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By the age of 25, Napoleon Bonaparte had
been expelled from the army, was disgraced, despondent and suicidal. One
year later, he was the youngest general in France, and began winning victories
with ragged troops who were at the point of starvation. "He was like
an expert chess player, with the human race for an opponent, which he
proposed to checkmate. Napoleon I (1769-1821), emperor of the French,
who consolidated and institutionalized many reforms of the French Revolution.
One of the greatest military commanders of all time, he conquered the
larger part of Europe and did much to modernize the nations he ruled.
Napoleon was a great Leader. He balanced the budget, and
established the Bank of France. He controlled prices, started public works
to put people to work, and encouraged new industry. Order, security, and
efficiency replaced liberty, equality, and fraternity as the slogans of
the new regime.
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