Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte conquered much of Europe — but was the real battle always with himself?

From Corsica to Emperor, his rise was extraordinary. He won battles, rewrote laws and built a legend that survived Waterloo. But what drove him: ambition, genius, insecurity, destiny — or an inability to stop?

This film follows Toulon, Italy, Egypt, Josephine, Austerlitz, Russia, Waterloo and exile. Why did men follow him? What did he build that outlived him? And were his greatest enemies Britain, Europe — or Napoleon himself?

In the Hall of the Ancients, reputation is not enough. We bring the evidence back into the room and ask what fame pushed aside.