Napoleon was a French visionary, emperor, general, and possibly the greatest Frenchmen ever. But what do we base this individual's greatness on. I believe that there three main things to look at when deciding how great of a historical figurehead someone is, these things are military leadership, political leadership, and the state of the nation.
Military leadership is one of Napoleon's greatest qualities. He was first distinguished as a great man not for his political skills, but for his excellence on the battlefield. At the beginning of his reign over Europe, France never lost a battle that Napoleon commanded. Not only did he never lose a battle until the end of his reign, it took all of Europe to unite into one force to stop him. Although he was a great tactician, and general, one cannot rule with force alone.
Napoleon was also known as a great political leader as well. He did many things for the French people, and even for the countries he conquered throughout Europe. Napoleon changed the French system. He allowed all men to vote, regardless of class or wealth. Napoleon built roads, parks, reservoirs, and other publics necessities. Bonaparte also constructed the Bank of France, which allowed France to become even wealthier. Napoleon was what France needed. Previous Monarchs bled French resources with their extravagant living, while Napoleon raised the standard of living for the whole country. He made France the wealthiest and most populated nation in all of Europe.
Napoleon during his control of Europe turned France into the largest, wealthiest, and best place to live during its time. France was rich beyond belief, and filled with bettering social classes. Even the lower classes saw more money, and less suffering. Napoleon truly turned France into a great nation.
I believe that using these three rules for distinguishing how great a ruler is, Napoleon would be considered one of the greatest rulers of history.