Stalin and Bonapartism
I suppose it shows how deeply Napoleon struck into the Russian psyche when Stalin accused the successful Marshal Zhukov (notably Kursk and the capture of Berlin) of Bonapartism. This meant he was a potential ‘Red Bonaparte’, who would use his popularity for his victories and the support of the army to seize power from the Cimmunist Party. Stalin was more effective than the Directory, sending Zhukov to far corners of the USSR in 1947-49. Although rehabilitated after Stalin’s death in 1953, Zhukov was again denounced for Bonapartism by the next Communist leader, Krushchev. Politicians getting nervous about successful leaders, eh?
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To the Soviets "Bonapartism" was a term cautioning against a military takeover in any period of Party turmoil. Napoleon was the foremost example of such and the namesake for it in Partylore, but not the only suspect or possibility of such an action. Trotsky and Tito, like Zhukov, were other in house examples. Because the military had a group under them sworn to alliegance they were particularly fearful to Party control at any time of confusion or threat and thus to be specifically suspect to the possibility of taking over control.