How much does Napoleon owe to the French Revolution? Without the French Revolution there would be no Napoleon. Napoleon's life was forever influenced and directed by the revolution in France. His relationship with France was complex, from the beginning of his life. Embarking on a path that began with his ultimate goal of expelling France from his homeland of Corsica to rule the nation he had so despised. Only a year before Napoleon's birth, Genoa had been forced to sell Corsica to France. In one of history's amazing coincidences, this would forever tie Napoleon to France, even going so far as to change his name to a more French-sounding name. If Genoa had retained control of Corsica, Napoleon would have been born Italian and the thousands of books written about him since then would have ceased to exist. Unfortunately, fate had a role to play and Napoleon found himself part of a minor noble family on an island longing for independence. From a young age Napoleon wanted to participate in the fight to regain sovereignty over Corsica. It is here that he will become passionate about history in an attempt to write a history of his homeland. At that time one could not know history without knowing the great empire of Rome. This knowledge of Rome would influence Napoleon's actions for the rest of his life. Being part of a small noble family, Napoleon found he could attend a school in mainland France. He eventually found himself at Brienne, a school where his Corsican origins and lack of French nobility caused him great difficulty and stress from the other students. This would plant the seeds of hatred for the nobility within Napoleon that would ultimately lead him to destroy birth-based noble privileges in his empire....... middle of paper......poleon was in power. Many important civil liberties were taken away, such as freedom of speech and of the press. Slavery was re-established, to the chagrin of many. Women's rights have suffered a serious blow. After the gains made during the revolution, women were disenfranchised by Napoleon and women were once again expected to be subordinate and subservient to the men in their family. The greatest loss was the loss of a republic. The rulers of France were no longer selected by the public. The king had been replaced by a king in all but name. Napoleon had been influenced and driven by the revolution, but was able to use it for his own ends. One of Napoleon's greatest strengths was his ability to take advantage of a situation, and he certainly was able to exploit the chaos and fear of revolution. He is forever intertwined with the French Revolution, and it with him.