After the French Revolution erupted in 1789, Europe was thrown into chaos. Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI, and attacked the New Republic, while at home, extremism and mistrust between factions lead to bloodshed. In the midst of all this conflict, a powerful figure emerged to take charge of France. But did he save the revolution or destroy it? "Order, order, who's the defendant today? I don't see anyone." "Your Honor, this is Napoléon Bonaparte, the tyrant who invaded nearly all of Europe to compensate for his personal stature-based insecurities." "Actually, Napoléon was at least average height for his time. The idea that he was short comes only from British wartime propaganda. And he was no tyrant. He was safeguarding the young Republic from being crushed by the European monarchies." "By overthrowing its government and seizing power himself?" "Your Honor, as a young and successful military officer, Napoléon fully supported the French Revolution, and its ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. But the revolutionaries were incapable of real leadership. Robespierre and the Jacobins who first came to power unleashed a reign of terror on the population, with their anti-Catholic extremism and nonstop executions of everyone who disagreed with them. And The Directory that replaced them was an unstable and incompetent oligarchy. They needed a strong leader who could govern wisely and justly." "So, France went through that whole revolution just to end up with another all-powerful ruler?" "Not quite. Napoléon's new powers were derived from the constitution that was approved by a popular vote in the Consulate." "Ha! The constitution was practically dictated at gunpoint in a military coup, and the public only accepted the tyrant because they were tired of constant civil war." "Be that as it may, Napoléon introduced a new constitution and a legal code that kept some of the most important achievements of the revolution in tact: freedom of religion abolition of hereditary privilege, and equality before the law for all men." "All men, indeed. He deprived women of the rights that the revolution had given them and even reinstated slavery in the French colonies. Haiti is still recovering from the consequences centuries later. What kind of equality is that?" "The only kind that could be stably maintained at the time, and still far ahead of France's neighbors." "Speaking of neighbors, what was with all the invasions?" "Great question, Your Honor." "Which invasions are we talking about? It was the neighboring empires who had invaded France trying to restore the monarchy, and prevent the spread of liberty across Europe, twice by the time Napoléon took charge. Having defended France as a soldier and a general in those wars, he knew that the best defense is a good offense." "An offense against the entire continent? Peace was secured by 1802, and other European powers recognized the new French Regime. But Bonaparte couldn't rest unless he had control of the whole continent, and all he knew was fighting. He tried to enforce a European-wide blockade of Britain, invaded any country that didn't comply, and launched more wars to hold onto his gains. And what was the result? Millions dead all over the continent, and the whole international order shattered." "You forgot the other result: the spread of democratic and liberal ideals across Europe. It was thanks to Napoléon that the continent was reshaped from a chaotic patchwork of fragmented feudal and religious territories into efficient, modern, and secular nation states where the people held more power and rights than ever before." "Should we also thank him for the rise of nationalism and the massive increase in army sizes? You can see how well that turned out a century later." "So what would European history have been like if it weren't for Napoléon?" "Unimaginably better/worse." Napoléon seemingly unstoppable momentum would die in the Russian winter snows, along with most of his army. But even after being deposed and exiled, he refused to give up, escaping from his prison and launching a bold attempt at restoring his empire before being defeated for the second and final time. Bonaparte was a ruler full of contradictions, defending a popular revolution by imposing absolute dictatorship, and spreading liberal ideals through imperial wars, and though he never achieved his dream of conquering Europe, he undoubtedly left his mark on it, for better or for worse.
1789 年法國大革命爆發後 歐洲陷入一片混亂 鄰國的君主害怕他們的下場 會與路易十六一樣 因而攻擊新的共和國 同時在法國 極端主義及派系間的不信任 導致流血衝突 在爭端之中 一位叱吒風雲的人物出現 坐鎮法國 到底他是拯救還是摧毀了革命? 「肅靜!肅靜! 今天的被告是誰?我沒看到人」 「庭上,這位是拿破崙·波拿巴 幾乎把整個歐洲都侵略的暴君 就為了補償他因身材 帶來的不安全感」 「其實拿破崙的身高 至少有當時的平均高度 他很矮的說法 只是英國的戰爭宣傳手段 況且他也不是暴君 他保護了新建立的共和國 不被歐洲王權摧毀」 「用發動政變 為自己奪權這種方法?」 「庭上,身為年輕有為的軍官 拿破崙完全支持法國大革命 及其自由、平等、博愛的理想 但是革命志士 沒有真正的領導能力 羅伯斯比和雅各賓 這些率先奪權的人 對人民發動 腥風血雨的恐怖統治 不但帶著反天主教激進主義 還不斷地處決 與他們意見相左的人 而其後接掌的督政府 又是不穩定、無能的寡頭政治 他們需要一位強人 能賢明公正的治理」 「所以,法國經歷了整場革命 結局竟是另一位霸權統治?」 「不盡然 拿破崙的新政權有憲法依據 此憲法獲得執政府多數同意」 「笑話!這部憲法實際上是在 軍事政變的槍口下決定的 人民接受這位暴君 只因為他們厭煩了打不停的內戰」 「就算是這個原因 拿破崙也推行了新憲法及新法典 使得革命最重要的成就不受影響: 宗教自由 廢除世襲特權 及法律之前人人平等」 「所有的『男人』都平等,的確 他剝奪了革命賦予的女權 甚至還在法國殖民地 恢復蓄奴制度 海地在數世紀後, 仍在從後果中恢復 這是什麼平等?」 「這是當時唯一能穩定維持的方法 而且此舉還是遙遙領先鄰國」 「說到鄰國 那些侵略又是怎麼回事?」 「這問題問得太好了!庭上」 「我們在說哪個侵略? 是鄰近帝國來侵略法國 為要恢復王權 避免自由在歐洲傳播開來 他們在拿破崙掌權時 侵略了兩次 在這幾場戰爭中 他以軍人及將軍的身分保衛法國 因而知道最好的防守就是攻擊」 「攻擊整片歐陸? 1802 年和平終於來臨 其它歐洲強權承認新法國政權 但是波拿巴寢食難安 除非他能控制整片大陸 而且他也只知道戰鬥 他試圖強迫全歐洲 對英國實施封鎖 侵略任何不聽話的國家 並發動更多戰爭 以保護既得利益 結果是什麼? 歐陸數以百萬人死於非命 整個國際秩序完全破壞」 「你忘了另一個結果 民主自由的理想傳遍歐洲 感謝拿破崙 歐陸得以重新改造 從支離破碎雜亂無章的 封建及宗教領地 轉變成高效率 現代化及政教分離的國家 人民擁有前所未有的力量及權利」 「難道我們也該感謝他 興起民族主義 及大規模擴編軍隊? 你知道一世紀後其下場為何」 「如果沒有拿破崙 歐洲歷史會如何改寫?」 「難以想像的更好 / 更糟」 拿破崙破竹般的氣勢 在俄國冬雪中消失殆盡 他的軍隊也隨之消亡 但是即使他遭受廢黜及放逐 仍然不願放棄 他從監牢逃出 發動大膽攻擊以恢復他的帝國 卻再度也是最後一次戰敗 波拿巴是位充滿矛盾的統治者 實施強權獨裁以衛人民革命 用帝國戰爭傳播自由理想 雖然他從未實現征服歐洲的夢想