Napoleon In America: Not As Strange As It Sounds
Here's a preposterous idea: Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated at Waterloo, his 15-year run as dictator, conqueror and self-crowned emperor at an end, escapes to the United States. Well, as preposterous as that idea might sound, 200 years ago this month, Napoleon Bonaparte was thinking precisely that thought: Flee to America. How serious was he, and what would he have done if he'd become a Jersey boy? Munro Price is a professor of modern European history at Bradford University in England and the author of Napoleon: End of Glory. He tells NPR that Napoleon had just sustained the worst defeat of his career, "so he was clearly going to have to flee somewhere and there was one absolutely obvious and logical choice: The United States of America." Napoleon was even reading up on his possible new home.
Interview Highlights
On whether America would have been practical, or even possible
Um, no. Because the British had put in a naval blockade of the French coast. So the only other way of getting to America was being smuggled out and ultimately I think, that's what Napoleon refused to do. One of the ideas, for example, which was mooted was for him to hide in an empty brandy barrel, and the idea of being caught in this position was unthinkable for him.
On what Napoleon might have done in America
Well when he was sitting in Paris, reading these books about America, he's talking about living as a private citizen, being a farmer. Also he talked about being a scientist and actually finding scientific companions with whom he would catalogue the flora and fauna of America from the North Pole to Cape Horn.
I would say he would not have lacked for supporters and people to welcome him. The U.S.A. under President Madison had just fought a war with Britain that put them de facto on the same side as France. And Napoleon would have been quite a useful bargaining chip for the American republic to have in its dealings with the European continent.
On whether coming to America made sense for a self-made man like Napoleon
Yes, absolutely. The trouble with Napoleon is that he could never resist the temptation, I think, of absolute power and there's a very good phrase from the American historian Paul Schroeder: "Napoleon could never see a jugular without wanting to go for it." I think he wouldn't have stayed that long in the U.S.A.
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Transcript
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Here's a preposterous idea - Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated at Waterloo, his 15-year run as dictator, conqueror and self-crowned emperor at an end, escapes to the United States. Well, as preposterous as that idea might sound, 200 years ago this month Napoleon Bonaparte was thinking precisely that thought - flee to America. Well, we're going to ask historian Munro Price about this. He's a professor of modern European history at Bradford University in England and the author of "Napoleon: The End Of Glory." He joins us from London. Welcome to the program.
MUNRO PRICE: Hello.
SIEGEL: And first, describe to us Napoleon's situation 200 years ago in June of 1815.
PRICE: Well, on the evening of the 18 of June 1815, Napoleon had just sustained the worst defeat of his career - Waterloo - so he was clearly going to have to flee somewhere. And there was one absolutely obvious and logical choice - the United States of America.
SIEGEL: Obvious, you say, logical. How do we know that Bonaparte actually gave anything more than the most passing thought to this idea?
PRICE: Because simply reading about America's flora and fauna, its geography, its customs, its habits, he was sort of getting himself into the mindset for an extended stay in the USA.
SIEGEL: Was it practical? Could he simply have gotten on a boat and sailed across the Atlantic to America?
PRICE: No, because the British had put in a naval blockade on the French coast, so the only other way of getting to America was being smuggled out. Then ultimately, I think, that's what Napoleon refused to do. One of the ideas, for example, which was mooted, was for him to hide in an empty brandy barrel. And the idea of being caught in this position was unthinkable for him.
SIEGEL: Well, let's assume for a moment that Napoleon had gone through with the plan. Do we have any sense of what he intended to do in the United States? Was he trying to launch yet another political career or do what?
PRICE: Well, when he's sitting in Paris reading all these books about America, he's talking about living as a private citizen, being a farmer. Also he talks about being a scientist and actually finding scientific companions with whom he would catalog the flora and fauna of America from the North Pole to Cape Horn.
SIEGEL: Was he very well regarded by the Americans? Would he have been welcome on these shores had he actually gotten over?
PRICE: I would say he would not have lacked for supporters and people to welcome him. The USA, under President Madison, had just fought a war with Britain that put them de facto on the same side as France. And Napoleon would have been also quite a useful bargaining chip for the American public to have in its dealings with the European continent.
SIEGEL: And for those who either have forgotten their European history or never learned it in the first place, remind us of what did indeed happen to Napoleon in the end as opposed to getting to the United States.
PRICE: Well, the British government decided to confine him on one of the most remote places on earth - the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. And he lived there for six years until May 1821 when he died.
SIEGEL: I suppose that, on one level, coming to America would have made perfect sense. After all, he was the embodiment of the self-made man, up from nothing to great heights of power and something very much in common there with the American democracy that was still very young.
PRICE: Yes, absolutely. The trouble with Napoleon is he could never resist the temptation, I think, of absolute power. And there's a very good phrase from the American historian Paul Schroeder - Napoleon could never see a jugular without wanting to go for it. And I think for any U.S. president, Napoleon in the USA would have been an uncomfortable person to have around. He just would have been instinctively tempted to mount some sort of coup d'etat.
SIEGEL: Well, Professor Price, thank you very much for talking with us about the phase of Napoleon Bonaparte's life that wasn't but might have been.
PRICE: Great pleasure.
SIEGEL: Munro Price is professor of European history at Bradford University in England and he's the author of the book "Napoleon: The End Of Glory." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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