He did indeed have a loyalist guard that came with him to Elba and would have fought for him and been annihilated if there had been a battle at that moment. As

He did indeed have a loyalist guard that came with him to Elba and would have fought for him and been annihilated if there had been a battle at that moment. As for his being a dictator, that wasn't exactly uncommon at the time. Europe was a playground for dictators, and Napoleon was a successful one who challenged some existing, ver bad ones (although he did not infrequently change them for the worse). And he did introduce some major and lasting changes with the Code, though of course not all of it was welcome. As for the Louisiana purchase, it's more likely he was considering it a favor to take it off his hands. The French holdings over there were not in the best position to be used, had hardly any people or settlements, and so on. He chucked it for a bit of cash because it made sense at the time. He was a complicated guy, and they were complicated times. If you want a good biography to read, try "The Age of Napoleon" by J. Christopher Harold. It did a good job of explaining the context for Napoleon's rise and why exactly he was welcomed by the people - but also is very clear about his shortcomings.