Napoleon and Hitler, A Comparative Biography
Book Review by Rob Walters
Author: Desmond Seward
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1988. Paperback. $9.95
With the world events that have taken place over the past three years, the global political scene has greatly changed. The Cold War and fear of nuclear annihilation is gone, replaced by a mood of optimism. Europe, the dominant region of the world for over a thousand years has witnessed countless battles between its states. Soon, the European Community will become united in a Common Market Federation. After centuries of feuding, will Europe be able to establish and maintain this harmony? One way to gain an understanding is to look back into history.
Two men, Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler, utilized brutal means to orchestrate dominant political, social and economic forces on the continent. Desmond Seward's Napoleon and Hitler: A ComParative Biography is a fascinating comparison of the two men who altered the course of western civilization in the 19th and 20th centuries. The image of both men on the cover and pictures throughout the book are strikingly similar. The author treats both in an impartial manner. Napoleon is not presented as France's savior, while Hitler is not portrayed as a mad man.
The first chapter, "The Poor Devils", chronologically informs the reader of the early years of these two men. The prime similarity discussed is the ironic coincidence that both were not borne in the countries they would eventually rule. (Hitler: born to a poor couple in Austria; Napoleon: of Italian descent.) Many have wondered what would have happened had Hitler passed his entrance exam into Vienna's Academy of Fine Arts or if Napoleon had continued his studies of Plato, Plutarch and Tacitus. The rise to power of Napoleon through a coup d'etat and Hitler through a remarkable political turnabout from 2.5% of the public's support in 1927 to over 6.4 million votes in 1930 is bewildering.
Seward reviews how women perceived the men, to how the men perceived women: as slaves. One of the most striking differences is their attitude towards Jews. Napoleon believed all religious groups should be equal and promoted all, including Jews, to settle in France. Hitler's stance need not be discussed.
Seward concludes with a chapter entitled, "Red Ruin", describing the final days of these two men.
Napoleon continues to be honoured by the citizens of France and the western world, while Hitler persists in history as one of the most evil men to have walked the face of this earth. In conclusion, Napoleon and Hitler A Comparative Biography, is an extremely informative and entertaining piece of literature. The book graphically describes how the simplistic democratic vote is not always the safest means by which to ensure a quality leader for the electorate.