Napoleon thread... - Historum

**Bismarck** · March 26th, 2012, 12:39 AM

...for when there are no active Napoleon threads and you want to talk about the little General's awesome achievements. Anything goes; anything to do with the man himself or the era he gives his name to.

Be my guest...

**Bismarck** · March 26th, 2012, 12:51 AM

Okay, don't mind if I do.

Of all the great political figures from the last 500 years, Napoleon is the one I have the most respect for. It doesn't mean he was perfect, but it does mean he had qualities that simply outshone any competitors. In my younger years I was less enamoured of him, but the more I read about the man the more I come to admire him. To resist all of the great states of Europe for almost 20 years was remarkable.

**Lawnmowerman** · March 26th, 2012, 12:55 AM

Why did he go to Egypt????

France had just won the war of the first coilition and the French assembly choose to send their best general and troops to Egypt??? They were still surrounded by hostile neighbours, and still at war with England whom the the French could never match at sea a vital condition when sending an army to Egypt.

Why Egypt it just doesn't make sense to me at all.

**Bismarck** · March 26th, 2012, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawnmowerman

Why did he go to Egypt????

France had just won the war of the first coilition and the French assembly choose to send their best general and troops to Egypt??? They were still surrounded by hostile neighbours, and still at war with England whom the the French could never match at sea a vital condition when sending an army to Egypt.

Why Egypt it just doesn't make sense to me at all.

He wanted to make a name for himself but couldn't risk the intervention of a major power by fighting close to Europe. France had a decent Navy and Egypt was a soft, yet prestigious, target. Even with Britain 'ruling the waves', it would still take her years to get an army to Egypt. It made perfect sense and he very nearly pulled it off. Quite an inspired move really.

Frog33inUK · March 26th, 2012, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bismarck

He wanted to make a name for himself but couldn't risk the intervention of a major power by fighting close to Europe. France had a decent Navy and Egypt was a soft, yet prestigious, target. Even with Britain 'ruling the waves', it would still take her years to get an army to Egypt. It made perfect sense and he very nearly pulled it off. Quite an inspired move really.

He was SENT to Egypt by the French government.
Some wanted him away from Paris, they feared his growing popularity and his ambition. He embraced the idea but he was SENT there.

I don't know where this idea that everything that happened between roughly 1790 and 1805 was his own and only decision comes from.

**Bismarck** · March 26th, 2012, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frog33inUK

He was SENT to Egypt by the French government...

He wouldn't have gone if he didn't want to.

Frog33inUK · March 26th, 2012, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bismarck

He wouldn't have gone if he didn't want to.

Not really.
As a general under the Directoire, he had to obey orders.
If he hadn't he probably would have been arrested and disgraced, and the Directoire would have turned to other generals to fulfill their plans.

The fact that he went there and that this "adventure" matched his own personal agenda (glory etc) is a "lucky" coincidence for him.

The Directoire wanted to strike Britain's interests, Egypt being an interesting target in a peripheral campaign as they didn't have the means to a frontal attack on Britain, and had an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by sending General Bonaparte away from Paris.
So it does make perfect sense.

Again, attributing to Bonaparte the choice and decision to go to Egypt is a distortion of facts.

**Bismarck** · March 26th, 2012, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frog33inUK

Not really.
As a general under the Directoire, he had to obey orders.
If he hadn't he probably would have been arrested and disgraced, and the Directoire would have turned to other generals to fulfill their plans....

Again, attributing to Bonaparte the choice and decision to go to Egypt is a distortion of facts.

Rubbish. Napoleon had just returned from a successful campaign in Italy, he was already the most influential man in France. The decision was his and he simply got the Directory to rubber stamp his wishes, because it suited them both.

Bartimeus · March 26th, 2012, 02:53 AM

Napoleon saved France but he buried the republique. Put down the Directoire it's a good thing, instal the Consula is a good thing too. But proclame himself Consul for life it's his more big mistake.

Napoleon's name is, for me, attached to every great men who participated to created his legend. They are integral part of his legend. Men like Davout, Ney,Lanne, Masséna.....

Frog33inUK · March 26th, 2012, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartimeus

Napoleon saved France but he buried the republique. Put down the Directoire it's a good thing, instal the Consula is a good thing too. But proclame himself Consul for life it's his more big mistake.

Napoleon's name is, for me, attached to every great men who participated to created his legend. They are integral part of his legend. Men like Davout, Ney,Lanne, Masséna.....

He wanted to become equal to other European Monarchs.
He hoped that, by entering their "clan" he would be recognised as one of them and that they would stop regarding revolutionary France as a threat.

But he fooled himself. None of them would ever allow this "new" France to endure, with or without him.
Napoléon only made it last a little longer by being so good on the battlefield.
Whatever the outcome of the Revolution, the whole thing was doomed from the beginning.