Evaluate Napoleon's Foreign
Policy
Napoleon's foreign policy was
simply a desire for glory while staying out of war with Britain and
Russia. Unlike his uncle, Napoleon was concerned with the "social
question" of France and the plight of the working people. His
economic internal affairs tended to be more successful than his
military endeavors. Like many leaders before him, Napoleon had to
give France glory to gain his legitimacy. Napoleon did not want to
meet his uncle's fate in a war with a major power of Europe; he
steered clear of conflict with Britain and Russia.
Napoleon's military adventures were unsuccessful in both
obtaining glory and winning any sort of victory. Napoleon wanted to
create a satellite government in Mexico and set up a system in
Mexico for French exports. Defying the Monroe Doctrine, he attacked
Mexican Radical Republicans and was soon kicked out by Americans and
the Mexican peasants. Not only had Napoleon failed to gain any sort
of satellite government but he had lost to a bunch of Mexican
peasants. He had managed to stay out of war with a European power,
but lost huge glory. Needless to say this Mexican adventure was
unsuccessful.
The Luxembourg Crisis and Napoleon's cockiness lost glory for
France while losing a war that the French should not have even been
involved in. Napoleon demanded the city of Luxembourg from Bismarck
after the Prussian defeat of Austria. Bismarck became enraged, as
did the rest of the Germans. Napoleon attacked Germany, to keep
France's glory as the supposed greatest country in the world.
Bismarck and the German states then proceeded to overtake France,
who soon overthrew their own government. Losing to Russia or
Britain would have been bad enough; but losing to a bunch of German
states filled with German savages was a huge loss of glory.
Despite Napoleon's military loses he managed to give France glory
in other areas. Napoleon obtained permission from Egypt to build
the Suez Canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps and the creation of the eighth
wonder of the world gave France huge glory. It created an expanse
of trade, increased revenue and market income for the French. This
interested the British greatly, and kept the French and British on
friendly terms. When the Russians defeated the Turks in the Crimean
war the Holy sites were now under Russian control. The Suez Canal
became threatened by Russian attack, which further angered the
French. Napoleon managed to unite the British and French to push
the Russians out of the Holy sites, regaining glory for France.
This defeat of Russia and especially the uniting of Britain and
France gave France huge glory.
Napoleon's foreign policy of gaining glory while maintaining
peace with the major European powers was unsuccessful. He managed
to obtain glory for France with the Suez Canal and the uniting of
the British and French. Though he created this glory, he also lost
huge glory by getting kicked out of Mexico by a bunch of peasants.
Napoleon's obtaining of glory proved futile for in the end France
lost to Bismarck. Obtaining glory is nice, but without a solid
government to keep it under its pretty pointless.
-Beau Johnson, Brad Parks, Michell Vogel, Ian Cambell, Joe
Griffith