... realise the limitless possibilities of propaganda"3. Napoleons rise to power in France was unparalleled and "from as early as 1796, Bonaparte actively fostered the creation of his public image, transforming an unknown Corsican general into a political force of rivalling the government of France"4. In this sense the creation of a positive public image enabled Napoleon to gain the popular support he needed, as Napoleon had actually achieved very little by this time, but people perceived him to be the 'saviour' of France. It was during the formative period that Napoleon learned his craft as a propagandist and honed his skills as a manipulator of public opinion. Napoleon had created a propaganda structure during the Italian campaign of 1796 and then built upon this "through conscious manipulation of dispatches, correspondence, medallions and especially of the press, Napoleon created for himself the image of revolutionary hero5". It was his ability to exaggerate ...

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