What were Napoleon's failings?

Answer 1

Some submit that he was on a tremendous ego trip. After Leipzig he was sent to Elba where he still had a degree of power, his retinue, servants and he retained the title and formal address of Emperor of Elba. He was a big fish in a very small pond. He needed a much larger stage and determined to "Go For Broke" with a final toss of the dice.

Even after his defeat at Waterloo, he did not meekly surrender. He considered a North American escape and even a South American venture but the path out of Europe was blockaded. He still had what it takes even in defeat. Napoleon demanded political asylum from British Naval Captain Frederick Maitland of HMS Bellerophon.