The Revolutionary and later Napoleonic armies succeeded because they faced a decayed, obsolete military system, that of the professional army (which had not seen much service in 30 years since there had been a period of relative peace) with a new, more powerful concept, that of the citizen army. The army that Napoleon faced at Jena and at Friedland was a far cry from the tough, lean, Prussian fighting machine of the Great Frederick.

The era is called the Napoleonic era because it was molded by the unrelenting, murderous ambition of one man. It was because of his lust for glory that Europe was in a state of war for 15 years.

One half of Europe was fighting the other half for two reasons: either their country was covered with Bonaparte's soldiers or they were historic enemies of Bonaparte's enemies, and not because he was such a brilliant diplomat, and certainly not equal to Talleyrand, to whom he listened only when it suited him.

Bonaparte was a good tactician and a fine leader of men, however if he had been in the same position as Wellington in Spain, he would never have succeeded (he would have alienated the local populations from the start in living off the land.)