Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

Emperor of the French Emperor of the French ( French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First French Empire and the Second French Empire. The emperor of France was an absolute monarch. Details After rising to power by ...

, has become a worldwide

cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an cultural artifact, artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen ...

generally associated with tactical brilliance, ambition, and

political power In political science, power is the ability to influence or direct the actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another, but may also be exerted thro ...

. His distinctive features and costume have made him a very recognisable figure in popular culture. Few men in

human history Human history or world history is the record of humankind from prehistory to the present. Early modern human, Modern humans evolved in Africa around 300,000 years ago and initially lived as hunter-gatherers. They Early expansions of hominin ...

have elicited both as much hatred and admiration, and have divided opinion so much. From the beginnings of his military and political career, by seizing power through the

coup of 18 Brumaire The Coup of 18 Brumaire () brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power as First Consul of the French First Republic. In the view of most historians, it ended the French Revolution and would soon lead to the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of the Fr ...

(

1799 Events January–March * January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. * January ...

), Napoleon inscribed himself in the grand historical narrative of modernity and in the memory of men through a tumultuous and exceptional destiny. His meteoric rise, initially achieved through victorious military conquests, the unprecedented scale of his final defeats, as well as his two exiles, have made this major figure in the

history of France The first written records for the history of France appeared in the Iron Age France, Iron Age. What is now France made up the bulk of the region known to the Romans as Gaul. Greek writers noted the presence of three main ethno-linguistic grou ...

and Europe a legendary character. He has been portrayed in many works of fiction, his depiction varying greatly with the author's perception of the historical character. On the one hand, Napoleon has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolises military genius and political power. For example, in the 1927 film '' Napoléon'', young general Bonaparte is portrayed as a heroic visionary. On the other hand, he has often been reduced to a

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...

and has frequently been depicted as a short and "petty tyrant", sometimes comically so.

Origin and construction of the Napoleonic myth

Napoleon Bonaparte is the primary architect of his own legend. In his work "''Napoléon journaliste''," writes: "Bonaparte, and later Napoleon, directed all the publicity at his disposal solely towards himself and for his exclusive benefit". From the First Italian Campaign in 1797, he established propaganda in his favor by publishing bulletins in Italy intended to glorify his military actions and influence public opinion. On July 20, the "Courier of the Army of Italy" appeared, followed on August 10 by "France as Seen by the Army of Italy," and in Paris, the "Journal of Bonaparte and Virtuous Men," which was published under the initiative of his brothers

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

and Lucien on February 19, 1797. In these publications, he highlighted his actions and commented on the political situation in France. They included dithyrambic epigraphs such as: in the Courier, "Bonaparte flies like lightning and strikes like thunder. He is everywhere and sees everything; he is the envoy of the great nation," and in the Journal of Bonaparte: "

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

slept in

Capua Capua ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, located on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etruscan ''Capeva''. The ...

, but the active Bonaparte does not sleep in

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

". These newspapers and the propaganda they spread in France helped distinguish Bonaparte from other generals of the Republic and contributed to the rise of his popularity in public opinion. Maurice Duverger emphasizes the importance of the propaganda orchestrated by Napoleon, the parades, and celebrations surrounding his victories in the functioning of his regime: the people and courtiers repeated that the rain would stop and the sun would appear when he showed himself. "Napoleon continues to fascinate all theorists of political power; is it not because his dictatorship appears singularly modern? His authority takes on a charismatic character that aligns with our modern

cult of personality A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader,Cas Mudde, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create ...

." This cult is widely propagated by the soldiers of the

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

, who rely on the emperor in the most difficult moments, but also by the clergy, who, from the

Concordat of 1801 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...

, present Napoleon as the envoy of providence.

Fine art

Art contributes to the Napoleonic legend during the emperor's lifetime through propaganda paintings, sculptures, engravings, or prints by artists such as

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

or Antoine-Jean Gros, among others. Paintings created after Napoleon's life, or even long after his death, mostly express a nostalgia for France under Napoleon. For example, Édouard Detaille's "The Dream" (which is now in the ''

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) () is a museum in Paris, France, on the Rive Gauche, Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts railway station built from 1898 to 1900. The museum holds mai ...

'' in Paris) depicted in a highly patriotic allegory French soldiers from 1870 sleeping, with the distant memory of the victorious Grande Armée in the clouds. This type of painting, showing nostalgia for a victorious and united France, is one of the foundations of the Napoleonic legend, as they all visually represent the increasingly distant memory of a mythical France.

Literature, theatre, and film

' The Memorial of Saint Helena,' a masterpiece of propaganda first published in 1823 (after Napoleon's death in 1821) by Emmanuel de Las Cases, revives the golden legend and lays the foundations of

Bonapartism Bonapartism () is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used in the narrow sense to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In ...

. Famous novelist

Honoré de Balzac Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly ; ; born Honoré Balzac; 20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence ''La Comédie humaine'', which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is ...

illustrates the admiration of the French and many Europeans by writing in "A Conversation Between Eleven O'Clock and Midnight," an excerpt from "Contes Bruns": "Who will ever explain, depict, or understand Napoleon? A man represented with his arms folded, and who did everything, who was the greatest force ever known, the most concentrated, the most mordant, the most acid of all forces; a singular genius who carried armed civilization in every direction without fixing it anywhere; a man who could do everything because he willed everything; a prodigious phenomenon of will, conquering an illness by a battle, and yet doomed to die of disease in bed after living in the midst of ball and bullets; a man with a code and a sword in his brain, word and deed; a clear-sighted spirit that foresaw everything but his own fall; a capricious politician who risked men by handfuls out of economy, and who spared three heads—those of Talleyrand, of Pozzo de Borgo, and of

Metternich Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ( ; 15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich () or Prince Metternich, was a Germans, German statesman and diplomat in the service of the Austrian ...

, diplomatists whose death would have saved the French Empire, and who seemed to him of greater weight than thousands of soldiers; a man to whom nature, as a rare privilege, had given a heart in a frame of bronze; mirthful and kind at midnight amid women, and next morning manipulating Europe as a young girl might amuse herself by splashing water in her bath! Hypocritical and generous; loving tawdriness and simplicity; devoid of taste, but protecting the arts; and in spite of these antitheses, really great in everything by instinct or by temperament;

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

at five-and-twenty, Cromwell at thirty; and then, like my grocer buried in Père Lachaise, a good husband and a good father. In short, he improvised public works, empires, kings, codes, verses, a romance—and all with more range than precision. Did he not aim at making all Europe France? And after making us weigh on the earth in such a way as to change the laws of gravitation, he left us poorer than on the day when he first laid hands on us; while he, who had taken an empire by his name, lost his name on the frontier of his empire in a sea of blood and soldiers. A man all thought and all action, who comprehended Desaix and Fouché."

The Count of Monte Cristo

Napoleon plays an indirect yet utterly important part in

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

' novel ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...

''. The novel starts in 1815 with Napoleon exiled on the island of

Elba Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...

. Here we learn that he hands a letter to the protagonist

Edmond Dantès Edmond Dantès () is a title character, Byronic hero and the protagonist of Alexandre Dumas's 1844 adventure novel ''The Count of Monte Cristo''. Within the story's narrative, Dantès is an intelligent, honest and loving man who turns bitter and ...

to give to one of his chief (fictional) supporters in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

- Noirtier De Villefort, the president of a Bonapartist club. Dantès is unaware that Villefort is an agent of the exiled Emperor and that the letter Napoleon handed him contained instructions and plans about Napoleon's planned return to Paris. Dantès' rivals include Mr. Danglars, his long-time unspoken rival and shipmate, who first reports Dantès to the authorities as a Bonapartist, and Gérard De Villefort, the opportunistic son of Noirtier and staunch royalist, who, in order to protect his father from being outed as a Bonapartist, burns the letter and uses its former existence to frame Dantès and have him imprisoned in the Château d'If until his escape after 14 years and seeks vengeance upon those who wronged him.

Doctor Who

Napoleon features prominently in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' '' Past Doctor Adventure'' '' World Game'', in which the

Second Doctor The Second Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Patrick Troughton. Out of his 1 ...

must avert a plot to change history so that Napoleon is victorious. In an alternate timeline created by the assassination of the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

prior to Waterloo, Napoleon is persuaded to march on to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

after the victory at Waterloo, but he dies shortly afterwards, his empire having become so overextended that the various countries collapse back into the separate nations they were before, thus degenerating into a state of perpetual warfare. (This situation is made worse due to the intervention of the Doctor's old enemies the Players). In 2013, Applied Mechanics produced ''Vainglorious'', an epic, 26-actor immersive performance with Mary Tuomanen portraying Napoleon. Depictions of Napoleon in literature include: * Stanley from ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'' invokes the

Napoleonic Code The Napoleonic Code (), officially the Civil Code of the French (; simply referred to as ), is the French civil code established during the French Consulate in 1804 and still in force in France, although heavily and frequently amended since i ...

while speaking with Blanche. * The pig in ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

'' who wrests control of Jones's farm from the other animals and becomes a tyrant is named

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. * Julien Sorel from '' The Red and the Black'' by Stendhal has to hide a portrait of Napoleon. * ''Vengeance Is Mine'' (1899) by Andrew Balfour is a novel revolving around Napoleon's exploits during the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

and the Battle of Waterloo.Daniel D. McGarry, Sarah Harriman White, ''Historical Fiction Guide: Annotated Chronological, Geographical, and Topical List of Five Thousand Selected Historical Novels''. Scarecrow Press, New York, 1963 (p.255-270) * Moreton Hall's novel ''General George'' (1903) focuses on the Pichegru Conspiracy plot to assassinate Napoleon. * ''The Thunderer'' (1927) by L. Adams Beck (writing as "E. Barrington") is a historical novel revolving around the romance between Napoleon and Joséphine. * ''

St Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

'' (1936) by R. C. Sherriff * ''So Great A Man'' (1937) by "David Pilgrim" (a pseudonym for John Palmer and Hilary St George Saunders) depicts Napoleon's life in the years 1808–1809. * In Thomas B. Costain's

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...

''The Last Love'' (1963), a dying Napoleon, banished to

St. Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

, tells his story to his lone companion, a girl who acts as his English translator. * Napoleon is an important character in

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...

's ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...

'', where considerable space is devoted to Tolstoy's interpretation of his historical role. He consequently also appears in the adaptations and films of this novel, listed in the following section. * Napoleon appears briefly in the first section of

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

's ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'', and is extensively referenced in later sections. * Noel B. Gerson's novel ''Emperor's Ladies'' (1959) focuses on Napoleon's marriage to

Marie Louise of Austria Marie Louise (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Theresia Josepha Lucia; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French a ...

. *

Bernard Cornwell Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his long-running series of novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also writ ...

's novel '' Sharpe's Devil'' features a meeting between Napoleon and the fictional Richard Sharpe. * He is featured in the

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

'' Eikou no Napoleon – Eroica'', written by manga artist Riyoko Ikeda. * C. S. Forester's '' Hornblower'' series of novels are mostly set during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, in particular book 9 of the series, ''Commodore Hornblower'' focusing on the

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the Continenta ...

and the subsequent defence of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

from the period of 1812 onwards, and book 10 Lord Hornblower dealing with events in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

up to the defeat of Napoleon by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo. * Napoleon is a main character in

Ruth McKenney Ruth Marguerite McKenney (November 18, 1911 – July 25, 1972) was an American author and journalist, best remembered for ''My Sister Eileen'', a memoir of her experiences growing up in Ohio and moving to Greenwich Village with her sister Eileen ...

's novel ''Mirage'' (1956), set during the campaign in Egypt. * Napoleon is one of the two main characters in Simon Scarrow's ''The Revolution Quartet'', which details Napoleon's life from his birth to his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo alongside that of Arthur Wellesley's. * In an '' Archie'' comic story featuring Jughead Jones, he is inadvertently transported by ambulance to a mental hospital. At first he protests, but relents upon hearing how well the patients are fed. When a nurse asks for his name, he replies "Napoleon Bonaparte." A later update changed this to him saying "You know who I am, Sonic! I am the genius, Dr. Robotnik!" * H. Beam Piper's short story '' He Walked Around the Horses'' features a parallel universe in which both the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

and the French Revolution were suppressed. Consequently, Napoleon does not rise to power and the Napoleonic Wars never take place. In 1809, he is described by a British general named Sir Arthur Wellesley as being a Colonel of Artillery in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

and a brilliant tactician whose loyalty to the

French monarchy France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

has never been questioned. * The collection '' If, or History Rewritten'' assembles numerous

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

essays written in the first four decades of the 20th century. Napoleon has varying roles in many of them. * Elvira Woodruff's ''Dear Napoleon, I Know You're Dead, But...'' ( Holiday House, 1992), illus. Noah and Jess Woodruff is a novel about a boy who writes letters to Napoleon. *

Harry Turtledove Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed his ...

's ''Alternate Generals'' anthology series have at least two stories based on the idea of Napoleon emigrating during the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...

. In volume 1's ''The Last Crusader'' by Bill Fawcett, he joined the

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

and became a Cardinal in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

; by the early 1810s he is a spiritual leader of the Allies who seek to overthrow the French Republic. In volume 2's ''Empire'' by William Sanders, he formed an independent Empire based in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

; with his lieutenants

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

and

Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...

he fights a valiant but doomed war against the British, vaguely analogous to the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. * Napoleon is a character in ''Treason's Tide'' by Robert Wilton, published in February 2013 by Corvus, an imprint of Atlantic Books; it is set during the summer of 1805. This novel was originally issued in June 2011 as ''The Emperor's Gold''. * In the alternate history novel ''Napoleon in America'' (2014) by Shannon Selin, Napoleon escapes from St. Helena and winds up in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1821. * '' Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'' by Susanna Clarke takes place partially during the Napoleonic Wars, and features Jonathan Strange fighting in Spain, and also plaguing Napoleon with nightmares. Lord Wellington also plays a large part in this novel. * Javier Sierra's novel ''La Pirámide Inmortal'' deals with an apocryphal story about Napoleon spending a whole night in the

Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom. Built , over a period of about 26 years ...

. * Mary "Jacky" Faber, in the ''Bloody Jack'' series of novels, meets Napoleon in '' My Bonny Light Horseman'', having infiltrated Napoleon's armies as a British spy. * Napoleon appears as a minor character in the

Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...

novel ''The Icy Touch''. * In ''The Queen's Fortune: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty that Outlived the Empire'' (2020), by Allison Pataki, Napoleon plays a prominent role in the story of his first fiancée, Désirée Clary. * In ''Grandville'' (2009-2014) by Bryan Talbot, France won the Napoleonic Wars and invaded

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, and the world is populated mostly by

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animals. Britain eventually regains its independence after a long campaign of civil disobedience and anarchist bombings, the Bonaparte Dynasty rules the empire until Emperor Napoleon XII is killed by Detective Inspector Archibald LeBrock of

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

when he discovers the Emperor is part of a conspiracy to reconquer Britain in order to steal its oil. In film: * '' The Furies'': T.C. likens himself to Napoleon and keeps a bust of him in his office. * '' The Swan'': Beatrix is mortified to find Napoleon's name on Nicolas's blackboard; he later proposes a toast to Napoleon.

Computer and video games

* The campaigns of Napoleon have been depicted in the sixth installment of the ''

Total War Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all (including civilian-associated) resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilises all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare ov ...

'' series, '' Napoleon: Total War''. Players have a chance to follow Napoleon's

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, Egyptian, or Russian campaigns. * Napoleon is featured in '' Assassin's Creed Unity'' as a supporting character. He also appears as the main antagonist in its downloadable content mission, ''Dead Kings''. * Napoleon is a frequently used leader representing the French civilisation in the ''

Civilization A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of state (polity), the state, social stratification, urban area, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyon ...

'' series. * Napoleon appears in ''

Scribblenauts ''Scribblenauts'' is a series of Action game, action Puzzle video game, puzzle video games primarily developed by independent studio 5th Cell. The series is owned and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The first game in the seri ...

'' and its sequels as someone the player can summon. * The first expansion pack to '' Europa Universalis III'', ''Napoleon's Ambition'', bears his name and expands the game to cover his whole reign. * The game '' Mount & Blade: Warband'' features an expansion pack called ''Napoleonic Wars'' where the player can compete online as a soldier from one of many countries involved in the Napoleonic Wars. * Napoleon appears in the mobile game '' Fate/Grand Order'' as an Archer-class servant. * ''Napoleon'' is a real-time strategy game that was released in 2001 for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

. It was one of the console's launch titles in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and only saw international release in

under the title ''L'Aigle de Guerre''. * Napoleon appears in the mobile visual novel game ''Ikemen Vampire'' by Cybird as one of the dateable characters. * Napoleon appears in ''

Psychonauts ''Psychonauts'' is a 2005 platformer, platform game developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Majesco Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, Xbox (console), Xbox and PlayStation 2. Set in a Retrofuturism, retro-futuristic version of t ...

''. In the game, he is portrayed as a figment of his descendant Fred's mind. He manifests within Fred's mind annoyed that Fred is a Bonaparte yet can't win a simple war game, and forces Fred to play until Raz helps him win. * Napoleon is featured in the 2018 role-playing game '' The Council'' as a supporting character. * Napoleon appears in the 2012 3DS game '' Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure'' as the overarching antagonist of the story. * Empoleon, a Pokémon introduced in the 2006

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

game '' Pokémon Diamond and Pearl'', is named after Napoleon in multiple languages. * The Spy from ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' (''TF2'') is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation in 2007. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video g ...

'' has a cosmetic item based on

's bicorne called Napoleon Complex.

Culinary

* Beef Napoleon * Bigarreau Napoleon

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...

* Bonaparte's Ribs, an early 19th-century English lollipop * Eggplant Napoleon * Napoléons *

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

-based food brokerage and import firm The Napoleon Compan

Film, radio and television

Film

* '' 1812 (1912 film), 1812'' (1912), played by Pavel Knorr * '' The Battle of Waterloo'' (1913), played by Ernest Batley * '' Napoléon'' (1927), played by Albert Dieudonné * '' Napoleon at Saint Helena'' (1929), played by Werner Krauss * ''

'' (1934), played by Paul Irving * '' Invitation to the Waltz'' (1935), played by Esme Percy * '' Hearts Divided'' (1936), played by

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

* '' A Royal Divorce'' (1938), played by Pierre Blanchar * ''

Conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

'' (1938), played by

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

* '' The Fire Devil'' (1940), played by Erich Ponto * '' The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942), played by Herbert Lom * '' Kutuzov'' (1943), played by Semyon Mezhinsky * '' Kolberg'' (1945), played by Charles Schauten * '' Napoleone'' (1951), played by

Renato Rascel Renato Ranucci (; 27 April 1912 – 2 January 1991), known by the stage name Renato Rascel (), was an Italian film actor and singer. He appeared in 50 films between 1942 and 1972. He represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 with t ...

* '' Scaramouche'' (1952), played by Aram Katcher (uncredited) * '' Désirée'' (1954), played by

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

was impressed by Brando's interpretation of Napoleon, praising on ''

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' is the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968 – January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesday ...

'' that, " t I think, was immeasurably the best ever Napoleon ..I have ever seen. Simply marvelous, simply because of his own particular quality of being so easy, so easily bringing a sense of genius to a character who was a genius." * ''

'' (1955), played by Daniel Gélin and Raymond Pellegrin * ''

Napoleon Bunny-Part ''Napoleon Bunny-Part'' is a 1956 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The shot was released on June 16, 1956, and stars Bugs Bunny. In this film, Bugs Bunny's opponent is Napoleon. Bugs disguise himself as Empress ...

'' (1956): Napoleon (voiced by Mel Blanc) matches wits with

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

. * ''

'' (1956), played by Herbert Lom * '' The Story of Mankind'' (1957), played by Dennis Hopper * '' Austerlitz'' (1960), played by Pierre Mondy * ''

'' (1968), played by Vladislav Strzhelchik * '' Waterloo'' (1970), played by

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger ( ; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associ ...

* '' Eagle in a Cage'' (1972), played by Kenneth Haigh * '' Love and Death'' (1975), played by James Tolkan * '' The Loves and Times of Scaramouche'' (1976), played by Aldo Maccione * ''

Time Bandits ''Time Bandits'' is a 1981 British fantasy adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars David Rappaport, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael ...

'' (1981), played by

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor. After graduating from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and beginning his career on the British stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he became a ...

* '' Adieu Bonaparte'' (1985), played by

Patrice Chéreau Patrice Chéreau (; ; 2 November 1944 – 7 October 2013) was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer. In France he is best known for his work for the theatre, internationally for his films '' La Reine Margot'' and ''I ...

* '' Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story'' (1987), played by Armand Assante * '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' (1989), played by

Terry Camilleri Terrance Camilleri (born 7 November 1949) is a Maltese-born Australian actor who has performed actively in both the United Kingdom and United States. He is best recognised for portraying Emperor Napoleon I in the blockbuster comedy film '' Bi ...

* '' Quills'' (2000), played by Ron Cook * '' The Emperor's New Clothes'' (2001), played by Ian Holm * ''

'' (2002), played by Alex Norton * '' Monsieur N.'' (2003), played by Philippe Torreton * '' Napoleon and Me'' (2006), played by

Daniel Auteuil Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Fest ...

* '' Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' (2009), played by

Alain Chabat Alain Chabat (; born 24 November 1958) is a French actor, comedian, director, screenwriter, producer and television presenter. Originally known for his work in the comedy group Les Nuls, including as the co-writer and lead actor of ''La Cité de ...

* '' Minions'' (2015): one of the Minions' former masters was Napoleon. * ''

'' (2023), played by

Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( ; ; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the most preeminent actors of his generation and known for Joaquin Phoenix filmography, his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric charact ...

Radio

* ''His Father's Sword'' ( BBC Regional Programme, 1937), portrayed by Terence De Marney * ''The Dynasts'' (three-part series) (

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

, 1943), portrayed by Malcolm Keen * ''The Dynasts'' (six-part series) (

BBC Third Programme The BBC Third Programme was a national radio station produced and broadcast from 1946 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 3. It first went on the air on 29 September 1946 and became one of the leading cultural and intellectual forces ...

, 1951), portrayed by Robert Harris * ''The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel'': "The Vicomte De Villier is to be Executed" and "New Recruits are Needed by the League" (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

, 1952–53), actor unknown at this time. He is also prominently mentioned in the episode "The Ghosts of Martin's Folly". * ''

Children's Hour ''Children's Hour'', initially ''The Children's Hour'', was the BBC's principal recreational service for children (as distinct from "Broadcasts to Schools") which began during the period when radio was the only medium of broadcasting. ''Childre ...

'': "The House of the Pelican" (six-part serial) (BBC Home Service, 1954), portrayed by Robert Harris * ''England's Harrowing'' (two-part series) (BBC Third Programme, 1960), portrayed by Malcolm Keen * ''Animal Grab'': "La Foire d'Empoigne" (BBC Third Programme, 1962), portrayed by Malcolm Keen * ''Napoleon in Love'' (BBC Radio 4, 1969), portrayed by

Marius Goring Marius Re Goring (23 May 191230 September 1998) was an English stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in ''A Matter of Life and D ...

* ''Five Morning Comedies'': "Keep Your Hands Off My War" (BBC Radio 4, 1970), portrayed by Clive Swift * ''The Dynasts'' (seven-part series) (BBC Home Service, 1970), portrayed by Maurice Denham * ''St. Helena'' (BBC Radio 4, 1972), portrayed by Lee Montague * ''Midweek Theatre'': "Eagle and Spider" (BBC Radio 4, 1973), portrayed by

Cyril Shaps Cyril Leonard Shaps (13 October 1923 – 1 January 2003) was an English actor of radio, television and film, with a career spanning over seven decades. Early radio Shaps was born in the East End of London to Polish-Jewish parents; his father ...

* ''The Day of Destiny'' (BBC Radio 4, 1974), portrayed by Barry Foster * ''Napoleon Aboard HMS Bellerophon'' (BBC Radio 4, 1975), portrayed by

* ''Vanity Fair'' (ten-part serial) (BBC Radio 4, 1978), portrayed by

Harold Kasket Harold Kasket (26 July 1926 – 20 January 2002) was an English actor in theatre, films and later television from the 1940s. Kasket usually played Arabs or mainland European types in many films and TV programmes such as '' Maigret'', '' The Sai ...

* '' The Man of Destiny'' (BBC Radio 4, 1981), portrayed by

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his pe ...

* ''

Thirty-Minute Theatre ''Thirty-Minute Theatre'' was a British anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which ...

'': "Shaggy Sokolov" (BBC Radio 3, 1984), portrayed by Michael Graham Cox * ''Betsy and Napoleon'' (BBC Radio 4, 2005), portrayed by Alex Jennings * ''Napoleon Rising'' (BBC Radio 3, 2012), portrayed by

Toby Jones Toby Edward Heslewood Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 7 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 ...

*
Tsar
' - "Alexander I: Into the Woods" (BBC Radio 4, 2017), portrayed by Charlie Anson * ''Billy Ruffian'' (BBC Radio 4, 2018), portrayed by

Adrian Scarborough Adrian Philip Scarborough is an English actor. He has appeared in films including '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), '' Gosford Park'' (2001), '' Vera Drake'' (2004), '' The History Boys'' (2006), '' The King's Speech'' (2010), '' Les Misé ...

Television

* ''Amoureuse Joséphine'' (France, 1974), played by Pierre Arditi * '' Bewitched'': "Samantha's French Pastry", Uncle Arthur tries to conjure up a French pastry, but instead conjures up Napoleon, played by

Henry Gibson James Bateman (September 21, 1935 – September 14, 2009), known professionally as Henry Gibson, was an American actor, comedian and poet. He played roles in the television sketch-comedy series ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 1968 to 1971, w ...

. * '' Sharpe's Honour'' (1994), played by Ron Cook. * '' Blackadder: Back & Forth'' (1999), played by Simon Russell Beale * '' Clone High'': Napoleon is a recurring character; Abe Lincoln claims he has a Napoleon complex. * ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'': " A Soldier's Farewell", a soldier ( Arthur Lowe) dreams he is Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. * '' DC's Legends of Tomorrow'': Season 5, Episode 5 "A Head of her Time", Napoleon is played by Kazz Leskard. * '' Deadliest Warrior'', Season 3: Napoleon squares off against

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. * '' Fairly OddBaby'': Jorgen Von Strangle proposes the name "Napoléon" for Poof The Baby. * ''How the Brigadier Won His Medals'' (1954), played by Booth Colman * '' Histeria!'': Napoleon is a recurring character who speaks like

Hervé Villechaize Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize (; April 23, 1943 – September 4, 1993) was a French actor. He is best known for his roles as the evil henchman Nick Nack in the 1974 James Bond film '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' and as Mr. Roarke's assistant ...

. * ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'': "My Master, Napoleon's Buddy", Jeannie sends Tony back in time to advise Napoleon (Aram Katcher), who suspects Tony of being a spy and plans to execute him. * '' Jack of All Trades'': Napoléon is a recurring character played by (

Verne Troyer Verne Jay Troyer (January 1, 1969 – April 21, 2018) was an American actor and occasional stunt coordinator and performer. He was best known for playing Mini-Me in the ''Austin Powers'' film series. He had cartilage–hair hypoplasia and ...

). * ''Joséphine ou la comédie des ambitions'' (France, 1979), played by Daniel Mesguich * ''The Love Story of Napoleon'' (1953), played by

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

* ''Napoléon'' (2000), documentary series narrated by

David McCullough David Gaub McCullough (; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian. He was a two-time winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United S ...

* ''"

"'' (2007), an episode of ''

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned ...

'', played by Tom Burke * ''Napoléon et l'Europe'' (France, 1991), played by

Jean-François Stévenin Jean-François Stévenin (; 23 April 194427 July 2021) was a French actor and filmmaker. He appeared in 150 films and television shows since 1968. He starred in the film '' Cold Moon'', which was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. He ...

* ''Napoléon: la Campagne de Russie'' (France, 2015), played by Marc Duret * '' Napoléon'' (2002), played by Christian Clavier * ''Napoléon & Joséphine: A Love Story'' (1987), played by Armand Assante * '' Napoleon and Love'' (UK, 1974), played by Ian Holm * ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...

'': "Napoléon Bonamite", the character is a cross between Bonaparte and

Napoleon Dynamite ''Napoleon Dynamite'' is a 2004 American Independent film, independent Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt (producer), Chris Wyatt and Sean C. Covel (producer), Sean Covel, written by Jared and J ...

. * '' Sharpe,'' " Sharpe's Waterloo": Sharpe glimpses Napoleon as he rides off in defeat. The actor who plays Napoleon is uncredited''.'' * ''

Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

'', " Connor's Wedding": Logan tells Roman he and Kerry sent Connor letters written between Napoleon and Joséphine. * '' Time Squad,'' "Napoléon the Conquered": Napoleon is forced to take care of the house after Joséphine takes up fine arts. * ''

'' (UK, 1972), played by David Swift * ''

'' (France/Italy, 2007), played by Scali Delpeyrat * ''

Horrible Histories ''Horrible Histories'' is an educational entertainment franchise encompassing many media including books, magazines, audio books, stage shows, TV shows, and more. In 2013, Lisa Edwards, UK publishing and commercial director of Scholastic Corpo ...

'' (UK, 2009 - 2015), played by Jim Howick * ''

'' (UK, 2016), played by

Mathieu Kassovitz Mathieu Kassovitz () is a French actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has won three César Awards: Most Promising Actor for '' See How They Fall'' (1994), and Best Film and Best Editing for '' La Haine'' (1995). He also re ...

* ''

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX ''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX'', also known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime television series. It is a Spin-off (media), spin-off and sequel to the original ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh!'' anime series, which itself is based on the original man ...

'': Jéan-Louis Bonaparte is based on the ''cliché'' of Napoleon.

Places

Geography

* Many avenues,

boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway or wide road in a commercial district. In Europe, boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

s, and

street A street is a public thoroughfare in a city, town or village, typically lined with Building, buildings on one or both sides. Streets often include pavements (sidewalks), pedestrian crossings, and sometimes amenities like Street light, streetligh ...

s in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

are named after Napoleon. * Bonaparte, Iowa * Fort Napoléon, les Saintes * Napoleon, Indiana * Napoleon, Michigan * Napoleon, Missouri * Napoleon, Ohio *

Napoleonville, Louisiana Napoleonville, is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 660 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the loc ...

* Route Napoléon

Hospitality

* Hôtel Napoléon * Napoleon House, opened by Nicholas Girod as a plot to provide refuge for the exiled Napoleon *

Restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

s throughout the world are named after Napoleon.

Military

* Fort Napoléon des Saintes * Fort Napoleon, Ostend * French ship ''Napoléon'' * Napoléon-class ship of the line *

Operation Napoleon/Saline Operation Napoleon/Saline was a multi-Battalion operation conducted by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army along the Cửa Việt River south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone, DMZ in Quảng Trị Province. The operation ...

Music

* During the Napoleonic Wars, a

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and other European countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. Fr ...

warned children that Napoleon ravenously ate naughty people. *

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

had originally conceived of dedicating his Third Symphony to Consul Napoleon Bonaparte. Beethoven admired the ideals of the French Revolution, and Napoleon as their embodiment. According to Beethoven's pupil, F. Ries, when Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor in May 1804, Beethoven became disgusted and went to the table where the completed score lay. He took hold of the title-page and tore it up in rage. * Napoleon was the topic of many sea shanties following his death, most notably the song "Boney was a Warrior." * A poem by the German poet

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

, published in 1822 and titled "Die Grenadiere," or "Die beiden Grenadiere" ("The Two Grenadiers"), evokes the fascination exerted by the French Emperor on his men. *

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

composed his "Te Deum" in his honor in 1849. * The

Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...

song "Napoleon" satirises the desire to continuously "conquer"; more specifically musicians who sign with big labels, thus employing "an army of suits" in order to "make a killing" rather than just "make a living". * The

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

song "On the Road Again (Bob Dylan song), On the Road Again" from his 1965 album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' references Napoleon: "Your mama she's hidin' inside the icebox/Your daddy walks in wearin' a Napoleon Bonaparte mask". * Another Bob Dylan song, "Like a Rolling Stone", from his seminal album ''Highway 61 Revisited'' references Napoleon: "You used to be so amused/At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used". * The Kinks song "Powerman" from their 1970 album ''Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One'' references Napoleon: "People tried to conquer the world; Napoleon and Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, Hitler tried and Benito Mussolini, Mussolini too". * The Bee Gees song "Walking Back to Waterloo" from their 1971 album ''Trafalgar (album), Trafalgar'' references Napoleon: "I wish there was another year, another time/When people sang and poems rhymed/My name could be Napoleon". * Swedish Pop group ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with the song "Waterloo (song), Waterloo", which uses the battle as a metaphor for a person surrendering to love similar to how Napoleon "surrendered" [sic] at Waterloo. * The Al Stewart song "The Palace of Versailles", from his 1978 album ''Time Passages'', is filled with references and allusions to the French Revolution. One line specifically references Napoleon: "Bonaparte is coming/With his army from the south". * The Charlie Sexton song "Impressed" references Napoleon and Joséphine (from ''Pictures for Pleasure''). * The Mark Knopfler song "Done with Bonaparte" from his 1996 album ''Golden Heart'' is sung from the viewpoint of a soldier in Napoleon's army. The song recalls the soldier's many battles serving in Napoleon's ''

''. * The Tori Amos song "Josephine" from her 1999 album ''To Venus and Back'' is sung from the viewpoint of Napoleon during his unsuccessful invasion of Russia. * Iced Earth released the song "Waterloo" on their album ''The Glorious Burden'', which details Napoleon's defeat at the Battle Of Waterloo. * Bright Eyes (band), Bright Eyes recorded a song called "Napoleon's Hat" for ''Lagniappe (album), Lagniappe'', an album released by Saddle Creek Records to raise funds for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Red Cross' Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. * The song "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay is loosely based on Napoleon's reign. * An episode of ''Epic Rap Battles of History'' is a Battle rap, rap battle between Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon Dynamite. Six seasons later, Napoleon would come back for a battle against Charlemagne. * Bonaparte (band), Bonaparte is the stage name of German-Swiss singer/producer Tobias Jundt.

Comics

Although no masterpieces have emerged from the Napoleonic adventure in the realm of comics or Bande dessinée, bandes dessinées, unlike painting or cinema, the comic book remains an art form quite inspired by the character of Napoleon. Notable works dedicated to the Emperor include those by Roger Lécureux and Guido Buzzelli, which recount Napoleon's entire life in a realistic drawing style and with great sobriety in the storyline. Other comics of the same genre narrate the life or periods of Napoleon's life, such as "Napoléon Bonaparte" by Arthur Guy Empey, Guy Hempey (script) and Pierre Brochard (artwork), as well as the three albums in the series "Napoléon" by Belgians Liliane Funcken and Fred Funcken: "The Sultan of Fire," "The Fall of the Eagle," and "Waterloo (Battle) (1815)." However, the myth of Napoleon is often caricatured, featuring megalomaniacs who believe themselves to be the Emperor. This is the case with Jean-Marc Rochette, who achieved certain commercial and critical success (winning awards at the Angoulême International Comics Festival) with "Napoléon et Bonaparte," which tells the burlesque adventures of two madmen, both believing themselves to be the famous military leader. Also worth mentioning, in the realm of comedy, is the work of Gotlib, who featured Napoleon Bonaparte in his "Rubrique-à-brac," as well as the series "Godaille et Godasse," which depicts his family stories.

Other

* Automotive: Bugatti Royale Coupé Napoléon * Interior Design: Napoleon (company), Napoleon line of stoves, grills, fireplaces, and HVAC systems * Ornithology: Bonaparte's parakeet * Toys: Napoleonic toys

Recurring themes and stereotypes in popular culture

Napoleon's height

British political cartoons of the period depicted Napoleon as a short man and the image of him as being short continues to be widespread today. Confusion has sometimes arisen because of different values for the French inch (''Traditional French units of measurement, pouce'') of the time (2.7 cm) and for the Imperial units, Imperial inch (2.54 cm).; he has been cited as being from , which made him the height of the average French male at that time, and up to tall, which is above average for the period. British Rear-Admiral Frederick Lewis Maitland, who had daily contact with Napoleon on Maitland's ship for twenty-three days in 1815, states in his memoirs that he was about . Some historians believe that the reason for the mistake about his size at death came from use of an obsolete French yardstick. Napoleon was a champion of the metric system (introduced in France in 1799) and had no use for the old yardsticks. It is more likely that he was , the height he was measured at on St. Helena, since he would have most likely been measured with an English yardstick rather than a yardstick of the Old French Regime. Napoleon's nickname of ''le petit caporal'' has added to the confusion, as some non-Geographical distribution of French speakers, Francophones have mistakenly interpreted ''petit'' by its literal meaning of "small". In fact, it is an affectionate term reflecting on his camaraderie with ordinary soldiers. Napoleon also surrounded himself with the soldiers of his Old Guard (France), elite guard, required to be 1.83 m (6 ft) or taller, making him look smaller in comparison. Napoleon's name has been lent to the Napoleon complex, a colloquial term describing an alleged type of inferiority complex which is said to affect some people who are physically short. The term is used more generally to describe people who are driven by a perceived handicap to overcompensate in other aspects of their lives.

The Napoleon Delusion

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most famous individuals in the Western world. As delusional patients sometimes believe themselves to be an important or Grandiosity, grandiose figure (see delusion), a patient claiming to be Napoleon has been a common stereotype in popular culture for delusions of this nature. * In the 1922 film ''Mixed Nuts (1922 film), Mixed Nuts'', Stan Laurel plays a book salesman whose only volume for sale is a biography of Napoleon. When the character receives a blow to the head, he comes to believe that he is Napoleon and is subsequently admitted to a mental institution. * In the 1925 Fleischer movie "Ko-ko Nuts", Koko the Clown goes to an asylum, where there is a whole Napoleon department for people who think they're Napoleon. This ''cliché'' has itself been parody, parodied: * In the

film ''

'', the actual Napoleon is dragged away by psychiatric attendants, who believe he is delusional. * The song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" was recorded by Jerry Samuels billed as Napoleon XIV. Some other versions of the song were made with lyrics referencing the Napoleon delusion (such as a Spanish version entitled "''Soy Napoleon''") or with the artist's name referencing a fictitious emperor. * In '' The Emperor's New Clothes'',

plays Napoleon who stumbles into the grounds of an psychiatric hospital, asylum and finds himself surrounded by other "Napoleons" - he cannot reveal his identity for fear of being grouped with the deluded.French, Philip (''The Observer'').
The Emperor's New Clothes
, ''The Guardian'', 02-04-2004. Retrieved 07-19-2006. Holm also played a less-than-serious Napoleon in the 1981 film ''

''. * The Discworld novel ''Making Money'' features a character who believes himself to be Lord Vetinari, imitating Vetinari's mannerisms and entertaining delusions of grandeur. It is later revealed that the local hospital has an entire ward for people with the same delusion, where they engage in competitions to determine who is the "real" Vetinari. * In an episode of cult 1960s British TV sci-fi show ''The Prisoner'' called "The Girl Who Was Death", which unusually for the series was a light-hearted comedy tale parodying the spy thriller genre, the villain Dr. Schnipps (Kenneth Griffith) believed that he was Napoleon and acted accordingly, at one point asking the protagonist Number Six (Patrick McGoohan), "You're not the Duke of Wellington, are you?" * In the first episode of season 2 of ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' titled "Return of the Shredder" (1988), Scientist and Inventor, Baxter Stockman is seen in a jail cell with a man in Napoleonic garb spouting off dialogue in a French accent. * In an episode of ''Night Court'', Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) is placed in a jail cell along with a number of 'mentally disturbed' inmates all dressed as Napoleon. His court defence attorney (played by Markie Post) sees him and exclaims "Oh sir. They put you in with the little generals". * The award-winning video game ''

'' features a mental patient, Fred Bonaparte, locked in an obsessive mind-game with his distant ancestor Napoleon, who is fighting for his mind. * In the ''Futurama'' episode "Insane in the Mainframe", Bender pretends to be a banjo-playing Napoleon in order to stay in a robot asylum.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Napoleon 01 Of France, Cultural Depictions Of Cultural depictions of Napoleon, Works about Napoleon,