Napoleon Bonaparte
Hero, Villain, or Something In-between?
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to be the one assigning grades? Well, here is your chance! At the end of this lesson you will grade one of the most famous men in history... Napoleon! A child of the Revolution and a "military genius" at a time when France needed authority, Napoleon "rose from obscurity to mastery of France" in just a few short years. It's what he did next that you need to evaluate!
The Task
You will research Napoleon's rule in France, looking for both positive and negative actions. You will evaluate his actions, and his intent, in three main categories--domestic policy, foreign policy, and ability to gain the trust and respect of his people. You will organize this evaluation into a report card format, grading both his effort and his achievement in each of these categories. You will then use this information to rate him, overall, on a hero--villain continuum and to provide advice for future rulers about what they should emulate and what they should change for their own periods of rule. You need specific examples of each.
The Process
To accomplish this task, you will do the following:
Use the resources below to learn about Napoleon.
- Pay close attention to Napoleon's domestic policies, foreign policies, and his ability to gain the trust and respect of his people. You should also note whether or not these sites provide opposing interpretations of the quality of his rule (i.e., favorable vs. critical).
Choose three of what you think are the best sites.
Compile your information and decide what grade Napoleon should earn for each category (domestic policy, foreign policy, and trust/respect of his people). Evaluate him both for effort and for achievement. Then provide reasons/proof for your arguments as well as suggestions for ways he could have improved.
Choose three of what you think are the best sites.
In a well-developed essay, write an argumentative piece describing how Napoleon was either a hero, or villain. You must site 3 examples from the sources below.RESOURCES
"Napoleon": Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" about Napoleon found in “The Essential Napoleon” at NAPOLEON.ORG.
o http://www.napoleon.org/en/essential_napoleon/faq/index.asp (Links to an external site.)
- “PBS-Napoleon”: Biographical information, timelines, etc., regarding Napoleon found on the PBS site.
o http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/home.html (Links to an external site.)
- “Napoleon Bonaparte: Emperor of the French...”: Quick biographical summary and web links to related information from Lucid Interactive.
o http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/napoleon.html (Links to an external site.)
- “Napoleon Bonaparte Speech--Farewell to...”: Napoleon's farewell speech to the Old Guard right before his exile to Elba found at "The History Place: Great Speeches."
o http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/napoleon.htm (Links to an external site.)
- “Napoleon Bonaparte Internet Guide”: Quick links to biographical information, information about the Napoleonic Code, his military endeavors, etc.
o http://www.napoleonbonaparte.nl/ (Links to an external site.)
- “Napoleon I”: Biographical information provided by the Learning Network.
o http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0834841.html (Links to an external site.)
- “Florida State University...Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution”: Biographical information and links provided by a university source.
o http://www.fsu.edu/~napoleon/ (Links to an external site.)
- “Napoleonic Wars: Era of Napoleon Bonaparte”: Biographical information nicely categorized by topic.
o http://www.napoleonguide.com/ (Links to an external site.)
