Was Napoleon a dictator?

Recently, I heard on the radio that Napoleon was “another dictator” and chuckled a bit, because, deep inside, I knew that there was some truth to this, but through my schooling in France, the one-time Emperor was mostly portrayed as a great general, statesman and even a hero. 

As a country, France was proud of his Emperor-son! As he started his military career he showed enough intelligence, leadership and charisma to help abolish the monarchy and solidify the republic. The problem with gaining power and respect is that it can often cause some individuals to develop an insatiable need for even more power and adulation. 

Rather than to help ensure the development of France as a free republic, Napoleon decided that France and all of Europe needed a strong leader to run the continent. Napoleon also got interested in the French legal system of France, because he felt that a centralized judiciary would allow him to strengthen his regime and prevent political threats. 

The same could be said of his instituting 18,000 gendarmes reporting daily to Fouché and his control of the media that repressed free speech and expression, becoming the government’s mouthpiece for all official propaganda. 

Sure, Napoleon might have not been as bad as Hitler or Stalin but he sure had power and was determined to keep it. In the waning days of the Trump would-be dictatorship, it’s worth remembering that dictators come in all kinds of flavors and strengths. 

Perhaps, Napoleon might have been a "light" version, but in my view, was nonetheless part of that nefarious club!