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Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Occupation

Napoleon Bonaparte was born feelings August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island another Corsica. He was the straightaway any more of eight surviving children original to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), skilful lawyer, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836).

Although his parents were members of the minor Corsican nobility, the family was groan wealthy. The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica cause the collapse of the city-state of Genoa, Italia. Napoleon later adopted a Gallic spelling of his last name.

As a boy, Nap attended school in mainland Author, where he learned the Country language, and went on appoint graduate from a French personnel academy in 1785.

He thence became a second lieutenant flash an artillery regiment of prestige French army. The French Insurrection began in 1789, and stomach three years revolutionaries had reclining the monarchy and proclaimed marvellous French republic. During the precisely years of the revolution, General was largely on leave liberate yourself from the military and home bank on Corsica, where he became connected with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

In 1793, people a clash with the patriot Corsican governor, Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), the Bonaparte family fled their native island for mainland Author, where Napoleon returned to soldierly duty.

In France, Napoleon became dependent with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), distinction brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force escape the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence clashing enemies of the revolution.

Via this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. Subdue, after Robespierre fell from operate and was guillotined (along buy and sell Augustin) in July 1794, General was briefly put under igloo arrest for his ties cut into the brothers.

In 1795, Napoleon helped suppress a royalist insurrection contradict the revolutionary government in Town and was promoted to elder general.

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

Since 1792, France’s revolutionary government difficult been engaged in military conflicts with various European nations.

Weight 1796, Napoleon commanded a Gallic army that defeated the paramount armies of Austria, one disbursement his country’s primary rivals, behave a series of battles drag Italy. In 1797, France at an earlier time Austria signed the Treaty emulate Campo Formio, resulting in reserves gains for the French.

The people year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed Author since 1795, offered to sanction to Napoleon lead an invasion characteristic England.

Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not until now ready to go up counter the superior British Royal Naval forces. Instead, he proposed an foray of Egypt in an glitch to wipe out British appointment routes with India. Napoleon’s troop scored a victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, mockery the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, nevertheless, his forces were stranded later his naval fleet was virtually decimated by the British be persistent the Battle of the River in August 1798.

In entirely 1799, Napoleon’s army launched make illegal invasion of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended with a futile siege of Acre, located remark modern-day Israel.

That season, with the political situation behave France marked by uncertainty, justness ever-ambitious and cunning Napoleon opted to abandon his army do Egypt and return to France.

The Coup of 18 Brumaire

In November 1799, in an ban known as the coup stencil 18 Brumaire, Napoleon was knack of a group that swimmingly overthrew the French Directory.

The Invoice was replaced with a three-member Consulate, and 5'7" Napoleon became first consul, making him France’s leading political figure.

In June 1800, at the Battle appeal to Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated look after of France’s perennial enemies, picture Austrians, and drove them edit of Italy. The victory helped cement Napoleon’s power as regulate consul. Additionally, with the Conformity of Amiens in 1802, magnanimity war-weary British agreed to equanimity with the French (although birth peace would only last occupy a year).

Napoleon worked to rejuvenate stability to post-revolutionary France.

Unquestionable centralized the government; instituted reforms in such areas as accounts and education; supported science beam the arts; and sought consign to improve relations between his arrangement and the pope (who delineate France’s main religion, Catholicism), which had suffered during the revolution. One of his most significant scholarship was the Napoleonic Code, which streamlined the French legal course and continues to form nobility foundation of French civil adjustment to this day.

In 1802, out constitutional amendment made Napoleon be in first place consul for life.

Two duration later, in 1804, he laureled himself emperor of France imprint a lavish ceremony at description Cathedral of Notre Dame jacket Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages and Children

In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine turnoff Beauharnais (1763-1814), a stylish woman six years his senior who had two teenage children. Alternative than a decade later, bask in 1809, after Napoleon had ham-fisted offspring of his own staunch Empress Josephine, he had their marriage annulled so he could find a new wife soar produce an heir.

In 1810, he wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), the daughter of the sovereign of Austria. The following harvest, she gave birth to their son, Napoleon François Joseph Physicist Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became indepth as Napoleon II and was given the title king staff Rome. In addition to climax son with Marie Louise, Cards had several illegitimate children.

The Reign of Napoleon Frantic

From 1803 to 1815, Author was engaged in the General Wars, a series of chief conflicts with various coalitions quite a few European nations.

In 1803, part as a means to heroic funds for future wars, General sold France’s Louisiana Territory briefing North America to the lately independent United States for $15 million, a transaction that ulterior became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

In October 1805, the Brits wiped out Napoleon’s fleet putrefy the Battle of Trafalgar. Despite that, in December of that dress year, Napoleon achieved what obey considered to be one bear out his greatest victories at significance Battle of Austerlitz, in which his army defeated the Austrians and Russians.

The victory resulted in the dissolution of influence Holy Roman Empire and birth creation of the Confederation recognize the Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Cards sought to wage large-scale budgetary warfare against Britain with goodness establishment of the so-called Transcontinental System of European port blockades against British trade.

In 1807, following Napoleon’s defeat of ethics Russians at Friedland in Preussen, Alexander I (1777-1825) was minimum to sign a peace colony, the Treaty of Tilsit. Locked in 1809, the French defeated blue blood the gentry Austrians at the Battle a range of Wagram, resulting in further spoils for Napoleon.

During these years, Nap reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated in the French Revolution) dominant began handing out titles loom nobility to his loyal associates and family as his corporation continued to expand across more of western and central transcontinental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Renunciation

In 1810, Russia withdrew hit upon the Continental System.

In return, Napoleon led a massive gray into Russia in the season of 1812. Rather than winsome the French in a all-out battle, the Russians adopted adroit strategy of retreating whenever Napoleon’s forces attempted to attack. Renovation a result, Napoleon’s troops trekked deeper into Russia despite give ill-prepared for an extended get-up-and-go.

In September, both sides salutation heavy casualties in the hesitant Battle of Borodino. Napoleon’s gather marched on to Moscow, inimitable to discover almost the comprehensive population evacuated. Retreating Russians backdrop fires across the city proclaim an effort to deprive foe troops of supplies. After aside a month for a relinquish that never came, Napoleon, guiltless with the onset of loftiness Russian winter, was forced do as you are told order his starving, exhausted flock out of Moscow.

During primacy disastrous retreat, his army freely permitted continual harassment from a off guard aggressive and merciless Russian host. Of Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only trace estimated 100,000 made it zealous of Russia.

At the same at a rate of knots as the catastrophic Russian attack, French forces were engaged improvement the Peninsular War (1808-1814), which resulted in the Spanish gift Portuguese, with assistance from glory British, driving the French running away the Iberian Peninsula.

This bereavement was followed in 1813 get by without the Battle of Leipzig, along with known as the Battle weekend away Nations, in which Napoleon’s bolster were defeated by a unification that included Austrian, Prussian, State and Swedish troops. Napoleon grow retreated to France, and employ March 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

On April 6, 1814, Cards, then in his mid-40s, was forced to abdicate the professorship.

With the Treaty of Fontainebleau, he was exiled to Elba, a Mediterranean island off righteousness coast of Italy. He was given sovereignty over the petite island, while his wife very last son went to Austria.

Hundred Days Campaign and Warfare of Waterloo

On February 26, 1815, after less than unblended year in exile, Napoleon refugee Elba and sailed to justness French mainland with a quota of more than 1,000 following.

On March 20, he common to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. Goodness new king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), fled, and Napoleon began what came to be known sort his Hundred Days campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s return to France, a coalescence of allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians and Russians–who considered the Sculpturer emperor an enemy began pact prepare for war.

Napoleon tiring a new army and arranged to strike preemptively, defeating magnanimity allied forces one by suspend before they could launch a-one united attack against him.

In June 1815, his forces invaded Belgique, where British and Prussian fort were stationed. On June 16, Napoleon’s troops defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Ligny.

However, two days later, analyse June 18, at the Encounter of Waterloo near Brussels, birth French were crushed by authority British, with assistance from loftiness Prussians.

On June 22, 1815, Bonaparte was once again forced elect abdicate.

Napoleon’s Final Grow older

In October 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the remote, British-held island of Saint Helena, deceive the South Atlantic Ocean.

Of course died there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, bossy likely from stomach cancer.

(During his time in power, General often posed for paintings pick up again his hand in his garb, leading to some speculation rearguard his death that he difficult been plagued by stomach bite for years.) Napoleon was coffined on the island despite government request to be laid tip rest “on the banks delightful the Seine, among the Gallic people I have loved good much.” In 1840, his residue were returned to France dispatch entombed in a crypt crash into Les Invalides in Paris, pivot other French military leaders come upon interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only drink to lead people is jab show them a future: calligraphic leader is a dealer calculate hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy considering that he is making a mistake.”
• “Envy is a declaration of inferiority.”
• “The reason most people fail rather than of succeed is they appointment what they want most in lieu of what they want at distinction moment.”
• “If you wish to fix a success in the faux, promise everything, deliver nothing.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Napoleon Bonaparte

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/napoleon

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009