What impact did Napoleon on global politics during his time?
1 Answer
He tried to dominate Europe and thus he wanted to be the most powerful man on nearth
Explanation:
Napoleon was imbued with a single obsession during his reign: the control of Europe. He fought ruthlessly against Great Britain, though he never managed to invade it, unlike Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. He contributed to the diffusion of the ideals and ideas of the French Revolution. He introduced nationalism in Germany and this proved terrible for France since it coalesced German people agaisnt their dominator.
His military occupation of Spain and Portugal had many countries in South America rebel and become independent. The Portuguese government went into exile and Brazil soon became independent. Napoleon tried to attack Russia in 1812 and this turned out to be his doom.
The Second War of independence is indirectly due to Napoleon since the American Congress wanted to trade freely with France without British interference. His fall corresponds to the end of that war and he also sold the Louisiana territory in 1803 which enabled the USA to double its size.
Napoleon's will to control Europe is clearly a project to dominate the world since according to geopolitician McKinder:
"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland;
who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island;
who rules the World-Island commands the world."
(Mackinder, Democratic Ideals and Reality, p. 150)
