"Napoleon’s dream died at Waterloo – and so did..." Topic

…. that of British democrats.

"hat does the battle of Waterloo mean, 200 years on? Two things, but they are impossible to reconcile. First, part historic reality and part enduring symbol, the victory over Napoleon was a moment when a long war was ended, our island nation survived, and the invasion threat to Britain was lifted. Hence this week's celebrations for our boys and their German allies.

And the second? That's much tougher to celebrate. The second thing that Waterloo means is the victory of the feudal crowned heads of Europe over the forces of the French revolution. This Waterloo ushered in the repressive united Europe of the Vienna settlement: Castlereagh and Metternich, Louis XVIII and Charles X of France and Ferdinand VII of Spain, anti-liberal anti-democratic reactionaries set on consigning the Europe of republics and peoples to the history books…"
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Amicalement
Armand

That was rather interesting. Thanks.

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The bloke's an idiot.

A successful invasion by Napoleon in 1805 would have brought liberty and equality to Britain and an end to nobility, would it?

How did that work out for the countries he did conquer? The people who lived in them were probably overjoyed to have the opportunity to contribute money and conscripts to Boney's war effort.

Not to mention all the noble titles that Napoleon handed out to his supporters.

The writer is also conveniently ignoring the fact that just a few years later, in 1832, the British Parliament passed the Great Reform Bill. This massively increased the electorate and was a major step on the road to a modern democracy.

It's the Guardian, what do you expect?

The author:

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