academically smart and he also stuck to his thoughts. He stabbed a kid because the kid disagreed with him! He always knew to stick with his opinions. He also received a scholarship to a famous military school which was very difficult to get in. The scholar ship helped him out very much because his family was not wealthy. Later in his life he devoted his life to studying military strategy. His big moment was when he defended the National Convention from rebels by firing grape shots into the crowd. He was hailed as the “Darling of Paris” He was strong and he new what to do. In 1792 he became the captain and then became a brigadier general by the committee of public of safety. He rapidly climbed up the military ranks and grew attention. He got a very good reputation for his courageous acts. In 1796 he was made commander of the French armies in Italy. While he was the commander he gave his warriors a reason to fight. He gave the motivation and a reason to fight. He had charisma and always made his troops feel better. He talked to them personally and his troops respected him for it. He was the type of leader that had charisma and had the ability to talk to his men about personal things. All of his skills combined made him a great leader that fitted perfectly for France. After Luis the Sixteen, France’s government became unstable and they needed a strong leader to guide them in the correct way. Napoleon was a strong leader and communicator who could take the job. When he declared himself the ruler, the French people were satisfied with it because he had a great reputation and was highly respected for his success in the military.
ReplyDeleteUpon inspection, Napoleon and King Louis XVI differed in many ways, especially in how they conducted themselves and used their power. However, events of their respective times offered Napoleon an indisputable advantage without which he may not have gained the throne. The people of France indubitably respected him more than Louis, but Napoleon has both his own successes and luck to thank for that.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon arrived at just the right time to take power smoothly. The urban population was shocked into submission by the Reign of Terror, and as such was not in any mood to protest against a new ruler, especially if said emperor had just ended the brutal period of murder and death. The people would have had no wish to risk plunging back into the post-rebellion state they had just left.
No such protection existed for Louis. Inexperienced and young as he was, he was thrust onto the throne as his subjects seethed from years of oppression and starvation. The famine that winter certainly did not help his cause.
On top of this obvious advantage, Napoleon was far more competent to hold power, as he quickly proved. He successfully expanded France’s borders, preserved the rights of many, and appeased as many people as he could- all while advancing his interests, of course. He was a confident public figure and gained the trust of his people.
Louis, on the other hand, was detached from the French as a leader and as a legislator. He oppressed them and distanced himself from them. He failed at all his military campaigns, and wasted money extravagantly. To top it off, he married into a country that was very much the enemy in the eyes of the people. Louis gave the impression of a young king unfit to rule, while Napoleon was an effective leader who did more or less what people wanted him to and was seen as freeing them from the Reign of Terror. Naturally he was well loved by the people.
In my opinion, it was the character and actions of the leaders themselves that differentiated Napoleon and Louis XVI, not the political situations of the old regime and Napoleons Empire. Louis XVI did nothing to gain the respect--or even the recognition--of his people. He simply inherited a dying kingdom and, being weak of character as he was reputed to be, had his head so far in the clouds that he did nothing to stop his nation's decline. This, along with his marriage to Marie Antonette, made the French People view Kind Louis as an enemy: an incompetent king that would never return France to greatness. The French People held a similar view of the Old Regime. The distribution of power and the ineptitude of appointed government officials in essence disconnected the common people from their government; they were subjects, not supporters.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, Napoleon was viewed very differently despite proclaiming himself emperor just a few short years after the previous dictatorship had been overthrown. This, in my opinion, was as a result of the way Napoleon interacted with his people. Napoleon was not an incompetent teenager who had been given the title of King, he had worked for the crown. In the people's minds, Napoleon was a role model for French ideals after the revolution: a boy who came from the lowly island of Corsica who saved the revolution and, instead of resting on his newfound fame, inspired the sedentary French Armies to end a stalemate with Italy. In the people's eyes, Napoleon was the man who got things done and who would restore France to greatness. In this way, Napoleon was able to win the support of the people even as he took away their freedoms. The people continued to adore Napoleon the more he conquered and the stronger he made France.
Napoleon was a different ruler than Louis XVI. The people felt connected with their leader instead of alienated. How could they not be proud of an emperor who still took the time to console soldiers in battle? How could they criticize a ruler who charged in front of his armies instead of staying safely in the rear? As long as Napoleon kept expanding, his people would be right behind him. King Louis , on the other hand, did nothing but sit in his palace and live off the people’s taxes. As well as the strength of Napoleons character, his reforms to the government were strong as well. By appointing competent officials and by treating the common soldier like his generals, he strengthened both his rule and the strength of France itself from the ground up.
The people in France did not like Louis the XVI due to his ruling style. The newly crowned king Louis the XVI also came into power at an unfortunate time. He was crowned king during a downward economy in Paris and throughout France. In addition, the king had his own problems that he needed to attend to, which took his attention away from working with the French to help heal a decaying community. His wife, his inability to bear a son, and many of his other personal needs kept him away from the French community. The Old Regime was the basis of the French Government, having three very separate classes. The social classes wanted to work out social, political and economic issues and asked to discuss them with each other in a council meeting, a meeting that was supposed to happen every couple years. The king kept the classes separated by not allowing the third class council members to speak with the other classes. Soon after, due to the classes neglecting the people, the third class started their own meeting to talk about the rights of the third estate. The thought of freedom sparked the French Revolution. This eventually led to riots on the streets, and people started to become enraged with the members of the higher estates. These riots and angered civilians soon took the king and brought him to his death. After the death of the king, Napoleon took control of France as emperor. He used some of the same ideas as Louis the XVI, but thought about the French Revolution and how to best avoid the rioting civilians. Napoleon was a crafty war general. He became a lieutenant of the French army at the age of sixteen. He was known to France as an excellent war official. He led a great army by having a good relationship with his men and he gave courage to the people and made them think that they were invincible. Napoleon, being a strategist of combat, was more liked by the French than the relaxed and settled Louis the XVI. Napoleon was also liked due to the fact he kept many of the rights that the people made after the Revolution in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. He did change some the policies of the declaration and created a structure for the government, having three potential government members. In addition, he squeezed in and became the first and most important government member of France. Soon after the creation of his government, he crowned himself the Emperor of France. The people of France would most likely be furious from this as they were with Louis the XVI. However, the French respected Napoleon as an emperor. They knew Napoleon as powerful and honorable hero, having the courage and strength that Louis did not. He had gained respect from conquering lands in the military and being a bold and noble leader to revive the country of France. On the other hand, Louis the XVI did not care for his people, only for the upper class members and his personal needs (though one of them was a medical issue). Another reason that Napoleon was loved was the fact he rose out of the Reign of Terror and succeeded to bring order into Paris, by defending against rebels and constructing order and peace for the people. Louis the XVI and Napoleon may have been quite similar, but some of the key factors that lead to Napoleon being loved was that he took as ruler at a time when the country was in peril and he cared for the people and helped reconstruct Paris.
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ReplyDeleteContinued........
ReplyDeleteThe two men’s characters also played a role in their success as leaders. As stated before, Louis was not strong in personality, nor was he sympathetic to the peasants or even the slightest bit charismatic. This is the opposite of Napoleon, who had an incredibly self-confident and caring sense about him, and was someone who one could look up to and follow. Napoleon also made it clear that he didn’t want power for the wealth, he only wanted it to help the people, making him appear as genuine and not corrupted by money like the rest of the nobles, including Louis. Finally, the way the rulers actually ruled drew the line between a great leader and a…not so great leader. Louis held absolute power over his country—but had no idea how to wield it! He was completely incompetent, as he had no idea how to run things efficiently or for the good of the people. His actions even ended up being harmful to the majority of the population, for he gave more power to the aristocrats while leaving the 3rd estate to starve. Napoleon began his reign (well, right before his reign) off on the right foot, in support of the revolution. This gained the love of the commoners, and when he took the throne—without force—as emperor, he used his power wisely. He not only improved conditions for the people of France by improving education and making taxes equal, he also went and helped the opposing side of the revolution by making peace with Catholic church. This leads to the next aspect of a good ruler, the ability to unify your country. Napoleon did a fantastic job unitng the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd estate, and instilled a sense of national pride in the people. Louis separated the estates and conducted from behind the scenes, showing that he was above his own people. Even worse, when the going got tough for Louis during the revolution, he just got scared, packed up, and left. By not standing by his country, he gave off the message that he wasn’t on the same level as the rest of them, and by doing this, he lost the little trust the people held for him.
Being a successful leader requires many different qualities, and being a successful ruler calls for even more specific traits. France has seen it’s fair share of lousy kings, as well as legendary ones. Most notably, Louis XVI and Napoleon have held the title of ruler—but they couldn’t have been more different! First off, the backgrounds of the two men played a role in how they came about their power. Louis was obviously born into wealth, as he was part of the royal family. Napoleon, on the other hand, was born into a lower-middle class family on a small island off of France. While it may not seem like their financial upbringing would play a part in their leadership abilities, it definitely affected their overall personalities. Napoleon learned that in order to achieve something, you had to work for it, while Louis was taught that he deserved absolute power, well, just because. It is perhaps because of this childhood that Napoleon became the charismatic and sympathetic person he was, for he was able to interact with others who were commoners like him, and learn what made them tick. Louis was really only ever around the 1st and 2nd estate, and he was not able to become much of a person the common people could relate to. Louis was also very young when he took the throne, which may have set him up for failure in the long run, because since he was just a child the people probably didn’t respect his judgment or authority (for good reason), which may have built up into a feeling distain for Louis, even as he grew older. Napoleon also became a leader at a tender age (only 16), as he was a lieutenant of a section of the military. While one might argue that he was almost as young as Louis when he took a fair bit of power, the main difference is that Napoleon earned his power through his knowledge and ability, while it was just handed down to Louis. By achieving such a high level of command at only 16, Napoleon was probably honored and respected because of his competence.
ReplyDeleteFrance was a country of oppression, where the lower class was being deprived, and they could almost thrive on a good king, survive on an okay king, but the last thing they needed was a poor king. Louis the XVI was just that, a boy only the age of 16 thrust into power, in a place where the social class system or the old regime was so oppressive that a simple over filling of the bottle could end in a catastrophic breakdown of government. Louis the XVI stayed in his little bubble of happiness while he drained taxes from 98 percent of the population. Now what did he do with this money. Instead of using it wisely to keep his citizens happy he fought far of wars that weren’t fun and more impotently he funded the other 2nd estate, or the nobles, parties and ambitions not to mention they never had to pay taxes in the first place. Now Louis really had no idea what he was doing but the real overfilling of the bottle was when they had meeting where all three classes were suppose to be represented but not wanting to have to deal with the 3rd estate he banished them. This was the final straw since they had a chance to make things right. For once they were going to have to take things into their own hands. This was the end of Louis as women followed by men charged the castle.
ReplyDeleteNow the people of France never faced a stable government, but suddenly a short man, who was proud, brave, smart, and wise had came riding into town. He fought for his country and not in a poor sort of pathetic way but he used his brilliant strategy to defend the national conventions from rebels. From this moment forward the French saw him in a gloried state, that he was a hero. He soon had control of the French military and they loved him, he talk to men of all ranks, he led the troops into power. In a matter of year, Napoleon had a powerful army to back him up when he took over. Once he claimed ruler he wrote laws that kept the revolutionaries happy, he made the church happy, he made a general happiness. People never questioned why they had another ruler they were simply too happy to love him. He simply was a man that knew how to rule while Louis had no idea what he was doing.
Louis XVI was so reviled because of the time he became king and because he was very unfit for the job, while on the other hand Napoleon was widely accepted because of the time he rose to power and because of his ambition.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Regime had been run by a monarch, and now has started to crumble. It has started to fail because of its financial debt from a recently lost war, and at this time a boy is about to rise to power – Louis XVI. He was 16 when he came into power, and was not a leader. He was shy and ready to believe anyone he spoke to (easily convinced). He was going to accomplish nothing for France, and his wife Marie Antoinette was a descendant of the enemies of France. She was Austrian; this caused unrest in the population, their relatives died fighting her people. This perfect storm of events caused Louis XVI to be widely hated, a revolution was going to begin.
The revolution only caused more civil and political unrest. The Reign of Terror had begun, people were slaughtered because of the new government’s paranoia. Austria had started to attack France’s eastern borders, threatening to destroy France as a whole prior to its blooming.
Throughout this period, a boy in Corsica was about to turn the revolution on its head. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte; he was a genius in infantry strategy and soon was accepted into one of the best military schools in France under a scholarship. He rose to be a powerful military leader and led a coup d’état and was proclaimed first council in a new government, the French Consulate. He quickly gained popularity and crowned himself emperor. This assertive and strict leader was the perfect dictator/emperor/leader of France. The Reign of Terror caused his success as the perfect storm of events caused Louis XVI’s downfall.
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ReplyDeleteNapoleon Vs. Louis XVI
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI and Napoleon both ruled France in two completely different ways. Louis XVI was born in the position and was a young boy when he came into power. Since he was born into his position, he didn’t know the troubles his people were facing (third estate). He was married to Marie Antoinette to make an alliance with Australia, and was used as a figurehead for the French people. As time went on, Louis XVI started to show his true colors.
When the three estates were going to meet for the meeting of the Estates General, Louis XVI instructed the three estates to meet separately, and the third estate refused. Louis XVI proceeded to lock out the third estate’s delegates of their meeting place. The exclusion provided by the king lead to the Tennis Court Oath. The Tennis Court Oath was a slap in the face to Louis XVI. The third estate refused to meet with the rest of the estates until a new constitution was made and adopted by the country. This series of events set of the French Revolution. Louis XVI wasn’t an affective ruler for France because he didn’t know how to rule his country, and simply wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility.
Napoleon was born into an unwealthy family in 1769. He was an intelligent, hardworking, and a persevering man. Although he was a very little man, he won a scholarship to a famous military school, and was appointed a lieutenant title when he was only sixteen. As time went on, he continued to devout himself to his studies and military strategies. He saw an opportunity for glory and defended the National Convention from rebels by firing into the crowd. In 1792, he became a captain and then a brigadier general by the Committee of Public Safety. In 1796 he was made a commander of French armies in Italy.
His support and devotion to his troops, and great attitude helped him be victorious. He returned to France as a military hero in 1797. Even though he loses the war with Britain, he comes back with his reputation still in tact. Napoleon sees an opertunity to overthrow the government, and create a consulate. He made himself one of the three directors. He maneuvered himself to become first council, and the most powerful man in France. Two years later he crowned himself Emperor of France.
During the Revolution, France had some 200 different legal systems. Unlike Louis XVI, Napoleon sets out to provide an order to his country. He does this by creating The Napoleonic code. He created only seven codes, but excluded the rights of women. While in power, Napoleon conquered many European nations, and was able to defeat a coalition of armies in 1807, which greatly expanded France’s border.
Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were two very significant rulers of the powerful country of France, but for drastically different reasons. It was how they acted upon their high power that really differentiated their characters. Louis XVI was an inexperienced and young teenager, only at the age of sixteen, when he came to his unexpected crowning. Not only having virtually no sense of knowing how to rule, let alone a whole country, also came to rule in an unfortunate period. He was crowned king while France was suffering through an overwhelming array of problems. France was in an economic crisis, the class system in France was crippling, and of course, the famine and bread shortage which took hold of an extremely high percentage of French families. He had no confidence in himself, his wife was Austrian, and having an inability to produce an offspring added to his own problems. Having the Old Regime system set up, the splitting of the three estates was the base of why most French people disliked him. Having 97% of the French population against him, and only 3% following his ideas, he was already in a sticky situation. He lived in ultimate royalty. He was wealthy, ate huge amounts of food, and was simply fashionable. Even though he had all of these wondrous living conditions, he did nothing to try to at least help with the social problems for the lowest class, the third estate. People were starving to death while Louis was eating more food to feed an entire family for a day. His unwanting of trying to act and solve problems just distanced himself from his own people. Without the support of his own people, and with people hating and wanting a new change, resulted in the riots and ultimately the revolution. The chaos of this event went on until the death of the king. His death was confined to the guillotine. After the death of the unfit king, Napoleon Bonaparte came to rule as emperor. Napoleon Bonaparte was a man who was pretty much the opposite of Louis XVI for varying reasons. He was born outside of France on the island of Corsica. Though as this was, Napoleon considered himself a true Frenchman and felt proud of it. He was a rough and violent child, and it’s known that he had stabbed a fellow student in his younger years. Napoleon was a bright student and deeply interested in military topics. He was appointed to rank of lieutenant at the age of sixteen. Though he was young and of a short stature, he had a knack for really connecting and listening to his soldiers. He even fought during battles and had an unbelievable self-confidence unlike Louis XVI. After the entire revolution, people feared the fact of having another ruler and end up going back to same violent actions. Though this was true, the French people surprisingly accepted him. He interacted with people of all classes and actually cared for their living, unlike Louis XVI. To put it simply, Napoleon was loved by his people and Louis XVI was hated by his people. Louis XVI maddened the French people not by simply doing nothing, but Napoleon was loved by the French people because he gave them his own attention to hear their needs. He was a very intellectual man, loved his people and country, and fought for his people.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the French Revolution, France fell into a state of utter turmoil. Paranoid, the revolutionaries brought about the execution of thousands of people during the Reign of Terror. From the island of Corsica, along came Napoleon Bonaparte, a young, successful military commander who had been a proven effective leader. The people were of course drawn in by his leadership qualities in such a time of disorder. Seeking stability, the people of France accepted a dictator though they had just purged the country of the old monarchy. Napoleon may have held a very similar position as Louis XVI, but he had a very different leadership style. While King Louis had been nothing more than a lazy oaf who did nothing to help 98% of his people, Napoleon was a man who showed compassion for his soldiers and fought with them; a man who deserved respect. He was a man who had the potential to conquer most of Western Europe. Napoleon was far smarter than Louis XVI as well, as he allowed the people some rights they had fought for during the Revolution. The Napoleonic Code declared all citizens to be equal before the law and proclaimed careers open to all French people. Napoleon also allowed people who had gained land during the Revolution to keep that land, pleasing the people. In order to preserve his good reputation, he surrounded himself with competent government officials that helped the nation prosper under his name. Napoleon’s personality and proven leadership set him apart from the old monarchs, but had France not been in the turmoil it was, Napoleon would not have been successful in his taking of France. Napoleon simply came at the right time for the people of France.
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ReplyDeleteLouis the XVI and Napoleon were both leaders that ruled during one of the most famous times for France. Although both were leaders, they tackled the ruling of France very differently. Louis the XVI in my opinion as an awful ruler. He was never expected to be on the thrown so young. His father suddenly died and Louis took over. He had no motivation in helping the people of France or helping France as a country. He sat around, ate food, and partied most of his life. At this point, the people of France (3rd estate) were extremely angry. They were not getting any help from their leader and nothing good was being accomplished. The people, third estate that makes up most of the population at this time obviously did not accept Louis because of the Revolution.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon was accepted by the people because he came in power at the perfect time. The people of France were in their Reign of Terror and everyone was out of place. There were killings left and right and order needed to be restored. Napoleon stepped in to take control of France and the people liked this. The people felt lost and vulnerable so having someone step in and create “order” made them feel safe. Unlike Louis, Napoleon was an extremely good leader and he knew how to make his people happy. He showed the people his good battle skills by being ranked as lieutenant at 16 years old. He also was made commander of the French Armies in Italy and supported his own troops. He was known in France as a military hero. Napoleon always tried to please the people of France. He slowly won over the people and once he did that he decided to forces policies and different codes.
King Louis XVI was hated by most of France during his rule. He did not care about his people and he lacked the leadership needed to take power of France. He was brought into power as a kid. He was shy and had no social skills. This led to the French people being neglected and therefore a widespread famine spread across France. The neglected people of France were the poorest members of the society and happened to also be the majority. They took over King Louis XVI and began a revolution. Shortly after the end of this revolution a new ruler came into power, Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a strong leader and he led the people of France. Napoleon was a great military strategist and he used that skill to expand France and make his people happy. Napoleon also entered into rule with an abundance of confidence and a plan. These two men were clearly opposites but they both gained power, fast. Louis XVI gained power through inheritance with little to no experience. Napoleon gained power quickly simply by declaring himself king. The difference is the confidence within each leader. If a leader has confidence then the people being led will be confident in them. The people of Napoleon's time needed a strong leader who would guide them out of the post-revolution mayhem. Bonaparte was the man for the job, he proceeded to expand France using his military brilliance which led to the people of France trusting him. Louis XVI on the other hand did absolutely nothing to better France. He was unable to have children with led to no heirs. This led to his instability on the thrown. Napoleon was clearly the favorite for France compared to Louis XVI.
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ReplyDeleteLouis XVI and Napoleon had very separate ways of ruling. Louis was not very involved, and stood back to let others do the work. He never did anything beneficial to the people of France. But Napoleon was the opposite. He was along side his men in every battle they fought. I think that alone gives him a lot of respect from all of the people of France because they had never had a leader that involved and dedicated. He also controlled his army very well, and made them all feel accepted and needed. Napoleon showed people how dedicated he was and how much he cared about them before he started to rise in power, eventually becoming emperor. Louis was too young and naive when he became the king. He was not very dedicated to helping anyone but himself.
ReplyDeleteIts strange, however that Napoleon was still so loved and looked up to when he declared himself emperor. The French people just spent so much time trying to get out from their last ruler, and then they allowed their country to fall right back into that hole. Maybe they were blinded by all of the good military accomplishments that Napoleon got them. Although Napoleon declared himself Emperor, he tried to keep as many laws as he could to keep both sides happy. But it was hard because these two sides had very different opinions. Although Louis XVI and Napoleon where both seen as absolute rulers of France Louis was hated by the French people while Napoleon was looked up to by the Nation. I think the reason for this is simply that Napoleon was involved and dedicated and did his best to make everyone happy and the French people recognized him as a great leader.
Hailey Hofer:
ReplyDeleteAn absolute leader is a man with no limits, no restrictions, and cannot be surpassed. Both Napoleon and Louis XVI can be considered absolute leaders during their lifetimes, leading them to ultimately be some of the most influential rulers in French history, but in very different ways. Louis XVI was hated by his people, which triggered the French Revolution, resulting in his execution. On the other hand, Napoleon was well liked, and supported by his people, which lead to a successful regime. One of the major contributing factors of why people disliked and liked both leaders is their backgrounds, and how they came about their power. While Louis XVI was simply given the title of "king" when his father died, Napoleon came from the lower-middle class on a small island off of France. One would think that Louis XVI would be an excellent king, since he was born into the royal family, but really, he was quite terrible. Married at age 15 to the 14 year old Marie Antoinette, and on the throne by his early 20s, Louis XVI was very immature and ignorant towards his people's troubles. France was suffering greatly when he became king, including problems such as, an economic crisis, famine throughout the third estate, and the crippling class system. The first and second estate were content with their economic situation when the Old Regime was set up because they didn't have to pay any taxes, and each were about 1% of the population, while the third estate, making up around 98% of the population were paying all of the taxes. People of the third estate were starving while he was eating tons of food, and they were paying taxes, while Marie Antoinette was spending it, buying ridiculous hats, and other expensive things. The third estate members were so fed up with their "king" that they decided to revolt, killing both Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the unfit king and queen for France. Soon after the French Revolution, the french went into a state of despair and chaos. The Revolutionaries were so paranoid, that they began to execute any non-revolutionary man/woman. This long and terrifying state is called the Reign of Terror. After the death of King Louis XVI, Napoleon, a very successful military commander, and a terrific leader was accepted by the French as a dictator. Although they had just fought through a long and hard revolution, the people were seeking some sort of order and organization, that they dove right back into having a ruler. Napoleon and King Louis XVI had very similar positions, but Napoleon was proven a much better and more like man by all. I believe that this is why he was accepted by the French, he was in the right place at the right time. Unlike Louis XVI, Napoleon understood that the third estate was unhappy before, and therefore, instead of forcing the old regime back down their throats, he created 7 codes, called the Napoleonic Codes. He was extremely careful to include many of the rights gained by the Revolution, making sure that there is equality for all. Although Napoleon was going for an equality for all appeal, it actually was a step back for women and children, making inheritance and divorce more difficult. Napoleon's goal was for everyone to feel wanted and equal all at the same time, while Louis XVI cared not of what the people wanted or needed, and left them in a rut. Napoleon was clearly loved, while Louis XVI was hated.
Napoleon and King Louis XVI were both sole leaders of France, although the former was loved, and the latter was despised. When Louis was king, he neglected his people, married a wife who spent taxpayer money without a thought, and refused to give 98% of the population a voice in government. As a result, along with other factors, a revolution took the king from his position and the head from the king.
ReplyDeleteAfter the revolution, the Commission of Public Safety took over, and beheaded anyone who they felt threatened the revolution. This caused the Reign of Terror to ensue, in which people were scared for their lives everyday. Out of this commotion came a man named Napoleon, who through military prowess, and charisma proclaimed himself emperor. At this point he held a similar title to that of Louis, although was careful not to use the word “king” because of all the resentment the French people felt towards monarchies.
Napoleon did many things during his reign to help him stay in favor of his people, and power. Firstly, he had to appease the revolutionaries who had backed the Reign of Terror, so he claimed he preserved the rights of the revolution. Secondly, he wanted to appease the relationship with the Church, so he gave some land to the church gained during the revolution. Also, he let those who gained land in the revolution keep it, because they were the powerful, wealthy ones, and good allies to have.
Now why the people might have loved Napoleon over King Louis XVI can be explained through their differences. Napoleon paid more attention to his subjects, as Louis chiefly focused on his court’s own luxury, while Napoleon wrote the Napoleonic Code which replaced the confusing 300 codes put in place during the revolution with 7 simpler codes ensuring all men equality before the law. Napoleon worked to appease his people and allies France would need such as the church, while still keeping the people happy, while Louis married an Austrian, (Austria was an enemy of France) whom France grew to loathe. Simply put Napoleon focused more on his people, and how to keep them happy while still keeping France afloat, while Louis neglected his people and ruled France in a time of economic instability.
Napoleon and Louis XVI are very different people at heart even thought they were both rulers of France. When we look at Louis XVI steps to becoming the king of France, he did nothing except live. He was essentially born into royalty. Napoleon had a very different course to become the emperor of France. He grew up on the island of Corsica where he developed a strange accent. When people bullied him because of his accent, he didn’t take any crap from anybody and he stabbed a student at his school once. He loved studying military strategies and went to a very prestigious school to study it, where he advanced in the ranks very quickly. From there he became a hero when he fended off a mass of rebels from the national convention. He soon had his own army and started invading other countries. after several defeats in Egypt, Napoleon returned to France and took over the government with his army and declared himself as the monarch of France. Now when we compare Napoleon to Louis XVI, Napoleon did way more to become king rather then Louis XVI which would infer that Napoleon would have a greater appreciation for the title rather then Louis. With Louis XVI, whenever he had problems, he tended to ignore them While Napoleon wanted to help everybody out. Napoleon was so accepted into France as a ruler because he really worked hard to get to that spot and he wasn’t going to throw it all away just by being inconsiderate, while Louis XVI, didn’t really care about anybody else except for his family. After the reign of terror, France was in serious need of leadership and Napoleon was there to answer their call. If I were to sum up the difference between Napoleon and Louis XVI, it would be that Napoleon cared, while Louis XVI did not.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon and Louis XVI are two of the most well known rulers in French history. They have ruled with the same general motive, but with very different strategies. Napoleon was smart. He made sure the people were happy, and satisfied his needs within the limits of the peoples want. Louis XVI did the opposite. He upset most of France by his corrupt view on how to rule a country. Which lead to the revolution. Napoleon rose to the action in a time of chaos and Louis XVI was born to power and never considered the peoples happiness. Napoleon was more praised, but never reached any further in the ability to rule than Louis XVI. France despised Louis XVI during his rule because he was selfish with his power, but wouldn’t you be able to say the same for Napoleon? Louis XVI was upfront with his selfishness and want of power. Napoleon was more discrete with what he wanted. He brought a sense of leadership and security to France after the reign of terror, helping gain more control by ending the nonsense brought to France from the lack of guidance and control. The people were in a state of chaos. They had no leader and were stuck in the idea of other countries coming in and controlling France. When Napoleon took lead and control, he was strategic about how to gain power. He knew what the people admired and also knew how to satisfy the 2nd estate. He influenced the ideas of different groups to make it seem like he was taking control for the correct reasons. He was looked up to as a hero, a leader, and soon to crown himself king/emperor. The difference between King Louis XVI and Napoleon was the way they portrayed how much they cared for France. Louis XVI only cared for his well being and so did Napoleon, but Napoleon made the people of France believe different.
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI came to rule France at the very young age of 20 and because of this he lacked experience in confidence and the people of France suffered. When his rein began Louis XVI attempted to gain the acceptance of his people by reinstating the parliaments. This plan only lessened his popularity with his people and the revolution began. On the other hand there was Napoleon Bonaparte who dreamt of one day ruling France his whole life. Napoleon had the opportunity to study were most Corsican boys his age were not able to at the time. He was enrolled at a religious school in mainland France to learn French, and was soon admitted to a military academy. An observer of Napoleon said that he “has always been distinguished for his application in mathematics. He is fairly well acquainted with history and geography.” Little did he know that these skills would soon make Napoleon one of the most successful military leader of all time. While away at school Napoleon was teased by his peers for his thick Corsican accent witch resulted in him further delving himself into his studies. But also on some occasions led to Napoleon lashing out on his peers physically. Because of the fact that Napoleon dedicated himself so much to his studies he became a very driven person witch would in turn make him a very driven leader. Due to the massive amount of deaths that occurred during the revolution and the reign of terror especially the people of France were frightened and ready for a new France. This is where Napoleon came in and helped France to prosper once more. After the revolution ended and Louis XVI was executed by the Guillotine France was in need of a new leader. Napoleon Bonaparte was able to take on that role. During his short and quick ascent he was able to conquer new land for France and quickly became loved by his people. However it is possible that because of the fact that France was in such desperate need of a new and driven ruler anybody would have settled and Napoleon was simply the first to come along. This could be the reason why napoleon was so quickly accepted by the French, they were desperate and did not know any better then their previous king.
ReplyDeleteBoth King Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte both fulfilled their lives with self greatness and righteousness. They both share the eagerness for their hunger of power and both can be described as egotistical and selfish. However, many things do separate these crazy, power driven men; Napoleon does have a moral stand point on bettering his country as a whole, where as King Louis XVI was more interested in his luxuries and bettering his OWN life rather then fulfilling the needs of his country.
ReplyDeleteKing Louis XVI is quite the opposite of Napoleon strategical wise in military and political aspects. King Louis lacked political and military understandings and strategies because of his odd mindset. King Louis was crowned King at a very young age, and he accepted the decision to marry the young Austrian Marie Antoinette, which the majority of France despised. Also, King Louis was put in a bad place being crowned after his grandfather died, because his grandfather put France in a terrible debt and a huge hole. Although King Louis XVI did not do much to dig himself and France out of the hole his grandfather created, he was unfortunately put in a position that he was not familiar that included a huge list of things to do. His failure to do nearly anything for his country led to the anger of France leading up to revolution. His glutenous behavior created many people to feel like they were being deprived of food and water. King Louis’ inadequate tax distribution made it so that things like infrastructure and food supplies were low leaving the majority furious. Also his help in the American Revolutionary war created more tension.
Starting off, Napoleon rose to power during a rough time and people were looking for a leader with a powerful mindset and a driving attitude; Napoleon had just that. He killed off rebel forces with unique military strategies and that got people to notice him as a leader. Already at a young age he gained the love and respect of so many French people. Also, during the time of the Reign of Terror, the country was vulnerable to attacks and opinions. They were so paranoid and scared of the defeat of their revolution, and his rise in the military stuck out to them. He continued to win the hearts and love of France. Even the way Napoleon lived made him look amazing compared to King Louis. Napoleon fit to the population’s wants and needs (except for women and children), so they saw him as a hero and a great man. His military strategies allowed France to expand in land, creating more opportunities and land for the French. Also, he treated his troops like brothers, always caring for and loving them making the army feel more comfortable. Because Napoleon was so different from King Louis with politics and military, it was easy for him to succeed, but he did accomplish more than that. He is seen as one of the best rulers and commanders in history.
Louis XVI was so reviled by France's people because he was a horrible leader in general. He and his wife enjoyed luxurious parties, a huge palace, and thousands of pairs of shoes while the people of France could not even afford bread. Also, Louis did not have a very charismatic aura about him, as Napoleon Bonaparte did. Although Louis XVI was a thoroughbred French man and Napoleon was born of Corsica, the people of France much preferred Napoleon even if he was not as French as Louis XVI. They liked him much more because his actions were much more noble than any aspect of Louis XVI's reign. Napoleon was the ruler that followed directly after a period of violence, instability, and terror. This left a perfect window for a leader like Napoleon to come out of nowhere. Napoleon took advantage of this opporitunity that he had been working so hard for, for all of his life. Also, there was a myth that he was invincible because he was at the leading edge of most infantry warfare and never got injured. This gave him an invincible aura about him. Major differences between the prowess of Napoleon and Louis’ rule are the way in which they enforced the laws rather than the laws themselves. The difference was that Napoleon was confident with himself. Some may say overconfident, or at least confident enough to crown himself emperor of France. It was because of his charisma that people were happy to be French again. Even though Napoleon took away some of the French peoples’ rights, he did so with fortitude and therefore the people accepted it. These are the reasons why the people of France accepted, loved, and revered Napoleon so much more than Louis XVI. In the end, it was Napoleon’s determination to succeed that propelled him to greatness.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon Bonaparte, like Louis XVI, was a dictator who’s rule impressed upon the citizens seemingly unjust restrictions, such as liberty of the press. However, the French people were either more accepting of Napoleon, or had simply tempered themselves to such dictators after the tumultuous rule of Louis XVI. Some of the reasons may lie within Napoleon’s contrasting competence and compassion towards his subjects.
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI was crowned at age 17, yet knew nothing about ruling a country. He, along with his spendthrift Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, was completely uninformed as to how he should run his country. In fact, he even dismissed Jacques Necker, whom he had hired to fix France’s current financial problems, after Necker proposed to make grain more affordable for the people by lowering the prices. Louis knew only how to line his coffers, and not how to drive a desperate nation out of economic turmoil and famine.
Napoleon, seeming to be Louis’s character foil, was a competent leader and military strategist. Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon grew up in a poor family. Being an impressive scholar, Napoleon was granted a scholarship to a prestigious military school which his parents would have no means of affording otherwise. Due to his scholarly attributes, Napoleon was, through a series of achievements, awarded the rank of lieutenant at the age of 16. He eventually gains high esteem when he defends the Convention of Public Safety from a horde of dissenters by firing grapeshot into the crowd. At age 27, Napoleon commanded all the French armies that were occupying Italy. Within one year, the Italian forces are defeated at the hands of Napoleon. Napoleon merit earned him the nickname “the darling of Paris.” In 1802, Napoleon orders a coup d’état against the weak French government using the It was his merit and strategic brilliance, not his birthright, which allowed Napoleon to ascend to position of power amongst the French.
Louis XVI was also generally disconnected with his subjects. While he lived in the 2nd estate, caring little for the famine and economic downturn his people were facing, Napoleon actually appealed to his subjects. Even on the battlefield, Napoleon took the time to understand what problems may have been plaguing his soldiers. He sat down and talked with his men, hearing them out to help resolve these problems, while Louis never even allowed his people to speak. In fact, when Louis called a Meeting of the Estates General, the first in 175 years, he barred the 3rd estate’s members, the poor majority of France’s populus, from the meeting, leaving the wealthy 1st and 2nd estates to have free rule over the events of the meeting.
Louis was a generally incompetent, apathetic heir, who undeservedly rose to throne, whereas Napoleon was a skilled, caring ruler who understood his people’s plights and whose rise to power was based on his merit and not his birthright.
Within a timespan of less than 20 years, we find two dictators at the head of the French empire. They both gave little in terms of freedom for their subjects, but we see a remarkable contrast between how the French population reacted to each of them. The first, Louis XVI, sparked a revolution ending in his execution and the installation of a new government, but the second, Napoleon Bonaparte, was able to sway the people in a return to the monarchal government that had just been overthrown. These two leaders play an interesting role in history, and examining how two such similar rulers were able to get such extremely opposite reactions from the same people makes for a very revealing discovery. It can however, be argued that these leaders, while both dictators, were very different in style and operation, and the people they were ruling over had changed dramatically over the course of time between their reigns. When he was in power, Louis XVI was disliked by almost all of the French people. The long lineal line of French kings that Louis XVI belonged to had brought about a slow decline over France's once glorious empire. The country was in a state of disrepair; hunger and starvation swept the country, and the fact that Louis XVI continued to live lavishly and fund foreign wars did not help his popularity with the people. Enlightenment ideas were spreading and the French people were getting tired of the old system of government that had been oppressing them. The biggest factors that contributed to Louis XVI's unpopularity with the people were the disrepair of the French empire, the hunger for revolution built up for years and years, and Louis XVI's inability to effectively run the country while spending France's wealth on personal matters. When Napoleon came to power, he was rapidly taking over a country in a different state of disrepair. France had been freed from the oppressive government of Louis XVI, but after Robespierre and the revolutionaries had run the show, leading to the reign of terror and the killing of innocent French citizens, France was looking for stability and safety, and they found it in Napoleon’s short 5'4" frame. Napoleon came to power in a very different way. Instead of simply having inherited his position, Napoleon took over after a recent turn of events had cause the French people to view him as a patriotic hero. He had already shown an extraordinary ability to lead and had a huge amount of success as France’s commander of the armed forces. When Napoleon took over, it seemed to the French people that he was not oppressing their newfound freedoms, but rather saving them from an unstable time period and the promise of another Golden Age for France. The French people saw him as the one person who could lead France to become a world power once again, which he did. Also, Napoleon was careful when restructuring the government to include many of the rights that had been gained from the revolution, and while he had absolute power over the French people, he was sure to give them enough freedoms to keep them happy. King Louis XVI never seemed to care about the French commoners, but Napoleon led his soldiers into battle, and he spent time talking with the lowest soldiers and French people to earn their trust and love. To the French people, Louis XVI was an incapable and arrogant emperor, who was leading their already tarnished country into a worse state of disrepair. On the flipside, Napoleon presented to the French people a way out of the Reign of Terror, and while he took away some of the freedoms gained by the revolution, he also seemed to be leading them by the hand to another cause for the revolution: a return of France to a glorious age, and an improved standards of living among all of the French people.
ReplyDeleteTo me it was because King Louis rejected his people while Napoleon embraced them. King Louis started at his position as King at the young age of 16, with his young Queen Marie Antoinette from Austria. This was the first problem with the two inexperienced officials reign; they brought a Queen from Austria which happens to be an enemy to the French, adding to that she was a spendthrift which caused the French people to pay more money to the government. Another thing was that King Louis gave no rights to 98% of his people and forced them to pay all taxes, the other two percent lived rich happy lives while the third estate had them on its back. Adding to this, since he ignored an extremely large portion of his people a famine was brought about to the populous of France. This enraged the people and they demanded a resolution to the problem which King Louis ignored completely. Napoleon on the other hand was loved by his people and an excellent man of war. Napoleon was born on the island of Corsica where he studied hard to go to military school where he would start out as a lieutenant in the French Military. He got his first chance of glory when he was assigned to defend the National Committee from the attacking rebels. He devised a plan to surround the rebels and firing a cannon shot into the mass of rebels thus causing the rebels to retreat. Napoleon was hailed for his achievement; he began to move up the ranks and eventually found an opening in the parliamentary system and pronounced himself emperor. Once he was emperor he had a challenge which was satisfying the rebels to the point where they would no longer need to revolt. Napoleon devised a new law system that gave the population rights (except women) and shrunk the hard to understand 300 law system down to seven. Napoleon was also great on the battle field taking over a large portion of Europe and maintaining it. He was also great with his troops talking to them about life and their families and trying to stay close to them which brought them closer to Napoleon. But in the end Napoleon abused his power and lost everything that he had worked for. In the end , King Louis was too young to become King and his biggest issue was the fact that he ignored 98% of his people when there was a Famine and large amount of taxes. Napoleon on the other hand was hailed and loved because he accepted and loved all of his people , gave them rights, and he was a legend on the battlefield and still is today.
ReplyDeleteThe simple answer to this question is that Napoleon met his people’s needs or at least provided that illusion, while Louis XVI was completely ignorant of the needs of his nation.
ReplyDeleteBefore becoming Emperor of France Napoleon already had an impressive resume. He was appointed the rank of lieutenant at age sixteen and he creatively defended the National Convention from rebels, being hailed as “the darling of Paris.” He then became a captain, then a brigadier general, and finally a commander of the French armies in Italy. Along with his military advancements and exploits he was very compassionate and ambitious. His charisma and likeability vastly increased his popularity. With the public behind him and found flaw in the head of the government it was easy for him to perform a Coup D’état. During his rule he preserved a lot of the rights of the revolution while also appealing to the church. Napoleon carefully crafted his policies trying to please all of the French people. Napoleons drive, charisma, and past successes were why he was so widely accepted by the people of France. Even his downfall was a result of invasion, rather than dissatisfaction. Napoleon was loved by the French simply for his charisma.
Contrary to Napoleon, Louis XVI was despised by the French people. At the time of Louis’s role the French were already in an economic crisis. This economic downfall led to a famine and bread shortage, all accredited to Louis. Being king, Louis was unaffected by the economic crisis of France and famine, therefore he felt nothing should be done about it. In fact, Louis did not do much as a ruler, his only actions were military responses to the revolution. Louis XVI was neither ambitious, charismatic, nor strong-minded, all characteristics of the ideal leader.
The conclusion drawn by excluding tangible successes or failures like that of Louis’s mismanagement as king or Napoleons strategic conquests is that the success of a leader depends on their character. Louis lacked essential characteristics of a leader while Napoleon was strong, captivating and determined.
King Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were very different leaders during their time. The reason King Louis is so different from Napoleon and why he was so disliked was mainly because he was weak and ineffective as a leader and had no real military power or knowledge. Napoleon, on the other hand, was a very strong and convincing leader, as well as being very knowledgable in military strategy from attending a prestigious military school.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason that Napoleon was much more successful and accepted than King Louis was because King Louis came before him. This meant that any ruler, whether they were good or bad, would have been accepted by the people as long as they were some improvement from King Louis. However, this did not mean that the people disliked Napoleon; he was instead liked by both the people and the church. This was because he kept many of the laws created during the Revolution and he let the revolutionaries keep some of the land they had gained. However, he also satisfied the church in that he returned some of the land that had been taken from the church during the Revolution. These actions made sure that there would be no second French Revolution against him, as well as that he would be backed by the church.
The third reason for his successful rule was his conquering of other countries and great expansion of the French border. He also created many new colonies in other countries, creating an enormous French empire that spanned a great part of Europe and Asia. These things reinforced the fact that he was a very strong leader, and thus strengthened the faith of the French people in him.
One final important reason for his success was that he was feared by the French people, with good reason. He was a very strong general and military power and he completely took control of the government. Louis XVI, on the other hand, was greatly lacking in any sort of governing or military intelligence, and was the laughingstock of the French people.
It is amazing how two situations can be so similar yet so different. Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte both were absolute rulers France at the turn of the 19th century, but the people adored one while the other was reviled and killed. This incredible contrast was caused by two major distinctions in their situations: the different states of the French society when the reigns began and the different actions of the two rulers.
ReplyDeleteWhen Louis XVI was crowned King of France, the dysfunctional government set up had been oppressing the common man for years. The commoners had built up frustration concerning the government, and the tension was great. Between this time and the time that Napoleon Bonaparte came into power, the commoners staged a violent rebellion against the hated government. The government fell, but left the country without order. By the time Napoleon became a political figure over ten years later, the need for order was felt strongly, and the people were much more open to any source of order and guidance. These different histories and needs of the people made the second community much more open to a strong government force than the first.
The bigger cause, from the perspective of most, was the actions of each ruler. While Napoleon Bonaparte was very good at his job, Louis XVI seemed to only make matters worse for the country. Louis XIV was given the crown at the age of 17 when the previous king passed away. He had no real credit to his name other than his bloodline, and he had done nothing in his life to prove that he would be a good king. He continued this total lack of credibility as a ruler by giving away or spending all of the country’s money. Most of it went into his pocket or to another country, but none benefited the taxpayers. He didn’t do much else even when his irresponsible actions left the people starving in the streets. In contrast, Napoleon Bonaparte came from a poor family on a small island off of France and made his way up to the throne with years of hard work. He became a lieutenant at age 16, and soon his brilliant war strategies made him a hero in Paris. He saved the National Assembly from rioters with strategic cannon shots into the crowd, and then went on to win a large battle in Italy that seemed to be an impossible victory. The people believed in him, and he quickly rose in military rank. All of these accomplishments were made possible by Napoleon’s great leadership skills. He had the ability to connect with people, motivate them, and inspire them to feel good about being French. When he took the throne he did so because he saw an error in the government and believed he could better the system. When Napoleon took control, he staged a well thought through and carefully executed coup d’état with the support of the people. After his takeover, he set up a better legal system and conquered many countries for France, turning France from a struggling, fallen apart nation to the most powerful country in Europe. Napoleon made careful compromises to appease everyone, such as giving both the Catholic Church and the rebels parts of the land taken during the revolution. All in all, while in similar government roles, there were many feasible reasons that made Napoleon more fit to rule than Louis XVI and ultimately more loved by his people.
A dictator can be seen as a leader who has an immense amount of power of a group of people. Most dictators are seen as rulers who direct the people and also guide the country. With so much power a dictator can influence so many things. A dictator can cause violence and also ignore terrible poverty, keeping the wealth to themselves. A dictator can also use their power in a positive way, and because of the immense power a lot of good can be done.
ReplyDeleteThere are many examples of dictators throughout history with most of them being violent, forceful leaders who only lookout for themselves. Some dictators however use there power to benefit their country. In terms of France the leaders have been predominantly dictators, because of the royal family.. Louis the 16th was a king who managed his country very poorly. Although he had a lot of power he was not a smart leader and didn’t have much care for France. After the revolution became successful in removing the king from power a new leader was needed. A short man with the characteristics opposite to Louis the 16th took the challenge of running France, his way was much different than what France was used to.
Louis the sixteenth was born into power without and , became king at the tender age of 14, an age where one’s decision making is not at its best, I know this because I am a teenager. Besides the fact that he was young he was running a country that was in a nasty situation. After loosing a war France became depleted, and the economy worsened leaving most people in poverty. The citizens looked to Louis to help France and the lower class. He did not do so, in fact he didn’t really care, he did not include the 3rd estate (the impoverished) in important meetings relating to the countries health.
After some time of the citizens became angered and decided to overthrow the King in hope of renewing France. Although the citizens were successful in this, they did not have a steady leader to manage the country, this is where Napoleon Bonaparte comes in. Napoleon was a short, charismatic and ambitious, these were characteristics of a good leader. Napoleon was also very successful in school, earning his position in society on merit, unlike Louis the 16th. Napoleon became a lieutenant at the age of 16 showing his excellence in militaristic skills. through this became involved in the revolution, saving the national convention from the rebels. With much success and an ambitious heart napoleon earned his way up the ranks to become the leader of France.
It is easy to see why people liked Napoleon over Louis. Napoleon was a people’s person who could relate to almost everyone in his country. Napoleon tried to better France internally by pleasing the people and giving order to the economy. Napoleon also tried to better France externally by conquering much land like Spain and other parts of Europe. Although Napoleon did not capture English colonies like Egypt and India, his efforts were seen by the people as valiant. Louis the sixteenth did none of these things, and didn’t seem to care for running the country. Napoleon earned his way up the ranks, which could also be seen as relating to the peasants of France showing them that you don’t have to be the best off financially to be successful. There is a stark contrast between the two men, an example of charismatic leader and a casual king, that influenced France forever. If this there is one thing to take from France’s history though it is the statement, “dynamite comes in small packages.”
Throughout France’s history, there have been many successful and non-successful leaders. Two leaders that were both ultimately unsuccessful at ruling over France were Louis XVI and Napoleon Bomaparte. During Louis XVI reign, he greatly upset his people by raising taxes, not distributing the nation’s money properly, and immensely enforcing the social class system. Because of this, the people of France started a Revolution. The Revolution ultimately led to the death of Louis XVI, and the Reign of Terror. During this time, a man named Napoleon Bomaparte started to make his mark in French history. With his advanced knowledge of military strategy, he defended the National Convention from rebels. He then became a captain, then a general, and finally a commander of the French Army, leading him to become the next ruler of France.
ReplyDeleteThe Reign of Terror was a very dark time for the people of France. The National Convention was so worried that a monarchy and the old regime would come back, that they killed everyone who was against the Revolution, ultimately ending the Revolution and allowing Napoleon to take rule over France. After Louis XVI reign, Napoleon Bomaparte was able to rise up and take power as another dictator because of how chaotic France was at this time. France’s government was very unstable, and France as a whole was very vulnerable and weak due to the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror caused a weak point in France’s government, making it easy for Napoleon to take power because he had a clear plan for France, allowing it to move forward as a country. With his many military victories and loyalty to the Revolution, the people of France trusted him. What made Louis XVI and Napoleon very different, although they were both tyrant leaders, was that Napoleon started out very pro- revolution, while Louis XVI oppressed his people the whole time he reigned.
During Napoleons reign, he organized a government called the consulate. This government had three directors, including himself, on a council. Later, he made himself consul for life, and ultimately crowned himself Emperor of France. He made seven codes for France to follow, including many rights gained by the Revolution, and made peace with the Catholic Church, establishing it as France’s official religion. He also expanded France’s boundaries. With this code, Napoleon took away liberty of press in France, and all women’s rights gained by the Revolution. Unfortunately, Napoleon did not fit the role as a leader as much as the people of France thought he would, and as much as he thought he would. The decline of his empire was due to Britain’s resistance against Napoleons Army, the rise of nationalism in the countries he conquered, and finally, his greed.
The fall of both Napoleon and Louis XVI was ultimately due to their failure of keeping their people happy. Both of these rulers took away the freedoms of their people. They were also very greedy, and did not let their people’s needs come before their own desires.
Why was Louis XVI so reviled by France’s people while Napoleon was so accepted? I think Napoleon’s note-worthy confidence contributed largely to his success with the people. When he came in and announced his ownership, he did it with such audacity that the people felt almost relieved. They felt at ease having someone in charge who had drive and motivation,( contrary to Louis XVI who wished to do nothing, but eat and sleep), Napoleon KNEW what he was doing. The women in the lives of these rulers also contributed to the popularity of each man. Napoleon held his wife, Josephine, on a pedestal and loved her dearly. She was lovely and the only one who could “tame him”, so to speak. Louis married a money-hungry woman from Austria (there was a negative connotation associated with Austria at this time.) She did nothing but exhibit true selfishness. She feasted on the finest foods and dressed in the finest clothing while all of France was starving and the economy was crashing. Louis and Napoleon were both young when they took positions of importance, however, the way they each handled them is alarmingly different. Louis didn’t know how to run a country and new nothing of warfare study. He ultimately led France to its doom. He was later executed for this. Napoleon became a lieutenant at the mere age of sixteen. He was a hard worker, determined, liked by his soldiers, and later became emperor of France. He took control of a “downward spiralling” country and helped saved what King Louis almost ruined.
ReplyDeleteLouis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were both complete rulers of France however; several things distanced each other as rulers. Something that greatly affected the stance of the two individuals as rulers was their background, including the conditions in which they grew up. Louis the XVI was born into royalty and for the most part did not have to make many decisions for himself, exemplified by the marriage between him and Marie Antoinette. Louis lived a relatively comfortable life because he had everything he wanted at his fingertips. Contrastingly, Napoleon was not born into a wealthy family and was brought up around violence. Napoleon needed hard work to achieve his goals, which were as ambitious as he was.
ReplyDeleteThrough his hard work Napoleon gained intelligence, confidence, and experience– skills that are vital to being a strong leader. His charisma and devotion won the support of his troops, which made them more motivated and resulted in their decisive victories, making Napoleon a military hero. His tact allowed him to make a name for himself during his time. On the other hand, Louis the XVI had no compassion for the people who he ruled and gave the majority of people in France little opportunity. Eventually this sparked the French Revolution, and King Louis the XVI was beheaded.
After the French Revolution, the country was in a state of confusion and turmoil because the French had little experience after being ruled under a dictator for such a long time period. During the Reign of Terror, the revolution had spiraled out of control and many people feared for their lives. They had no sense of stability or security. During this time Napoleon had already been appointed the rank of lieutenant as a teenager and had climbed the military ranks. He had a high status among the French people. After Napoleon had recognized the weaknesses in France’s current government, he took action and organized another coup de etat and overthrew the government. Because Napoleon was so strategic in his actions, there was little objection to his new system because. He satisfied both the church and revolutionaries by making the official religion of France Catholicism, but he also allowed the rebels to keep the land, which they had gained from the revolution. He also put himself in the highest position of power; however, especially compared to the previous ruler, Napoleon was looked at in a positive light. The French people found the guidance that they needed in this time of disorder.
Napoleon had also been very tactical in making his new regulations. He kept much of the equality from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and allowed more job opportunities for those in a lower class. He also kept competent government officials that reflected well on him. Napoleon was also competent himself as a leader in expanding France’s borders and being so successful in battle. Another thing that benefitted Napoleon’s reputation is the fact that he restricted press, eliminating anything negative from reaching a large audience. He kept his persona as an efficient, successful ruler.
Ultimately, Napoleon was everything that Louis XVI was not. Napoleon had intervened at a convenient time when France was seeking guidance. As a ruler, Napoleon had taken action and helped France back up on its feet. The people of France accepted Napoleon more so than Louis XVI because Napoleon had more experience and made all of the right choices at all of the right times.
Napoleon vs. Louis XVI
ReplyDeleteThe people of France loved Napoleon because he was passionate about ruling. Louis XVI was a self-centered man and didn’t care about what happened to France or it’s people. The Revolution happened because of the mismanagement of the king. Louis XVI was greedy and took all the tax money for himself and his wife, Marie Antoinette. Marie was a bad choice of queen for France because she, also, spent all the tax money on material things such as shoes. Louis also decided to beef up his troops in Varsielle and send them to Paris to protect himself. In June 1791 Louis XVI attempts to escape, but fails. All Louis cared about was money and food. He did nothing to help the people or expand the borders of France. Louis XVI was quite the opposite of Napoleon. Napoleon was passionate about France and did anything in his power to do what was best for France and its people. Napoleon expanded borders, didn’t give up after a lost battle, and devoted himself to everything he did. His rise to fame was when he protected the National Convention from rioters by firing cannons into the mass of people. After defending the National Convention, he was rewarded Lieutenant and sent to Italy to resolve and ongoing battle with the Italians. After only one year in Italy, he was back to France with a win. He was known to have saved the revolution. His strategy, nimble wit, passion, and willingness to never give up made him one of the most famous and loved of all the rulers of France. Napoleon had a strong way of leading while Louis XVI just sat back and watched as his country crumbled. Napoleon participated in France’s battles and Louis sent others to fight for his personal ordeal in Virginia. Napoleon earned the crown while Louis XVI inherited it. Napoleon encouraged people to fight for something, not just fight. Louis XVI was a manager, while Napoleon was a leader.
Louis XVI took the thrown when he was merely sixteen years old, and held onto that power for a little over twenty years until he was executed in his forties by his own people during the French Revolution. There were many reasons why Louis XVI was not the best ruler for France; one could argue that since he started governing an entire country when he was a teenager, that he was way to young to be able to make smart decisions. Also, the main problem that the French people had with him was that while the majority of them were scavenging for food and doing their best to survive, Louis XVI was frivolously wasting the country’s money and living lavishly while eating imported fruits and fancy desserts.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon Bonaparte, on the other hand, grew up and lived a completely different life than that of Napoleon. Napoleon grew up on a small island of Corsica, and his family was not very wealthy; because of this, Napoleon would rise to power in a completely different way than Louis XVI. Although Napoleon’s family was not very wealthy, his parents could still afford to put him through school; in school Napoleon was very hard working, and later on won a scholarship to attend a well-known military school. Unlike King Louis, Napoleon’s rise to power came about because of his intelligence, charisma, and high military ranking, not because of his noble blood. Napoleon plays a crucial role as leader/ general in battles against Britain and gained a reputation as a man who really cared about France. Napoleon was even called the “darling of Paris” since he saved the French government from rebels. He was respected by the people of France, and was a great military leader.
The French peoples’ responses to Napoleon were the polar opposite of how they felt towards King Louis. Because King Louis was not involved and, frankly, did not care about the lives of the people, he gained no respect or support from them. Napoleon seemed to be friendlier towards the people than Napoleon did in several ways. For example, the people appreciated life under his rule because he preserved many of the rights that the citizens gained from the revolution years prior to Napoleon’s rise to power. Napoleon made sure that all men were equal before the law, and that there were careers open to all French people. He also believed that anyone could be a government official, if they were qualified enough, which is something that King Louis would have never allowed. This probably gave the French people a sense of pride to be French, and the sort of mindset so that they felt directly involved in the country’s government and that they were not being ignored. Although, in my opinion, Napoleon was a better leader of the French than Louis XVI was, he was not perfect. Napoleon did not grant many privileges to women and he also shut down the majority of the French newspapers out of fear that the press would influence the minds of the people.
All in all, neither Napoleon Bonaparte nor King Louis XVI reign over France was perfect, although I believe that because Napoleon was more involved in the lives of the French people, rose to power on his own, and felt a sense of national pride towards France he was a better and stronger ruler in comparison to King Louis.
Napoleon Bonaparte was arguably one of the strongest leaders that France ever had in charge, while King Louis XVI was arguably one of the worst leaders of France. There was also another significant difference that separated the two. Napoleon was strongly supported and admired by the French. King Louis XVI was despised and the French were disgusted with what he did as the ruler of France. But what separated these two rulers? Both had ruling periods very close to each other and both held close to all governing power in France. But it was their manner of governing that determined the appearance in the public eye, and this was determined by the ruler’s character, governing choices, and motives. These three factors were what caused King Louis XVI to be so disliked and Napoleon to be so favored.
ReplyDeleteThe first big difference between the two was their character. King Louis XVI was not a strong king because his character was not that of strong and influential official. Louis came into power at an extremely young age that put him immediately at a disadvantage. He was too immature to govern properly and was not able to the face the severe challenges that arose in the country during the time that he was king. Louis instead spent lavishly and challenged the picture of a king by marrying a beautiful that was believed to be a member of the enemy by a majority of the people of France. Louis XVI had no interest in ruling France. His character did not match one of an important person, because he also lacked the necessary dominance to take over the throne and make proper decisions. This was not without justification, though. He had several problems relating to his ability to function as a normal human that could have contributed to his lack of dominance. He was also described as an not fit to be king from the way that he acted in his childhood. He had no interest in having that sort of power. These factors in his character and beliefs had a major impact on why the people did not like him. He was a king that inspired nothing into his people. While Napoleon had a fighting personality; he was constantly working at getting himself to the top at all costs. He fought for every position that he could and had a desire to be as powerful as possible. When he came into power he had no doubts that that was what he wanted. Napoleon radiated confidence, and when he was put into power, the people of France knew that they had a leader that would not be afraid to protect and support France. His confidence and advancing personality made him a desirable leader, because he would not be afraid to support France. Not only was he confident, but he was extremely likeable. He would speak to the soldiers before battle and be at part of their ranks. He was part of the military and not just a commander. This made him a highly favored and relatable military leader, whose personality was part of the reason he was so successful in battle. The troops felt like they had a new inspiration to fight. These factors are part of the reason Napoleon was so favored and Louis XVI was so despised.
Napoleon and Louis XVI were two rulers of France that had a grave impact on the country itself, and even though the impact may not have been positive or negative, it was still to be considered an impact that influenced France as a country. In a popularity contest, Napoleon would win most hailed BY FAR, while King Louis XVI would trail in distant 2nd. King Louis was not very compelled in the aspect of becoming the king of France, partially because his way that he went about living his life just hinted at him being an incredibly awkward guy, who had no reason to be on the throne except for the reason that the royal genes ran in his blood. He had no knowledge whatsoever in the realm of kingship, and he was not in any way, shape, or form in the position to be a good ruler. He was infamous in that way because he was a terrible ruler, and all he did, day after day was sit around, complaining, and spending almost all of the taxpayers' money on importing food for his selfish self. He was infamous among the people of France, and was a terrible choice as ruler. He married Marie Antoinette, who attempted to create a male heir with King Louis, but he was not very open-minded on the topic of sex. He was a very quiet person, which did nothing but gain him less of a status for himself. He contrasted greatly from Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was possibly the most well known and most influential ruler in France's existence. Napoleon's star qualities were that he legitimately cared about his troops, and didn't disregard them as scum. He cared about their livelihoods. Napoleon was such a genuine person, and spent time getting to know his troops, that they were more than willing to give their lives to save his. This was true loyalty that was exerted. Napoleon and King Louis compare and contrast in that they were both well known rulers, however, one actually had a large impact on the world around him, (Napoleon) while the other, pretty much just resided and didn't really serve a purpose, (King Louis).
ReplyDeleteAnother big difference between the two was the choices they made while in power. King Louis XVI was presented with a time period with a country that needed good governing choice to help those who were suffering through famine, cold, and poverty. Yet, he proceeded to make choices that would push his country through an even farther downfall. He would spend money for himself and his companions in incredibly large quantities. Not only that, but he chose to spend money that could have fed the country for a year to help France indirectly attack Britain by supporting the colonies. This use of wealth on things that would not benefit the people of France were the decisions that made him strongly disliked by the masses. Choosing to marry a member of what was believed to be the enemy was probably not the best governing idea, either. Not only did she spend ridiculous amounts of money, but she would not produce an heir. This made the French despise her even more. This may not have been her fault, but it was a significant factor in the reason the people of France disliked the royalty in charge of their country. While Napoleon’s governing choices made him incredibly favored. Despite the fact that he did lose some of his battles, Napoleon greatly furthered military achievement in France. He took up the country and made it successful again. Although he did take away some of the rights of the people, especially women, he brought back a reason to be proud to be French. The French were admired for their military achievement because of this small man. The favor for this ruler could have been due to this timing, though. Although he did have incredibly military advancements, Napoleon came after the Reign of Terror. This time period left France in desperate need of anyone who could promise to bring them out of the slums. So, while the people hated the king that lead the monarchy before the Reign of Terror, they were willing to take in a good leader that would be able to bring the French out of this dark period. The French needed guidance and leadership. This was the perfect opportunity for Napoleon. With the French weak and in need of leadership, they easily would accept anyone who had promise of greatness. So, although Napoleon took on a position with a similar amount of power as Louis XVI, the people accepted him because they believed in someone as powerful as Napoleon and desired a leader to bring them out of chaos.
ReplyDeleteThe third difference between Louis XVI and Napoleon was their motives. The two were very different characters with very different factors driving them. Louis XVI appeared to have no motives to drive him to be the best king that he could be. This could be due to the fact that he was born into the position and understood very little about how to rule. He simply had no driving force that caused him to want to be great and help the French. His driving motives were to enjoy an exquisite life with ostentatious spending habits. Louis XVI simply wanted to enjoy the wealth that he had been born into. Napoleon had very strong motives to be the best his entire life. He worked to reach every position that he achieved. He always had motivation because of his desire to be incredibly powerful. This motivation never faded. It is first apparent through his childhood and his fight to make gain a scholarship to a military school. His drive to continue to move up in class and position is then shown by the manner of which he advanced upon any opportunity that presented itself to him. Whether it was in class movements or his ability to gain more power by strengthening France, he took every opportunity that he could. He rose through the military by taking action in cases where he could protect the National Convention to receive recognition and admiration. When he had made it through the ranks, Napoleon would use strategic military advancements to attempt to gain more power and land. When fighting the British, he first attempted to weaken them by destroying their trade. Although this was a failure, it showed extreme intelligence and desire to achieve a goal that had existed in France for most of its history; defeat the British. In his other failures, he makes it apparent that he still had strong motivation to make France its best. He marched through Russia in an attempt to form a fantastic military feat and defy the odds. He was unafraid to do anything it took. Even if this included destroying most of his power and army. He felt it was worth the risk. Overall, what brought down Napoleon was that his motives became too strong and he began to make very foolish decisions that made France vulnerable and weaker than they should have been in those conditions.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon and King Louis XVI were two extraordinarily different leaders with roles that were fairly similar. As stated above, there were many different factors that contributed to the fact that one was severely disliked and one was admired. These factors still help determine what makes a good leader. These two leaders should be looked upon and their strengths and weaknesses should be identified to help mold our future. They express two polar opposites of leading and explain to us what it takes to rule and lead properly, both as a military and governing king, and as a ruler that can relate to the people. Ruling has always been an important part of life and it will continue to be. We must learn from the past to help shape our future.
Louis XVi and Napoleon Bonaparte were two significant leaders of France but for very different reasons. Louis XVI was known for being indecisive and a weak ruler of France. His inability to bring France out of debt and please the people eventually lead to the French Revolution and his own execution. Unlike Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte was beloved by the people of France. Unlike Louis, Napoleon had a firm approach to his actions and made actual progress within France.
ReplyDeleteLouis XVi was born into the royal family. His ancestors had ruled the country for many years and when his grandfather died it was his turn to rule. He did not "earn" the position by working hard in school or showing great talent in his line of work like Napoleon did. Louis became ruler because he had royal blood flowing through his veins. At 20 years old Louis was coronated and named king. Napoleon's road to royalty was very different. Throughout his life Napoleon worked very hard in school and excelled as a student. When he was 14 years old he went to study at a military academy. He did so well in school that he was made a lieutenant at the age of 16. Napoleon continued to work his way up the chain of command until he eventually crowned himself as the emperor of France. It is very likely that the people of France had a lot more initial respect for Napoleon because he was born into the 3rd estate and made progress with his life and showed that success was possible for anyone.
As a ruler Louis XVI was not extremely successful. One of Louis's biggest mistakes as a ruler was banning the 3rd estate from the Meeting of the Estate General. When Louis did this he was setting himself up for disaster. When he took away the right of the 3rd estate to meet with the 1st and 2nd they were rightfully enraged and felt it was necessary to rebel and make a statement. When Napoleon ruled he did not give a lot of rights to the people but, at the same time he was making immense military progress and bringing nationalism back to France. Louis had no attributes to make up for his actions. Louis did many other negative things for France during his rule as well. He spent a great deal of money supporting the American in the American Revolution just to make a point to Britain. Louis also married an Austrian woman who was a frivolous spender and viewed as a enemy due to her nationality by the general population. Louis's inability to rule affectively and efficiently is the reason the French Revolution began. After a tireless revolution and a year of fear known as the Reign of Terror, it was the perfect time for Napoleon to take over as ruler of France. He was a perfect person to bring France out of the dark times it had been in. His excellent leadership as a military leader and ability to inspire people made the France fall in love with him and name him the darling of France.
Louis the 16th was a horrible leader that restricted the rights of the third estate so much that he sparked a revolution. Napoleon also took some of the rights of his people but what made him so different? why is Louie thought of as an incompetent dictator whereas Napoleon is thought of as an ambitious ruler, and an inspiration at the time. The answer lies in how he came into power and what he did with it. Napoleon was a great student and he was very smart for his age, he was promoted to the rank of leutinent at just age 16. This is what really makes the two so much more different, competence. In my opinion i think that the French people were so fed up with King Louie because he ran the country into the ground and was not fit for the job. Also he inherited the job and did not get it on merit. Furthermore this unfit dictator had the nerve to order them around and take away their rights and their voice to help save a failing system. Napoleon however took the French and picked them up in their darkest hour. He gave them hope, expanded their territory, and gave them new land. He also gave them something King Louie did not, pride. The people were proud to be French and to be under Napoleon’s rule. He was maybe a little over confident but this made the French people believe in him whereas King Louie didn’t even believe in himself. Also Napoleon did his best to please all parties and was a very smart man giving every party a small victory to make them think that they had won. For instance he gave back land to the church that the revolutionaries had taken however not all of it. The church was happy because they got land back and the revolutionaries were happy because they knew Napoleon only gave a little bit to preserve what they had won. This is what makes the two so different, competence and public image
ReplyDeleteBoth Louis XVI and Napoleon Bonaparte were known as absolute rulers; however, the different events, the different time period, the different policies, and their different personalities caused Louis XVI to be reviled and Napoleon to be accepted. After the nation had just lost a war that almost bankrupted the treasury; the people had very low morals. Louis XVI was a person that did not have much self-confidence and did not care about the people. He also had married Marie Antoinette; an Austrian noble that had spent all the publics tax money on cloths and other luxuries. The Austrian has always been an enemy of the French, so when Marie was sent to marry Louis XVI as a peace treaty; the people had hated her. Louis XVI had mismanaged the government by spending all the tax money and never having any military conquest or accomplishments. Also the old regime was destine to fail and Louis XVI‘s reign was just the trigger. On the other hand Napoleon had come after the reign of terror and the French people were looking for a strong leader. After having success as a military leader Napoleon was an over confident person. Being bullied by foreign nations for years after the Revolution; seeing victory coming for Napoleon also gave the French people confidence. Napoleon was a hard working and prideful person and he spread that among his people. He cared about the French people and showed that by listening to the commoner and sitting down with his troops and helping them. Also Napoleon was a very accomplished military leader and that was something that the people saw in him; while Louis XVI had accomplished nothing as a leader. Napoleon was able to appeal both the church and the people and he was known for escaping his island exile. The French people had pride in Napoleon and hated Louis XVI.
ReplyDeleteThe are very distinct differences between Louis the sixteenth and Napoleon Bonaparte. The differences between the two stem not form their surroundings, but who they were as individuals. King Louis the XVI was a fat greedy slob that was born into royalty and was given power at the age of sixteen. In a functioning equal society, one must be exceptional at a given field to have any type of power. In this case, Louis was not a master at anything except eating but rather the appointing him master eater, he was given the empire of France as King Louis. The main reason as to why Napoleon and Louis were different were their separate ambitions. Growing up on the island of Corsica, Napoleon was technically not a Frenchmen. Growing up that is all he wanted to become. Due to Napoleon not being born into wealth but rather growing up in poverty, he felt the need to prove himself. This fueled Napoleon’s ambition as well as his determination. Another reason Napoleon felt the need to prove himself was his height. Towering over at around 5’4, Napoleon was not very tall and thus he was made fun of his entire life. Due to this, he learned the much needed skills of tolerance and retaliation. This propelled Napoleon to be better then his adversaries and prove that he was greater then they. Another reason why these two men were different were how they related to people. During the reign of Louis the sixteenth, he had no relation to the people in the 3rd estate (99 percent of the population). This is because Louie, an individual possesing no qualities of a true leader, did not connect with hi people. During his reign, France was in a time of recession while his people were dying, Louie was enjoying the splendor of foreign foods an elegant parties. This greatly differed from Napoleon who showed intense leadership qualities throughout his entire rule. He was a people person if there was ever a definition. During battles he would be at the front lines with his troops and at evenings he would sit and converse with his comrades. Another showing of how he deeply connected to his people when after he was captured and banished to the island of Elba, he escaped and was storming home. While he was away the English and Prussians that captured him appointed Louis the XVI cousin as the leader. After he found out the Napoleon was storming up from the south and coming for his position in Paris he sent troops to intercept and kill Napoleon. As Napoleon approached the oncoming soldiers he held up hands and said kill me if you like but I am your leader. At this the approaching soldiers put away their weapons and accepted him as one of their own. This shows that Napoleon and Louis were so different for their ambition and their ability to connect with their people.
ReplyDeleteBetween Napoleon and Louis XVI, there were many differences that ultimately lead to the downfall of Louis and the rise of Napoleon. Louis XVI was a boy born into the royal system, who had no true sense of hard work and accomplishment since he didn't need to, he was born to inherit the throne. This lead to him making many decisions in disregard for the citizens of France, while he lounged in his palace France was in an economic crisis. On top of all this, he marries Marie Antoinette, which furthered France's hatred for the royales. When a national assembly was held with an equal number of members from the first, second and third estate france was outraged. Even when the third estate (99% of the population) asked for more representatives, Louis turned them down, thus sealing his fate in the end.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon, although he also was a powerful ruler, ruled much differently than Louis XVI so that the people of France loved him. He rose to power as a hardworking boy and man slowly climbing the military chain of command. At the age of sixteen he was a Leutenant. Napoleon won many ambitions military victories and also defended the National Convention from foreign invaders. Once Napoleon established himself in society he took our the Directory and declared himself emperor. No one rose against because of his power and the way he respected his people. He definitely followed the Machiavelli proverb of "rule with an iron fist under a velvet glove." He gave power to France, allowed people to rise in rank based on hard work and supported the installments of the Revolution.
Overall, Louis and Napoleon's downfall and rise is boiling down to one thing: understanding the people. Louis chose to live in his palace to neglect his citizens until they became so violent with rage that they executed him and created a period known as the reign of terror. No doubt that Napoleon was positive because not only did he know how to listen he responded to the people by installing laws that supported their ideas. Even when he was banished he still came back to a France that loved him. He was strong and daring. Louis was quiet and uncaring, he wasn't an inspiring leader. No doubt that Napoleon had the advantage of building France higher in power and Louis was in a period where France was crashing. Even though this was the case, Napoleon still exemplified more strength and knowledge than Louis to lead a country powerfully. Napoleon also had the drive to lead, while Louis was forced to and did not. All these examples show that one must be able to connect with their citizens and have the drive and influence to shape a country.