What do you think of Napoleon Bonaparte?

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Soundbreaker Welch?

Tech Sergeant
1,742
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Feb 8, 2006
Colorado, USA
I'm not just talking about military matters. How Napoleon shaped history in many differant ways. Even Archaeology.


Far Out Question: Would he have liked Aviation Warfare in his tactics, or not?

He was only a 100 years too early to be able to witness what airplanes could acomplish in battle.
 
He was a short-Coriscan, who led the Frogs to many a great victory. Just about the only note-worthy victories they've ever had. Still couldn't beat the Royal Navy though.
 
Apparently he brought rights to those who had few or no rights before Napolean beat their rulers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Code

'Even though the Napoleonic Code was not the first, it was the most influential one.'

In mathematics Napoleon is traditionally given credit for discovering and proving Napoleon's theorem, although there is no specific evidence that he did so. The theorem states that if equilateral triangles are constructed on the sides of any triangle (all outward or all inward), the centres of those equilateral triangles themselves form an equilateral triangle. There has been discussion about the significance of the theorem.

Misconceptions about Napoleon's height

Contrary to popular belief (perpetuated by the above-mentioned caricatures), Napoleon was not especially short. After his death in 1821, the French emperor's height was recorded as 5 feet 2 inches in French feet. This corresponds to 5 feet 6.5 inches in Imperial (British) feet, or 1.686 metres, making him slightly taller than an average Frenchman of the 19th century [7]. The metric system was introduced during his lifetime, so it was natural that he would be measured in feet and inches for much of his life. A French inch was 2.71 centimetres [8], an Imperial inch is 2.54 centimetres. In addition to this miscalculation, his nickname le petit caporal adds to the confusion, as non-francophones mistakenly take petit literally as meaning "small"; in fact, it is an affectionate term reflecting on his camaraderie with ordinary soldiers. He also surrounded himself with soldiers, his elite guard, who were always six feet tall or even taller.
 
Napoleon is credited with introducing the concept of the modern professional conscript army to Europe, he was the guy that replaced Corps as the largest military unit, over Division, he was the first to integrate artillery into batteries. Not only that he completely restructuctered the strategies used, Sieges became infrequent to the point of near-irrelevance, a new emphasis towards the destruction, not just outmaneuvering, of enemy armies emerged, and invasions of enemy territory occurred over broader fronts, thus introducing a new era of strategic opportunities that made wars costlier and, just as importantly, more decisive.
 
Napoleon should be given some credit for the length and death toll of the American Civil War. Almost every general involved studied and used his tactics. His very effective tactics.
 
Delusional said:
Napoleon should be given some credit for the length and death toll of the American Civil War. Almost every general involved studied and used his tactics. His very effective tactics.
Click to expand...

It was the biggest mistake they made. Napoleon didn't believe in the use of firepower by his infantry and they paid for it big time against the British reliance on the infantry firepower and thats with us the Brown Bess Musket.

With the far more effective weapons used in the ACW it was pure suicide. Maybe if the American Generals had studied the tactics used by Wellington they would have suffered fewer casualties and achieved a lot more.
 

Napoleon wasn't the first to integrate his guns into batteries but he was the first to form what was called the Grande Battery designed to destroy anything that deployed in front of it. The down side was that it made it inflexable as once deployed it was almost impossible to move it. If you could avoid going in front then you were a lot safer.
Small but true fact of the Napoleonic Wars. In almost every major battle, the side with the most artillery pieces, Lost.
 
and a hatred evolved that Germany seeked revenge in both World Wars against France because or the rampage of the French soldiers during the occupation until the re-conquest of the German territories in 1813. Interesting how ill feelings can be felt for so long
 

I used to deal with German clients. One Rudica when drunk would always say.
'David, I don't understand the British. We have fought two wars, horrible wars in one century, but you British, you dislike the French, they were on your side'.

Proves your point really.
 
As told above, Napolean was an amazing man. He belongs in the top levels of historical military geniuses. And that is not even talking about law, medicine, tin cans, etc. Reading about his victories is an impessive experience. Just don't go into Russia.
 


And why is that long felt hatred so hard to understand. The South in the US got their tail beat by the North during this country's Civil War. The South is still pissed about losing and still hates the North. Just like the Irish and Scots still hate the English! Catchin' on now? England sent it's white trash to Botany Bay in the then "New World". Those prisoners became what are now Australians. They still hate the Poms to this day. Your'e right mate, hatred goes on for a LONG time. Generations worth!
 
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