How does Napoleon become president of Animal Farm?

Napoleon becomes president of Animal Farm through a staged, uncontested election after he has already turned the farm into his dictatorship. By the time the farm is declared a republic and needs a president, Napoleon is the only candidate, so he is elected unanimously.

That election has almost no real democratic meaning. Earlier, Napoleon removes his rival Snowball by force: during the debate over the windmill, he summons the nine dogs he secretly trained, and they chase Snowball off the farm. After that, Napoleon abolishes the animals’ Sunday meetings, ends debate, and says farm policy will be decided by a pig committee that he controls. When four young pigs object, the dogs growl and silence them, showing that opposition is now dangerous.

Squealer then turns Napoleon’s power grab into a supposed sacrifice. He tells the animals, “No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?” This explanation makes Napoleon’s rule sound protective, while also training the animals to give up their right to decide anything.

Napoleon also maintains control through fear, propaganda, and the rewriting of history. He blames Snowball for disasters, uses executions to terrify the farm, and benefits from loyal animals like Boxer, who accepts the motto “Napoleon is always right.” So, when Napoleon later becomes president, the vote simply formalizes power he already holds. The title of president gives a democratic appearance to a system where the animals have already lost the ability to choose.