Napoleon Bonaparte Great Man or Mere Tool?

Reading through "War and Peace", the monumental novel by Leo Tolstoy, we find the basis of a theory of history that supposes that "great men" are mere pawns of historical movements. Tolstoy goes so far as to say that Napoleon was less free with his destiny than any of his soldiers, and that the invasion of Russia that ultimately brought about his downfall was an inevitable movement of peoples, in an unavoidable conflict.

This theory borders on the Marxist notion of the inevitability of historical developments. It is the belief that history flows inexorably forward toward some end, and is fueled by the cumulative desires of people. Tolstoy makes the outrageous claim that had Napoleon declined to fight the battle of Borodino that his own men would have deposed and killed him and then attacked the Russians on their own initiative because this is what they were destined to do.

Although there was likely extreme logistical pressure as well as expectations placed upon Napoleon to swiftly conclude his war with Russia, he certainly could and did direct the movement of his armies. It would seem obvious that his men would have obeyed his orders had they been to attack some other country instead of Russia, or for that matter had the Emperor of the French instead decided to march the vast forces he had assembled into Spain instead (to deal with the festering problem there), he might easily have done so.

They say hindsight is 20/20, and history only appears inevitable in retrospect (unless you are a devout Marxist, of course - in which case even the future is deemed inevitable). However, great figures of history do have a say in their destiny, as well as that of whole nations. No doubt this is tempered by the desires of the masses who must acquiesce somewhat in the direction pointed out by a leader.

There is no question that Napoleon made a monumental mistake in invading Russia in 1812. Perhaps he got a bit too full of himself. Going after Russia merely because the Russians would not strictly adhere to a blockade of Great Britain does seem rather rash. It made Alexander, the Russian Emperor, an implacable enemy. Napoleon's forces became so weakened that he was finally forced to surrender after a series of battles where he fought brilliantly, but simply ran out of men.

He was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, tried to make a comeback in 1815, but was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo. The British took him to the Island of St. Helena where the great Napoleon likely died of stomach cancer, but some still believe his death was from arsenic poisoning at the hand of a jealous courtier.

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