History vs. Napoleon Bonaparte - Alex Gendler

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

After the French Revolution erupted in 1789,

Nakon izbijanja Francuske revolucije 1789,

Europe was thrown into chaos.

Evropom je zavladao haos.

Neighboring countries' monarchs feared they would share the fate of Louis XVI,

Monarsi susednih država su strahovali da će da dožive sudbinu Luja XVI,

and attacked the New Republic,

te su napadali novu republiku,

while at home, extremism and mistrust between factions lead to bloodshed.

dok su kod kuće, ekstremizam i nepoverenje među frakcijama doveli do krvoprolića.

In the midst of all this conflict,

U sred sveg ovog konflikta,

a powerful figure emerged to take charge of France.

pojavila se moćna figura i preuzela vladavinu Francuskom.

But did he save the revolution or destroy it?

Međutim, da li je on spasio ili je uništio revoluciju?

"Order, order, who's the defendant today? I don't see anyone."

"Mir, mir, ko je optuženi danas? Ne vidim nikoga."

"Your Honor, this is Napoléon Bonaparte,

"Časni sude, ovo je Napoleon Bonaparta,

the tyrant who invaded nearly all of Europe

tiranin koji je izvršio invaziju skoro čitave Evrope

to compensate for his personal stature-based insecurities."

kako bi nadomestio svoje lične nesigurnosti zasnovane na visini."

"Actually, Napoléon was at least average height for his time.

"Zapravo, Napoleon je bio bar prosečne visine u njegovo vreme.

The idea that he was short comes only from British wartime propaganda.

Predstava o tome da je bio nizak potiče samo iz britanske ratne propagande.

And he was no tyrant.

I nije bio tiranin.

He was safeguarding the young Republic from being crushed

Čuvao je mladu republiku da je ne unište

by the European monarchies."

evropske monarhije."

"By overthrowing its government and seizing power himself?"

"Rušenjem sopstvene vlade i uzimanjem vlasti za sebe?"

"Your Honor, as a young and successful military officer,

"Časni sude, kao mlad i uspešan vojni zapovednik,

Napoléon fully supported the French Revolution,

Napoleon je u potpunosti podržavao Francusku revoluciju

and its ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

i njene ideale o slobodi, jednakosti i bratstvu.

But the revolutionaries were incapable of real leadership.

Međutim, revolucionari nisu bili sposobni da budu istinske vođe.

Robespierre and the Jacobins who first came to power

Robespjer i Jakobinci koji su prvobitno došli na vlast

unleashed a reign of terror on the population,

su započeli vladavinu terora nad stanovništvom,

with their anti-Catholic extremism

svojim protivkatoličkim ekstremizmom

and nonstop executions of everyone who disagreed with them.

i stalnim pogubljenjima svih koji se nisu slagali sa njima.

And The Directory that replaced them was an unstable and incompetent oligarchy.

A direktorijum koji ih je zamenio je bio nestabilna i nekompetentna oligarhija.

They needed a strong leader who could govern wisely and justly."

Bio im je potreban snažan vođa koji bi vladao mudro i pravedno."

"So, France went through that whole revolution

"Dakle, Francuska je prošla kroz čitavu tu Revoluciju

just to end up with another all-powerful ruler?"

samo da bi završila sa još jednim svemoćnim vladarom?"

"Not quite.

"Ne baš.

Napoléon's new powers were derived from the constitution

Napoleonova nova moć je poticala iz ustava

that was approved by a popular vote in the Consulate."

koji je odobren glasovima naroda u konzulatu."

"Ha! The constitution was practically dictated at gunpoint in a military coup,

"Ha! Ustav je praktično izdiktiran pod oružanom pretnjom u vojnom puču,

and the public only accepted the tyrant

a narod je jedino prihvatio tiranina

because they were tired of constant civil war."

jer je bio umoran od konstantnog građanskog rata."

"Be that as it may,

"Kako god,

Napoléon introduced a new constitution and a legal code

Napoleon je uveo novi ustav i pravni zakonik

that kept some of the most important achievements of the revolution in tact:

koji je očuvao netaknutim neka od najvažnijih dostignuća revolucije:

freedom of religion

slobodu religije,

abolition of hereditary privilege,

poništavanje naslednih privilegija

and equality before the law for all men."

i jednakost svih muškaraca pred zakonom."

"All men, indeed.

"Svih muškaraca, uistinu.

He deprived women of the rights that the revolution had given them

Lišio je žene prava koje im je revolucija dala,

and even reinstated slavery in the French colonies.

čak je i ponovo uspostavio robovlasništvo u francuskim kolonijama.

Haiti is still recovering from the consequences centuries later.

Haiti se i dalje, vekovima kasnije, oporavlja od posledica ovoga.

What kind of equality is that?"

Kakva je to jednakost?"

"The only kind that could be stably maintained at the time,

"Jedina koja je u to vreme mogla da se održava stabilno,

and still far ahead of France's neighbors."

i dalje je bila daleko ispred francuskih suseda."

"Speaking of neighbors, what was with all the invasions?"

"Kad smo već kod suseda, čemu sve one silne invazije?"

"Great question, Your Honor."

"Sjajno pitanje, časni sude."

"Which invasions are we talking about?

"O kojim invazijama govorimo?

It was the neighboring empires who had invaded France

Susedna carstva su napala Francusku,

trying to restore the monarchy,

pokušavajući da vrate monarhiju

and prevent the spread of liberty across Europe,

i da spreče širenje slobode Evropom,

twice by the time Napoléon took charge.

dva puta pre Napoleonovog dolaska na vlast.

Having defended France as a soldier and a general in those wars,

Nakon što je odbranio Francusku kao vojnik i general u tim ratovima,

he knew that the best defense is a good offense."

znao je da je najbolja odbrana dobar napad."

"An offense against the entire continent?

"Napad na čitav kontinent?

Peace was secured by 1802,

Mir je učvršćen 1802,

and other European powers recognized the new French Regime.

i druge evropske sile su priznale novi francuski režim.

But Bonaparte couldn't rest unless he had control of the whole continent,

Međutim, Bonaparta nije mogao da miruje, ako nije kontrolisao čitav kontinent,

and all he knew was fighting.

a jedino je znao za rat.

He tried to enforce a European-wide blockade of Britain,

Pokušao je da učvrsti blokadu Britanije dužinom čitave Evrope,

invaded any country that didn't comply,

napao je svaku zemlju koja mu se nije povinovala

and launched more wars to hold onto his gains.

i pokrenuo dodatne ratove da bi sačuvao osvojeno.

And what was the result?

A šta je rezultat toga?

Millions dead all over the continent,

Milioni mrtvih širom čitavog kontinenta

and the whole international order shattered."

i uništenje celokupnog međunarodnog poretka."

"You forgot the other result:

"Zaboravili ste drugi rezultat:

the spread of democratic and liberal ideals across Europe.

širenje demokratije i liberalnih ideala širom Evrope.

It was thanks to Napoléon that the continent was reshaped

Zahvaljujući Napoleonu, kontinent je preoblikovan

from a chaotic patchwork of fragmented feudal and religious territories

od haotično rasparčanih i izdeljenih feudalnih i religijskih teritorija

into efficient, modern, and secular nation states

u efikasne, moderne i sekularne nacionalne države

where the people held more power and rights than ever before."

u kojima su ljudi imali veću moć i veća prava nego ikad pre."

"Should we also thank him for the rise of nationalism

"Da li da mu takođe zahvalimo za uspon nacionalizma

and the massive increase in army sizes?

i ogromnog uvećanja u brojnosti vojske?

You can see how well that turned out a century later."

Sećate se šta je to urodilo vek kasnije."

"So what would European history have been like if it weren't for Napoléon?"

"Pa, kako bi izgledala evropska istorija da nije bilo Napoleona?"

"Unimaginably better/worse."

"Nezamislivo bolja/gora."

Napoléon seemingly unstoppable momentum would die in the Russian winter snows,

Napoleonov, naizgled, nezaustavljiv prodor će da umre u zimskim snegovima Rusije,

along with most of his army.

zajedno sa većim delom njegove armije.

But even after being deposed and exiled,

No, čak i nakon što je svrgnut i izgnan,

he refused to give up,

odbio je da odustane,

escaping from his prison and launching a bold attempt at restoring his empire

pobegao je iz zatvora i pokrenuo odvažan pokušaj u obnavljanju svog carstva

before being defeated for the second and final time.

pre nego što je poražen drugi, i poslednji put.

Bonaparte was a ruler full of contradictions,

Bonaparta je bio vladar pun protivrečnosti,

defending a popular revolution by imposing absolute dictatorship,

branio je narodnu revoluciju nametanjem apsolutne diktature,

and spreading liberal ideals through imperial wars,

a širio je liberalne ideale putem imperijalističkih ratova,

and though he never achieved his dream of conquering Europe,

i, iako nikada nije ostvario svoj san da osvoji Evropu,

he undoubtedly left his mark on it, for better or for worse.

bez sumnje je ostavio trag na njoj, bilo dobar ili loš.