Napoleon Bonaparte - Villain or Hero?

Napoleon Bonaparte was inarguably an important figure in the history of France and Europe. However, there has been much controversy over the subject in the past. Would history perceive him as a hero or an enemy of France and the world? Many twentieth-century dictators would later model themselves on Napoleon, more than a hundred years after his death. Napoleon was not the first dictator, so why was he such an important figurehead for future dictators? Some historians may consider that Napoleon was a savior of France, and a brilliant military genius. Others would believe that he was a corrupted tyrant and had betrayed key ideals that had been established in the French Revolution. His rise to and consolidation of power made him a full dictator. His foreign policy sought to dominate the whole of Europe. Despite some temporary glory and beneficial reform for France, the final result of Napoleon's reactions clearly pointed to him as an evildoer who had failed in his attempt to achieve ultimate power.

Napoleon had overturned the equality established from the French Revolution. He once said: "I intend to keep the Revolution's useful changes, but not to abandon the good institutions it mistakenly destroyed." Was the abolishment of the monarchy not a Ð''good institution'? One of the major goals of the French Revolution was to abolish the absolutism of the monarchy. Ironically, Napoleon brought it back just over ten years later. His son, instead of being elected, would automatically receive the throne as heir. This was a violation of the constitution of the French republic, which stated that the government must be chosen by the people. If he were active during the time of the later years of the Revolution, he would have gotten beheaded on the guillotine under the extreme-liberal rule of Jacobins. Napoleon also took away the natural freedoms of speech and the press that the Declaration of the Rights of Man had established, through the use of censorship of press.

Napoleon had betrayed the important ideals of freedom of speech and the press, established in the French Revolution. Censorship of press was the key used to keep Napoleon in the good light to the French public. He even quoted: "If the press is not controlled, I shall not remain three days in power." Napoleon deceived the people when he gave them a vision of democracy and a taste of political power, but Napoleon had key appointments in the Senate of the Consulate to remain as dictatorial as possible. Propaganda and the secret police were also used to great effect to control any opposition. While critics in favor of Napoleon's heroism might argue that it was through overwhelming public support that Napoleon gained his power, they would be under the impression that the opposition had the opportunity to speak out against Napoleon. This, of course, is false, considering that he had done his very best to eliminate any people who he believed were a threat to him; first and foremost, he got rid of the Jacobins by means of a special decree, after Royalists attempted to assassinate him. Without any to oppose him, only supporters would have been left.

Napoleon's foreign policy would turn out to be his ultimate downfall and the biggest red mark next to his name.