I don't get the historical phenomenon of Napoleon.

I read biographies, watched documentaries and still don't get it.

How he, a small-time Italian noble, came to rule France, is something I eventually got. The post-revolution governments were in total shit shows and there was a widespread desire for a charismatic leader who could bring order and peace.

What I don't get is why Napoleon then waged war on what was the whole of Europe effectively -- and the populace then went along with it.

In Spain, he found himself bogged down in a never-ending guerrilla war against an initial ally.
The massive loss of resources in Egypt of all places, with the goal to then attack India of all places.
Attacking Russia, on horseback, in winter - won't even comment on that one.

All seems like the fever dream of someone who played too many Paradox games and just wanted to paint the whole map French. There were no open hostilities, no racial or religious motivation for France to go this far, to lose this many men. And for the French populace to go along with all of this.

>>17766844 (OP)
Because the french wanted a strong leader after a decade of chaos, misery and infighting. Napoleon managed to build an image of himself as one and gave it to the french.

>>17766844 (OP)
Because fuck Germans okay???

>>17766870
they were a clusterfuck of microstates hating their neighbours more than they hated france, not a threat.

in fact, Napoleon basically created German nationalism by replacing their old nobles with somewhat competent and energetic leaders.

>>17766844 (OP)
>waged war on what was the whole of Europe effectively -- and the populace then went along with it.
That's why you don't get it, you were tricked by anglo propaganda that all the wars being something he started. Napoleon wasn't looking for every war, most of the wars were started by Britain and her allies, granted he welcomed them cause they further entrenched his power. However, the two most disastrous of Napoleon's wars, the Peninsular War and the invasion of Russia, were both started by him.

>>17766870
Agree

He had aura and he farmed it.

>>17766844 (OP)
>>All seems like the fever dream of someone who played too many Paradox games and just wanted to paint the whole map French.
A lot of the time his thoughts do remind me of that.

>I took Moscow, you have to peace out now ok? why won't they peace out when I took the capital?
>I carpet sieged spain why aren't they accepting the peace?

>>17766844 (OP)
Napoleon was the vengeance against the plebs sent by the monarchs of Europe.

>>17766844 (OP)
Napoleon was a megalomaniac, all his decissions are pretty insane and the only people that worship him are clueless morons or idiots. If he died in 1808 before the Spanish fuckery and Talleyrand took over France would have being the dominant power in the XIX century

>>17766902
This.
You’re retarded, OP.

>>17766844 (OP)
>why Napoleon then waged war on what was the whole of Europe effectively
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Pillnitz
also the
>invade russia in le winter
meme needs to die, no one ever did that, all invasions of russian begin in the spring naturally with the campaign season, its just that russia is so massive the armies get bogged down and then fucked when winter hits, the russians actually count on this several times to save their nation
but no one ever is "invading russia in the winter"

>>17766844 (OP)

>be foreign mutt, but still from rich family so can go into the military/gov
>go to france to be soldier because state does everything for you
>get rich sponsors because always good to have soldiers in your pocket
>france revolts
>gov needs soldiers to do heinous shit
>napoleon steps in to fire cannons at protestors
>gov very happy to have their own little enforcer
>doing the govs will no matter what plus rich sponsors that can prop him up = everyone involved gets more powerful
>revolution fucks up entire system, anarchy
>napoleon already brought up high through internal war takes over the country
>like all fascism, it can only exist in a state of war, so continues war for the next decade until he's put down

There.

>>17768452
>so continues war for the next decade
No, not there lol.

>rapidly rise through the ranks in a country in the grips of political chaos during one of the most significant and disruptive events in european history
>stage a coup, install yourself as leader
>get war declared on you 500 times
>win
>declare wars to try stop everyone being able to declare war on you 500 times
>win again
>"wow, I'm invicible"
>declare one too many wars
>lose

>"hey that napoleon guy was pretty huh?"
>"yeah, crazy times"
>british screeching about nobody caring about nelson or wellington half as much in the difference
simple enough

You can always tell which posts are from underage Paradox Video Game players because they worship him as the greatest man to ever live, and which posts are from crying bongs because they try to call him proto-hitler.

>>17766844 (OP)
>small-time Italian noble
He was not Italian, he was a Corsican that spoke Ligurian. There was no Italian nation during his life.

>>17766844 (OP)
French politics has always been driven by emotional outbursts of the public, never anything rational

>>17768696
>to call him proto-hitler.
He wasn't a proto hitler but he was a despot and a tyrant. It is basically impossible to defend what he did in Spain

>>17768783
>a despot and a tyrant
Who maintained the republican zeal of the revolution while also curbing its excesses in a time of absolute monarchs and petty kings
>basically impossible to defend what he did in Spain
He put down an incompetent and treacherous dynasty to install a more liberal monarchy that would've exported the rights and ideals of the revolution, while also constantly fending off geurilla bandits that dressed as civilians and committed atrocities to isolated French soldiers

>>17768796
>>17768796
>Who maintained the republican zeal of the revolution
Yes by signing a concordat with the pope, stablish back the power of the aristocracy and restablishing the monarchy (himself being on top)
>He put down an incompetent and treacherous dynasty to install a more liberal monarchy that would've exported the rights and ideals of the revolution, while also constantly fending off geurilla bandits that dressed as civilians and committed atrocities to isolated French soldiers
So you only have copium. Spain was basically the most enlightened and progressive monarchy in all of Europe by the way, Joseph wasn't much more liberal than Godoy or Urquijo. The guerrilla in Spain poped up after a coup d'etat executed by Napoleon in the most treacherous, nepotistic and unhonorable way possible and unironically justifying the invasion due a normal reaction is pretty insane