[History] Napoleon: The Emperor Who Always Fled Defeat

Napoleon: The Emperor Who Always Fled Defeat

When we think of Napoleon Bonaparte, we often imagine a fearless military genius who conquered Europe. Yet, there is another side to his story—a leader who repeatedly abandoned his army in moments of crisis, leaving his soldiers to face defeat alone.

In 1798, Napoleon launched an ambitious campaign to Egypt with 40,000 troops, aiming to weaken Britain’s influence. While he successfully captured Cairo, the tides soon turned. After suffering a crushing defeat by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, French supply lines were cut off. Disease and rebellion spread rapidly, killing over half of his men. Seeing no hope of victory, Napoleon quietly fled back to France with his closest aides—without even informing General Kléber, who was left to manage the chaos. Kléber, shocked and outraged, reportedly said, “He left behind mountains of unpaid debts and unfinished business!”

A few months later, Kléber was assassinated, and the remaining French forces surrendered.

But Napoleon’s pattern of desertion didn’t end in Egypt. In 1812, he led a massive army of 500,000 soldiers into Russia, confident of a swift victory. By the time they reached Moscow, only 100,000 remained, finding the city deserted and burned by Russian forces in a scorched-earth retreat. With no shelter or supplies, and winter approaching, Napoleon received word of unrest in France. Once again, he chose to escape—this time under cover of night—leaving his troops to fend for themselves.

When Napoleon crossed the Niemen River, he asked the boatman if any soldiers had already fled. The answer? “No, Your Majesty. You are the first.” Indeed, Napoleon was the first deserter from his own doomed campaign. Of the 500,000 soldiers who marched into Russia, only about 10,000 survived to return home—two months after their emperor had abandoned them.

Back in Paris, Napoleon ordered another 500,000 recruits. But the strain of repeated failure weighed heavily on him. He fell into a deep depression, sleeping up to 16 hours a day, barely engaging with state affairs. His servant, Constant, described him as “a completely different man… trembling hands, sitting motionless on the sofa, staring blankly instead of pouring over maps as he once did.”

Even after losing at Leipzig in 1813, Napoleon fled once more, leaving his loyal soldiers behind. As Allied forces closed in on Paris, his wife fled with their son to Austria. Facing inevitable defeat, Napoleon abdicated and attempted suicide with poison—only to be saved by an antidote. Ironically, even in despair, his emotions swung wildly, reflecting the tumultuous highs and lows that marked his extraordinary life.