France’s Macron marks bicentenary of Napoleon’s death
Al Jazeera
Numerous past presidents have shunned commemorating Napoleon Bonaparte, a divisive figure in France.
President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb on Wednesday, commemorating the bicentenary of the death of an emperor who overthrew the nascent Republic before expanding France’s empire in bloody battles across Europe. Numerous past presidents have shunned paying tribute to one of France’s most divisive leaders, but in a speech at the Institut de France, established by Napoleon on the banks of the river Seine, Macron said history should be confronted. Napoleon was to some a military genius, a moderniser and national hero. To others, he was an imperialist, warmonger and enslaver.More Related News