coinspinner
Master's Adept
Such is the tragedy of contemporary understanding that most people thinking about Napoleon Bonaparte take only into account battles such as Austerlitz, Wagram.. etc. But, the greatness of Napoleon was something entirely different. Great commanders have been plenty: Caeser, Hannibal, Alexander but not by these qualities can Napoleon's character be measured. One such consideration is that of the Poles, who have failed in every attempt at sovereignty throughout history nor had they ever historically had anyone to call for help but it can be credited out of the personal volition of someone from the West to defeat the three kingdoms that had partitioned Poland; - Prussia, Russia and Austria. This had been done just as Napoleon had promised, of course the information had been kept out of public attention during the forty years of Poland's PRL government and the Marxist teachings that freedom could never come from the West. Only from the East. These were dangerous things to know at those times.
What else is that if Napoleon had only given sovereignty to just the other countries as well, we'd leave the topic at that. His name would've been forgotten by now. Still, it's something more than just that. We can start by asking, why the struggles for sovereignty and to sum it up in as few words as possible it is that all the laws ever written by men in civilized countries are based on the Napoleonic Code which is the mother of all civil constitutions. For the creation of these laws, he assembled the best French lawmakers and attorneys and he presented before them laws and ordinances, quoting how things would be. He did this then with such confidence, it was as if right off the cuff of his sleeve. From memory he cited passages of laws derivative to the Greeks and ancient Romans. But where did he know the laws of these lands so well? He learned from a prison cell. When he was arrested once, he had asked for materials to read, what his captors provided him was a library of books on laws and the rights of man. Napoleon in his cell had read all of these, contemplated and digested everything at hand. Napoleon created something called the Napoleonic Code, but that's not all. He was an established mathematician and social engineer, a true reformer and on the field a consummate master of war. In the spheres of human literary achievement, Goethe ritualistically takes the no. 1 spot. Goethe fell into deep love for Napoleon and his aims after a single encounter with him during a meeting where they discussed influences on culture, on Shakespeare, theatre, etc. Goethe at first had been convinced he'd be meeting with an inept figure, military rabble of higher caliber to say the least but what he found was a humanist that begins teaching him about the greatness of Shakespeare and above all the nuances in a way that drilled Goethe into the ground. Napoleon was a fortificator, engineer, etc.. and still, these qualities are not the total sum of his person. Napoleon destroyed a ruling system that had ruled Europe for hundreds of years. The system he replaced it with was one of absolute equality of the individual before the justice systems throughout Europe. From the peasants to the aristocrats, he rigorously implemented the characteristics of law and justice. Napoleon states that the, "..name and form of governing bodies are unimportant but important is that the governing authorities are on the right of the law and that justice be distributed equally, righteously and unconditionally." Napoleon would not tolerate the totalitarian systems of the monarchies of Europe. Just as he drove the Austrians from Italy, at the age of 27 already a young General at the time he would eventually lead a multi-national army of 650,000 men across Europe to the very gates of Moscow after Tsar Alexander betrayed their trust.
In various contemporary right-wing circles it is espoused that the French revolution had been a Marxist concotion. This could not be further from the truth. The revolution had occurred early in Napoleon's career and he willingly opened fire with his cannons at the anarcho-socialist Jacobins in the streets. It has been documented that those who survived a first volley of grapeshot were unapologetically mowed down with a second round of grapeshot. Albeit atrocities were commited on behalf of the revolution in France, it had ultimately been a victory for the forces of democracy in the order to dethrone the monarchy and the church with its massive entitlements to land and property. It had also spelt the end of pre-destined serfdom within poor farming families and the inequality of the lower classes of French before the eyes of the law. Napoleon became the First Consul of France, although at the beginning he was one of three. By popular demand he was chosen to be the Emperor of the French. It must be known that the previous monarch, Louis XVI was executed with his wife, Marie Antoinette. Louis XVII was very young and died inadvertently from illness at the age of 10. Louis XVIII thus took the stage but fled to England during the course of the revolution where he was harbored by the English. Napoleon refused to take the title of 'Emperor' but by means of having been put into this position by general consensus. Napoleon was voted, L'Empereur.
The following interesting trait of Napoleon's childhood is derived from the 'Memoirs of the Duchesse d'Arbranes':—"He was one day accused by one of his sisters of having eaten a basketful of grapes, figs, and citrons, which had come from the garden of his uncle the Canon. None but those who were acquainted with the Bonaparte family can form any idea of the enormity of this offence. To eat fruit belonging to the uncle the Canon was infinitely more criminal than to eat grapes and figs which might be claimed by anybody else. An inquiry took place. Napoleon denied the fact, and was whipped. He was told that if he would beg pardon he should be forgiven. He protested that he was innocent, but he was not believed. If I recollect rightly, his mother was at the time on a visit to M. de Marbeuf, or some other friend. The result of Napoleon's obstinacy was, that he was kept three whole days on bread and cheese, and that cheese was not 'broccio'. However, he would not cry: he was dull, but not sulky. At length, on the fourth day of his punishment a little friend of Marianne Bonaparte returned from the country, and on hearing of Napoleon's disgrace she confessed that she and Marianne had eaten the fruit. It was now Marianne's turn to be punished. When Napoleon was asked why he had not accused his sister, he replied that though he suspected that she was guilty, yet out of consideration to her little friend, who had no share in the falsehood, he had said nothing. He was then only seven years of age" (vol. i. p. 9, edit. 1883).]—
He did this again four years later when he was 11 as the only witness to an act that was perpetrated by another child, Napoleon endured the punishment for that child because he refused for them to be blamed. Regarding the young Napoleon, the headmaster of the school later cited, "The child is made of granite.." Honore de Balzac said it well, "This man was the most beautiful authority whom we have ever had." All of Europe's coalitions against Napoleon had been funded by English gold. Seven massive multi-national coalitions over a period of twenty years. Napoleon sued for peace with England many times, ultimately leading to the Treatise of Amien, this lasted for one year until the English broke their promise. This isn't to say that Napoleon did not have supporters in England, on the contrary. Napoleon esteemed passion and praise from Europe's most notable poets: Byron, Hugo, Goethe, Schiller, Balzac,Pushkin, --Mickiewicz compared him to Christ -- Lermontov, Petofi, Krasinski..
Everyone was in love with Napoleon, and for what?.. The cannons? The socio-technical credo of this pax-Napoleonica can probably best be understood by President Woodrow Wilson's famous words:
"America was not established to create wealth but to realize a vision, an idea to discover and maintain liberty among men."
These words ideally characterize Napoleon's aims and the realization of his visions.
This is the Elysium, the Paradise for whom this individual we should all be thankful for.
What else is that if Napoleon had only given sovereignty to just the other countries as well, we'd leave the topic at that. His name would've been forgotten by now. Still, it's something more than just that. We can start by asking, why the struggles for sovereignty and to sum it up in as few words as possible it is that all the laws ever written by men in civilized countries are based on the Napoleonic Code which is the mother of all civil constitutions. For the creation of these laws, he assembled the best French lawmakers and attorneys and he presented before them laws and ordinances, quoting how things would be. He did this then with such confidence, it was as if right off the cuff of his sleeve. From memory he cited passages of laws derivative to the Greeks and ancient Romans. But where did he know the laws of these lands so well? He learned from a prison cell. When he was arrested once, he had asked for materials to read, what his captors provided him was a library of books on laws and the rights of man. Napoleon in his cell had read all of these, contemplated and digested everything at hand. Napoleon created something called the Napoleonic Code, but that's not all. He was an established mathematician and social engineer, a true reformer and on the field a consummate master of war. In the spheres of human literary achievement, Goethe ritualistically takes the no. 1 spot. Goethe fell into deep love for Napoleon and his aims after a single encounter with him during a meeting where they discussed influences on culture, on Shakespeare, theatre, etc. Goethe at first had been convinced he'd be meeting with an inept figure, military rabble of higher caliber to say the least but what he found was a humanist that begins teaching him about the greatness of Shakespeare and above all the nuances in a way that drilled Goethe into the ground. Napoleon was a fortificator, engineer, etc.. and still, these qualities are not the total sum of his person. Napoleon destroyed a ruling system that had ruled Europe for hundreds of years. The system he replaced it with was one of absolute equality of the individual before the justice systems throughout Europe. From the peasants to the aristocrats, he rigorously implemented the characteristics of law and justice. Napoleon states that the, "..name and form of governing bodies are unimportant but important is that the governing authorities are on the right of the law and that justice be distributed equally, righteously and unconditionally." Napoleon would not tolerate the totalitarian systems of the monarchies of Europe. Just as he drove the Austrians from Italy, at the age of 27 already a young General at the time he would eventually lead a multi-national army of 650,000 men across Europe to the very gates of Moscow after Tsar Alexander betrayed their trust.
In various contemporary right-wing circles it is espoused that the French revolution had been a Marxist concotion. This could not be further from the truth. The revolution had occurred early in Napoleon's career and he willingly opened fire with his cannons at the anarcho-socialist Jacobins in the streets. It has been documented that those who survived a first volley of grapeshot were unapologetically mowed down with a second round of grapeshot. Albeit atrocities were commited on behalf of the revolution in France, it had ultimately been a victory for the forces of democracy in the order to dethrone the monarchy and the church with its massive entitlements to land and property. It had also spelt the end of pre-destined serfdom within poor farming families and the inequality of the lower classes of French before the eyes of the law. Napoleon became the First Consul of France, although at the beginning he was one of three. By popular demand he was chosen to be the Emperor of the French. It must be known that the previous monarch, Louis XVI was executed with his wife, Marie Antoinette. Louis XVII was very young and died inadvertently from illness at the age of 10. Louis XVIII thus took the stage but fled to England during the course of the revolution where he was harbored by the English. Napoleon refused to take the title of 'Emperor' but by means of having been put into this position by general consensus. Napoleon was voted, L'Empereur.
The following interesting trait of Napoleon's childhood is derived from the 'Memoirs of the Duchesse d'Arbranes':—"He was one day accused by one of his sisters of having eaten a basketful of grapes, figs, and citrons, which had come from the garden of his uncle the Canon. None but those who were acquainted with the Bonaparte family can form any idea of the enormity of this offence. To eat fruit belonging to the uncle the Canon was infinitely more criminal than to eat grapes and figs which might be claimed by anybody else. An inquiry took place. Napoleon denied the fact, and was whipped. He was told that if he would beg pardon he should be forgiven. He protested that he was innocent, but he was not believed. If I recollect rightly, his mother was at the time on a visit to M. de Marbeuf, or some other friend. The result of Napoleon's obstinacy was, that he was kept three whole days on bread and cheese, and that cheese was not 'broccio'. However, he would not cry: he was dull, but not sulky. At length, on the fourth day of his punishment a little friend of Marianne Bonaparte returned from the country, and on hearing of Napoleon's disgrace she confessed that she and Marianne had eaten the fruit. It was now Marianne's turn to be punished. When Napoleon was asked why he had not accused his sister, he replied that though he suspected that she was guilty, yet out of consideration to her little friend, who had no share in the falsehood, he had said nothing. He was then only seven years of age" (vol. i. p. 9, edit. 1883).]—
He did this again four years later when he was 11 as the only witness to an act that was perpetrated by another child, Napoleon endured the punishment for that child because he refused for them to be blamed. Regarding the young Napoleon, the headmaster of the school later cited, "The child is made of granite.." Honore de Balzac said it well, "This man was the most beautiful authority whom we have ever had." All of Europe's coalitions against Napoleon had been funded by English gold. Seven massive multi-national coalitions over a period of twenty years. Napoleon sued for peace with England many times, ultimately leading to the Treatise of Amien, this lasted for one year until the English broke their promise. This isn't to say that Napoleon did not have supporters in England, on the contrary. Napoleon esteemed passion and praise from Europe's most notable poets: Byron, Hugo, Goethe, Schiller, Balzac,Pushkin, --Mickiewicz compared him to Christ -- Lermontov, Petofi, Krasinski..
Everyone was in love with Napoleon, and for what?.. The cannons? The socio-technical credo of this pax-Napoleonica can probably best be understood by President Woodrow Wilson's famous words:
"America was not established to create wealth but to realize a vision, an idea to discover and maintain liberty among men."
These words ideally characterize Napoleon's aims and the realization of his visions.
This is the Elysium, the Paradise for whom this individual we should all be thankful for.
