The French nation underwent a crucial revolution from 1789 to 1799. During this period, the republicans took control of the French government from the king and later the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was established to provide protection to its people. Leading these revolutions, Napoleon Bonaparte, a young general, had begun to win many battles abroad and was steadily rising through the ranks of the army. It was through these battles that Napoleon was able to lead his armies to conquer much of Europe and many other nations of the world. During these many battles, Napoleon believed he was spreading French revolutionary ideas to the countries he conquered, ensuring he left behind a system that honored citizens' possessions and property, religions, and human rights. As he led armies across Europe in conquest, he never strayed from his original plan to spread the social ideals of the French Revolution. It is from the beginning that Napoleon hopes to instill the idea that he is conquering countries to liberate their people, not to overtake or enslave them. A notable example of this is shown in the way he addressed the Italian people in 1796 as they were conquering the nation. To the Italian citizens he said: "People of Italy, the French army comes to break your chains; the French people are friends of all peoples; approach them with confidence; your goods, your religion and your customs will be respected." This quote shows Napoleon's intentions very early on to be a liberator and not an emperor seeking personal riches. He later told his army that if they were caught looting they would be sentenced to death. It was through these principles that he managed to earn the loyalty of a nation,...... middle of paper......h like you our cause could not be lost; but the war would have been interminable; it would have been a civil war, and this would have entailed deeper misfortunes for France. I have sacrificed all my interests to those of the country". In this quote he proclaimed that even after their initial defeat, they could have gone ahead and won the war anyway. But he did not want to do so, as he claimed it would have caused a war civil in France. Napoleon's goals throughout this conquest are shown. He is willing to give up everything if it means keeping intact the way property, religion and human rights are treated in France, he knew how to leave a legacy. of freedom generations to come. Works Cited Sivers, Peter Von, Charles Desnoyers, and George B. Stow Patterns of World History: Since 1750. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.