Napoleon the Tyrant or the Great

Many during the late 18th and early 19th centuries believed Napoleon to be either a tyrant or the greatest man of their times. Indeed, in France Napoleon was almost universally loved and adored by almost every class. It is in the neighboring countries of Europe that his greatest was called into question. Those nobles who had been banished by both the French Revolution or Napoleon and those who felt the might of his army blamed the emperor for all the evil that befell them.

For us today Napoleon was a tyrant. He undermined and destroyed the French Revolution, and conquered all of Europe pulling the European nations into his Empire. Let us not forget that Napoleon in the end was defeated and that the history books we have now are those written by his enemies. No account given by such people could be considered the truth without due consideration. Napoleon by even his enemies was considered a master of war, a brilliant politician, and a imposing figure despite his small size. How much more could Napoleon have been than what was told of him?