Tolstoy about Napoleon

What did Leo Tolstoy think and write about Napoleon?


Leo Tolstoy had a complex and ambivalent view of Napoleon Bonaparte. On the one hand, he was impressed by Napoleon's military genius and his ability to inspire others. On the other hand, he was deeply critical of Napoleon's egomania and his disregard for human life.

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy portrays Napoleon as a short, stout man with a springy walk. He is exaggeratedly self-confident, regarding his own will as the most important thing in the world. Napoleon is also shown to be a ruthless leader who is willing to sacrifice the lives of his soldiers in order to achieve his goals.

Tolstoy's view of Napoleon was shaped by his own philosophy of history. He believed that history is not made by great men, but by the combined actions of millions of ordinary people. In his essay The 1805 Campaign, Tolstoy argues that Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz was not due to his own genius, but to the mistakes of the Austrian and Russian commanders.

Tolstoy's view of Napoleon was also influenced by his own personal experiences. He served in the Russian army during the Crimean War, and he saw firsthand the horrors of war. This experience led him to believe that war is a senseless and destructive enterprise.

In his later years, Tolstoy became increasingly critical of Napoleon. He saw Napoleon as a symbol of the evils of power and the dangers of self-aggrandizement. In his essay What I Believe, Tolstoy writes:

"Napoleon was a man of great intelligence and energy, but he was also a man of great ambition and egotism. He was willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of people in order to achieve his own goals. He was a tyrant and a murderer, and he should not be admired."

Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is complex and nuanced. He was both impressed and disgusted by Napoleon, and he ultimately saw him as a symbol of the dangers of power.

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Leo Tolstoy had a complex and ambivalent view of Napoleon Bonaparte. On the one hand, he was fascinated by Napoleon's military genius and his ability to inspire loyalty in his followers. On the other hand, he deeply distrusted Napoleon's ambition and his willingness to use violence to achieve his goals.

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy portrays Napoleon as a short, stout man with a springy walk. He is also described as being exaggeratedly self-confident, regarding his own will as the most important thing in the world. Tolstoy also shows Napoleon to be a ruthless and calculating leader, who is willing to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve his goals.

However, Tolstoy also acknowledges that Napoleon was a product of his time and place. He was born into a society that glorified war and conquest, and he was surrounded by people who believed that he was a great man. In this sense, Tolstoy sees Napoleon as a victim of history, rather than a villain.

Ultimately, Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is one of mixed emotions. He is both fascinated and repelled by Napoleon's personality, and he sees him as both a product of his time and a victim of history. This complex view of Napoleon is one of the things that makes War and Peace such a powerful and insightful novel.

Here are some specific quotes from War and Peace that illustrate Tolstoy's view of Napoleon:

"Napoleon was a man of very limited capacity and understanding, and the only thing that distinguished him from the average run of people was his extraordinary self-confidence."
"Napoleon was a slave of history, and he was unable to control the events that were unfolding around him."
"Napoleon was a brilliant military strategist, but he was also a ruthless and calculating leader who was willing to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve his goals."
Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is still relevant today. It challenges us to think critically about the role of great men in history, and it reminds us that even the most powerful leaders are ultimately subject to the forces of history.
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Leo Tolstoy had a complex and ambivalent view of Napoleon Bonaparte. On the one hand, he admired Napoleon's military genius and his ability to inspire his troops. On the other hand, he was deeply critical of Napoleon's ambition, his disregard for human life, and his belief in his own destiny.

In his novel War and Peace, Tolstoy portrays Napoleon as a short, stout man with a springy walk and an exaggerated sense of self-confidence. He is shown to be a brilliant strategist and tactician, but he is also portrayed as a ruthless and ambitious leader who is willing to sacrifice the lives of his soldiers for his own personal gain.

Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is also influenced by his philosophy of history. In his essay The Meaning of History, Tolstoy argues that history is not made by great men, but by the actions of millions of ordinary people. He sees Napoleon as a product of his time and place, and he argues that Napoleon's victories were not due to his own genius, but to the circumstances of the times.

In the end, Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is one of both admiration and contempt. He sees Napoleon as a brilliant leader who was capable of great things, but he also sees him as a ruthless tyrant who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people.

Here are some quotes from Tolstoy's writings about Napoleon:

"Napoleon was a great man only because millions of men submitted to his will."
"Napoleon was not a free man; he was the slave of history."
"Napoleon was a man of genius, but he was also a man of evil."
Tolstoy's view of Napoleon is still debated today. Some historians agree with Tolstoy's assessment of Napoleon as a product of his time and place, while others believe that Napoleon was a truly great man who made his own destiny.