How Did Napoleon Bonaparte Rise To Power

When I think of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte is the first figure to pop into my head. In my vision, Napoleon is the most important man during the century. Beginning his rise to power as a military leader during the French Revolution, Napoleon transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire and became Emperor of France. This man created one of history’s greatest Empires, the Napoleonic code, and indirectly created the Congress of Vienna. These actions would embed Napoleon in Europe’s history forever.
Napoleons actions kicked off the 19th century with the creation of the First French Empire and becoming its Emperor. Created in late 1804, the French Empire went through a series of wars that led it to become the most powerful nation in Europe. Before the Empire’s …show more content…
Through Napoleon’s actions, the countries of Europe were changed both on the geographic and political level. The French Revolution already had Austria and Prussia trying to restore the French Monarchy. Napoleon’s rise to power further united the European countries in trying to contain his power. With Napoleon’s defeat in Russia, the countries finished off Napoleon’s empire and met in the Congress of Vienna to resolve issues caused by the Napoleonic wars. First off, Napoleon destroyed the already weakened Holy Roman Empire. This left nothing but group of German states. Through the congress’s actions, they created the Germanic Confederation to fill the void left by the Holy Romans Empire’s destruction (Nicolson, 1974, pg. 126). They also called for a Concert of Europe. This was a pledge between the countries that offered cooperation with each other to prevent a major war from happening again. Thanks to the creation of the concert, Europe would never experience another major war up until World War I (Nicolson, 1974, pg. 243). Napoleon’s actions brought a new era of European