Good Essay On Was Napoleon A Hero Or A Tyrant

The French emperor Napoleon has been viewed as both a hero and a tyrant depending on who is answering the question. Originally from Corsica, he used his political acumen and military strategy to eventually rule over France. Although under Napoleon France rose as a great power, it was his hunger for power and the desire to conquer the whole of Europe that ultimately lead to his downfall. Napoleon’s rise to power was dramatic n its own way. For a revolutionary, he was a hero as he brought an end to the monarchy and the Jacobin reign of terror. He also instilled the idea of nationalism furthering the power of France. However some considered him a tyrant as he established the Napoleonic code that favored men over women and did nothing for the poor. His code favored the middle class and also was for the continental system which resulted in disastrous wars and many deaths. The royalists viewed him as a tyrant as he completely defeated them and they could never get back to power again. Napoleon also has a stormy relationship with the Catholic Church, first annexing Rome, exiling the Pope and then later burying him to curry favor form the church. Although there was no love lost between the Catholic Church and Napoleon, both supported each other to retain their power and status. Napoleon’s attitude towards the Jews was one of ambivalence. Although he enacted laws that emancipated Jews from Ghettoes and other strict laws that forbade them to practice their religion and culture, it is said that he did so because he wanted them to assimilate with the larger population and disappear rather than prosper as a single community. From the perspective of a Jewish rabbi Napoleon could be called as a successful revolutionary and a hero as he made them free citizens not only in France but in all the territories that were under him.