Was Napoleon a Tyrant or a Hero

In this essay we will be discussing whether or not Napoleon was a tyrant or hero. The packet we did in class can interpret whether he was or not. The facts inside of it will let us know, but we may still need to debate on it. I’m about to state a couple of the things he has done to decide whether or not he is good or bad. Here are the facts.

Some reasons people may think of him as a tyrant is because he crowned himself before the Pope as Emperor Napoleon. The reason he did it was because he was reenacting the way charlemagne ruled not only France but also much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. A couple of other things he did was open up the Continental System in 1806 which was a blockade to prevent all trade & other European nations. Another thing he did was remove the Spanish King and put his brother as the King instead, after that act he lost 300,000 troops. The worst thing he did was invade Russia, it was his biggest mistake. He had 42,000 soldiers invade and only 10,000 came back. All of those were the things he had done to make it seem like he was a tyrant.

Here are some reasons for why he may have been a hero. WHen he was only 9 he attended military school. He joined the army of the new government when the French Revolution broke out. In 1795 he defended National Convention from pro-Monarchy rebels. In 1796 he defeated forces from Austria and Italy. He signed the peace treaty with Russia, Austria, and Great Britian which was a good move to make. Napoleon defeated Russia and Austrian armies during the Battle of Austerlitz, which allowed him to build the largest empire since the Romans. These are the things he did to make him look like a hero.

I think he was a tyrant, because he had made many mistakes. He did good things yes, and he was a good person, but the way he ruled was not hero like. He started many battles, and instead of making allies he made enemies. Yes, he also made allies but mostly enemies. So that is my opinion, and what I think he was. Like I said before, good person, but not the friendliest ruler when it comes to other people. I mean I guess he treated his people right and did what he had to, but there were better ways of doing them. Not only that but he made many mistakes, which put his people in danger.

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