Wu Jing
The famous French writer Stendhal said: "There is no one in this world who can compare with him, napoleon is proving to the world that after many centuries, Caesar and Alexander finally have successors." In a sense, Napoleon, who came from an aristocratic background, did achieve great deeds in the past and the present, so that looking at the magnificent and long history of mankind, there are few outstanding people who can compare with him. Napoleon's extraordinary achievement, it is believed that he combined Caesar's military strategy, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's political ability and propaganda ability with a very rare combination, ushering in a new era of modern democracy and the nation-state, and becoming the founder of modern France and even modern Europe.
Portrait of Napoleon
Napoleon, who created many miracles, left a valuable political, military and ideological legacy for future generations, and even today, 200 years after his death, it still has global influence. As he proudly confessed: "In my dictionary, there is no 'impossible'".
Military strategy
As we all know, Napoleon admired Caesar all his life, which was a kind of sympathy through time and space. He once said bluntly: "I have only admired Caesar all my life, and if an officer does not know Caesar, he is not worthy of a gun, let alone a command knife!" For Napoleon, Caesar's eight wars in Gaul and five wars with Pompeii could be written as a complete guide to the study of the art of warfare, and this history could be used as the original source for the formulation of all the rules of defensive and offensive warfare. In his essay "Summary of Seventeen Commentaries on the < Review of Military Art > published in Paris in 1816 (Second Volume of the Selected Writings of Napoleon), Napoleon extensively analyzed Caesar's strategy and tactics against Gaul and Pompeii. Through the history of 1800, Caesar's military ideas and commander-in-chief temperament still deeply influenced Napoleon.
Selected Writings of Napoleon
Napoleon once said that the personality of the leader is indispensable—he is the brain, but also the whole army, as he famously said: a soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier. Gaul was conquered not by the Roman legions, but by Caesar; it was not the Carthaginian army that trembled Rome, but Hannibal; it was not the Macedonian phalanx that invaded India, but Alexander; it was not the French army that hit the Weser and the Rhine, but Durenne; in the Seven Years' War, Prussia was still able to defend itself in the face of the three great powers of Europe, not to prussian soldiers, but to Frederick the Great. Napoleon's military career was incomparably brilliant – from the Battle of Toulon to the end of the Battle of Waterloo, he fought dozens of battles and lost few battles. Faced with the encirclement of anti-French alliances organized again and again, Napoleon was always able to break through each one and retreat. In the battles he commanded, there are many classic examples of victories with less and more victories, and weak victories over strong, which are evocative.
Standing on the shoulders of the giant Caesar, Napoleon left an extremely valuable military legacy to future generations. From adhering to the universal compulsory conscription system implemented during the French Revolution, to innovating the operational establishment of the French army, and even the establishment of strategic reserves, they have all been imitated by later Western countries. In terms of army formation, Napoleon abandoned the practice of separate formation of various branches of the army, mixed infantry, cavalry and artillery, and established a military organization with independent combat capabilities. This is similar to Caesar's practice of mixing elite forces during the Gallic War and the Civil War. During the Napoleonic Wars, the French army gradually completed the reform of the organization, the army with the army and divisions as standing combat units, each army under the jurisdiction of two or three infantry divisions, a cavalry division and a certain number of artillery, has begun to take shape of the modern army combat unit prototype, so that in the face of the enemy's single branch of the army has a very large combat flexibility.
In terms of strategic reserve setup, Napoleon and Caesar are even more similar. In the decisive battle with Pompey at Fasaro, Caesar, while the two sides were in the midst of a fierce battle, threw his hidden fourth line troops and cavalry to defeat Pompey's left flank, instantly reversing the entire battlefield situation. After 1800, Napoleon played the role of the strategic reserve in the art of war to the extreme, and the "Battle of the Three Emperors" in Austerlitz was undoubtedly an immortal classic. Before the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon was not superior in terms of troops, and he drew troops from all over the world to gather a total of 76,000 troops, but the total strength of the Russian-Austrian army reached 85,000. Napoleon concentrated his main forces on the left flank, while on the right flank the Russian-Austrian coalition had a clear four-to-one advantage in strength. In order to induce the other side to a strategic decisive battle, Napoleon took the initiative to abandon the already occupied battlefield commanding heights of the Platzen Heights. The key to the whole campaign was whether the French army on the right wing could withstand the pressure from the Russian-Austrian coalition forces, and although marshal Davout's Third Army was in reserve behind the right wing, the situation of the French army was still dangerous.
Napoleon was waiting for the opportunity, and this opportunity was that the main force of the Allied forces was pinned down on the right flank of the French army, and the French army gave a decisive blow in the middle. However, the course of the campaign was unexpected by Napoleon. Under the fierce attack of the other side, the coalition forces soon broke through to the west bank of the Goldbach River. In order to stabilize the French position on the right flank and avoid a flank and rear detour encirclement by the Russian-Austrian forces, Napoleon ordered the Davo Iiith Army on the rear of the right flank to enter the battle, attacking the enemy's left rear from the southwest. As a result of the sudden and fierce counterattack of the reserves put in by the French army, the allied forces that had crossed the Goldbach River were forced to retreat to the east bank of the river. The young Tsar Alexander I, seeing that the right flank of the attacking French army was blocked, transferred the troops on the Prazen Heights to support. Napoleon seized the plane to capture the high ground. The two sides engaged in fierce fighting, and after the reform of the military combat unit, the French army used the advantage of infantry and cavalry coordination to repel several Allied offensives.
After the French recaptured the Platzen Heights, Napoleon quickly dispatched his artillery and fiercely repulsed the allied forces in the swampy area between Lake Zachan and Lake Monitz and on the frozen lake. At the same time, the French left flank was quickly encircled under the command of Napoleon. At this point, the Russian-Austrian coalition could only accept the fate of defeat. Throughout the Battle of the Three Emperors, the Allied forces killed 15,000 people, and another 10,000 became French prisoners, while the French army lost only 1,350 people. The way Napoleon threw himself into the reserve at the crucial moment of the decisive battle is reminiscent of Caesar's same strategy at the Battle of Fasaro, which is both a coincidence in the history of war and a tribute by Napoleon to Caesar, the great military strategist. Later, Engels said of this historic battle: "The Battle of Austerlitz was a strategic miracle, and as long as the war exists, this battle will not be forgotten." ”
Political competence
In the history of the world, China was a precocious country, which had eliminated the ancient feudal aristocracy two thousand years ago and established the world's first civilian government based on the county system (The Han Dynasty). Since then, princes from poor backgrounds have abounded, not to mention countless poor people and displaced people who have risen up to claim the title of emperor. However, similar historical figures are extremely rare in Japanese and European history, and it can be said that it took two thousand years to produce two people: one was Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century, who ended the Warring States Period and established the great cause of unifying Japan; the other was Napoleon in the 19th century, who came from a lower class of nobles and founded the First Empire of France and became the founder of modern France.
In contrast, Toyotomi Hideyoshi remained a figure subordinate to the category of ancient history, and his regime and ideas still belonged to the traditional systems of the old era. Japan and the world did not change substantially because of his appearance, while Napoleon was different. He was essentially the finalizer of the French Revolution, combining the ideas of the French Revolution with the will to power of the absolute monarchs, achieving a series of astonishing military achievements and implementing the basic principles of the French Revolution in the areas conquered. It was Napoleon who subverted the aristocratic rule of classical Europe, abolished feudal privileges and serfdom, recognized the equal rights of all citizens, and spread the idea of "freedom, equality, fraternity" to the entire European continent. If Toyotomi Hideyoshi is only a figure of the old era, then Napoleon has opened up a new era in Europe, and it can even be said that the establishment of modern European society is to a certain extent inseparable from Napoleon's contribution.
As the most outstanding military genius of the time, Napoleon swept through thousands of armies with his sword, which made the European countries feel frightened. He once said, "There are only two forces in the world: the sword and the mind." In the long run, the sword is always defeated at the hands of the mind." Napoleon's true greatness lies in his conviction that ideas are older and more powerful than swords. This makes him more resolute and patient in his commitment to order and peace than to war and conquest, and is a rare political wisdom. This, of course, is inseparable from his extensive reading and self-education in his early years, and he has eagerly read all the things that will be useful to him in the future: the principles and history of artillery, the laws of the battle, Plato's Republic, the Constitutions of persia, Athens, and Spartans, the history of Britain, Egypt, and Carthage, the conquests of Frederick the Great, the finances of France, the state and customs of the Tatars and Turks, mirabeau, Buffon, and Machiavelli, the history and constitutions of Switzerland, China, India, and the Inca Empire, History and crimes of the nobility, astronomy, geography and meteorology, laws of reproduction, mortality statistics.
Many people know Napoleon's military genius, but few know his extensive knowledge of astronomy, geography, politics, history, law, philosophy, war, and even natural science. As a teenager, Napoleon was regarded as a mathematician and a fantasist (he later demanded a high mathematical standard for artillery and naval officer engineers), and as a fledgling man, he quickly conquered his soldiers with his first-rate oratory skills: "Soldiers, you are like a rushing stream, straight down from the Apennines... Now Milan is yours... Rebuild the Temple of Jupiter in ancient Rome, where statues of heroes will be erected, and the Roman nation awakened the Roman nation that had been sleeping for hundreds of years by enslavement – this is the fruit of your victory, and future generations will marvel at it! ”
Based on his extensive knowledge and cultivation, Napoleon attached great importance to education and believed that the key to talent lies in education. It is not difficult to understand why Napoleon's Egyptian Expeditionary Force, in addition to 2,000 cannons, there were 175 scholars in various fields, as well as hundreds of boxes of books and research equipment. During the expedition, Napoleon famously issued a command: "Let the donkey and the scholar with the luggage walk in the middle of the procession." After the "Coup d'état of the Misty Moon" in 1799, France really entered the Napoleonic era, he rebuilt the disbanded Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, reorganized into the French Academy of Sciences and operated to this day, this period emerged Laplace, Lagranges, Monges, Sardi Cano, Fourier, Guy Lussack, Lamarck, Cuvier and a large number of dazzling scientific stars, becoming one of the most abundant scientific achievements in French history. So much so that today, more than two hundred years later, the French mathematical community still has a strong influence in the world.
On October 15, 1815, after more than two months of sailing, a British steamship finally approached its destination, St. Helena. As we all know, this small island of independence is Napoleon's final destination. Napoleon, who later slipped away from the masses and slid toward dictatorship, suffered the famous Waterloo fiasco, perhaps the inevitable fate. However, Napoleon still maintained the true color of pride in his heart. One day in captivity on a desert island, a group of loyal followers praised Napoleon's military genius in front of him, saying that he would be comparable to Alexander and Caesar and would live forever. Napoleon smiled indifferently: "My real glory is not that I have won more than forty battles, and the Battle of Waterloo has written off all the achievements." But there is one thing that will not be forgotten, and it will last forever, and that is my Civil Code. Yes, this epoch-making code, drafted and grasped by his own orders, and adopted only after 102 seminars (97 of which napoleon himself presided over) was the most precious spiritual legacy that Napoleon left to France and the whole world.
Napoleonic Code
Over the past two centuries, the Napoleonic Code has been amended several times and is still the law in force in France. Many of the countries he conquered were also profoundly influenced by this code in their later legislation. Luxembourg and Belgium still use it as their own codes, the Danish and Greek civil codes are modeled on it, and the civil codes of Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Brazil and other countries are clearly influenced by the Napoleonic Code. In the economic sphere, the Napoleonic Code has become a universal model for its legally guaranteed freedom of contract, the recognition of bills of exchange and other commercial papers, and the arrangement of the disposition of joint ventures. The root cause lies in the fact that it draws on the ideological connotations of the French Enlightenment and the basic principles advocated by the French Revolution. As a result, some even refer to Napoleon as the "father of modern Europe."
Propaganda talent
If Napoleon could still find opponents in the military (war) and political (national governance) fields among the commanders and leaders of the past and the present, his genius in propaganda could be described as an opponent. During Napoleon's short but illustrious career, he combined his propaganda genius with outstanding military and political prowess to play an unprecedented role. It can even be said that propaganda is sometimes no less effective than an infantry division. There is no doubt that Napoleon was the first propagandist to use the most advanced media of the time, and in the course of his expedition to Egypt, Napoleon founded the Egyptian Courier and the Egyptian Newspaper, with science and literature as the main content, because in his view, military conquest was only temporary, and cultural conquest could last. In 1798, Napoleon's fleet was completely annihilated by British Admiral Nelson, and the troops were trapped in Egypt. Worse still, he was completely unaware of the situation on the continent for 10 months. At a critical turning point in life, the propaganda media played an important role.
The following year, Napoleon, in the name of discussing the handling of prisoners of war, sent representatives to board the warships of Brigadier General Smith, a British navy transporting Turkish troops, hoping to get news about France. Lord Smith brought Napoleon a copy of the Frankfurter Zeitung of 10 June 1799. Napoleon read all night in the tabernacle and learned that, with the encouragement and patronage of The British, a new coalition had been formed again, that the French army had lost Italy, and that the French mainland was under siege by the anti-French alliance. It was this newspaper that made Napoleon immediately decide to leave thousands of troops and horses and set off for China. In August, Napoleon ventured back to Paris. In October, Napoleon, who returned home, was welcomed as a "hero". On November 9, Napoleon launched the "Mist Moon Coup" and became the first ruling and de facto ruler of the republic. Subsequently, Napoleon began to package himself with various propaganda means, and finally made himself a god.
Napoleon valued the artist, especially the painter, because the painter could best celebrate his great achievements and act as his propaganda mouthpiece. After the "Moon and Mist Coup", Napoleon uniquely reused the court painter David, who created a number of huge paintings for himself that have been passed down to future generations. For example, "The Coronation of Napoleon I" depicts Napoleon's coronation ceremony held at Notre Dame Cathedral in December 1804. As a rule, the crown of the emperor should be given by the pope to show the preponderance of the clerical power over the imperial power and the legitimacy of the imperial power. But Napoleon snatched the crown before the Pope wanted to put it on him, and put it on his head to show his disdain for ecclesiastical power. This caused great controversy at the time. Here, in order to reduce the dispute, David deliberately painted the scene of Napoleon, who had already worn a crown, wearing a crown to Empress Josephine. This way, it does not distort the facts, and it avoids offending dissidents, which can be described as well-intentioned.
David Painting: Coronation of Napoleon I
Another of David's masterpieces, Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard Pass in the Alps, recreates the scene in 1794 when Napoleon led an army of 40,000 men to the precipitous Alps, crossed the St. Bernard's Pass, and entered Italy. After Napoleon's army entered Italy, it took a month to defeat the Austrian army there, ending the war. The victory in this battle increased Napoleon's prestige and status, laying the foundation for his later rise to the pinnacle of power. After the Battle of Italy, King Charles IV of Spain ordered the painting to David. David arranged the figures on the steep slopes of the snow at the St. Bernard Pass, and the diminutive Napoleon mounted his horse. The gloomy sky, the treacherous terrain, and the red cloak add to the grandeur of the picture, rendering a heroic spirit. But it is said that Napoleon rode not a horse but a donkey when he climbed the mountain, and wore not a red cloak, but an ordinary military coat.
In addition to painting, Napoleon was also passionate about buildings and monuments. He believed that architects could help him build Paris into the most beautiful city. He was familiar with classical French drama and had a considerable understanding of ancient Greek theater. He also admired a famous tragic actor of the time, Talma, who gave him a generous bonus to pay off his debts, and often invited Talma to breakfast. Among the many artistic genres, Napoleon may have had the least interest in music, but after his return from Elba, he still found time in his busy schedule to award the honorary medal to the famous Italian composer Cherubini. Napoleon spared no effort in encouraging art and protecting artists. He set his sights on art, not only because of his own preferences, but also because he realized that art has a great publicity power, and realized that artists can make him famous for eternity.
Editor-in-Charge: Zang Jixian
Proofreader: Ding Xiao