THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Napolean Bonaparte may be known as a military strategist, but there is someone who strongly argues that war was forced upon him. E Sreedaran who wrote 'Napoleon' says, "But his only fault was that he waged wars well."
"I have been a teacher of history, you know. I have known Napoleon for many years," says the retired History professor. Sreedaran asserts that Napoleon would have avoided wars. "But the entire Europe was united against him on the question of French Revolution. Napoleon had devoted four years of his 15-year-rule to the reconstruction of France, on lines suggested by the French Revolution. But the old Europe would not approve of these," he says.
Among these reforms are the Code Napoleon and the Concordat. "Code Napoleon was initially referred to as French Code. In 1806, it was expressly called Code Napoleon. It was adapted in other European countries as well as Central and South Americas. The Concordat, or the settlement with Catholic church stood for 103 years in France," he says. Napoleon had hopes and dreams for a world federation like United Nations, he says.
"Before he died on May 5, 1821, he predicted that Europe needs League of Nations. It has come true. Now the United Nations is the only hope of the world. Here lies the greatness of the man," he says.
Sreedaran's book joins a long list of 2,20,000 and more books on Napoleon, but is unlikely to be lost in the barrage since it is one of the best researched books on the subject in Malayalam.
The author says "I have listed 30 sources in the last page. It is not that I have not consulted other books. The list itself would have needed an additional 100 or 150 pages, if I were to include those sources." "I had filled 2,400 foolscap sheets, but had to cut it down to 1,134 pages," he says.
A self-admitted hero worshipper, he says there are many who he is inspired by. book 'A Textbook of Historiography, 500 BC to AD 2000' had covered many heroes.