Napoleon: Terrorism and People
Scarlett Elms
Mrs. Rocco
World History
4/17/13
Napoleon and Modern Society In our society today, many people want to be safe and secure. This is understandable, being that there have been many terrorist attacks, shootings, bombings, and much more. But is safety and security a good reason to sacrifice freedom? Napoleons society seemed to be dealing with the same question – security or freedom? They believed that as long as they were safe, they wouldn’t mind what the government did. It seems to be that same way in America today. As long as the government keeps us safe, we don’t mind what they do. But is that really freedom? Or are we saying we are willing to give up our freedom for safety? I’m not sure, and neither was Napoleons society. The French people in the eighteen hundreds were tired of wars, battles, bloodshed, and unorganized governments. They wanted someone who would take over completely and keep them safe. Napoleon promised to do so, keeping the people satisfied. In doing this, they had to sacrifice many freedoms. One example of these would be freedom of speech. Napoleon wouldn’t allow the press to say anything bad about him or express an opinion that he did not approve of (Smitha). This was the same way for his enemies. He did not want the people of France to hear anything negative about him, which also meant nothing negative would be allowed to be said. Napoleon also drafted many soldiers before they turned eighteen. So young guys, at the age of seventeen, sixteen, or even fifteen, were drafted to go out and fight for their country (Vigil). They had no say in the matter. If they were chosen, they had to go. This kept France safe, but mothers and families worried. All of these freedoms were given up for their own security and safety. Elms pg. 2 In our society today, many of the same things have started to happen. Especially after the incident on September 11, when many people were killed after terrorists flew airplanes into our
Mrs. Rocco
World History
4/17/13
Napoleon and Modern Society In our society today, many people want to be safe and secure. This is understandable, being that there have been many terrorist attacks, shootings, bombings, and much more. But is safety and security a good reason to sacrifice freedom? Napoleons society seemed to be dealing with the same question – security or freedom? They believed that as long as they were safe, they wouldn’t mind what the government did. It seems to be that same way in America today. As long as the government keeps us safe, we don’t mind what they do. But is that really freedom? Or are we saying we are willing to give up our freedom for safety? I’m not sure, and neither was Napoleons society. The French people in the eighteen hundreds were tired of wars, battles, bloodshed, and unorganized governments. They wanted someone who would take over completely and keep them safe. Napoleon promised to do so, keeping the people satisfied. In doing this, they had to sacrifice many freedoms. One example of these would be freedom of speech. Napoleon wouldn’t allow the press to say anything bad about him or express an opinion that he did not approve of (Smitha). This was the same way for his enemies. He did not want the people of France to hear anything negative about him, which also meant nothing negative would be allowed to be said. Napoleon also drafted many soldiers before they turned eighteen. So young guys, at the age of seventeen, sixteen, or even fifteen, were drafted to go out and fight for their country (Vigil). They had no say in the matter. If they were chosen, they had to go. This kept France safe, but mothers and families worried. All of these freedoms were given up for their own security and safety. Elms pg. 2 In our society today, many of the same things have started to happen. Especially after the incident on September 11, when many people were killed after terrorists flew airplanes into our
Cited: Smitha, Frank. "Napoleon 's Wars, Mistakes and Fall." fsmitha.com. Frank E. Smitha, n.d. Web. 17 Apr 2013. Vigil, Jenner. " Napoleon Bonaparte: The World’s Greatest." napoleon-series.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr 2013. "3-1-1 for Carry-ons." tsa.gov. N.p., 11 Dec 2012. Web. 17 Apr 2013.