re: Napoleon has to be the most interesting figure in history.

Defintely. Some might have emotional connections to American historical figures or whatever but nobody comes close. He is not only the most interesting historical figure but he might be the most impressive human being who has ever lived.

Came out of absolute nowhere to seize control of a country that was in utter chaos and within a few years turned it into the world's foremost superpower. He is undoubtably the greatest military commander of all time who for over a decade kicked the sh*t out of the combined forces of the world's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th most powerful militaries (prior to him they were all pretty much equal).

Unlike a lot of these historical baddasses he also did a ton of legitimate good. The French Revolution was 100% going to fail and return to absolute monarchial dictatorship if it wasn't for him. Instead he brilliantly found a middle ground that did away with the most radical elements of the revolution while implementing the most popular ones (equality under the law, equal of opportunity to succeed economically, freedom of religion, ended feudalism, and spread the concepts of the enlightenment throughout Europe which set the stages for the democratic movements of the 19th century.).

It's important to note too that he did not start 7 of the 9 coalitions/wars he was involved in. Most of his fighting was self defense.

There was only one force that could destroy Napoleon and that was Napoleon.

Edward lV and his brother Richard lll led some pretty interesting lives.

quote:

---

thedisciple315

---

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Napoleon seized his opportunity out of chaos and turned the chaos into empire.

Plus, people living in Louisiana can’t say their civil code is completely Napoleonic, but it was HEAVILY influenced by his. So Napoleon does technically affect the lives of us here in the state of Louisiana to this very day.

quote:

---

I'm seeing a lack of mention of Muhammad

---

Muhammad is super underrated. Guy will eventually be the founder the worlds most popular religion

I love Napoleon, I too am fascinated by his life, deeds and legacy. When they announced they were making a move about him I knew it would be a mess because it didn’t focus on one part of his life. His life is far to complex to be put into a 2 and a half hour movie.

That being said he isn’t even my favorite Frenchman from this period. That would be Gilbert Du Motier or the Marquis De Lafayette or the hero of two worlds. After having joined the French army at 13 he later becomes enamored with the American cause and goes AWOL leaving France to join the American cause. He promises to work for free and is commissioned as a Major General under George Washington distinguishing himself at Bunker Hill and Valley Forge.

He goes back to France to rally the King to the American cause. He returns to America having secured support from France to rejoin Washington at Yorktown for the decisive showdown.

Eventually he goes home to France where Louis XVI appoints him to the Assembly of Notables to solve the fiscal crisis France was in from the war. This doesn’t work and he then attends the Estates General 2 years later as a member of the 2nd estate (nobility). He takes part in the Tennis Court Oath before writing The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which is one of the most influential documents in the history of human rights. When Louis is imprisoned The Marquis is in charge of the Paris national guard while the king makes his flight from the city. He runs afoul of the revolutionary leaders because of this incident (and others) has to flee to the Austrian Netherlands where he is then imprisoned for 5 years before Napoleon negotiated his release.

The Marquis eventually negotiated a deal for Napoleon to be exiled to America after Waterloo but the British ended up nixing this. The Marquis would go onto return to America in 1824 having been invited by James Monroe to celebrate the revolution. Roads from Boston to New York to Philadelphia are lined to cheer for the Marquis and his son Georges Washington. His stay eventually spans 16 months as he visits all 24 states and is celebrated as a hero in each one. He and his son have to be rescued after their ferry sinks on the Ohio River after having visited General Andre Jackson at The Hermitage.

Having returned to France and the restored monarchy he rejoins the Chamber of Deputies where he is an outspoken critic of King Charles X for being a despot. He is so popular in France that Charles and his counselors decide they can’t arrest him for his treasonous speech. Charles fricks around to much and has the Parisian people rise up and overthrow him. But The Marquis doesn’t want a repeat of the previous revolutions bloodshed, he negotiates for Louis Phillipe to take over as king with the promises of reforms. These reforms don’t come, the Marquis decides to retire and spend the rest of his days hosting Americans who wish to come visit him in France.

When he eventually passes he has dirt from Bunker Hill placed over his coffin, he is given the same national mourning rights of George Washington in the USA and the King of France has to give him a military funeral to control the crowd.

To this day in France his grave has an American Flag hoisted proudly over it.

quote:

---

Robert E Lee

---

Traitor and a loser, nah

quote:

---

What I always find interesting is that being an atheist, like yourself, takes as much faith to believe than it does a faith in a Living God

---

What I find interesting is that you assume I'm atheist bc I don't believe Jesus of Nazareth was my savior. But that's typical Christian behavior.

quote:

---

What I find interesting is that you assume I'm atheist bc I don't believe Jesus of Nazareth was my savior. But that's typical Christian behavior.

---

You do not believe in the Truth, that makes you a Jew, a Muslim, a pagan, or an atheist.

At any rate, describing Christianity as a fiction implies that you would believe Judaism, Islam, and paganism are equally fictitious, thus implying that you are an atheist.

quote:

---

We know about him from people that wrote stories long after his death. It's mostly fiction

---

quote:

---

So brave

---

So true.