Napoleon Bonaparte: Hero or Tyrant?

     To many of the conquered countries, Napoleon was indeed considered a tyrant. The British considered him a ravenous conqueror, and a nursery rhyme suggested that he ate children, warning youngsters of the Bonaparte Bogeyman. They propagandized Napoleon as being freakishly short and many cartoons frequently mocked his diminutiveness. He was often caricatured with a ridiculously large hat and belly for such a short man. I suppose it’s just the fate of any world figure, tyrant or no: to be made fun of for every little shortcoming that you possess. It’s as true today as it was two hundred years ago.

     My conclusion is, though Napoleon possesses many heroic deeds and attributes, he gives me reason to believe that he is more of a tyrant than a hero. It seems like he wished to win at almost any cost, sacrificing the lives of his men in bloody battles and campaigns. He even had his men kidnap the Pope at one point; forcing the evangelical leader to travel with him to adopt policies and gain power. Despite his tyrannical side, Napoleon was and remains to this day, a symbol of military genius and political power, and many of his contributions to Europe, such as the Napoleonic Code, have gone unrivalled. He was truly a great man, hero or tyrant.