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Question: Assess the reasons for Napoleon’s rise to power in France 1799. History AS OCR Grade A
Answer: Napoleon’s rise to power in France in 1799 was aided by a number of factors. Napoleon’s strengths, including his political astuteness and military brilliance, along with his political connections with powerful figures in France and the legacy of the French revolution all played a part in Napoleon’s seizure of power. However, from assessing the evidence it is clear that the weakness of the Directory was the most important reason for Napoleon’s rise to power in 1799.
Since 1795 France had been ruled by the Directory; a very weak government due to its constant fear of an overly powerful figure who may spark a return to the days of the Terror. The Directory was plagued by annual elections which as historian R Ben Jones said, “Institutionalised instability and endangered continuity”. Napoleon’s rise to General of the Army of Italy was helped in particular by the weakness of ...(short extract)
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- Subject: History
- Course: History
- Level: A-Level
- Year: Not applicable
- Mark: 70%
- Words: 2214
- Date submitted: February 05, 2015
- Date written: Not available
- References: No
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 6339
