Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte are watching armies training in the afterlife.
They walk around the soldiers and Napoleon is reading the Russian newspaper “Pravda (the Truth)”
Alexander the Great turns to Caesar and Napoleon and says: “With an army like this I could’ve also conquered the entirety of Europe.”
Napoleon scoffs and Caesar nods. Caesar points to the Artillery and tanks and says: “With weapons like this I could’ve conquered the known world.”
Alexander the Great nods and Napoleon scoffs even louder.
Alexander the Great asks Napoleon “Well tell us, what is your issue?”
Napoleon looks up from the newspaper, turns it around, and shows it to the two. “If this newspaper had existed when I was going around, nobody would know I lost in Waterloo.”
Explanation: This joke cleverly combines historical figures with modern technology to create humor. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte are known for their military conquests but also for their defeats or challenges. Alexander and Caesar marvel at the modern army’s advanced weapons and equipment, imagining how much more they could have achieved with those resources.
Napoleon, however, is more concerned with the power of media. His humorous point is that if a biased or censored newspaper like “Pravda” (a Soviet-era publication known for controlling information) existed during his time, it could have hidden his defeat at Waterloo, altering public perception. The joke highlights how powerful media can shape history, making it both witty and thought-provoking.
