Is Napoleon A Hero Or A Villain?

From early on Napoleon was revered for his immense military prowess, admired for ending the destructive French Revolution. Although Napoleon was a triumphant commander early in his career, his following failures greatly detracted from his initial success. Other than military victories, success can be defined as achieving one’s goals; Napoleon’s main focus was power. Napoleon was extremely hungry for power, ambitiously elevating his position from a soldier to the Emperor of France, a position he created for himself. Napoleon successfully overthrew the dictatorial Directory in 1799, preventing France from falling prey to corrupt leadership. His coup d’etat was happily welcomed by the citizens of France who later supported his vie for First

Napoleon was largely seen as a savior after he overthrew the Directory, ending the chaotic French Revolution. However, Napoleon only pretended to cater to the masses, and became dictatorial himself. His obsession with power and domination suggested the despotic tendencies of a villainous leader. Furthermore, Napoleon lost many significant battles during his reign. In the Battle of Trafalgar, he shamefully suffered defeat to French’s nemesis Britain, failing to bring glorious victory to France. He also lost masses of French troops due to his ambitions to the horror of France’s population. Even so, Napoleon seemed largely favorable to the French monarchy. After returning from exile, Napoleon was joyfully welcomed by many who detested the reinstalled monarchy. Viewed as a savior once again, swarms of volunteers joined his army. Even now, Napoleon cannot easily be categorized as a hero or villain as his reputation fluctuated frequently. In fact, the inability to assess his morality contributes to his significance. It can be determined that Napoleon was an incredible leader; he lead his country into many grand battles per his aspirations. He radically changed France’s history through his successes and failures. While neither villainous, heroic, or entirely successful, Napoleon was clearly a remarkable