Was Napoleon a hero or a villain?
If you’ve ever visited Paris, you might have been to Les Invalides and see the tomb of Napoleon. I have never seen a more majestic resting place. But, if you’ve ever visited London, you might have used Waterloo Station or crossed Waterloo Bridge. Both commemorate the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815.
Today is the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon on the British-owned island of Saint Helena. How should we remember this controversial figure? On the one hand, he was a brilliant military campaigner who dominated most of Europe and a clever administrative reformer who has left an indelible mark on French. On the other hand, he was an imperialist abroad and a megalomaniac at home and was both a supporter of slavery and a misogynist.
This article is a brief summary of the arguments for and against his greatness, while my book review looks at how Napoleon compares to his nemesis the Duke of Wellington.