SLD
Contributor
So yesterday was the 200th Anniversary of Napoleon’s death. Macron laid a wreath at his tomb, and apparently this has caused an uproar amongst France’s blacks as he reinstated slavery in the colonies. But others look past his faults and laud his military genius who actually conquered Europe for France - at least for a while.
My assessment though is pretty poor, and not merely because of the slavery issue. He not only destroyed democracy in France, he made it difficult to survive for a century or more after his death. He was a tactical genius, but a strategic fool. Invade Russia? His decision to escape Elba and return to France was just mind boggling stupid. He was a victim of his own hubris. He never stood a chance to defeat the allies at Waterloo. He got bogged down in Spain at a crucial time and failed to adequately secure his lines of communication throughout his empire. He was just too full of himself, like Hitler in many ways. He cared nothing of the untold suffering he brought to millions.
But show me differently.
My assessment though is pretty poor, and not merely because of the slavery issue. He not only destroyed democracy in France, he made it difficult to survive for a century or more after his death. He was a tactical genius, but a strategic fool. Invade Russia? His decision to escape Elba and return to France was just mind boggling stupid. He was a victim of his own hubris. He never stood a chance to defeat the allies at Waterloo. He got bogged down in Spain at a crucial time and failed to adequately secure his lines of communication throughout his empire. He was just too full of himself, like Hitler in many ways. He cared nothing of the untold suffering he brought to millions.
But show me differently.