Napoleon’s life and history not only gave world
history the print of his expertise in military tactics and politics but also
his personal touch with love and poetry.
His humble beginnings in school gave us the hint that the young Napoleon
is a promising leader someday. To some
they say that it is the will of God but I would say it is all about his
attitude in dealing with the practical challenges in everyday life. In my previous blog article I emphasized the
love of Napoleon in education and mathematics that lead him to be skilled in
artillery. During the time of Napoleon, Artillery is the fundamental tool in winning wars. As a matter of fact, he went
to a special school in Auxonne in Eastern France not far from Dijon.
As he continued his studies in the School of
Artillery in Auxonne his knowledge and tactical expertise in artillery flourish
same is true with his love to Josephine, poems and love letters still tickles
the love of Josephine towards Napoleon.
Though physical distance allow the two lovers to fall apart but his love
of writing romantic novella such as the “Clisson et Eugenie” a swang song for
his unrequited love affair with Desiree made him a man that a women may
consider a “Love and Hate” kind of relationship. Napoleon is also considered as
the man of his fervent imagination, with his blazing heart and his uncompromising
intellect he was bound to be irritated by the affected conversation of
coquettes, the games of seduction, the logic of the tables and the hurling of
witty insults. Napoleon’s desire to
accomplish things according to his terms and desires made him the man that can’t
be predicted in terms of the many battles and wars that he encountered.
He can be the most practical politician that
I can consider today. What is right for
everyone is the best option for governance.
In terms of his rank and file in the military we can also consider that
he is also mission and goal driven leader.
If one can’t accomplish the given task that may not contribute to the
overall objective, thus that military leader is subject for scrutiny and investigation.
Why I admire the works of Napoleon that made him the “Great” is his versatility
in many political and military challenges that came in his way. In a practical sense, his knowledge in the
most elite artillery school in France may not be so applicable in the many
battles and wars he conducted in Europe down to Middle East and Central Asia. His
practical mind combined with new acquired knowledge through experience from the
many wars he encountered during that time produces innovative knowledge and
enlightenment to the overall general knowledge of artillery war. Just imagine that even his leg is injured due
to his passion of his job as an artillery man. According to Napoleon, “ I no
longer regarded myself as a simple general, Napoleon later said of his victor,
but as a man called upon to decide the fate of the peoples. It came to me then
that I really could become a decisive actor on our national stage.” If we consider this quote according to his
behavior, to some people it is more of a narcissistic behavior that a leader is
considered. But for me that made
Napoleon the “Great” it is not narcissism but the practical decisiveness to
accomplish things that clearly doable at hand but can’t be done due to the
many protocols being set by government laws for example.
Revolutionizing the pattern of government
gives both negative and positive impact.
In the case of Napoleon many instances that through his aggressive stance
in advancing militarily across the world made him the “Great” but also he
neglected some aspects in governance and even the love of Josephine. But he
can multi task, not only to his work as a politician and military man but also
he can multi task as any lover. (That is
a great skill though) “Multi Task Lover?” How would they do that. Seriously, Napoleon do great things for the
people of France during his victory in Italy tested his logical political
strategy towards the government of Italy and the Roman Catholic Church. Italians
opposed Napoleon’s religious reforms passionately, and what is called the epoca
francese in Italian History. Napoleon’s
Church reforms were hated as much as the introduction of his administrative
culture was admired. His attempted
bullying of the Vatican began early. In October 1796 Napoleon warned Pius VI
not to oppose the Cispadane Republic.
During that time when Napoleon got
41,400 men he started to rally his military men to make war with the
Austrians. But with all the political
and military conflict in Milan, Napoleon still have time to connect with Josephine.
Napoleon told Josephine on 27 November, who was still holidaying with Hippolyte
Charles in Genoa. “I rush to your apartment;
I have left everything to see you, to press you in my arms… You were not there:
you run from town to town after the fetes; you leave as I am about to arrive;
you do not concern yourself about your dear Napoleon anymore… The whole world
is only too happy if it can please you, and your husband alone is very, very
unhappy.” (Bonaparte) The next day Napoleon wrote another letter saying… “When I require of you a love equal to mine
I do wrong; how should one weigh lace in the scales against gold?” Napoleon’s
attitude to reach the unreachable dreams in life made him the best conqueror
and innovator at that time. After his
conquest in Europe he then proceeded to Egypt.
Come to think of it that going to another part of the world and making trouble
with them in terms of war requires huge military and political knowledge.
On the contrary, during the reign of Napoleon
his long years of war in Europe and going to the middle east is not a simple
one man show. Napoleon needs creative
tactics to manage and organize his men from the top level of military management
down to the civic activities that they need to manage when they are in a new
area of conquest. Note, that every war needs rehabilitation strategy were in
military engineers for example will automatically rehabilitate the public
infrastructure and academics will rehabilitate the general public to recuperate
the social behavior of the war zone or the area of responsibility. As a whole,
we can say that Napoleon is not doing a simple tribal war but rather he is also
rebuilding empires and civilization with the integration of his new concepts in
governance and military strategy. Thus,
going back to Italy, many people in Italy did not embrace the concepts of Napoleon
in terms of culture and deculturization of Italy. But the amazing part of the
revolution of Napoleon that with the huge war rally he created in Europe and
Egypt not to mention his known and smart generals his energy to fight on going
to Egypt from Europe it seems did not falter.
Who are the people and organizations who supported his revolution during
that time? What are the mystery behind
the revolution of Napoleon during the time? Given that actual war scenes are
but easy for Napoleon to win given that his background in Artillery gave him
the highest advantage in war tactics at that time.
But the hard part in winning nations is not
winning the war by means of attacking the country but winning the minds and the
hearts of the people after the war. In a
more modern example, during the Saddam Hussein Iraq war US invaded Iraq just
overnight. That gives the advantage for
the Americans to use their advance weapon technology allowing the Iraqis to
submit to the war terms of the Americans.
But after the war, that is the most challenging part of the Americans in
Iraq. Not winning the war but winning
the hearts and minds of the people. Same
is true with Napoleon in Italy and Egypt.
Managing civilization after the war is vital to advance the stable
living and economy of the general public.
Thus, I admire the focus and
objective driven by the political management of Napoleon. His brilliance and
enlightenment of the real and practical situation of humanity gave the
revolution life and success. Do you
think that the ideology that fuels the French revolution is the same ideology
that drives the American revolution?
What are the inner strategies of Napoleon in his conquest in Europe and
Egypt? Do you think that War strategy and Artillery tactics is enough to win
the war or the untiring love of Napoleon to Josephine that made him inspired
along the many wars he encountered during his heydays? Love, Gun Powder, or Artillery Napoleon’s
success is worth remembering in the world book of history.
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