One of Napoleon Bonaparte’s greatest achievements was the fame he gained as a military leader and commander. His brilliant commanding skills gained him the victory of five coalitions, from 1792 to 1809, in a row as well as ending the 850-year-old Holy Roman Empire. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo, said ‘I used to say of him that his presence on the field made the difference of forty thousand men’. There were many reasons why Bonaparte was so successful in his military campaigns. Napoleon as a leader treated his soldiers as the most important members of his army. He provided improved food and provided regular pay as well as financial incentives. Bonaparte is remembered for his strategies and new and innovative military tactics. His army was usually outnumbered in many battles with the coalitions, however he still managed to win the battles most of the time because of well-timed and well-constructed battle tactics. The Battle of Austerlitz is a prime example of Napoleon’s military genius where his army of around 72,000 men decisively defeated 85,000 Austro-Russian soldiers with impressive statistics. Approximately 9000 French troops were killed or wounded while 16,000 Austrian and Russian soldiers were killed or wounded. The French also managed to capture 12,000 soldiers while the Allies only managed to capture 573. Not only this, but the Allies also lost 180 artillery pieces and 50 standards while the French lost only one standard. Napoleon’s military achievements were not all on land. At sea, he managed to set up a blockade called the Continental System which prevented European countries from trading with Britain. However, the economic blockade was not successful and only caused discontent with the various countries which agreed with the blockade.

Bonaparte’s achievements with social reform were not only felt immediately in France and the rest of Europe, but lasted for a long time after his downfall. Because of Napoleon’s lack of religious faith, he no longer made Catholicism the required religion in France and his conquered countries and made the state of France more tolerant to other religions. Napoleon signed the Concordat with Pope Pius VII in 1801. This settlement recognised that Catholicism was the religion of the majority of France and accepted that the Pope was the head of this religion. It was also agreed that the French government would continue paying the clergy. Protestants were allowed to worship freely, providing they remained loyal to France. Other social reforms implemented by Napoleon included the abolition of feudal rights, restoration of nobility, rewriting some of the constitutions and constructed the ‘Code Napoleon’ which rewrote the constitutional rights of the French. The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified of people. The Napoleonic Code was a fundamental change in the nature of the civil law system; it made laws much clearer and much more accessible. Napoleon also managed to control the media, something nobody had ever done before. In 1799, there were 70 newspapers in France but by 1804, there were only 4 left. Napoleon even wrote some of the articles himself and owned some of the newspaper companies. Not only this, but Napoleon also managed to suppress freedom of speech which was one of the Revolution’s principles. He established a large secret police force to keep a close watch on political opponents of the regime.  Anybody who spoke against him was arrested and taken as a political prisoner. By 1814, there were several thousand political prisoners in the country. Napoleon also improved education in France by establishing primary and secondary schools in many parts of the country. He later established a school for training teachers and a national university in 1808.

Debt was the main cause of the French Revolution, which meant Napoleon had to reform and improve the economy or risk being overthrown himself. To solve the financial problems facing the government, Napoleon introduced a more effective method of tax collection based on centralised control. Instead of being collected by local officials, tax was now collected by representatives of the central government. This achieved greater speed and efficiency. He also reintroduced indirect taxes on goods such as salt from which he used to raise money for his extravagant military spending. In 1800 he established the Bank of France which was a new financial institution to help stabilise the country. Napoleon also encouraged the improvement of agriculture and the expansion of industry. He redistributed land to peasants whose lives improved considerably under his rule. Other ways he improved the economy included his encouragement of French manufacturing by imposing tariffs on imported manufactured goods. Extraordinary progress was made in the textile industry and a society for encouragement of nation industry was established. However, French foreign trade did not improve during Napoleon’s rule due to British naval supremacy.

Napoleon is remembered for his massive changes to the political systems and organisation of France and Europe. Bonaparte abolished democracy, which was one of the principles of the Revolution and also became the Emperor of the French. The abolition of democracy caused France’s media to be entirely controlled by the government, similar to today’s communism.  He brought the Pope from Italy to crown him. On December 2, 1804 Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French. The coronation itself cost over 8.5 million francs. Other political achievements included the formation through political treaties of a serious of satellites states serving French interests. A prime example of these types of treaties is the Treaties of Tilsit which were two agreements signed by the Russian Tsar Alexander, Napoleon and the leaders of Prussia. In the two treaties, Napoleon arranged an alliance with Russia and stripped Prussia of about half its territory. Russia and France agreed to share the territory which Prussia had to give up. Napoleon created the Kingdom of Westphalia. Prussia’s army was reduced to 40,000 and had to pay a grand sum of 100,000,000 francs. The treaty humiliated Prussia and caused hatred for Napoleon. Bonaparte would crown his relatives as the rulers of newly conquered nations. However, Napoleon often used conquered countries as satellite states to support his never-ending wars of conquest rather than improve and reform them which resulted in Napoleon to be even more hated.

Although Napoleon was a dictator, he did provide the most effective leadership that France had experienced for a century. Napoleon was both a great administrator and a brilliant military leader. After the Napoleonic Regime, France and Europe would never be the same. Napoleon completely readjusted the map of Europe, changing political boundaries through political treaties and arranged marriages. France itself was left after his second abdication with political turmoil for many years to follow. What is important about Napoleon is the legacy that he left in France as well as Europe were his social, economic and religious reforms. France now had a central banking system, a clear constitution that gave many more rights to the individual and the freedom of religious choice not seen in many other countries during this period. Although Napoleon’s career ended with his exile on St Helena, his military prowess and strategies are still studied today and have formed a place in military history.  

Waterloo, important Historical Site and Tourist Center

Rafi Samad

Author, Freelance Journalist and News Analyst

Lion Hill, Waterloo

Waterloo, a small town, a population of less than 30,000, is located about 18 kilometers south of Brussels. Its claim to fame is the famous battlefield located 4 kilometers south of the town. Here, Napoleon Bonaparte, attempting a comeback after the debacle of his troops in Russia in 1812, suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the allied forces, which finally brought an end to his eventful career.

The memory of the famous victory on the 18th of June 1815 of the Anglo-Dutch army under the Duke of Wellington together supported by the Prussian army, over the French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte, is well preserved in several monuments erected in and around the town of Waterloo. The important monuments include a circular building which provides a panoramic display of the Battle of Waterloo, a Bronze Sculpture of a lion atop the 40 meters high Lion’s Mound, the Wax and the Duke of Wellington Museums at the town center, and the Caillion Museum, 4 kilometers south of Waterloo at the site of Napoleons last Headquarters.

The Panorama of the famous battle is enacted every day for the tourists in a circular building near the Visitors Center at Waterloo through a huge fresco depicting lifelike scenes of engagement between the two adversaries. In the battle fought at the village of Mont Saint Jean, near Waterloo, almost 60,000 strong French artillery and cavalry contingents fought tense long drawn out battles with equally strong and well-armed Anglo-Dutch forces. The reverberating sound effects of gun bombardment and cannon fire, together with the frantic neighing of the horses and the crashing of the horse wagons, provide tremendous support to the visual presentation  

 Lion Monument, Waterloo

Behind the visitor’s center, lies another landmark of Waterloo, the Lion Monument. From the platform at the ground level it is a tough climb of 226 steps over the hill before one reaches the base of the monument. The Lion Hill, also known as the Butte du Leon, is 40 meters high. On top of the platform is a massive brass sculpture of a lion with its right paw on the globe, looking towards the south in the direction from where the French army came. The 4-meter high sculpture weighs more than 28 tons. It was commissioned in 1826 to honor William II of the Netherlands, who fell from his horse and died when a musket ball hurled by the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte struck him.

Over the years Waterloo has become a highly popular tourist site. It has also developed into an important cultural center. Chic boutiques, modern cafes and a large number of souvenir shops have sprung up, providing color and entertainment.

The French revolution from 1789 to 1799 was one of the bloodiest in history. It resulted to the abolition of the monarchy and the proclamation of the French Republic. The provisional rulers of the revolutionary government proved to be more despotic and brutal than the king that they deposed. They executed the reactionaries, the political oppositions and even turned against each other to settle their differences. As a result thousands of people were summarily killed or executed with the infamous guillotine, the beheading machine that was associated with the bloody revolution. However, despite their radicalism and brutalities, the leaders of the revolution were highly committed to their cause to bring about social change, and they had the spirit of nationalism in them. Because of their ideals, most people were supportive of them. The in-fighting of different groups within the revolutionary government made it unstable. The ineffectiveness of the civilian rulers to run the government led to a series of coup d’état that later made Napoleon Bonaparte, a military commander, as the ruler and dictator of France.                                                                        

Napoleon made wars with other European countries to export the ideals of the French Revolution. He was at first victorious. But later the combined forces of Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and Austria finally defeated him at  the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. And the Bourbon monarchy was briefly restored to the throne by those victorious countries.                  

In France the revolution resulted to the enactment of laws and adoption of systems that paved the way for the establishment of democratic government. Although France was not the first country to make laws that expanded a person’s rights and freedom, its examples are the most influential in the world.

Following are some democratic principles that came about as a result of the French Revolution, and are adopted by many countries in the world:

Constitutional government- is one that operates under a set of fundamental laws which is called a constitution.

Representative government- is one that is run by officials that are elected by the people. High government positions are not bestowed by reason of birth.

Merit-based civil service system- non-elective positions or jobs in the government are given to those who are most qualified and talented. It is not given by virtue of one’s birth or connections to the powers that be.

Separation of church and state and the abolition of privileges of the clergy and the upper class- the clergy held immense power in pre-revolutionary France. The church had a strong influence over the king so that it could expect from him decision and policies in its favor.  This resulted to the church having vast properties and the clergies along with the nobilities having so much privilege. The revolutionary government of France cut those influence and privileges, and even confiscated the properties of the church. Separation of church and state is now the norms of many governments in the world.

Freedom of religion- no religion shall be considered as a state religion. Persons are free to believe in any religion of his choice, and he is not compelled to believe or not to believe in a religion.

Freedom of the press- is the right of those in the communication media to disseminate information that is of public interest. This freedom is one of the tools for transparency in government activities.

The Napoleonic Code is a document that was written in the aftermath of the French Revolution. It embodies some of the democratic legal principles that are now adopted in the courts of justice of many countries especially in the resolution of criminal cases. These principles include:

• presumption of innocence until proven guilty
• equality before the law
• right for a legal counsel
• trial by jury in a criminal case
• right of habeas corpus
• provision for a fair trial

The National Convention approved a constitution on August 22, 1795. The executive power was vested in the Directory which was composed of 5 members. The constitution provided for a bicameral legislature composed of the Council of the Ancients with 250 members and the Council of the Five Hundred. The term of the Directory and a third of the legislature was renewed annually beginning may 1797.  The right to vote was limited to taxpayers who had at least one year residence in their voting district.

By special decree the first Directory and two-third of the legislature were to be chosen from among the convention membership. Parisian royalists opposed the decree, and they took violent action against the National Convention. The uprising was promptly quelled by troops under the command of little known general- Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon Bonaparte who later became Napoleon I was born in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15, 1769. He graduated from the Ecole Militaire in Paris and became a second lieutenant at the age of 19. He fled from Corsica when that country declared independence, and he brought his family to France. He was promoted to general when he was just 24 years old after he expelled British troops from Toulon in 1793. Napoleon also distinguished himself as a highly capable military commander in various campaigns against the British and its allies in battles in Africa and Europe.

The National Convention was abolished in October 26, 1796, and a new constitution was installed in November 2, 1796. One of the first moves of the Directories after just several months from power was the launching of the initial phase of the war against France’s enemy nations of Europe. The fight with other countries was later termed as the Napoleonic Wars.

The performance of the government established under the new constitution did not meet the expectation of people for a better life and society. It only showed the return of the bourgeoisie to the reign of power. Military setbacks, political unrests and inefficiency and corruption of the rulers created rooms for military intervention in the affairs of the government. Relative to that situation, the military launched three successive coups d’ etat against the government on September 4, 1797; May 11, 1798 and June 18, 1799. These incidents further weaken the government so that it was under constant threat from its own military. Later, Napoleon Bonaparte joined the military conspiracy to overthrow the government. On November 9, 1799, another coup d’ etat was launched, and finally it toppled down the government and destroyed the Directory.

Another constitution was created on December 4, 1799, with the executive power vested in a body called the consulate. Napoleon Bonaparte became the central figure of the consulate. With a firm control of that body and the government, he became the first consul who was clothed with immense dictatorial powers. With him as the supreme leader, he stabilized the social and political situation in France while pursuing the war that was started by the previous rulers of the revolutionary government.

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You’ll be surprised at the superstitions that the famous people listed below believed in.

1. Christopher Columbus

While on a voyage to the New World in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew believed that the sharks that were following their ship signalled a bad omen of impending disaster. During the voyage, a particularly fierce storm hit them. Columbus threw a pack of playing cards into the sea which was according to custom would calm the storm and therefore placate his crew.

2. King Henry VIII

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King Henry VIII was persuaded to believe that Anne Boleyn had cast a spell on him to make him fall in love with her. Anne Boleyn was ultimately beheaded.

3. Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I was a superstitious queen who had a magician in her payroll named John Dee. The magician helped her in making decisions with regards to state affairs and war plans The magic stone that Dee used can be viewed at the British Museum.

4. Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte consulted with a clairvoyant, Madame Normand when he required advice for his war campaigns. He also believed that his dreams foretold the future. He’s also well known to assign great importance to small events, for example when his horse stumbled or when a black cat crossed his path. Before the battle of Waterloo, he dreamed of a black cat and he believed that was a bad omen and he eventually lost the battle.

5. King Edward VII

King Edward VII who was the British monarch from 1901 to 1910 was exceptionally superstitious. He forbade his bed turned or the linen replaced on a Friday. He believed that if his sheets were changed on a Friday, his dreams will be controlled by the Devil.

6. Adolf Hitler

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Adolf Hitler was an insanely superstitious dictator. He believed in the potency of the number seven and he’s known to seek advice from both astrologers and fortune tellers. The emblem of the Nazi, the swastika, is a known ancient symbol he believed to possess magical powers. Hitler’s belief in astrology encouraged the Allies to consult with his horoscope in order to anticipate the direction of Hitler’s battle plans.

7. Benito Mussolini

A good friend of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini was also a fanatically superstitious fascist tyrant. In an incident, he would change planes just because he thought that one of his fellow passengers seemed to have the evil eye (according to him).

Superstitious beliefs are not only subscribed by the common people. Famous people like the ones above were superstitious to the point that their beliefs dictated the way they lived.

Find out how superstitious are you from the video below :

Napoleon lived an interesting life from an historical perspective: perhaps most interesting, though, to the audience who reads his biography than viewed through the eyes of Napoleon. Since the historical figure was so full of ambition; it is envisioned doubtful he had little chance to evaluate the quality of his life—he was too busy wishing to possess France. The following provides somewhat of a chronological history as to the life of France’s eventual emperor; up to the time when he formed the Consulate. His military successes were many; and his background was disciplined. Perhaps somewhere in these early beginnings; you’ll be able to see why France’s eventual emperor was so infused with opportunism and ambition.

As an aside, Napoleon’s name was originally of the Italian form; however it was written in the “French” near the end of the 18th century. In other words, the Italian spelling was used for several decades (initially).

1. Napoleon was born in 1769 and passed away in 1821. He was ruler of France between 1804 and 1814. He attempted to resume his rule and was successful at it for a very brief time, from March to June of 1815.

2. Much like French history, Napoleon’s life is set on a stage of high intense militaristic drama: This fact makes for (again) a very intriguing biographical sketch of the historic French leader.

3. Aside from the (ever so-slight digression) the chronology of Bonaparte continues. It should be noted, before resuming; the place of birth of Napoleon was Corsica. He was the son of Maria Letizia Buonaparte; and Carlo Buonaparte. (Notice the Italian form as to the name.)

4. Bonaparte received his education in military schools located within France: This schooling obviously provided him with a firm foundation as it pertained to his later life.

5. Bonaparte, further was part of a family of eight children. The family was considered noble; however, not wealthy. The fact, just noted, instilled within the future Emperor of France, a strong sense of obligation to his family throughout his life. Backing up a bit, as to education, Bonaparte received his military education at the Brienne-le-Chateau and Paris.

6. The young Bonaparte was assigned as (a) second lieutenant of the Artillery in the year: 1785.

7. Bonaparte (next) stood in-command of France’s Artillery (forces) and proved instrumental in the successful French take-over of Toulon. You, may note, Toulon at the time of the take over was occupied by the British. As a result of the future emperor’s success: he received promotion to that of Brigadier General.

8. Next, in 1795, the French government (then termed: The Directory) made Bonaparte a Commander of their Army of the Interior. Subsequently, he was sent the following year (1796), to the north of Italy to engage in war with Austria. The preceding campaign is associated (historically) with the War of the First Coalition. The war began in 1793; with Spain, Holland, Sardinia (joining after 1794); Great Britain, Prussia and Austria on one side; and France on the other.

1. Backing up a bit, prior to his participation in the latter-mentioned campaign; Bonaparte married (his famous partner) Josephine. Josephine was the widow of Alexandre Vicomte de Beauharnais.

2. The following reviews Napoleon’s outstanding militaristic success, as it pertains to the Italian Campaign (just mentioned). The dates of this campaign were: April of 1796 to October of 1797.

• The first Napoleonic victory involved Bonaparte’s defeat of the Sardinians. As part of this victory, Napoleon was able to get their king to accept an armistice agreement; or more precisely forced the king to sign it.

• Next, as it pertains to the Italian campaign, the future French leader defeated Austria on May 10, 1796 at Lodi. He then took over Milan (Italy); next winning other victories at Arcole (dates: November 15-19); Rivoli (date: January 14, 1797) and capturing Mantua on February 2nd. As a result of Napoleon’s preceding victories, the Austrians agreed to initial peace negotiations. The initial discussion took place with respect to “peace” at Leoben Austria.

• The Austrians, on October 17th signed the Treaty of Campoformio. The French, upon the signing of the treaty, were granted possession of the Austrian Netherlands. The Austrian Netherlands was the land mass (known today) as (the country of) Belgium. Bonaparte returned to France in 1797.

After peace was accomplished with Austria, his original intent was to take over Britain; however, he gave up on the plan after deciding his naval capacity was not sufficient. As a result, he came up with a more indirect course of action. He decided to attack the colonial interests of the British within the Middle East. Subsequently, he first overtook portions of Egypt. In review of that particular invasion, Napoleon set sail from Toulon on May 19, 1798; landing on the shores of Alexandria on July 1, 1798. Once in Egypt, the eventual French leader, successfully defeated Egypt’s forces, during (what is known as) the Battle of the Pyramids. The victory occurred on July 21st.

The future emperor of France then proved successful in the capture of Cairo (Egypt). However that said, it may be noted, the British were successful in destroying France’s Naval Fleet-which had carried Napoleon’s army to these shores during what is known (historically) as the Battle of the Nile. Britain, during this engagement, were under the direction of Horatio Nelson. The Battle of the Nile took place on the dates of: August 1st through 2nd of 1798.

At this point, the eventual French leader was totally cut off with respect to communications from the country of France. Nevertheless, Bonaparte saw fit to extend French dominance in the area by taking over Syria. He proved successful in his endeavor until meeting with opposition from British forces at Acre. Admiral Sidney Smith and his squadron successfully defended the seaport against Napoleon’s advance. As a result, Bonaparte went back to Egypt. Here he proved, once again, victorious in his defeat of Turkish forces at what is now Abu Qir Bay. The date of this successful (military) endeavor is July 25, 1799.

All these victories set aside; Napoleon realized his position in Egypt was not (truly) justified. Further, during this period, a Second Coalition had developed comprised of Great Britain, Russia and Austria. It was at this juncture the future Italian leader discontinued his pursuit of inhabiting Egypt. He was able to make it through British lines on August 4th (going unnoticed). The future emperor of France made it back to his country on October 8th; always to be remembered as France’s Hero of the Italian Campaign.

In the past, many authors have written about the narcissistic leaders of their generation. Among these respected authors from the past are Sigmund Freud, G.W.F Hegel, and Friedrich Nietzsche. In “Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego”, Freud said the leader’s intellectual acts are strong and independent even in isolation and his will need no reinforcement from others. According to Freud, narcissistic leaders love no one but themselves or other people only insofar as they serve their needs.

Narcissism is often concealed by powerful and influential leadership. Followers even regard these extraordinary leaders as their heroes. Unbeknownst to these loyal lackeys, behind that strong leaders is a smoldering passion from a bloated self-created love for oneself. Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon are three of the leaders in history believed to be narcissistic by many authors. In his “Lectures on the Philosophy of History”, G.W.F. Hegel referred to Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon as narcissists disguised by their strong leadership and prominence.

Hegel believed that they might all be called heroes, in a sense that they have obtained their intentions and their vocation from a disguised source and not from the calm normal course of things, authorized by the existing order. Napoleon Bonaparte himself said that  it was precisely that evening in Lodi that he came to believe in himself as an unusual person and became consumed with the ambition to do the great things that until then had been but a fantasy.

Friedrich Nietzsche mentioned in “The Genealogy of Morals” that narcissistic leaders are such incalculable beings.  Without cause or reason, narcissistic leaders come like fate insensitively and without alleged reason. Nietzsche compared them to lightning that suddenly appears in an extremely terrible, swift, forceful and unusual manner making them abhorred. The terrible egotism of the artist of the brazen glance moves them. They think that they know themselves to be justified for all eternity in their masterpiece as the mother is justified in her child.  Nietzsche went on to call them great deceivers who owe their power to a remarkable process is at work. Overcome by their belief in themselves, these deceivers wield  their dreadful voice, expression, and gestures in the very act of deception with all its preparations.  It is this persuasive belief that speaks to the vulnerable audience like a miracle.

At present, narcissistic leaders exist in the form of CEOs who are transforming industries of the modern generation. Prominent CEOs of today such as Bill Gates, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Jack Welch wield their power and influence to manipulate the global audience whether in a good or in bad way. With their own publicists, books are written in their name and spontaneous interviews are conducted to actively promote their personal philosophies.

Top international magazines are frequented by the faces of today’s narcissistic leader. The world tycoons of business in general are directly and indirectly establishing and molding the objectives of every person as an individual and the global audience as a group. World leaders of today do not necessarily have to be the political leaders as compared to their counterparts in the past. They, in fact, have no political positions at all.

Whether the modern narcissistic leaders have political connections or not, one thing is for sure. They are wealthy enough to make every single person in the world, from grade school kids to lawmakers, listen to what they have to say. More often than not, these leaders have each a success story to tell. This gives them the credibility to speak about the ladders to success in life, which is generally about getting rich, though sometimes merely implied.

This very success wealthy people have gave them this exaggerated love for themselves. People listen to them. People want to befriend them. People want to know their secrets. People want to be like them. Thus, it is also safe to blame these fawning lackeys for creating the megalomaniac imaginary self in these world leaders.

In the past, war heroes existed. Among them narcissistic leaders, strongly influential enough to convince people to fight for their territory and even sacrifice their lives. In the modern times, extremely wealthy people emerged as the card players of world economy. They wield their success stories, money, and fame to make people follow them. In the future, it is expected that narcissistic leaders will continue to control the prominent tip of the pyramid. This is an indication that it takes a narcissist to be a leader, be it a good one or not.

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How a woman’s beauty can make strangers of men regardless of their station in life is a puzzle.  First, men are narcissistic especially when they are at the height of power and popularity; then,  they love their women above their own lives and  their ego. Some sacrifice career, family, friends, and the future just to be with the women they adore. Poets sing of the engaging concubine, of the”beloved infidel”, and  of the dumb. Kings abdicate their thrones. A monarch sits on an uneasy throne, but she who is the voice behind the throne knows what to do with him and his decisions…as long as she is young and beautiful and his heart is enamored.

MARIA LACZINSKA,  born to a noble but struggling family in a decayed mansion  in Poland in 1789, at fifteen  became  the object of affection of a sixty-eight-year-old  twice-widowed  wealthy landowner, COUNT ANASTACIO  COLONNA WALEWSKI , who was master of a huge castle near Warsaw. Count Walewski whose  youngest grandchild was  a decade older than Maria, bored Maria to death as she confided to a girl friend.  But when  all of her family’s  financial problems were solved by Count Anastacio, Maria’s  mother and the old man decided her future: she became Mrs. Maria Walewski.

Bearing him a sick son at sixteen, she devoted herself to motherhood  and to  her role as wife-secretary of Count Walewski and helped campaign for the freedom of Poland, which at that time was already twelve years a subject of Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Anastacio’s  love was the only love she knew  until…

At seventeen she met one of the greatest, if not the greatest,  of the world conquerors, a Corsican born to a noble Italian ancestry, whose military career shaped the destiny of France in world history  and whose code  as Emperor of France dictated the administrative as well as political groundwork of much of western Europe  in the early nineteenth century: NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 

Looking back, Napoleon Bonaparte had married a widow with two children,  JOSEPHINE BEAUHARNIS,  a wealthy white creole who owned a sugar cane plantation, claimed by history to be Napoleon’s “love of his life”, she who was destined to become the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte for fourteen years  and  first Empress of France. Unfaithful to their marriage vow and unable to give  him an heir, Josephine was divorced by Napoleon. After a few flirtations with young unmarried women,  he tied the knot with  Marie Louise of Austria  for political reasons. He had a son by her but was not able to enjoy him because she returned to Austria.  Marie Louise would become Napoleon’s  second  and last wife  for eleven  years.

BETWEEN HIS TWO MARRIAGES HE HAD A MOST PASSIONATE LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE WIFE OF COUNT WALEWSKI, MARIA. ( Napoleon’s love letters to the three women in his life still exist, exhibited, glorified and romanticized  in  best-seller novels.)  

Napoleon was thirty-seven and Maria was seventeen when they met. Irving Wallace in his book, (The Nympho and Other Maniacs, p. 74) describes Napoleon as  “virile yet lacking a well-developed physique: feet and hands extremely small; skin white and delicate; feminine characteristics such as wide hips and narrow shoulders; reproductive organs small; little hair on the body; hair of the head fine, silky, and sparse.”

By contrast Maria  was “fair-haired, with big blue eyes, full of simplicity and tenderness, and a smooth skin, and all rosy with the freshness of tea rose blushing  with shyness.” ( Wallace quoting the Napoleonic scholar Frederic Masson, loc.cit.,  p.69).

 Napoleon ( he was thirty-seven) was at once smitten by  Maria’s  beauty  when in 1806 she lined up on the street to welcome him. (The Poles looked upon Napoleon as their liberator.) Pausing while he changed horses, he removed his hat,  bowed and offered her one of the bouquets of flowers that filled his carriage. Then he drove the Russians out of  Pultusk and went back to Warsaw for the spring thaw where he remembered the girl to whom he had offered flowers.

Napoleon used all possible resources but failed to find her until the head of Poland’s  provisional government  helped him.  At once Napoleon arranged a formal ball where Maria was invited to attend. She arrived in the arms of her aged husband wearing all -white embroidered tunic over her white satin gown. Napoleon burned with desire watching her from a distance,  then  finally requested  an emissary to tell her that he would love to dance with her. She refused saying, “I do not dance.”

Napoleon crossed over to her side and,  badly irritated, while the girl lowered her big blue eyes, he  confronted her, “White does not go well on white, madam.” Maria  took to her heels and went home.

Undaunted by the girl’s rejection and her marital status, Napoleon sent her flowers and a love note: “I saw no one but you, I admired no one but you, I want no one but you. Answer me at once and assuage the impatient passion of— N.”

Another love letter. No answer.Then he wrote another one vowing Polish liberation. Partly, the  letter said, “There are times … when hope is as heavy as despair….Ah! come! come! You shall have all you ask. Your country will be dearer to me , once you have had pity on my poor heart.”  Maria’s  answer was written in the wind. 

More love letters unopened,  bouquets of diamonds and clusters of flowers  rejected, Maria’s flawless figure, her awkward French, her eyes reflecting the color and splendor of  God’s sky,  her obstinate resistance, and her marital status only fed Napoleon’s  passion. Count Walewski himself,  politicians, and  aristocrats  begged her to accept Napoleon in behalf of twenty million Poles who petitioned her  for the sake of Polish autonomy. Their  strategies  became ice on a desert sand.

With all his fame, money, and glory Napoleon could get  the most desirable woman on the face of the earth  hands down, but Maria proved to be resilient, a different species as Napoleon  discovered. (Napoleon’s despair and loneliness has been romanticized making him dazzle and leap off the pages of historical romances.)

A frightened dove, she agreed at last to see him in a private room at a palace  arranged for both of them. Napoleon applied all of his wiles, charms, and tenderness: he knelt and wept before her but  Maria was a rock. When persuasion did not work and passion was unrequited, to make the story short, Mrs. Maria Walewski  found herself violated by her apologetic seducer, lover, and conqueror rolled up into one.  When he left her in the spring after two and a half months together, she  gave him a souvenir of her love for him: a ring on which was engraved the content of her heart: “When you have ceased to love me, remember that I love you still.”

Even though he had occasional  flirtations and  a busy schedule,  Napoleon always found time to be with her. When he learned  of her pregnancy, she summoned her to Paris  accompanied by her brother. She was  sweet and  shy,  wouldn’t go out unless to see him at  the Tuileries. She  would not use the box for the opera Napoleon reserved for her. Her pregnancy ended in a miscarriage but their short idyll in Vienna produced their natural son Alexandre. To the Poles, she was a legend,  dubbed as “Napoleon’s  Polish wife.” She was abundantly-provided by Napoleon. Alexandre was to become France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He could not succeed Napoleon because he was an illegitimate son.

When Napoleon went on a temporary exile on the island of Elba to flee the Cossacks,  he sent for his wife Marie Louise, but she refused to be with him because she was carrying on an illicit affair. When Napoleon threatened to abduct their son, Marie Louise would not see him again. With her illicit love, she gave Adam Albrecht  (Count  von  Neipperg)  three children.  Lonely, Napoleon sent for Maria Walewski and she came with their son who was four-and-a half years old. Later, Napoleon was exiled at the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic after his defeat at Waterloo. It was there where he  learned that   Maria had become a widow and had remarried. At the age of twenty-eight she died, with Napoleon’s name on her lips at a house that had been one of the emperor’s lavish  gifts to her. With her death, Maria’s affair with Napoleon for eleven years ended,  but throughout Poland, the memory of her love for both Count Walewski  her husband and Napoleon is glorified.  Napoleon and Maria’s love was destined to be eternal in spite of the political odds that divided them.

Since he had not divorced his wife Marie Louise, with due respect to her,  Napoleon, upon his death in 1821 willed that his heart be preserved in  wine to be sent to his “dear Marie Louise.” (Maria who had learned to love him until the last hour of her life should have been the worthier recipient.)

“Maria’s  scandalous conduct was  largely selfless and romantic. She knew only one man illicitly, and when she submitted to him, she was thinking of her country’s welfare. She succumbed not out of need for  security but after acceding to the persistent logic of  politics  and patriotism. SHE WAS SEDUCED BY DIPLOMACY. LOVE CAME LATER.” ( Capitalization mine, Wallace, 68) ###

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An estimated two and a half million troops fought during the conflict of the sixth coalition, of those as many as two million are thought to have been killed. Estimates claimed that over one million may have died in the battles in Russia. Some of the more notable battles of the war were at Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden and Leipzig (also known as the Battle of Nations). Battle of Leipzig was the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars and was the largest battle in Western European history until the outbreak of the First World War.

After the restoration of the monarchy in France and Napoleon’s exile on Elba things did not run smoothly for the countries rulers. Within a year of their being restored to power they had to flee the country once again due to civil unrest and the collapse of authority into the unpopularity and way the country was being run.

This period became known as the Period of One Hundred Days and proved to be the beginning of the end for Napoleon, he at first was welcomed back into Paris but not by the city’s elite. The Roman Catholic Church had seen a return to power in Napoleons absence and during the Congress of Vienna taking place during Napoleons return he was dubbed an outlaw. The countries of the UK, Russia, Austria and Prussia (the Seventh Coalition) each vowed to send an army to oust Napoleon and this was the final conflict in the Napoleonic Wars.  The French monarchy was once again restored to power and napoleon was again placed in exile. This time he was to be sent to the isolated island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean where it was virtually impossible for him to escape from and he died there while in exile in May 1821.

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          It begins with a simple act that builds up self-confidence and self-reliance until the self ultimately confides itself to the act and loses its being.  As children, I suppose we started out shy and unable to speak out to strangers until a degree of familiarization allows us to recognize facial features of people in our everyday lives. Such familiarization enabled us to enlarge our comfort zone and speak up to people who used to be strangers. Then our parents being there behind us every inch of the way were our main key supporters that ultimately made us to stand by our feet and face the world on our own. Whatever we may have become when we have arrived of legal age to decide for our life I suppose it was for the best. Those with good voices may have been great singers, others with good hands became great painters or sculptors, some with exemplary attitudes to lead and decide became good leaders (I suppose), few with the inner calling to sacrifice their lives to spread the good news became priests and nuns and the list of possibilities are endless.

         The thing is, the ego is like an egg and the more it is nurtured, it gets matured until the moment that it breaks out of its shell and has a life of its own. When one’s ego breaks loose where should the poor self would rightfully be? Performing artists, singers, dancers, actors, painters would be less vulnerable since they have their craft as an outlet and they could create and create as they like. The downside is the effect of loose ego among people with access to authority, politicians, diplomats, military officers, you know them all. From Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, from the very beginning of civilization to our present world, could we differentiate the cavemen to the time of Genghis Khan? Add up Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Saddam Hussein (you can add up all the descendants of Uncle Sam and the rest of the conquerors in history). To cut the story short, we are inside the great ego nonetheless so we couldn’t blame our instincts; Mother Earth after all was and ever will be an egg. So if you’re fancying thinking outside the box, first try breaking out of the egg.