From a position of relative obscurity, Napoleon rose to become Emperor of most of Europe, and a primary symbol of his time. He was a dictator, but he initiated beneficial reforms and had a very liberal outlook, maintaining socially progressive views. Yet Napoleon did not retain his power through his domestic policies alone: a master strategist on the battlefield, and a master at international negotiations, Napoleon repeatedly won both military and diplomatic triumphs. A child of the Enlightenment and a son of the French Revolution, he was simultaneously a traditional monarch, embracing all the pomp and formalities of monarchic customs, and a revolutionary, bringing sweeping and lastingchanges to the regions under his rule. Hated by his many enemies, he earned their respect, nonethel...more >>ess. Such that Wellington, when asked who he thought was the greatest general of the day, answered: "In this age, in past ages, in any age, Napoleon."