Do Europeans Have Napoleon Syndrome Over Zelenskyy?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives his end of year press conference. December 19, 2023.

On Focal Points, John Leake compares Europe’s reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to its past reactions to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Leake writes:

Europe’s heads of state were outraged by Zelensky’s reception at the Oval Office. As compiled by ZeroHedge:

• Spanish PM Sanchez says “Ukraine, Spain stands with you.”
• French Foreign Minister Barrot says Putin’s Russia is the aggressor, there is one necessity: Europe, now the time for words is over, time for action.
• German Chancellor Scholz says Ukraine can rely on Germany and Europe.
• EU’s von der Leyen says “be strong, be brave, be fearless, you are never alone, Dear President Zelensky”
• Lithuanian President says Ukraine will never be alone.
• Portuguese PM says Ukraine can count on us to support it
• Czech Republic President says “We stand with Ukraine more than ever. Time for Europe to step up its efforts.”
• EU foreign policy chief Kallas says “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to US, Europeans, to take this challenge.”
• Polish PM Tusk posts on X, “Dear Zelensky, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone”.
• French President Macron says Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine is the aggressed people. We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia 3 years ago, and to continue to do so.

Reading these statements reminded me of how Europe lost its head for Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1803, Beethoven dedicated his Third “Eroica” Symphony to Napoleon (though the composer changed his mind the following year when Napoleon had himself crowned Emperor).

After seeing Napoleon enter the German city of Jena at the head of French troops, Hegel wrote to a friend:

I saw the Emperor—this soul of the world—go out from the city to survey his reign; it is a truly wonderful sensation to see such an individual, who, concentrating on one point while seated on a horse, stretches over the world and dominates it.

In Tolstoy’s War and Peace, the character Pierre Bezukhov believes that Napoleon is “a giant” who will liberate and improve all of Europe, including Russia.

What could account for Europe’s love affair with the Corsican of Italian ancestry who began his career as a junior artillery officer in the French Royal Army?

Undoubtedly Napoleon was a skilled military commander who was very good at killing tens of thousands of young men, but why did intellectuals and artists all over the Continent lose their heads for him?

The same question might be asked of Zelensky. I suspect that many of his fans have no idea how he rose to prominence in European affairs. Few probably know that Zelensky was the protege of the Ukrainian billionaire oligarch, Ihor Kolomoyskyi.

Read more here.