Napoleon Bonaparte Was Not a Warmongering Conquerer

Apparently my opponent unfortunately had some other obligations (school work, I guess) and missed his round. Since I don't have anything to further rebut, I am going to take the round to consolidate and summarize my past arguments and then put forth a new point or two, one of them regarded in the past round. "2. The efforts put forth by Napoleon as Consul and later Emperor was based on trying to prevent or avoid those inevitable wars, not on conquering lands." My opponent states that the 'Emperor' of France was attempting to avoid wars, but I have clearly demonstrated that Napoleon was a manipulative figure and attempted to gain control of all of Europe. He did so at the expense of many formerly powerful nations and his country. He killed millions of French soldiers in his conquests and ran the country to ruins due to the fact that he was a warmonger. He precipitated many conflicts and angered many nations by deception, betrayal, lies, secrets and politics that accroached other nations - of which did not concern him. In a period of thirteen years, Napoleon waged or precipitated five wars. Before this time he was a military commander and eventually deposed all potential candidates for chancellorship or presidency of a beleaguered nation. He manipulated nations so that his family became leaders of a variety of nations. He interfered in national politics that didn't concern him, such as creating the 'Confederation of the Rhine' and interfering with German unification and homogeneity. Hence, that is a summary of my arguments and proofs thus far. Let us now analyze the ruin of France that was caused due to Napoleon's lust for battle and glory. 371,000 French soldiers killed in action. 400,000 French soldiers killed by disease Total: 1,000,000 French and allies (mostly Germans and Poles) dead in action, disease and missing. (http://en.wikipedia.org...) The English suffered slightly over 300,000 casualties, the Austrians 300,000, Prussians, 200,000 and Russians 400,000. The Wars left France with an extravagant debt, hungry people and severe reduction of power; it lost all territory gained during the wars. France crumbled as a world power - not to be heard from significantly again until the Franco-Prussian Wars. However, England, finally victorious, consolidated its role as chief world power and possessed the greatest Naval Fleet ever to be seen (unchallenged until WWI, when it once again prevailed). A couple of other incidents that may sway the readers to realize that Napoleon was a tyrant, conqueror and warmonger. He fired upon his own people with cannon on October 1795. "Nobody had really used cannon on the Paris mobs before. He was gonna shoot. He waited 'til he could see the whites of their eyes. Almost in one blast the whole thing was over. He probably killed a hundred people. He was not a very popular man with the rank and file, the man on the street in Paris after that." ( PBS **) with "a whiff of grapeshot" ***. Napoleon also led the Invasion of Italy, which was just that. Italy hadn't any major armies to fight with and they hadn't provoked France in any way, yet France ordered it invaded. Napoleon gladly (being the warmonger) assumed command of the Army of Italy and subjugated the Papal States. In doing so, he imprisoned the Pope, who condemned him and disagreed with his policies. The Pope was mistreated and exiled. Napoleon also led the invasion of Egypt. Once again, it was France and Napoleon to ignite the conflict and invade first. Napoleon also willfully executed the Duke of Enghien after a secret trial. The Duke was formally accused of imparting in an assassination attempt, even though he had taken no part in it. Napoleon executed him primarily to justify the re-creation of a hereditary monarchy in France, with himself as Emperor. Another thing, when the Napoleonic Code was formed, it decreed Napoleon the emperor for life - a typical action of one grasping for absolute power. And also rather hypocritical in that the French Revolutions (of which Napoleon gleefully imparted) where designed to eradicate a monarch and initiate a Republic. Rather, the regressed again under his rule to achieve a more tyrannical despot - an emperor. "The country itself, besides, though flattered by conquests, was tired of self-sacrifice. It had become satiated; "the cry of the mothers rose threateningly" against "the Ogre" and his intolerable imposition of wholesale conscription. The soldiers themselves, discontented after Austerlitz, cried out for peace after Eylau. Finally, amidst profound silence from the press and the Assemblies, a protest was raised against imperial despotism by the literary world, against the excommunicated sovereign by Catholicism, and against the author of the continental blockade by the discontented bourgeoisie, ruined by the crisis of 1811." **** In essence, even the soldiers were wearied by the imperial conquests and wars. They were wearied by strife and conflict. They protested against Napoleon, yet he did not heed them but brutally squashed their protests. Napoleon conscripted thousands of eligible (and unwilling) men to supplement his armies so that he could wage war and 'conquer' Europe. "Joseph Fouche, the head of the secret police, extending Emperor Napoleon's reach into every aspect of French society through a vast network of spies. BERTAUD: You go to a salon, there's a spy. You go a brothel, there is a spy. You go to a restaurant, there is a spy. Everywhere there are spies of the police. Everyone listens to what you say. It's impossible to express yourself unless Napoleon wants you to." ** (same source, several paragraphs down) Does this not sound like the rule of terror that Robespierre presided over not ten years earlier? Does it not sound like the iron tyrannical hand of Stalin, or cruel rule of Hitler? All of these men warmongers. Including Napoleon. Thanks for reading. Your show, Nazgul. stay Classy. PBS **: http://www.pbs.org... *** http://en.wikipedia.org... **** http://en.wikipedia.org... http://www.sparknotes.com...