Research Paper on Napoleon Bonaparte and Mao Tse-Tung Using Erikson's 8 Stages of Development

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to utilize Erik Erikson’s Eight Stage Theory when analyzing the effects that the childhood experiences of Napoleon Bonaparte and Mao Tse-tung had throughout their lives.

The Eight Stages of Development devised by Erik Erikson describes the cycle of man’s life and the interrelations between his childhood and adult experiences. Beginning with birth and concluding with death, man endures crisis and resolution, all of which shape his behavior and character. Erikson’s theory depicts child/parent relationships as salient factors in psychological development. As a vulnerable and dependent being in an unfamiliar world, a child trusts his parents to provide protection, comfort, and guidance. As the child ages, conflicts become more complex in friendships, self-identification, and intimate relationships. To progress properly through all eight stages, one must complete or find resolution in an orderly fashion. Psychological crisis arises when one moves to one stage without completing the previous. Such mishaps are utilized by developmental psychologists to analyze destructive behavior whether internal or external. In applying Erik Erikson’s theory to the lives of Napoleon Bonaparte and Mao Tse-tung, it is evident that they were overly ambitious and domineering leaders because they sought compensation for unresolved childhood issues that had left them perpetually dissatisfied and insecure.

Before analyzing the nature of Napoleon’s military leadership, one must discuss his Eight Stage development beginning at infancy with the first stage of trust vs. mistrust. This stage, occurring from ages one to two, describes a child’s first experiences with a maternal figure. In Napoleon’s infant years, he was raised by his mother, Maria Letizia Ramolini and Camilla, his wet-nurse. Camilla became highly involved in Napoleon life, acting as his second mother. She “cared for him, or helped in doing so. She is said to...