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Napoleon 15 Coronation

Plans to invade England . . . so many things have to be right . . . calm seas for flat bottom boats . . . eight hours of total darkness . . . favorable wind . . . luring English navy away from coast (highly unlikely)  N. hopes Irish will help French . . . while all this is going on, N. is reading scientific papers by physicists on heat conservation and writing letters to scientists . . .
Invasion plan is a bad one . . . once in England, how would he reinforce his troops or supply them. Admiral Nelson would cut him off from France:  Line about Napoleon, "master of Europe, and a prisoner in Europe" because of English maritime strength . . . plots against N. life . . . N. orders executions that are very unpopular throughout Europe . . . proclaimed Emperor . . . French who don't like the idea of an emperor do like the idea of France being an empire, so they go along with it. . . Napoleon puts the crown on his own head--daring, over-reaching probably, causes an uproar . . . but it is the epitome of the Enlightenment reemergence of class distinctions . . . belief that humans are motivated by awards and distinctions . . . After the coronation, Napoleon's mother says:  "Let's hope it lasts."

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