Don't get me wrong, I'm an admirer of Napoleon. Especially his power to persuade. And persuasion can take many forms.
In the course of researching an anthology of Polish accounts of the 1813 campaign, I came across this account by Antoni Paweł Sułkowski. It takes place after Leipzig, as the defeated French stream back to the French frontier and Napoleon's Polish troops wonder whether to follow and continue in French service. Napoleon lines up the officers and gives them a harangue to keep them in French ranks. It is a most remarkable talk, and it contains some glorious moments but also quite a few howling lies. Napoleon knew full well Poniatowski was dead, for example. Anyway, here it is:
Your commander informs me that you want to return to your homeland. It is true that you have fulfilled your obligations to me, you have always fought very well, and your conduct has always been the worthiest. You do not want to leave me until you reach the boundaries of my country, thinking that you are in too small a number to be useful to me. I can demand nothing more from you. You are a noble people; you have done everything that you could for me. But your duty to your country still remains. You demand from me a decree authorizing your return as one. I cannot give it to you; it could result in great consequences. The Poles that are in Danzig, Modlin, Zamość, could take advantage of it and these fortresses would capitulate. I repeat to you that there is nothing left for you to do for me, but, for the people of Europe, I wish you to stay with me. Individually, I will let anyone return whoever wishes to do so. I cannot, however, sign a decree releasing the Polish army in its entirety. There are scoundrels who are trying to stir up anxiety among you. I stand by the Grand Duchy of Warsaw; it is the fruit of my blood. You are nervous without orders from your king who has stayed in Leipzig, but he did so with my permission. He wanted to come with me, but if I took him with me, the Saxons would make the Duke of Weimar their king. Anyway, the Saxon king, your Grand Duke of Warsaw, was only a provisional sovereign. I knew full well that a German did not suit you. I am your prince. The King of Saxony is a good man, he is my friend, but he is a man without energy, he was not what you needed. I wanted you to have a kingdom, read about it in the Monitor, you will find it there in the official documents, confirming the agreement concluded between me and Austria, in which the existence of Poland was guaranteed. If I had stopped my march between Vitebsk and Smolensk, today Poland would still exist. I went too far. I made mistakes. Fortune has turned away from me for two years, but fortune, like a woman, can change. Who knows, maybe your unfortunate fate, has also spoiled my fortune? Anyway, have you lost confidence in me, or have I changed so much that I have nothing in my trousers? On the day of the 16th [October] I won the battle, on the day of the 18th I did not lose it, on the day of the 19th I wanted to fall back, but that cursed corporal blew up the bridge too early. It cost me 12,000 men, but even if I had lost the battle what does it mean one battle lost? The Germans have taken the bit between their teeth, but I will come back and break them. I would like the Allies to burn two or three beautiful cities in France - it would give me a million new soldiers. I will fight a battle, I will win it and I will hurl them back, without giving them a chance to breathe, to the Vistula. You are anxious that you do not have Prince Poniatowski with you, but please be comforted, he was not killed, the Swedes took him captive. Some people say that he has changed clothes and, since he knows Russian, he will be back. Stanisław Potocki is to come, your ministers also, I will try to arrange this. Things would not be like they are today and you would be in a different situation if your government had shown more energy.
"Blessed be those who can admire and criticize equally, for they shall come closest to the truth."
Absolutely @Maggie Scott
One of the exercises we were once given was to write an opinion piece from the other point of view, diligently collecting contrary evidence. Only when we had seen and presented both sides did our DS believe we could build a convincing case.
Funnily enough, when I challenged a Napoleon supporter who claimed otherwise to write a contrarian piece, he ran a mile. Presumably he could not bring himself to sully the sacred memory.