Napoleon :: essays research papers

Mastering Luck Explain Quote ?I had been nourished by reflecting on liberty, but I thrust it out of my way when it obstructed me path.? I believe this quote means that Napoleon was a believer in liberty and that he attempted to use it to rule his people justly. The rest of the quote means that liberty and justice can only be used to the point at which it doesn?t challenge his laws and governing power. Napoleon had the aspiration of total domination, and he had no intentions of letting peoples natural freedoms interrupt those dreams. I also believe that the people of those times were fed up with anarchy and lack of control and were willing to give up some of their personal freedoms for the sake of control and a better country. Question 2 Napoleon actually crossed the Alps on a mule. Why did David paint him riding on a horse? What adjectives best describe David?s portrayal of Napoleon? Why? The reason Napoleon was painted on a horse was probably to make him look very courageous. Napoleon was a very vain man and we cannot be sure if he had anything to do with the change from the actual event. A mule usually brings to mind pictures of slow advancement and a very weak attacker, but in reality, they were probably better for going over mountains, which I believe is the reason Napoleon didn?t just use a horse. To describe Napoleon crossing the St. Bernard pass, I think there are many adjectives that could be used. Napoleon looked very daring, because he was pointing onward toward the soon to be conquered lands that he had his mind set on taking for his empire. Napoleon also looked very fierce by the stern face the painter portrayed, and the position the horse was in, which looked like it was about to jump and crush an enemy. The Summit of Greatness Question 1 The above engraving was part of a propaganda campaign directed at both English and French audiences. What was the drawing intended to show the French? Why would they be prepared to believe some of the picture?s more fanciful aspects? The French people had come out of time of oppression by tyrannical monarchs and uncaring, corrupt government officials. They were ready for a new birth as a new nation, which was able to stand on its own and even be an overlord to its neighbors.