What makes napoleon an enlightened despot

Helena island. Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final days in St. Helena, where he was exiled, for the second time, after European leaders meeting in Vienna declared him an outlaw and an obstacle to peace. Their purpose was to reinstate slavery, and reassert French control over the entire island after slave revolt leader Toussaint Louverture published an constitution proclaiming himself governor-general for life and codifying the abolishment of slavery.

Suddenly the resistance movement that began in with a series of slave rebellions on the island—though roiled by internal conflicts, shifting alliances, and the arrest and deportation of Louverture—was ignited. A mural depicts Napoleon Bonaparte at the main square in the small village of Marciana Alta on the island of Elba, where the military leader was sent to live during his first exile following his conquests.

It also would forever seal a legacy for Bonaparte that remains a source of contention years after his death. He also sees an irony in the way in which the most famous Frenchman died.

He will have the same fate as Toussaint Louverture. French studies professor Andrew Curran said that while Bonaparte has been widely written about, there is often an ellipsis in his narrative where the Haitian Revolution is missing. Longwood House in St. Helena island is where Napoleon Bonaparte spent the last six years of his life in exile. The house had previously served as the residence for Britain's vice governor. Bonaparte died in the bedroom of this home at the age of Napoleon Bonaparte's first exile happened in after a failed Russian invasion.

European allies ordered his dispatch to Elba, a tiny island off the Tuscan coast. This is a room at Villa dei Mulini, now a state museum, which served as Bonaparte's main residence during his days on the island.

A room at Villa dei Mulini, now a state museum, which served as Napoleon Bonaparte's main residence during exile in on the island of Elba off the Tuscan Coast. The garden at Villa dei Mulini, which served as Napoleon Bonaparte's home on the island of Elba during his 10 months of exile in Bonaparte died on May 5, , in a damp and rat-infested house in St.

See a painting that captures Bonaparte's final moments. Main Street in Jamestown, on the island of St. Helena, as seen from the terrace of the Consulate Hotel. For Haitians, there will be no wreath laying or Catholic Mass, planned in St. In death, as in life, Bonaparte is dividing opinion and arousing powerful sentiments about his ascent and fall from power, his contributions to France, and the legacy he left scattered across the Caribbean—particularly in Haiti, where his mark remains ingrained in a bloody history.

Historical reenactments on the island of Elba, off the Tuscan coast, feature Napoleon Bonaparte lookalikes such Franco Giannoni, a retired customs officer. Bonaparte spent days in exile in Elba and his presence remains prevalent today. Despite all these progressive moves, at times Napoleon did embrace a more tyrannical approach , contradicting his enlightened ideals — a prime example being the reinstitution of slavery in the French colonies.

Additionally, many of his policies — whilst improvements on previously rudimental systems — remained socially conservative. The Napoleonic codes were particularly discriminatory towards women.

More remarkable though is how this proto-dictator with his autocratic instincts could also be such a champion of enlightenment values - a true seeker of innovation and advancement. Napoleon: the enlightened despot. Battles Ancient History.

Embedded video. Napoleon's cannons. Napoleon, at a public meeting in Napoleon's firearms. Yadavan Moorthy. Inevitably, it must be conceded that Napoleon was a militaristic dictator in some regard, but his work as an enlightened despot outshines this detractor. Undoubtedly, Napoleon was ambitious and power hungry.

He is quoted as saying, "Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard in conquering her to allow anyone to take her from me, or even to covet her" Herold. This describes his attitude toward power well. Get Access.

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The French Revolution Words 8 Pages horrific crimes during their time in power. Popular Essays. This horribly destructive war, which lasted from to , compelled German writers to pen harsh criticisms regarding the ideas of nationalism and warfare. The Enlightenment emerged out of a European intellectual and scholarly movement known as Renaissance humanism and was also preceded by the Scientific Revolution and the work of Francis Bacon, among others.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Social studies How was Napoleon an enlightened thinker? Social studies. Ben Davis March 28,