Napoleon (Animal Farm)

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Napoleon is a fictional pig from George Orwell's Animal Farm. With events on Animal Farm mirroring those in the Soviet Union, Napoleon is based on the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

Napoleon struggled with Snowball, a fellow pig, for power after the animals took control of Manor Farm. To secure his power, Napoleon ordered his attack dogs to chase Snowball away from the farm. After this, he executed any animal who he believed was affiliated with Snowball. To prevent the animals from accusing him of breaking the Seven Commandments, he had Squealer alter them from time to time to show that Napoleon's ever more abusive behaviors were acceptable under the Commandments and giving Napoleon ever greater power. At the end of the book, Napoleon and the other pigs act just like humans, wearing clothes, smoking, and even walking upright.

Instead of acting for the good of the animals, Napoleon only acted for himself and eventually acted just like the humans he originally claimed to have despised. Increasingly reclusive himself, Napoleon used the persuasive Squealer to act as his "propaganda minister." The truly evil side of Napoleon only becomes evident when he directs the slaughter of many innocent animals for supposedly plotting against him. He even commands one of the other pigs to sample his food for him because he imagines someone is trying to poison him.

Napoleon in the Allegory

Napoleon was based on Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for nearly 30 years. However, his name comes from the French general Napoleon Bonaparte. In the French language version of the book, he was renamed César (Caesar).

Napoleon fought along with Snowball to free the farm from human control. Then he attacked Snowball to seize control of the farm and to direct all its activities, similar to Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin who struggled over the control of Russia. Trotsky supported Permanent Revolution (just as Snowball advocated overthrowing other farm owners), versus Stalin who supported Socialism in One Country (similar to Napoleon's idea of teaching the animals to use firearms).

Later on, after ostracizing Snowball as Stalin did by placing Trotsky in exile, Napoleon ordered the construction of a windmill, which had been designed by Snowball and which he had opposed vigorously. When the primitive windmill collapses, he places blame on Snowball and starts a wave a terror during which he orders the execution of several of the animals after coercing their confessions of wrongdoing. (He changed the commandment in the Seven Commandments dealing with killing also, doubtless through Squealer.) He then commands the building of second, stronger windmill while severely cutting rations to all of the animals--except the pigs.

Then he makes a deal with Frederick (similar to Russia's pact with Germany during World War II), but Frederick tricks Napoleon by paying him with counterfeit money and then invading Animal Farm, perhaps out of jealousy for the success the animals have achieved. (Germany breaks pact with Russia and invades Russia, in order to gain needed minerals and fuel.) During the Battle of the Windmill, the windmill is destroyed, but the animals win, though they pay a high price. Napoleon attempts to cover the losses by stating it was a grand victory for the animals.

Note that Napoleon consistently displays a lack of courage, in contrast to Snowball who does. However, he still stands upright when the second windmill is blown up, unlike the other animals that flung themselves down to the ground (Stalin encouraging his army to fight back against Germany).