After this, Napoleon went to fend off Britain, Austria, and Russia. Once again he was victorious. Russia and Austria signed peace treaties under Napoleon's guidelines. And in 1802 Britain also agreed to Napoleon's terms. According to Irving L. Gordan these victories were due to Napoleon's military genius and ability to keep his army fighting even in a dark hour.
France had a desperate need for strong leadership. This was a factor outside of Napoleon's control, and it did make it easier for him to gain success in what he was about to do. In 1800 Bonaparte held a plebiscite, which is an election in which all citizens vote yes or no on an issue. This issue was a constitution drawn up by Napoleon. The people overwhelmingly voted for the constitution, which gave all real power to the third consul, who was Napoleon. Two years later, the people voted Napoleon consul for life. After this Napoleon wanted to be emperor, and on December 2, 1804, he took the crown from the Pope at his coronation and placed it on his head. Napoleon's rise to power was now complete. So far it sounds like Napoleon's rise to power was mostly attributed to the fate of getting command of the France army, and France's need for a strong leader, but Napoleon's personality also played a big role to his rise to power.
Napoleon possessed a brilliant mind. At the military school, he ended up graduating at the top in his class, not just in military tactics, but also in math. "Napoleon used his mind to learn and gain a deep insight into human nature."1 This allowed him to win over troops as well as the people of France. Napoleon also possessed tireless energy. In my research I found that when he was campaigning, he would go days without sleep while the generals on the other side rested. I think this was an important personality trait that allowed Napoleon to be successful. This allowed him to stay ahead of the opposition and be more aware of their movements.
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