FREE ESSAY ON ONE PERSON CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

ONE PERSON CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

It was Thomas Carlyle who believed that one person could change the course of events in
history. He strongly believed that it was because of the individuals' greatness that led
the people into their outcomes, not historical circumstances, which Carl Marx would
argue. Napoleon Bonaparte is a perfect example of individual greatness. Carlyle said, "It
is not a lucky word, this name impossible; no good comes of those who have it so often in
their mouths."? The word impossible was not a familiar word to Napoleon. He was
successful in what he tried to achieve because he let nothing stand in his way. Could
someone, like Napoleon, truly stand as an individual and change the course of history?
Yes, and it happened. Napoleon was just one of many leaders who led his people, and
changed history forever. 
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 and died May 5, 1821. During that time he
rose to be one of the greatest leaders that France ever had. Napoleon created political
alliances and seized control of the French Government. He made changes in all areas,
including government, religion and education. He made a new constitution as well as
setting up a Continental System. Napoleon led France to many victories, which was his key
to gaining the trust of the people. Napoleon won the war for France with the Austrians
that led to the signing of the Treaty of Campoformio, which enlarged France's Territory.
After ten years of war, the people wanted one strong leader and Napoleon had proven
himself worthy of that title. For the first time in ten years, because of Napoleon,
Europe was at peace. Napoleon however, still wasn't satisfied. He was crowned Emperor and
he dominated Europe with the glorious title. He had victory after victory. He was
unstoppable. After each battle, the Napoleonic Empire enlarged. Napoleon was a great war
hero that was always on the quest for peace. Carlyle put it best by saying, "The man
without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder - waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a
purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as
God has given you."? Napoleon had a strong drive for his purpose to build his Napoleonic
empire, which was extremely beneficial for him because he stopped at nothing until his
satisfactions were accomplished.
Another leader that had a strong impact on his people, much like Napoleon, was Adolf
Hitler. Even though Adolf's actions were not great, he had a huge authority. Hitler led
the Nazis and called for all Germans, even those in other countries, to unite into one
nation; they called for a strong central government; and they called for the cancellation
of the Versailles Treaty. Like Napoleon; he knew how to build up membership quickly.
Hitler gained control of Germany, much like Napoleon did with Europe, and he gave himself
the title Fuehrer (leader). He used extensive propaganda to promote his theories. Unlike
other leaders, Hitler believed in killing all people who didn't fit into his perspectives
of the "master race". Where as Napoleon believed in changing people to fit his
perspectives. Nothing could be done with out his personal approval and so it was he who
was calling the shots for the country. Alexander the Great was another leader who had a
vision of making people follow his order. His object was much like Napoleon's. He wanted
to create the greatest empire known to man. He conquered much of what was then the
civilized world. Alexander brought Greek ideas and the Greek way of doing things to all
the countries he conquered. Much like Napoleon did with liberalism to the countries he
conquered. The difference between Alexander and Napoleon was that he won the people's
trusts by setting examples. Napoleon won his trust in the people by the victories he won
for them. Alexander the Great made possible the broadly developed culture of the
Hellenistic Age. Napoleon did the same by spreading his beliefs of Liberalism as well as
his French culture throughout Europe as he concurred it. 
Napoleon and Hitler had one thing in common. As leaders, they both knew how to use and
manipulate their people. Both had goals they felt they needed to accomplish. The
differences between Napoleon's goals and Hitler's were that Napoleon wanted to instill
liberty among his people with him ruling over them, and Hitler wanted to make a "perfect"
race by wiping out any other race that didn't meet his standards. Both manipulated their
people to get what they wanted. As for Alexander the Great, his idea of building the
greatest empire was just as egotistical as Hitler's idea of building the perfect race.
However, his ideas of spreading awareness about the Greek culture were short from
narcissistic. The ideas were introduced by these leaders and would have never had
happened if they were not allowed to become the power over their country. No one would
know about Liberalism if Napoleon didn't step in and introduce it to everyone. Even if
someone else tried to introduce the idea it wouldn't have been effective because they
wouldn't have the same power over the people that Napoleon gained. If Hitler didn't gain
access to brainwash people with his ideas of propaganda, then he wouldn't have had enough
support to accomplish what he did and therefore the massacres of Jews wouldn't have
happened. 
Individuals do make the difference and the great men of history are not the subjects of
their times, but rather those who changed the events of history. Napoleon was a military
genius that amidst the chaos of the crumbling system was able to realize his full
potential as a world conqueror. He was trying to maintain control over a dying nation.
All this cannot be attributed to history and the force of destiny. Maybe the French
people were bound to unite after their struggle. Maybe the ideas of having an ideal race
were just around the corner. Maybe the world would one day unite into a huge empire,
never again to be separate. Maybe these are all just simple cases of people being in the
right place at the right times. I think not! It took one person in charge to make these
events possible. You cannot possibly believe that these events were bound to happen
sooner or later and that these men "accidentally" stumbled upon them and used them to
their advantages. These people rose to power and used it to manipulate the people to
carry out their goals. Therefore, everything that happened in these times happened
because they made them happen, not because they were intended to happen.