On November 22, 2023, the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) hosted a public event entitled “The Geopolitics of Napoleon’s wars”. The participants of the roundtable discussion were Tamás Péter Baranyi, strategic director of HIIA, Péter Hahner, director of Rubicon Institute, and István Íjgyártó, senior researcher and chief advisor at HIIA. The discussion was moderated by Fülöp Kovách, training coordinator at HIIA.
The occasion for the discussion was the release of the American-British historical drama “Napoleon”, therefore the introductory remarks concerned the value of historical films and whether we should view them through a professional lens or rather enjoy them as movie watchers. The experts have also discussed previous movie adaptations about Napoleon based on historical accuracy as well as enjoyability. Furthermore, Napoleon’s depiction in both films and literature has been touched upon.
The discussants considered it important to speak on Napoleon’s Russian campaign, because as highlighted by chief advisor István Íjgyártó, it is relevant even in the contemporary context due to Russia’s geopolitical position. Towards the end of the discussion, the experts have shared their thoughts on Napoleon’s impact on the European idea system and politics, and answered questions by the audience.