The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte is a magnificent illustration of a skillful character encountering immense opportunities to form a supreme leader. His ambition was driven primarily by impulse, not by a set of ideals or a connection to any structure. France's wavering government throughout the Revolution provided opportunities that had not been available before. The opportunities offered during the Revolution were mainly military. This favored Napoleon because he was mentally capable and willing to put in extra effort to win vital battles. Since his childhood, Napoleon had a strong ambitious character that flourished in mathematical skills that helped him successfully seize opportunities that presented themselves. What it lacked, however, was a meaningful ideology. Any choice Napoleon made that involved France, the Church, or social class was strictly about gaining influence. As a result, France was a mere vessel of power that he manipulated to pursue his true goal: supreme power. Napoleon Bonaparte embodied the characteristics of a true opportunist who gained enormous power during the Revolution by translating military success into a political issue with little regard for the losses of others. The circumstances for obtaining absolute power were overwhelming after the fall of the Revolutionary Directory. In fact, Johnson asserts, "all ancient legal restrictions on divine right kingship...had already been swept away by the Revolution, leaving France a legal vacuum upon which Bonaparte could impress the irresistible force of his personality." » (Johnson, 42 years old) In addition, France was in turmoil after the Terror and lacked order and stability. Napoleon would bring neither to the state that fueled his rise to power. Fi...... middle of paper...... without that, he had nothing. Napoleon's legacy is perceived in different ways. Some authors and leaders admire the ambitious and gifted soldier for his power and achievements. Others are very critical of his lack of compassion and rationality. His detachment from ideals made Napoleon a self-sufficient military tyrant. His unfulfilled desire for power was shaped by belief in one thing: himself. The destiny Napoleon envisioned was not shaped by patriotism for a country, devotion to a god, or sympathy for a class. He actually rode a wave of opportunities offered in France during the Revolution. Rather, Napoleon embodied the ideology of a fast opportunist not only in his military tactics, but also in his political actions. His defeat rests on the failure of his army, which is never a durable structure on which to rely solely..