Napoleon was almost as famous for being charismatic as he is for his short stature.
Napoleon wasn't short.
Was he charismatic?
How many people followed him for him, instead of because of the alternative option or the promises he made? How much of a factor was his charisma, actually?
I don't know, but I'd assume that most people followed for his promises and the threats posed by his opposition. After all, charisma has the most pull on the people closest to you, and writing and speeches only go so far. Napoleon could not possibly have known everyone who followed him personally: there were simply too many people. Public speeches could inspire those who hear it, but only so many people could hear any given speech, and each time someone passes on word of his charisma, passion, and whatever else Napoleon demonstrated while speaking, the actual glow of his charisma would be transfered less and less. Out of all the time he spent working with and on France, how much of that time was spent in public, densly-populated areas, and how much was away from most of the people he'd want to sway?
I take your point: how can some have charisma for people who never come into contact with him (though keep in mind Napoleon did come into contact with one very important group: soldiers). But do you think the aura of someone--e.g., the air of triumph and success and power that Napoleon possessed (at least until his invasion of Russia)--counts as charisma? Or can his popular appeal be explained purely by self-interest, i.e., people supported Napoleon because he appealed to their interests?
ReplyDeleteCharisma, in my mind, is different. There is one thing to be proud of your country, or of someone important in your country. While it is entirely possible, even very likely, that some people followed him because of his aura. However, as I mentioned, aura doesn't translate through word of mouth well, and only so many people can see Napoleon at a time. I think that a fair chunk of the reasons that Napoleon was so popular include personal reasons, with a little of it because of Napoleon himself. Some of it even might have been peer pressure: by this point, France had a strong sense of nationalism, and napoleon was the strongest available leader.
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