Napoleon’s dictatorship came swiftly after the French revolution of 1789-1999. But there have been many other revolutions over time. There are many times and events in history that really stand out for various reasons. Some for good reasons such as the bravery or dedication of certain individuals such as Florence Nightingale or Emily Pankhurst; but more often than not for bad reasons such as the Spanish Inquisition or the era of slavery.

Knights of the Round Table

One period that really captures many peoples' imagination, though, is the Knights of the Round Table, led by good old King Arthur. This has been captured time and time again in books and on television and it never fails to attract attention. You can always forge a good story out of King Arthur and his knights!

Whether it is Castle Sieges in Games or battles against the invaders, it is a real tale of bravery and adventure. Famous characters such as Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Gawain and Sir Percival spring alive from the history books with their gallant deeds and acts of courage.

Then there is the fair Lady Guinevere, abducted by the wicked king Melwas and rescued one year later and reunited with King Arthur, only, as some of the tales say, to fall in love with Sir Lancelot.

These were times of damsels in distress; and knights in shining armour come to save them. The old tales tell different stories and much of it is left to our imagination.

Revolutions in the past

Revolutions were a lot cooler back when technology wasn't available. When the world wasn't full of computers and people looking for iphone insurance people had to communicate the 'old fashioned' way with covert messages and hidden printing presses. The Russian Revolution in 1905 wasn't organised via Twitter or Facebook but covertly by secret messages and underground gatherings. Whilst some aspects of this (covert meetings) is still true today the invention of mobile phones and computers have made the process a lot easier.

Dangers of technology

With the ease that technology brings to the process it also brings caution as well. It is very easy to send out multiple Facebook messages on your iPhone but it also very easy to get caught this way. Social media sites such as Facebook have come under fire recently over their privacy issues so if you are not careful enough you might find yourself getting caught.

The current uprising in the Middle East shows the power that technology has and how significant it has been in this revolt. Live updates through Twitter and blogging have helped shape the revolution and how the world sees the struggles in Libya. The same was true for the recent and successful uprising in Egypt. Using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook can help mobilise people in a very short space of time and with the invention of smart phones like the iPhone the ease in which crowds can be mobilised can thwart any authorities.

What is history but a record of things said and done in the past? However, history is a more interesting and complex subject than it gets credit for. Not only is history selective, but it can also be created.

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History pages

Read about Napoleon and other history

Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 in Corsica into a wealthy family. He was educated at military school where he was swiftly promoted. In 1796 he was made commander of the French army in Italy, forcing Austria and its allies to make peace.

Conquering Egypt

In 1798, he conquered Egypt which was then ruled by the Ottoman Empire in an attempt to attack British trade routes with India. He was left stranded when the British destroyed his fleet at the Battle of the Nile.

He arrived in Paris following this defeat and staged a coup d’etat, emerging as a consul in the new government in 1799. France was subsequently involved in several wars but in 1802 he signed the Peace of Amiens, ending conflict with Britain. So that he could concentrate on Europe, he sold the then French-owned Louisiana to America. By 1804, he had disposed of the title of consul and crowned himself Emperor in a very decadent ceremony.

Plotting his expansion

In 1805, Napoleon planned an invasion on England when Austria and Russia began marching towards France. Napoleon's forces defeated them at Austerlitz but the British fleet had destroyed Napoleon's army at Trafalgar. Napoleon expanded his Empire by forming the Confederation of the Rhine in Germany and the Grand Duchy of Warsaw in Poland.

By this time, Napoleon controlled almost all of Western Europe except for Spain. He attempted to destroy the economy of his biggest enemy, Britain, by instituting the Continental System, under which all European harbours would refuse to accept British imports. He failed here, and in trying to compel Spain to follow he started the Peninsular War.

This is a resource providing historical information, primarily on Napoleon. We have other history case studies on this site.

Napoleon Bonaparte