We Should All Be Celebrating Napoleon Bonaparte
A look at why we don’t, and the lies that formed his legacy
When people begin listing off mad, tyrannical rulers, it doesn’t get too deep before the name Napoleon Bonaparte comes up. Ask someone to use two words to describe the man and ‘petty tyrant’ are amongst the kindest. Some historians genuinely consider Bonaparte to be a maniac only topped by Hitler in the misery they wrought during their lifetime.
But is that fair? Well, history is subjective, but I’d argue it is not.
A virtual ‘rags to riches’ story, Napoleon was born on the small island of Corsica, only recently ceded to the French Empire at the time, and from an early age he showed promise and moved to the French mainland to pursue a military education and career. From there, using military talent, his burgeoning intellect, and seizing every opportunity that came his way, he climbed the ranks to General at the age of just 24.
As the French Revolution erupted, suddenly a man of his background and status was allowed to excel and progress without limits — and he did so with a military mind unseen in the modern world, winning battle after battle in Italy to hone an excellent reputation for himself back home.
“[The Napoleonic Code is] the greatest…
