Class 11, Language Development, Unit 14 Power and Politics

 

Unit-14

Power and Politics

"History is written by the winners." -Napoleon Bonaparte

 

The Power of Napoleon in Politics

Milada Broukal

 

 

Before you read

Discuss these questions with your partner:

a. Name some warriors who fought for your country.

Ans:- In Anglo-Nepalese war (East India Company and Nepal) during 1818 to 1816, many warriors fought against East India Company on behalf of Nepal. They are Bhakti Thapa, Amar Singh Thapa, Balabhadra Kunwar, and so on.

 

b. Mention the name of any five famous leaders in the world. Also describe their contributions to their countries.

Ans:- There are so many famous leaders in the world and among them five are:

i. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), USA, Fought ageist slavery system in the USA

ii. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1849, India, fought for Indian nationalism against British rule

iii. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) Albania, Humanitarian, served poor humans

iv. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), South Africa, fought against apartheid and segregation

v. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), the USA, fought for black people's right in America

 

c. Guess the meaning of the words:

a.     Statesman (n) - a skilled, experienced, and respected political leader or figure

b.     Leader (n) - the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country

c.     Warrior (n) - a brave or experienced soldier or fighter

d.     Revolution (n) - a dramatic and wide-reaching change in conditions, attitudes, or operation

e.     Emperor (n) - a sovereign ruler of an empire

f.      Empire (n) - an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state

g.     Guerilla (n) - a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger regular forces

 

About the text:

v Hand in Waistcoat/Hand inside vest/hand in jacket/hand held in /Hidden hand, a gesture found in portraits of great personalities during 18th and 19th century-indicates leadership in a calm and firm manner,

v Born in 1769, Corsica, France, close to Italy, one out of 14 children, attended military school, and joined French Army.

v in 1789 French Revolution started because of heavy taxes impose to poor by King Louis XIV, 1799 absolute monarchy was overthrown and King, Queen and some royal figures were executed in the guillotine, was declared a republic nation,

v The rulers of other European countries scared of this revolution and change and Austria and Britain went to war with the new republic of France, Napoleon 27 years old brilliant officer was made Commander in Chief of the French army in Italy, defeated many countries  such as Austria and Egypt, stopped British rout to India in Egypt, discovered Rosetta Stone, inscribed with ancient Greek and Egyptian scripts honoring the Kind of Egypt, set up schools in Egypt, studied Pyramids, but was defeated by British,

v Returned to France, was made premier consul (ambassador) before he became an Emperor, French made him their leader and in 1804 declared himself an emperor of France, honored by the Pope from Rome.

v He became the master of almost all Europe, conquered Austria, Prussia, formed alliance with Russia, made his brothers the king of Spain and Holland,

v He restored law and order in France, reorganized government, bank, built fine roads, made Paris a beautiful city, made fine bridges, beautiful buildings and monuments (Arc de Triomphe), founded Napoleonic Code that created a legal system followed in Europe, Central and South America, Quebec in Canada. He is self taught in legal matter,

v He was genius army commander, conquered Austrian Empire, ruled Italy, Switzerland, Germany, extended his empire as large as the ancient Roman Empire, He was unable to conquer Britain and he lost more than one million Frenchmen when he attacked Russia, he was sent to the Island of Elba, Mediterranean when was defeated in Russia

v After 10 months, escaped from Elba, returned back to France, declared himself emperor again, ruled for 100 days but European nations gathered armies led by the British Duke of Wellington and was defeated at the battle of Waterloo, exiled to the island of Helena, Atlantic Ocean where he died after four years.

v Was called the greater ruler because of his love of power,

 

Ways with Words:

A. Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word.

a. Many portraits of Napoleon show him with his right hand placed inside his coat

i. Shape          ii. hairstyle   iii. sketch     iv. movement

 

b. Napoleon won one victory after another, defeating the Austrians in eighteen battles.

i. beating     ii. joining       iii. fighting    iv. directing

 

c. Portrait painters thought this pose made men look more dignified.

i. good-looking     ii. Young        iii. Intelligent            iv energetic

 

d. They announced France a republic.

i. officially declared        ii. Informally decided          iii. put into practice                     

iv. voted into law

 

e. Napoleon conquered Austria in 1805.

i. lost  ii. tried o control      iii. Triumphed over         iv. Attacked

 

f. There was no place to house his soldiers in the bitter Russian winter.

i. difficult      ii. cold                       iii. dark          iv. empty

 

g. Napoleon was humiliated when he was defeated.

i. tortured      ii. punished   iii. confused  iv. shamed

 

B. Guess the meanings to these words from the text. Check in you dictionary and make sentences of your own.

Word-meaning; sentence

a.     violent- brutal/savage; She thought the film far too violent to show to children

b.     execute- carry out a sentence of death on (a legally condemned person); He was convicted of treason and executed.

c.     ancient - belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence; The ancient Roman people were highly cultural.

d.     alliance -the state of being joined or associated; The two countries made an alliance.

e.     brilliant- exceptionally clever or talented; She was a brilliant public speaker.

f.      Genius- very great and rare natural ability or skill, especially in a particular area;  He's some kind of mathematical genius

g.     consul - an official appointed by a state to live in a foreign city and protect the state's citizens and interests there; The Consul spoke slowly and with great gravity

h.     invading - enter (a place, situation, or sphere of activity) in large numbers, especially with intrusive effect; hey gathered soldiers to fight the invading army.

 

C. Look at the compound noun phrases Commander-in-chief as used in this sentence from the text.

Napoleon was only twenty-seven years old when he was made Commander-in-Chief of the French army in Italy.

 

D. Find the meaning of the following noun phrases and use them in sentence.

a.     Vice-president- an official or executive ranking below and deputizing for a president; He was appointed vice-president of congress.

b.     Editor-in-chief - The principal editor of a publication, responsible for managing editorial policies and the production of content; He is recently promoted into the Editor in Chief of this newspaper.

c.     Deputy-Mayor - assistant mayor; The deputy mayor said that he was appalled by the violence.

d.     Joint-Secretary - the person in charge of an organization, for example, a trade union; In 1917 Chancellor - an assistant to a chancellor; Several university vice-chancellors are women.

e.     Attorney-General; he was appointed joint secretary to the Minister of National Service.

f.      Under-secretary -a person who works for and has a slightly lower rank than the secretary; The President confirmed him as Undersecretary of State.

g.     Deputy Prime Minister - a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent; He was a deputy minister in the 1980s.

h.     Vice-Chancellor -  A deputy to or a substitute for a head of state or an official bearing the title chancellor; He has also served as the university's vice chancellor for academic affairs.

i.       Attorney-general -the head of the US Department of Justice, The attorney general gave advice to the government over the legality of the war.

j.       Ex-president - a former president of a particular country or organization; The ex-President was under armed guard in the Palace.

k.     Sub-Editor -  is someone checks the written text of newspapers, magazines or websites before they're published; I have been as a sub-editor of a website for more than one year.

l.       Co-author - a writer who collaborates with another writer in authoring literary works; I have coauthored in a book.

 

 

Comprehension

Answer these questions.

a. Where was Napoleon from?

Ans:-  He was from the French Island of Corsica, close to the coast of Italy.

 

b. Why did poor and middle class people declare France a republic?

Ans:- Poor and middle class people declared France a republic because they were not satisfied with French monarchy, the French king imposed heavy taxes on them and the king and his nobles lived luxurious life.

                                                                                                                                          

c. When did Napoleon declare himself emperor of France?          

Ans:- Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804.

 

d. What did he do when he ruled France?

Ans:- During the time Napoleon ruled France, he conquered many European countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Germany, made his brothers kings of Spain and Holland, restored laws, organized French government and bank, turned Paris into a beautiful city, made great buildings such as Arc de Triomphe.

 

e. Which countries did he rule when he was the emperor?

Ans:- He ruled Italy, Switzerland and Germany when he was the emperor.

 

f. What was the main cause of his destruction?

Ans:- The main cause of his destruction was his invade to Russia.

 

g. How did his rule as emperor end in Europe?

Ans:- Many European nations united their armies led by the British Duke of Wellington. At the battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was defeated, sent to the island of St. Helena in Atlantic Ocean where he died after six years.

 

 

h. How could Napoleon have been an ever greater ruler?

Ans:- He had been an ever greater ruler because of his military genius and brilliant mind driven by his love of power.

 

Critical Thinking

a. What can be the qualities of a great leader? Can a great leader remain in power for a long in a country? Discuss.

Ans- The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country is called leader. Leaders are found in different sectors or fields, but here we are talking about political leadership. Such persons are sent to power electing by people. Such leaders are public servants and work for the betterment of the society and people. Such leaders must have willingness to stand up for what is right.

A great leader is one who is capable to take decisions, determined to work for the betterment, has the willingness to manage & rectify issues and importantly stand up for what is right. S/he should not be worried about his/her position, power and authority. He should always work for the growth of the society and should value his/her citizens. Every great leader should inherit the skills and research capabilities to think and act towards future growth. S/he must have discipline, trustworthiness, courage, humaneness, intelligence and so on.

 

Several things matter for a great leader to remain in power for a long in a country. First of all s/he must maintain the realistic image in the public. There should not be ego and pride in position. The primary concern must be given to the sentiments of people and development. People must be satisfied, and development and rights should be given to the public.                

b. The 16th president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln said democracy is government of the people for the people and by the people. Do you think it is perfectly applicable in the present context of Nepal? Explain.                                                                                                                        

 Democracy as defined by Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the USA, is government of the people for the people and by the people. Or in other words, the supreme power is on people in democracy. Despite the long time, democracy is not matured here in Nepal. Though the norms and model of democracy is developed, the actual exercise is not done because most of political leaders are corrupted. They are just running after money, power, and luxury. Corruption, indifferent people, poverty, and bureaucracy are the major obstacles for implementation of the democracy as Abram Lincoln said.

There must be proper functions of every bodies and organs of governmental organizations. But corrupted bureaucracy supported by political leaders, and bribed by businessmen doesn't function properly. Government institutions have become victims of nepotism and favors. Illiterate, poor and weak people don't get justice here. Laws are not equal here.  Opportunities are not equal here. Political leaders are not good. They are corrupted and are not serious to the development of people and nation. In a superficial level it seems a democratic nation, but inwardly it is corrupted.

  

Grammar

May, Might, Must, Cant'

May/Might- Possibility of something in the present/future

Must/can't - expresses certainty in the present.

 

A. Study the following sentences

a. She may/might be in France.

b. You've had a long journey. You must be tired.

c. Niraj can't be in Gorkha. I saw him this morning.

 

B. Fill in the blanks with may, must, can't

a. Mathew must be at home. I can see his bike in front of his home.

b. They may be coming tomorrow.

c. She can’t speak French very well. She's only lived in Paris for two weeks.

d. My key is not in my pocket or on my desk so it may be in the drawer.

e. I saw him yesterday. He can’t be abroad.

f. You got the job? That's great. You must be very delighted.

g. I may finish it by tomorrow if I stay at work all night, but I am not sure.

h. Somebody is knocking on the door. It must be Sabina- she promised to come today.

 

C. Rewrite the following sentences using may/might, must or can't.

Example:       Maybe they went away.

They may/might have gone away.

 

a. I'm sure he's not going to the cinema today.

Ans: He can't be going to the cinema today.

b. Perhaps she knows the answer.

Ans:- She may know the answer.

c. I'm sure he has a car.

Ans:- He must have a car.

d. I doubt if it rains later on.

Ans:- It might rain later on.

e. Perhaps she wants to be alone.

Ans:- He may want to be alone.

f. I'm sure Harina is in her office.

Ans:- Harina must be in her office.