The bubble, the big wealth gaps, and the costly expense of war led to the bust and then to revolution, which threw out the old order and put in a new one. That new order consisted of revolutionary leaders who fought with each other, producing 10 years of painful chaos that required a strong leader to get control of the mess. It was all consistent with the classic, melodramatic script that has played innumerable times in the past. As if on cue, Napoleon entered the picture. Napoleon was the classic hero rising to the occasion. He had gained a sterling reputation as a military commander as
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