Jaffa Material
Hi everyone, long time lurker, first time posting.
A couple days ago on the Napoleon subreddit, a question was asked whether Napoleon was justified in the execution of prisoners at Jaffa. One user, Brechtel198, claimed that since the prisoners had broken parole, they were subject to the death penalty.
Other users pointed out that only a few prisoners of Jaffa had broken the penalty and the rest were executed along with them. Also, Napoleon had broken the terms of capitulation of the prisoners from El-Arish prior to Jaffa, citing Etienne Louis-Malus.
I was curious what sources are available that discuss the Jaffa massacre? It's seems there is still disagreement on what happened.
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If you want to mention it, I’m sure we would find it very interesting, but it would be another thread/topic, as this one was about Jaffa (and therefore about Napoleon)
What we shouldn’t do is fall into the trap of moral equivalence. “Everybody did it” is neither a defence or an explanation. Particularly if you are holding up the perpetrator as a paragon, lawgiver, genius and basically good person everywhere else.
Nor should you interpret examining this instance of poor behaviour on Napoleon’s part an attack and simultaneously an exoneration of everyone else on the planet. Of course it isn’t. Pointing out that one historical figure was complex with weaknesses and dark sides does not turn others into saints. But it doesn’t take away from the poor behaviour either.
It goes to the heart of this thread. For some there is no length they will not go to. No depth they will not sink to. No excuse they will not furnish. No attacks they will not make. Anything, but anything to preserve the blinding glory of their hero. I’m not just talking about Napoleon here, there is plenty of hero worship to go around on all sides on a range of military figures, in this period and beyond.
I’d just like to point out that the persons these people are defending are not real. They are airbrushed caricatures of the real person. If we want to discover them we need to stop with these tired old tit for tat arguments.
The OP fell into this “playbook” and it always ends up in the same place. Someone eventually interpreting an “assault” on their hero as a personal insult and then the decent into ad hominem attacks. “Haters” “Anglo-phones””jingoists””Fanboys” “fawners”etc etc.
It’s not only tiresome and boring, I think it drives people away from an interest in our hobby. Shouldn’t we all have that desire to be open tolerant and welcoming?
“It’s only wrong when Napoleon does it” is a prime example of what I’m taking about. It’s snide, sarcastic, self indulgent and above all wrong. “It’s wrong when everybody does it, and that includes Napoleon because we hold him to the same standards as everyone else” is the real explanation.