No person—even those as polarizing as Napoleon Bonaparte—can be classified as only on specific kind of person. So, is Napoleon a reformer or a dictator? The short answer is he was both.
Those who view Napoleon as a dictator can point to his involvement with how he came into power in France. What started as a parliamentary coup that installed Napoleon as first consul in the three-member Consulate soon escalated into a military coup. This—along with Napoleon's absolute and unrestricted control of the government—cement his role as a dictator.
Historians who focus on Napoleon's role as a reformer are likely to mention the fact that he instituted multiple reforms that had major effects on France at the time and continue to this day. Napoleon instituted banking and education reforms and was a solid supporter of the arts and science. The Napoleonic Code streamlined the legal system in France and is still part of French law today.
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