Napoleon Part 4: The Emperor Strikes Back
Real Dictators
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Napoleon Is Turning the French Republic on Its Head
Napoleon is now aspiring to be all that he once despised. The utter hypocrisy has not lost on his fan club. Some, including Ludwig van Beethoven, rip up their memberships. But the move is approved by a public vote of 3.5 million to just 2,500 in what is a shockingly low turnout. It's entirely contradictory, of course, to the Republican revolutionary ideals. On a practical level, it can be argued Napoleon is simply giving himself the status and prestige that will allow him to be taken seriously by the other great powers.
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