Napoleon

[STI]

Can anybody tell me about the life and death of Napoleon? He was a great man, and I want to know more about him.

Thanks.

[SittingBull47]

Many think that if it weren't for the battle of Waterloo, he would have proven himself invincible. He was a natural military leader and a mystic strategist. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo has many pages dedicated to him, great book.

[Wenty]

He was able to rise quickly through the french military ranks as so many nobles had deserted post 1789. He was, as said, a great military strategist but also ruthless and very vain. He put his relatives in positions of power in all the countries he conquered (which was more or less the whole of Europe). He claimed he preached the ideas of the revolution but its clear he was merely a dictator thirsty for more power.

He was imprisoned on an island in about 1812/13 i think but then broke out and led a coup that lasted for the so called 100 days until the battle of waterloo in 1815 where, after defeat, he was put on an even more remote island called elber (sp.?)

His empire restructred the way europe worked in terms of administration etc. He cut through a lot of the bureaucracy and was able to make a country work much more economically although this was always for his own advantage and general exploitation.

The fact that a poor boy from corsica was able to rise and become the supreme and indubitable leader of all of Europe was surely an eye opener for people at the time, he is used by Nietzsche as an example of his 'superman' theory.

[Invader Zim]

Napoleon a Corsican left the École Royale Militaire, Paris in October 1785 and joined a French Army artillery Regiment. In January 1786 he finished his officer probation, and during next few years would become an effective Corsican politician as well as rise through the army, and was to become emperor of France almost 10 years following the revolution.

He was conquered most of Europe until he went to far and was defeated by the Russian winter, and was defeated. He was imprisoned to the Island of Elber in 1814, and escaped in 1815, and spent a period of approximately 100 days (it actually was not 100 days) of freedom until he was defeated by an allied army headed By Arthur Wellesley.

He is often credited with having the best strategy in history. I believe this to be in error, part of strategic skills is to be able to keep effective communication with your supplies, Napoleon was poor at this, and its why he lost the Russian campaign.

He also is credited with excellent battle field tactics. This is also in error, his tactic was to get a columns of 1000's of men and March them at enemy lines, which relied on physiological weakness in the enemy. In most cases it was successful. However when his armies faced the disciplined Redcoats, who were famed for their speed with muskets, they were defeated easily, even though they may have vastly outnumbered the British troops.

It is a mathematical certainty that a line will beat a column, in a column only the front few ranks can actually fire a musket, in a line every musket can fire. So a well disciplined line of fast firing troops were almost guaranteed to destroy a column. This was proved time and time again in the peninsular war and in Wellesley invasion of France.

So not only were Napoleons battle tactics fatally flawed but his strategy was also fatally flawed when it came to real hard conditions faced during the Russian invasion.

When he was enevitably finally beaten by the allied Army at Waterloo in 1815, he was imprisoned on the Island of St Helena, many theories exist regarding his death, however the most credible (in my opinion) suggests that he was poisoned by Either French monarchists and supporters of the future king of France Charles X, a convinced Ultra, or was removed by the British to stop the spread of liberalism in Britain as napoleon was a hero to the liberal movment of the time. Some people believe that Napoleon had an escape plan but died before it could be instated. Never the less Napoleon died in 1821.

Napoleon I
Emperor of the French

1769 - 1821


Most overrated general in history.

[Comrade Zeke]

I have done much reaserch on Napoleon and his early battles were alsomely fought.....he won great victories at:Austerlitz (2 December 1805) Battle of Jena-Auerstedt (14 October 1806). He also managed to destroy a Austrian Army at Wagram. His Italian Campain was excelent and he took over Spain with ease. His flaws I think he was an awful commander and was not the best commander in history, That Rank goes to Alexander the Great then Hannibal. Napoelon may have won early victories but he after 1808 he lost his great mind. He chaugh Syvilis. And his brain began to eat away but he did not know it at the time. Three things destoryed his hopes of taking over Eroupe:The Guerila campain in Spain,failed Invasion of Russia, and the battle of Watterloo when he got back from Elbe. He was an evil dictator but he was also one of the greatest ages for the French people. I could explain more if you want me to. lol
Zeke

[sh0cker]

After he lost battle, he was kept by opponents, but they weren't capable to kill immediatly man such as he was, actually on that island they started giving him infected food, and killing him during long period.
It is briefly death of Napoleon!


sh0cker

[toastedmonkey]

Funny enough, he married his wife josephine on this day (9th of march), in 1796