Napoleon: Success or Failure

After Napoleon abdicates in 1814, the revolution is officially over, and Louis XVIII is crowned King of France. Can you believe it? The monarchy returns!!! In light of our investigation of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, evaluate the legacy of the French Revolution. Do you believe it was a success or a failure? Your response should be at least 150 words.

In regards to the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era, I believe that the events that occurred were extremely valuable in order for the people of France to realize their main goals and develop ideals for their country. One of the positive effects of the Revolution was the gaining of rights for the third estate, and the empowerment of individuals to speak their minds and fight for what they believe in. They also promoted equality for all people. In some ways, Napoleon was able to make improvements for the general populous. For example, he kept the cost of food low, and built up the educated community. However there are various things that Napoleon did that hindered France's progression towards a democratic country. One outstanding example is that he did not deal with the issues inside France before launching wars against other states. A possible reason for these actions could be that it was easier to keep control over citizens in the time of war because they were in fear. This leads me to believe that Napoleon did not have the best interests of the people when he was in power. I, in no way, am placing all the responsibility on Napoleon, there were other leaders such as Robespierre who did not put there main focus on the well-being of the community. The events that hurt the people of France made their yearning for democracy stronger, but at the same time, I wish that an identical outcome could have been facilitated without all of the burdens that were suffered.