Understanding Napoleon
He was the most famous man of his time – so much so that his name still defines his age. Born on an obscure island into humble circumstances, he rose to conquer a continent. Yet most today know little of him beyond their impression from popular caricature. His improbable story and its far-reaching consequences – both positive and negative – are the subject of this video from renowned historian and Napoleon scholar Andrew Roberts.
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Script:
Napoleon Bonaparte was the most famous man of the 19th century. At the peak of his power, he personally controlled more of the European continent than anyone since the great emperors of Rome.
Today, most people see him as an ambitious little man with an outsized ego. Others see him as a forerunner of the great aggressor of the twentieth century, Adolph Hitler.
This portrait is as flawed as it is unfair.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the 15th of August, 1769 on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Ironically, the island, long connected to the city-state of Genoa, Italy, only became part of France the year before he was born. But for this twist of fate, Napoleon would never have been a French citizen, let alone its emperor. His parents sent him to the mainland at the age of nine where he studied to be a soldier. His facility in mathematics, organization, and map-reading marked him for future success.
The French Revolution, with its overworked guillotine, provided a unique opportunity for advancement—that is, for anyone who could keep his head (literally).
Napoleon did. He became a general by the age of twenty-four. At the age of twenty-six, he achieved a series of stunning victories in Italy against an Austrian army that had come to destroy the revolution and return the French royal family, the Bourbons, to the throne. These victories made him a national hero.
As shrewd a politician as he was a general, by the first month of the new century, at the tender age of 30, Napoleon was the undisputed leader of France. He crowned himself emperor on December 2, 1804, turning the French Republic into the French Empire with a Bonaparte line of succession. Napoleon’s establishment of a French empire only increased the fears of the royal houses of Europe and of France’s historical enemy, Britain.
As a result, in September 1805, Austria invaded Bavaria, a French ally, and Russia joined the attack. Napoleon and his Grande Armée roundly defeated them at the Battle of Austerlitz.
The Prussians were the next to test Napoleon, declaring war on him in 1806. The Austrians tried again in 1809. Napoleon didn’t start any of these wars, but he won them all.
When Russia broke an uneasy peace in 1812, Napoleon decided to invade. But this proved his undoing. His catastrophic winter retreat from Moscow cost him more than half a million casualties. The end came in June 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, where the combined European armies, led by the Duke of Wellington, decisively defeated Napoleon’s forces. The battle could have gone either way. Wellington himself described it as “the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life.”
In all, Napoleon won 46 of the 60 battles he fought, drawing seven and losing seven. His record clearly marks him as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. Yet, while Napoleon is best remembered for his military exploits, it’s his political reforms—both inside and outside of France—that had the most lasting effect.
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I can still like Napoleon, even if he is appreciated by people like Hitler or PragerU🤢
Hiistory will judge you as deceitful and arrogant for labelling Saddam and Gadaffi tinpot dictators. They were the best things their individual countries ever had. Everything the British say about their enemies turns out to be false. Point in fact: The British belittled Napolean for nearly 2 centuries before this video. How pathetic, typical English snobbery.
You and many others talk about his positive qualities but don't neglect his dark sides also. He was a narcissist.
As someone with dual roots, I love that an ethnic Italian is arguably France's greatest military commander and one of its foremost statesmen who made such long-lasting political, social, and cultural contributions to France.
Hi Andrew, what a great doc! Just back from Corsica and boy do they speak Italian there! Merry Christmas to you and your family, love from Montreal! Xo
I recently watch the Napoléon movie starring Joaquin Phoenix. Such an interesting person. The human character of Napoleon has increased with the release of thousand of his letters. The movie is spectacular, highly recommend it
Were gonna glorify dictators now? How would you like it if imperialist France invaded Britain?
Can I be trans Napoleon !?
Hey! I’m average height for the time you jerk! (like if you know what I’m talking about).
I didn't realize that Germany in the '40s made the same mistake as the French Empire – Running straight into Russia in the dead of winter.
He ruined this video by besmirching Gaddafi's name.
@4:16 "He liberated the Jews from the ghettoes to which they had been confined for centuries"
Just so You know the historian Andrew Roberts has supported white supremacists on more then one occasion
Since I have read Napolean A life , the guy has become my hero
Mother Russia!!
That’s a coincidence, not irony.
This was a nearly perfect video!
Napoleon was the ultimate expression of the dominance and awesomeness of European man.
So basically Napoleon is like Ron DeSantis but 1800's edition.
Napoléon didn't create la Sorbonne, it exists since the XIIIth century .
The real end of Napoleon's hopes for power or glory came at the battle of Leipzig, called "The battle of nations". Napoleon almost didn't stand a chance after that. The battle was the largest europe had ever seen until that point, and is severely overlooked. Napoleon had over 200K men and lost almost all of them in a 4 day long, close as nails battle against twice his number. It should be mentioned when talking about him, highlighting waterloo without mentioning Leipzig is a common anglo-centric thing to do because that favors the achievements of brittish soldiers who weren't present at Leipzig, but the rest of Europe was and Leipzig was by far the more descisive, conclusive and important battle.
And they say the French were panzies; this dude one handed the entirety of Europe what a Gigachad.
Imagine if they won the battle of Trafalgar
Les chiffres sur les batailles gagner de napoleon sont faux
Here's a video I made on why Napoleon was better than Louis XVIII: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86gr1_pyVVQ
Undisputed leader? Have you talked about the possible rigging of the elections/referendums? His brother was even part of the election authorities.
Napoleon the Great!
No mention of the reinstitution of slavery in French colonies? Tight.
For his throne he had done numerous Genocide
For France he had to get his hands dirty to keep it clean
Napoleon actually lost 10 Battles and won 69 battles(Uprisings and Skirmishes are not included)
Prager in 2145 understanding Adolf Hitler.
I dont like this cartoons so for children.
El problema es que Napoleón es demasiado controversial: reinstauración de la esclavitud, abolió los derechos de las mujeres y sus guerras mataron a millones de personas, pero esta su ley y la tolerancia religiosa, yo no me decido si admirarlo o no
Great book buy it
I still talk of you fondly and how you gave me your 15 minute tour of London going 90 miles an hour on our way to Your University.
I Looked it up. Its all True
This man is clearly a lying and a fraud historian