Do you think Napoleon was a hero or a villain? why?

Question: Do you think Napoleon was a hero or a villain!? why!?

explain why you think he was a hero or a villain!. thanks!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Certainly no hero; he took great care of his skin, in all his battles commanding from well in the rear, receiving reports and issuing orders which were taken to the front by aides-de-camp!. It is perhaps because he was out of touch with the actual events that even in his victorious battles he lost men heavily; in one or two cases, more than the defeated enemy!. Not very clever for someone whose political career depended on continuous warfare - he rapidly ran short of men!.

His mental limitations are also shown in tactics and strategy!. He had one tactical plan which he used over and over: the cannonade, the trouée (break in the opposing line), the charge in column leading to a breakthrough and the outflanking of the enemy line!. This worked well enough against half-trained continental armies with inexperienced generals, but fell flat when his marshals, and eventually he himself, came up against disciplined musketry and a general with a bit more nous!.

Similarly, his strategy was defective!. He believed, to the exclusion of all other strategic ideas, in the blitzkrieg: shock tactics, rapid movement as far as possible unencumbered by logistics columns, so that the troops had to live by theft from the locals!. This could only last so long (local supplies are planned for the usual population, not to support a whole army) and he came unstuck both in Spain and in Russia!. Again, his notion of staff command was poor!. Compared with Wellington who devolved some authority to properly constituted departments (commissariat, code-breaking, military police, reconnaissance, artillery, engineering!.!.!.!.!.) his obsession with keeping every decision in his own hands was a real problem!. Slow decisions, made by someone remote from the action, are not a good idea!. This was bad enough on land, but it certainly helped to lose him the war at sea!.

So, no hero and not really the brightest bayonet in the box either!. Villain!?

Well, a kidnapper (d'Enghien), a murderer (d'Enghien, Palafox, Toussaint, Wright, Villeneuve!.!.!.!.) a war criminal (the executions in Spain, the mass murder of 3,000 Turkish POWs in Syria!.!.!.!.!.) has no grumble if we decide that he's a villain!. We certainly could have hanged him for all of this and more in 1814, then again for breaking the peace in 1815!. Perhaps we should have!.

You might have gathered that I'm no fan of "le petit caporal" - who after Waterloo was nicknamed "le petit couillon" by some of his troops!.

I agree with them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

He was a bit of both!. Had he stayed at home, as head of state, but as a commoner and ruled and modernised France, then he could be viewed as a hero,!. However, to take armies across Europe, causing mayhem and countless deaths, to stick nonenties from his family on various thrones of Europe, to invade Russia and cause the deaths of uncounted thousands of his own soldiers, to overthrow the Government of France yet again in 1815 and to start another war - well those are the actions of a villain!. And can anybody call someone a hero who introduced a penal code which requires an accused to prove his innocence, rather than the state his guilt!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

He was both!.

I think he's a hero because he did stuff like spread the ideals of "Liberty, Fraternity and Equality" throughout Europe, created the famous Napoleonic Code and "emancipated" the Jews!.

However I think of him sometimes as a villain because he imprisoned the Pope, became despotic, and caused the deaths of thousands!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

A villain in my view!. Although he did put an end to the French Revolution that was completely covered with blood from head to toe!. Instead of restoring tradition he mocked it & the only thing he ever cared about was his own glory!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i think he was a hero because i believe that might is right,and he showed might until he himself was defeated,unfortunately he didnt die like a true hero should,so he has no immediate place in valhalla!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i believe he was a hero!
because he made europe as one!
and he showed to all short people that you can do anything and your size is not holding you back
he died like a coward butWww@QuestionHome@Com