From 1799-1815 Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in France, and built a vast empire that included much of Europe. Napoleon dominated France and Europe. Napoleon was a hero to some and evil to others he gave his name to the final stage of the revolution which better came to be known as “The Age of Napoleon.”
Napoleon was born on a French ruled island in the Mediterranean known as Corsica. His family were minor nobles, but had little money. At the age of nine napoleon was sent to France to be trained for a military career which would forever change his life. When the French revolution broke out he was a twenty year old lieutenant, eager to make a name for himself. Napoleon favored the Jacobins and republican rule. However, he found the conflicting ideas and personalities of the French Revolution confusing so he decided to make a change. In December 1793, he drove British forces out of the French port of Toulon, he then went on to win several victories against the Austrians, capturing most of northern Italy and forcing the Hapsburg emperor to make peace. Success led to his ambition , by 1799 he moved from victorious general to political leader. That year he helped overthrow the weak Directory and set up a three man governing board known as the Consulate. Two years later, Napoleon had gotten enough power to gain the title Emperor of the French. To help celebrate in this ceremony Napoleon invited the pope to preside over his coronation in Paris, but during the ceremony he took the crown from the pope hands and crowned himself, meaning that he owed his throne to no one but himself.
During the consulate and empire , Napoleon rose in power by strengthening the central government. Order, security, and efficiency replaced liberty, equality, and fraternity as the slogans of the new regime. To control the economy Napoleon controlled prices, encouraged new industry, and built roads and canals. To make sure he had well trained officials and military officers he set...