Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the greatest captains in history, was defeated in Saxony, at the Battle of Leipzig, on this day in 1813, 205 years ago. That battle led to his abdication and his first exile on the Island of Elba.  He eventually died on Saint Helena, May of 1821.

In July 1793, Bonaparte published a pro-republican pamphlet entitled Le souper de Beaucaire (Supper at Beaucaire) which gained him the support of Augustin Robespierre, younger brother of the Revolutionary leader Maximillian Robespierre. With the help of his fellow Corsican Antoine Christophe Saliceti, Bonaparte was appointed artillery commander of the republican forces at the Siege of Toulon. His unparalleled career started with the siege of Toulon and his remarkable effort to bring artillery into position to bombard the British fleet. He adopted a plan to capture a hill where republican guns could dominate the city’s harbor and force the British to evacuate. The assault on the position led to the capture of the city, but during it Bonaparte was wounded in the thigh. He was promoted to brigadier general at the age of 24. Catching the attention of the Committee of Public Safety, he was put in charge of the artillery of France’s Army of Italy. What is often forgotten are the progressive reforms of Napoleon, the end to the bloodshed in France promulgated by the Revolution, the Code Napoleon and the idea of a unified Europe! He was one of the most brilliant commanders in history.

Napoleon has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolizes military genius and political power. Martin van Creveld described him as “the most competent human being who ever lived.” Since his death, many towns, streets, ships, and even cartoon characters have been named after him. He has been portrayed in hundreds of films and discussed in hundreds of thousands of books and articles Napoleon instituted various reforms, such as higher education, a tax code, road and sewer systems, and established the Banque de France, the first central bank in French history. He negotiated the Concordat of 1801 with the Catholic Church, which sought to reconcile the mostly Catholic population to his regime. It was presented alongside the Organic Articles, which regulated public worship in France. He dissolved the Holy Roman Empire prior to German Unification later in the 19th century. The sale of the Louisiana Territory to the United States doubled the size of the United States.

In May 1802, he instituted the Legion of Honor, a substitute for the old royalist decorations and orders of chivalry, to encourage civilian and military achievements; the order is still the highest decoration in France. Napoleon’s set of civil laws, the Code Civil—now often known as the Napoleonic Code—was prepared by committees of legal experts under the supervision of Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, the Second Consul. Napoleon participated actively in the sessions of the Council of State that revised the drafts. The development of the code was a fundamental change in the nature of the civil law legal system with its stress on clearly written and accessible law. Other codes (“Les cinq codes”) were commissioned by Napoleon to codify criminal and commerce law; a Code of Criminal Instruction was published, which enacted rules of due process. The Napoleonic code was adopted throughout much of Continental Europe, though only in the lands he conquered, and remained in force after Napoleon’s defeat. Napoleon said: “My true glory is not to have won forty battles … Waterloo will erase the memory of so many victories. … But … what will live forever, is my Civil Code”. The Code influences a quarter of the world’s jurisdictions such as that of in Continental Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Probably without the leadership of Horatio Nelson, the Napoleonic domination of Europe would have been complete!  Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, was one of the greatest “Captains” in history. At his death, at age 47, in 1805, he was 1st Viscount Nelson and the 1st Duke of Bronté KB. As one of the greatest British flag officers. in the history of the Royal Navy, he was noted for his inspirational leadership, superb grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, which together resulted in a number of decisive naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was wounded several times in combat, losing the sight in one eye in Corsica and most of one arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. There is a wonderful book in my library, entitled “Trafalgar: The Nelson Touch,” by David Howarth. Of course his famous command, many times repeated was, his signal to the Fleet, “England expects every man to do his duty!” One can also view on Turner Classic Movies, the wonderful film, about Nelson, “That Hamilton Women” with the great Laurence Olivier and the beautiful and vivacious actress, Vivien Leigh. I was able to finally get a great porcelain bust of Nelson for my collection. It is pictured below!