Why somany people compare Napoleon Bonaparte to Hitler?

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pawelk1986
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11 Sep 2014, 12:27 pm

Napoleon spread in Europe progressive republican ideas, overthrew the kings, gave a semblance of democracy in place of absolutism. It is thanks to him precisely ideas of freedom brotherhood equality of the French Revolution became the cornerstone of the new Europe.



Kraichgauer
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11 Sep 2014, 9:00 pm

But Napoleon was also a megalomaniac who conquered his neighbors because he figured he knew what was best for them. And as French emperor, I don't see him ruling along the lines of a republic.


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naturalplastic
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12 Sep 2014, 4:52 am

What K said.

They were very comparable in some ways. But very much not comparable in others. Both almost conquered all of Europe, and plunged all of Europe into war.

But Napoleon was not a 20th Century style totalitarian dictator ala Hitler (or Stalin) who engaged in mass murder.



pawelk1986
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20 Sep 2014, 6:29 pm

naturalplastic wrote:
What K said.

They were very comparable in some ways. But very much not comparable in others. Both almost conquered all of Europe, and plunged all of Europe into war.

But Napoleon was not a 20th Century style totalitarian dictator ala Hitler (or Stalin) who engaged in mass murder.


He overthrown kings
and show that blue blooded aristocrats have red blood too.



ezbzbfcg2
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21 Sep 2014, 12:21 pm

pawelk1986 wrote:
He overthrown kings
and show that blue blooded aristocrats have red blood too.


He crowned himself Emperor. He tried to establish himself as the founder of a new royal lineage, a new blue blood, a new aristocrat. Don't believe me? Look up Napoleon II and Napoleon III.



Dersino
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23 Sep 2014, 12:42 am

I agree with Kraichgauer, Napoleon was an authoritarian leader who was responsible for the death of many millions of Europeans. He brought French ideas, which he considered of universal value, to every country he conquered, and he is admired by some for this. I think he is similar to many Roman emperors (in fact he would have relished this comparison)...