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Napoleon Bonaparte is a controversial figure in France and Europe as a whole. The French Revolution began as a fight for democracy, but it ended with Napoleon Bonaparte naming himself emperor. Napoleon brought progress and equality through his Napoleonic Code, but he betrayed the revolution with his concentration of power and military expansion throughout Europe. Napoleon was defeated by English and Prussian forces for the final time at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. As Belgium and England celebrate their victory 200 years later there is uncertainty in France about how to mark Napoleon’s defeat and remember his mixed legacy.
Story Length: 3:51
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AIR DATE: 06/18/2015
February 27, 2015
3:27
When Voltaire wrote Treatise on Tolerance in 1763, it was an important and relevant work. The work’s message of religious tolerance is experiencing a resurgence over 250 years later in modern day France. After attacks by religious extremists on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket, people in France who are looking for answers and a denunciation of violence in the name of religion are finding it in Voltaire. Listen to learn what inspired this 18th century book and why people are turning to it today.
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France and the world community were stunned when Islamic radicals carried out two attacks in Paris last week. One attack was on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo for its anti-Islamic cartoons, the other on a Jewish grocery store. The terrorists killed 17 people. The attack on journalists was a first, but targeting Jews isn’t new in France. Listen to learn more about the attacks and the response of the French and Jewish communities.
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4:42
After Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, NATO looks to strengthen defenses around allied countries in the face of possible aggression from Russia. The international community gathered recently to discuss ways to deter Russia.
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