However, I learned in my research that Napoleon came to power in a coup, and was certainly not aligned with the ideas of the revolution.

Why does one necessarily negate the other, precisely? I don't think many scholars would agree with your assertion that Napoleon did not align with the revolution in its entirety or even mostly. This is certainly a topic worth exploring for 4000 words; hell that's hardly enough. Paging /u/DonaldFDraper.