From obscure origins, Napoleon Bonaparte rose rapidly through the ranks of the army during the first years of the Revolution, becoming a general by the age of 25. This talk examines Napoleon’s early military career and challenges the myth that his dramatic rise epitomizes the revolutionary principle of “careers open to talent.”
Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul, in the Uniform of a General in the Army of Italy (detail), 1801, Andrea Appiani (1754–1817), oil on canvas. Private collection, Montreal. Photo MMFA, Christine Guest
Cost: $8 (VMFA members $5)
Napoleon’s Military & Political Rise to Power
with Dr. Rafe Blaufarb, Director and Ben Weider Eminent Scholar in Napoleonic Studies, Department of History, Florida State University
Fri, Aug 17, 2018, 6:30–7:30 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater