BattleFile: Battles, Warfare, Military History

Napoleon Bonaparte

If Wellington has become one of the most celebrated generals in British history, then surely Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most celebrated generals in European or even world history. Wellington owes a great deal of his reputation to having beaten Napoleon on the field of battle. Throughout his reign as Emperor of France and even before, Napoleon marched his troops into practically every capital city in Europe. So many extensive and exhaustive works have been written about his life that it would be pointless to try to produce a summary here. However, one important point should be made for anybody embarking on a study of the life of Napoleon. In the words of J.M. Thomson in the preface to his book, 'Napoleon Bonaparte',

'His most lasting monument is not the Arc de Triomphe or the flags at the Invalides, but the laws and institutions in which he adapted the ideas of 1789 to the traditions of the monarchy, and enabled France to survive three invasions and a century and a half of political unrest.'

It should also be noted that the 'Code Napoleon' remains the basis for French law.