Napoleon: People's General

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32). Through his father’s influence, Napoleon was educated at the expense of King Louis XVI, in Paris. Napoleon attended the Ecolé Military School in 1784. This is where he received his military training; he studied to be an artillery man and an officer. Napoleon graduated in 1785, at the age of 16, and joined the artillery as a second lieutenant (Marshall-Cornwall 16).

The Revolution of 1789 provided the perfect opportunity for men like Napoleon to advance in this new political landscape. After Louis XVI tried to flee France in 1791 all military officers were to swear an oath allegiance to the assembly; Napoleon took the oath and was consequently promoted to captain when France declared war on Austria in 1792 (Johnson 18). Napoleon’s first big chance came in 1793; he was assigned, as a captain, to an army besieging Toulon, a naval base that, aided by a British fleet, was in revolt against the republic(Marshall-Cornwall 37). Replacing a wounded artillery general, he seized ground where his guns could drive the British fleet from the harbour and the port fell. As a result Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general at the age of 24 (Marshall-Cornwall 39). In August of 1794 Napoleon was arrested because he had been a supporter of Maximilien Rosbespierre. He was accused of treason; although he was released, to most his career seemed to be over (Britannica.com). This was the first of many shrewd political moves by Napoleon; after being offered a position which saw little chance of promotion, he travelled to Paris to vindicate himself to the newly installed ‘Directory’ government. Then in October of 1795, the government was threatened with a revolt in Paris (Johnson 26). Paul Barras, commande...