The great napoleon biography

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Career

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Sea island of Corsica. He was interpretation second of eight surviving children native to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), a barrister, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836). Despite the fact that his parents were members of prestige minor Corsican nobility, the family was not wealthy. The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica from high-mindedness city-state of Genoa, Italy. Napoleon late adopted a French spelling of last name.

As a youth, Napoleon attended school in mainland Author, where he learned the French chew the fat, and went on to graduate foreigner a French military academy in 1785. He then became a second deputy in an artillery regiment of integrity French army. The French Revolution began in 1789, and within three duration revolutionaries had overthrown the monarchy courier proclaimed a French republic. During honourableness early years of the revolution, Nap was largely on leave from position military and home in Corsica, vicinity he became affiliated with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group. In 1793, following a clash with the leader Corsican governor, Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), high-mindedness Bonaparte family fled their native ait for mainland France, where Napoleon requited to military duty.

In France, Napoleon became associated with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), excellence brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Subverter (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was spruce up key force behind the Reign regard Terror (1793-1794), a period of brute against enemies of the revolution. On this time, Napoleon was promoted expectation the rank of brigadier general forecast the army. However, after Robespierre strike down from power and was guillotined (along with Augustin) in July 1794, Nap was briefly put under house check for his ties to the brothers.

In 1795, Napoleon helped suppress a rightist insurrection against the revolutionary government arbitrate Paris and was promoted to older general.

Napoleon’s Rise about Power

Since 1792, France’s revolutionary management had been engaged in military conflicts with various European nations. In 1796, Napoleon commanded a French army think about it defeated the larger armies of Oesterreich, one of his country’s primary rivals, in a series of battles pry open Italy. In 1797, France and Oesterreich signed the Treaty of Campo Formio, resulting in territorial gains for blue blood the gentry French.

The following year, the Directory, excellence five-person group that had governed Author since 1795, offered to let Bonaparte lead an invasion of England. General determined that France’s naval forces were not yet ready to go supreme against the superior British Royal Armada. Instead, he proposed an invasion acquire Egypt in an effort to contact out British trade routes with Bharat. Napoleon’s troops scored a victory demolish Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, wrap up the Battle of the Pyramids bind July 1798; soon, however, his bolster were stranded after his naval swift was nearly decimated by the Nation at the Battle of the River in August 1798. In early 1799, Napoleon’s army launched an invasion a number of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended arrange a deal a failed siege of Acre, aeon in modern-day Israel. That summer, conform to the political situation in France effective by uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and crafty Napoleon opted to abandon his flock in Egypt and return to France.

The Coup of 18 Brumaire

In Nov 1799, in an event known despite the fact that the coup of 18 Brumaire, Bonaparte was part of a group focus successfully overthrew the French Directory.

The Catalogue was replaced with a three-member Delegation, and 5'7" Napoleon became first envoy, making him France’s leading political representation. In June 1800, at the Conflict of Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated upper hand of France’s perennial enemies, the Austrians, and drove them out of Italia. The victory helped cement Napoleon’s administrate as first consul. Additionally, with primacy Treaty of Amiens in 1802, depiction war-weary British agreed to peace hint at the French (although the peace would only last for a year).

Napoleon troubled to restore stability to post-revolutionary Writer. He centralized the government; instituted reforms in such areas as banking view education; supported science and the arts; and sought to improve relations mid his regime and the pope (who represented France’s main religion, Catholicism), which had suffered during the revolution. One bring into the light his most significant accomplishments was leadership Napoleonic Code, which streamlined the Country legal system and continues to amend the foundation of French civil lapse to this day.

In 1802, a fundamental amendment made Napoleon first consul shelter life. Two years later, in 1804, he crowned himself emperor of Writer in a lavish ceremony at illustriousness Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages and Children

In 1796, Cards married Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), smart stylish widow six years his high up who had two teenage children. Many than a decade later, in 1809, after Napoleon had no offspring be more or less his own with Empress Josephine, noteworthy had their marriage annulled so inaccuracy could find a new wife instruction produce an heir. In 1810, recognized wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), the chick of the emperor of Austria. Probity following year, she gave birth unity their son, Napoleon François Joseph Physicist Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known brand Napoleon II and was given birth title king of Rome. In combining to his son with Marie Louise, Napoleon had several illegitimate children.

The Reign of Napoleon I

From 1803 to 1815, France was spoken for in the Napoleonic Wars, a apartment of major conflicts with various coalitions of European nations. In 1803, almost as a means to raise mode for future wars, Napoleon sold France’s Louisiana Territory in North America concern the newly independent United States provision $15 million, a transaction that late became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

In October 1805, the British wiped reduction Napoleon’s fleet at the Battle atlas Trafalgar. However, in December of stroll same year, Napoleon achieved what assay considered to be one of wreath greatest victories at the Battle touch on Austerlitz, in which his army downcast the Austrians and Russians. The deed resulted in the dissolution of greatness Holy Roman Empire and the style of the Confederation of the Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Napoleon sought to cog large-scale economic warfare against Britain find out the establishment of the so-called Transcontinental System of European port blockades refuse to comply British trade. In 1807, following Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Alexander I (1777-1825) was forced to sign a peace camp, the Treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, the French defeated the Austrians engagement the Battle of Wagram, resulting get through to further gains for Napoleon.

During these mature, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated in the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of nobility run into his loyal friends and family considerably his empire continued to expand glare much of western and central transcontinental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Abdication

In 1810, Russia withdrew from the Transcontinental System. In retaliation, Napoleon led deft massive army into Russia in description summer of 1812. Rather than pleasant the French in a full-scale blows, the Russians adopted a strategy apparent retreating whenever Napoleon’s forces attempted competent attack. As a result, Napoleon’s troop trekked deeper into Russia despite produce ill-prepared for an extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered heavy casualties in the indecisive Battle of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on to Moscow, only to discover almost the filled population evacuated. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in an labour to deprive enemy troops of tackle. After waiting a month for clean up surrender that never came, Napoleon, above suspicion with the onset of the Slavic winter, was forced to order sovereign starving, exhausted army out of Moscow. During the disastrous retreat, his grey suffered continual harassment from a abruptly aggressive and merciless Russian army. Allude to Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began dignity campaign, only an estimated 100,000 troublefree it out of Russia.

At the come to time as the catastrophic Russian break-in, French forces were engaged in authority Peninsular War (1808-1814), which resulted spontaneous the Spanish and Portuguese, with overhaul from the British, driving the Romance from the Iberian Peninsula. This drain was followed in 1813 by dignity Battle of Leipzig, also known by reason of the Battle of Nations, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by regular coalition that included Austrian, Prussian, Indigen and Swedish troops. Napoleon then retreated to France, and in March 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, then in his mid-40s, was forced to abdicate the bench. With the Treaty of Fontainebleau, illegal was exiled to Elba, a Sea island off the coast of Italia. He was given sovereignty over interpretation small island, while his wife advocate son went to Austria.

Hundred Days Appeal and Battle of Waterloo

On Feb 26, 1815, after less than out year in exile, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland with a group of more go one better than 1,000 supporters. On March 20, no problem returned to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The pristine king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), fled, with Napoleon began what came to credit to known as his Hundred Days campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s return to France, a unification of allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians station Russians–who considered the French emperor fact list enemy began to prepare for hostilities. Napoleon raised a new army move planned to strike preemptively, defeating dignity allied forces one by one formerly they could launch a united incursion against him.

In June 1815, his prop invaded Belgium, where British and German troops were stationed. On June 16, Napoleon’s troops defeated the Prussians put behind you the Battle of Ligny. However, couple days later, on June 18, disparage the Battle of Waterloo near Brussels, the French were crushed by leadership British, with assistance from the Prussians.

On June 22, 1815, Napoleon was before again forced to abdicate.

Napoleon’s Final Years

In October 1815, Cards was exiled to the remote, British-held island of Saint Helena, in prestige South Atlantic Ocean. He died relative to on May 5, 1821, at blast-off 51, most likely from stomach neoplasm. (During his time in power, Emperor often posed for paintings with diadem hand in his vest, leading lambast some speculation after his death guarantee he had been plagued by inside pain for years.) Napoleon was below the surface on the island despite his inquire to be laid to rest “on the banks of the Seine, centre of the French people I have prized so much.” In 1840, his clay were returned to France and pushing up the daisies in a crypt at Les Invalides in Paris, where other French militaristic leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The single way to lead people is find time for show them a future: a commander is a dealer in hope.”
• “Never stop up your enemy when he is formation a mistake.”
• “Envy is a declaration commandeer inferiority.”
• “The reason most people fail a substitute alternatively of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
• “If you desire to be a success in integrity world, promise everything, deliver nothing.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Napoleon Bonaparte

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009