The Accomplishments and Legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte

Even when the shining star dims, its light continues to reach our eyes for ages to come. Such was the case with the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, brilliant military strategist, political reformer, and Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815.

After his death, Napoleon's promises of a meritocratic order sparked further revolutions, including the July Revolution of 1830 and the chain of revolts in 1848, during one of which the nephew of the great leader, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte III, finalized the overthrow of the Ancien Regime and restored the French Empire.

Slavery was soon wiped off the face of Europe, and Napoleon's reforms, including the Code Napoleon, the metric system, and driving on the right side of the road, became instituted in many nations. "Alexis de Tocquerville wrote that Napoleon 'fell, but what was really substantial in his work lasted; his government died, but his administration continued to live...'" (Holmberg, 5). "As a result of the Napoleonic conquests, the Code Napoleon was introduced into a number of European countries, notably Belgium, where it is still in force. It also became the model for the civil codes of Quebec Province, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, some Latin American republics, and the state of Louisiana." (Encarta Encyclopedia.Code Napoleon).

The SI and driving on the right side of the road are applied virtually worldwide today. Freedom of religion and the abolition of slavery were, too, greatly advanced by the example of Napoleon's reforms in France and in the other countries he conquered. Furthermore, without Napoleon, meritocracy, a relatively unpopular concept during his time, would not have acted to transform societies and unleash the tremendous creative power of individuals born to "lower social classes".