Discuss the reasons for Napoleon's fall.
Discuss the reasons for Napoleon's fall.
Causes for the fall of Napoleon: -
Starting his career as an ordinary soldier, Napoleon soon became the fortune teller of the whole of Europe. But his political career came to an end in 1815 when he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. But long before the Battle of Waterloo, various events led to the fall of Napoleon. The seeds of his downfall were hidden in Napoleon's regime and state organization. The reasons for Napoleon's downfall can be discussed in different ways.
1. Boundless ambition and self-confidence: - Napoleon wanted to establish his dominance over the whole of Europe. He was deeply attracted to the triumphant policies of the Greek emperor Alexander and the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. His imperialist policies paved the way for his downfall, despite his extraordinary achievements in the field of governance . He did not realize that it was not possible for France to establish dominance over the whole of Europe within its limited powers.
2. Dictatorship: - Between 1899 and 1814, Napoleon's role changed drastically. In 1899, Napoleon was the defender of the revolution, one of the leaders in reforming and establishing order. But in 1814 Napoleon became the object of Europe's hatred. Napoleon's authoritarian regime was responsible for this. David Thomson likens Napoleon's regime to a "police state." With the introduction of the welfare state, Napoleon became one of the most popular figures in Europe. But later his dictatorship and coercive policy tarnished his popularity.
3. Military Failure: - With advanced military power and tactics, Napoleon succeeded in dominating one European state after another. Apart from England, no other European state has been able to build a resistance against Napoleon. But just as Napoleon's tactics began to be comprehended by the other forces, so did the anti-Napoleonic forces unite and ensure Napoleon's downfall.
4. Reaction to Peninsular and Russian War Defeat: - Then Napoleon lost his invincible image in the Peninsular and Russian War. Protests against Napoleon began in Europe and France. Many of Napoleon's employees also joined the protest. Even his brother Joseph Bonaparte conspired against Napoleon. Thus an anti-Napoleon plot was hatched in France.
5. Frankfurt Proposal: - One of the fatal mistakes of Napoleon's political life is to ignore the Frankfurt Proposal. After the defeat at the Battle of Leipzig, the victorious powers presented the Frankfurt proposal to Napoleon. This proposal was honorable enough for Napoleon. He was only asked to relinquish control over Belgium and the Netherlands. But by rejecting this honorable offer, Napoleon showed extreme short-sightedness.
6. Self-contradiction and declining popularity: - Ascending the French throne, he became known as the liberator and spread nationalism throughout Europe. But soon the people of France l realized the real nature of Napoleon's rule. They understand that there was no significant difference between the French rule before the revolution and the rule of Napoleon. Unlimited taxes, forced military service, imperialist policies, the continental system - these were the things that annoyed the French.
7. Allied Alliance - Formation: - In European politics, the Fourth Alliance was formed against France under the leadership of England. The main reason for Napoleon's victory in the earlier wars was that the anti-Napoleonic forces were not united. But after the formation of the fourth power alliance, Napoleon's French forces were very weak in front of their combined strength. This fourth power alliance eventually hastened the fall of Napoleon.
8. Spanish Wounds: - Napoleon himself called the Spanish policy "Spanish Wounds". After his conquest of Spain, he succeeded his brother Joseph Bonaparte to the Spanish throne. But this was Napoleon's fatal mistake. As a result of Napoleon's policy, the entire Spanish nation was united against Napoleon. This is the first time Napoleon has had to wage war against an entire nation. Napoleon's 500,000 troops were killed in the war with Spain.
9. Failure of the Russian campaign: - On the one hand, the foundation of Napoleon's empire was weak. Opposition to Napoleon's policy was growing in France. On the other hand, it was a fatal mistake of Napoleon to invade Russia leaving England undefeated. Due to the severe winter, the guerrilla tactics of the Russian forces and the terracotta policy, etc., Napoleon's forces failed miserably. This defeat led to revolts against Napoleon throughout Europe.
10. Continental system and its failure: - Napoleon took continental system against England to weaken England's dominance in Europe and destroy England economically. To make this arrangement work, Napoleon had to conquer one neutral state after another and adopt a fierce reactionary policy. But with a formidable naval power, strong England easily broke Napoleon's continental blockade. The hatred of Napoleon spread throughout Europe, and this hatred helped the anti-Napoleonic forces to unite.
In conclusion, no one of the factors were particularly responsible for Napoleon's downfall. The various factors mentioned together accelerated the fall of Napoleon.
0 comments