Matthew Pyznar
11/5/13
Modern World Civ.
Essay Response: G – Is Napoleon a Hero or a Villain? (You cannot say both, you must choose). Use examples to reinforce your position.
If I had to pick one I would say hero. The more great things Napoleon did; the more of a hero he became among French, and the more of a villain he became to his enemies. I would say he was a hero, simply because he is one of the best military commanders and leaders in European history. He fought multiple enemies and it took seven coalitions against him, in 15 years of war, to finally bring him down. His military victories were all spectacular, and most were against the odds. His goal was to spread the ideas of the French Revolution (liberty, equality and fraternity) in a world dominated by kings. His ultimate goal was to unify Europe under democracy so there would forever be no more wars. At that time, aside from France, the major European countries were ruled by kings so they were naturally against Napoleon and his "dangerous" republican ideals. Because I am a supporter of democracy over absolute monarchy, I admire his actions, and you can say Napoleon's dream is fulfilled by Europe right now, and the fact that the "Napoleonic Code" is used as basic law for many democratic countries worldwide. He is not a villain in my opinion. Napoleon didn't go about conquering Europe for his personal glory. Although millions of Frenchmen died fighting for Napoleon, they also fought for the survival of the ideas of the French republic, and in a world of kings, I think that was worthy of fighting for. A