What Were Napoleon Bonaparte’s Goals?
Napoleon Bonaparte’s goals included stabilizing the government and economy of France, restoring order within the nation, and defending the country against would-be invaders. His goals were primarily motivated by his desire to establish a democracy in France.
The French Revolution was launched when the people of the nation staged a coup against the government. At the time, the country was led by a monarchy that had drained the treasury. Napoleon thought France should be a democracy and aligned himself with other individuals who felt the same way. After Napoleon and his followers gained control of France, he worked to improve the legal, economic and social conditions of the nation. In the early years of his reign, he was revered as a hero for restoring order to France and building it into a powerful nation.
Napoleon eventually became more reckless in his military endeavors, which also began placing a strain on the French treasury, just as the era of the monarchy had. After several military failures, Napoleon was forced to sell the Louisiana territory on the American continent, causing France to lose much of its control over the region, which had been entwined in an embittered battle with Spain for control of the new lands across the ocean. Eventually, he was forced to leave France and live in exile.
