Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes
It is the success which makes great men.
Bonaparte, Napoleon. Political Aphorisms, Moral and Philosophical Thoughts of the Emperor Napoleon. Edited by G. de Liancourt, T.C. Newby, 1848.
He was referring to the fact that many great men had early views that people find shocking because they are so unexpected based on their mature writings or speeches. But most great men develop personally and intellectually over their career. As an example, see {616330} for an early racist, prejudiced view of Negro laborers.
Napoléon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader of Corsican descent. He rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. He remains one of the most celebrated and controversial political figures in human history.
