Napoleon
(Napoleon Bonaparte)
1769–1821
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Born in Corsica, Napoleon sympathized with the Corsican nationalists, who had been conquered by France shortly before Napoleon’s birth. Although he studied in France and received his first commission in the French Army, Napoleon never gave up the idea of a liberated Corsica. Despite these sympathies, Napoleon served with distinction during the French Revolution, attracting the attention of Barras, Robespierre, and Talleyrand. A piece of brilliant political maneuvering put Napoleon’s allies in control of the French government after the coup of 18 Fructidor. Five years later, Napoleon got himself named First Consul for life; two years after that, he crowned himself Emperor of France.
Napoleon’s downfall was ultimately his arrogance, which caused him to overreach himself. Two notable examples of this are the Continental System, by which he attempted to block all trade with Britain, and the invasion of Russia in 1812, in which the French army was demolished. Napoleon is also supposed to have said of the Peninsular War involving France, Spain, and Britain; "That unfortunate war destroyed me....All the circumstances of my disasters are bound up in that fatal knot." In the end, it was Napoleon’s oldest nemesis, Great Britain, who defeated him at the battle of Waterloo, and exiled him for the final time to the island of St Helena, where the great general would finally die in 1821, at the age of 52.
Key events during the life of Napoleon Bonaparte:
| Born in Corsica to minor noble family, second of eight children. | |
| Napoleon's father named Corsican representative to the court of Louis XVI. | |
| Enrolled in a religious school in Autun to learn French. In May, admitted to the military academy at Brienne-le-Château. | |
| Admitted to the École Militaire in Paris. Death of Napoleon's father. He completes the course in one year rather than two; first Corsican to graduate from that establishment. | |
| Graduated from École Militaire. Commissioned a second lieutenant in La Fère artillery regiment. | |
| Takes nearly two years leave-of-absence from the French army in Paris and Corsica. | |
| Promoted to captain in French regular army despite obvious Corsican nationalist loyalties. | |
| The Bonaparte family leaves Corsica for the mainland because of conflict with nationalist Corsican leader Pasquale Paoli. | |
| Publishes Le souper de Beaucaire, which brings him to the attention of Augustin Robespierre, younger brother of Revolutionary leader Maximilan Robespierre. | |
| Appointed artillery commander of Republic forces at the Siege of Toulon. Promoted to Brigadier-General at age 24, appointed commander of artillery in France's Army of Italy. | |
| Devises strategy for attacking Sardinia; Battle of Saorgio | |
| Placed under house arrest after Thermidorian Reaction for association with the Robespierres. Acquitted and released after two weeks. | |
| Engaged to Désirée Clary, whose older sister was married to his brother Joseph. | |
| Assigned to the Army of the West, which was engaged in the War of the Vendee. Pleaded poor health to avoid posting. | |
| October, appointed by Paul Barras to defend the National Convention in the Tuileries Palace against the Paris mob. | |
| Breaks off engagement with Désirée Clary to marry Josephine de Beauharnais. | |
| Two days after marriage, leaves France to take command of Army of Italy, leads successful invasion of Italy. | |
| Invades Austria, forces them into Treaty of Leoben. | |
| Coup of 18 Fructidor leaves Barras and Republican allies in control. | |
| Treaty of Campo Formio, returns to France and meets Talleyrand. | |
| Egyptian Campaign. Elected to French Academy of Sciences in May. | |
| Returns to France. Coup of 18th Brumaire, appointed First Consul. | |
| France reaffirms Italian and Austrian possessions; Battle of Marengo, Treaty of Luneville. | |
| Named First Consul for life, peace with Britain only lasts a year. | |
| Sells the Louisiana Purchase to the United States of America for $15 million. | |
| Execution of Duc d'Enghien, on false charges of conspiracy to assassination. | |
| Crowns himself Emperor Napoleon I of France, with Josephine as Empress. | |
| Crowned King of Italy. | |
| Britain, Russia, Austria form Third Coalition against France. | |
| Battle of Trafalgar; Britain gains naval supremacy. Battle of Austerlitz; Napoleon crushes the Third Coalition. | |
| Ottoman Emperor formally recognizes Napoleon as Emperor of the French, and enters into an alliance with France. | |
| Fourth Coalition assembled. | |
| Treaties of Tilsit; Alexander I of Russia meets Napoleon, they divide Europe between them. Prussia stripped of half her territory. Napoleon attempts to enforce the Continental System. | |
| Spain rejects the Continental System. Beginning of the Peninsular War. Joseph Bonaparte appointed King of Spain in place of Charles IV. Joachim Murat appointed King of Naples. | |
| Austria breaks alliance with France. Austria defeated; Treaty of Schönbrunn. | |
| Annexation of the Papal States for refusing to cooperate with the Continental System; Pope Pius VII excommunicates Napoleon. | |
| Pope kidnapped by Napoleon's officers. | |
| Divorces Josephine; marries Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria. | |
| Frances invades Russia, with disastrous results. Napoleon deserts retreating army because of rumored coup attempt. | |
| Sixth Coalition; Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Sweden. Battle of Dresden, Battle of Leipzig. Napoleon retreats to France. | |
| France loses the Peninsular War. | |
| Paris captured by the Coalition. Consulate votes to depose Napoleon. | |
| Abdication, renounces all rights of his family and descendants to the French throne, exiled to Elba. Wife and son take refuge in Austria. | |
| Escapes Elba in the Swiftsure on Feb. 26th. | |
| Congress of Vienna declares Napoleon on outlaw on March 13th. Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia ally to bring him down. | |
| June 18th, Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon defeated by allied forces under Wellington and Blucher. | |
| Abdicates in favour of his son, flees Prussian forces, surrendurs to British captain Frederick Lewis Maitland. | |
| Exiled to island of St. Helena. | |
| May 5th, Death of Napoleon. | |
| Louis Philippe I brings Napoleon's body to France, interrs it in Les Invalides with a great state funeral. |
Other Resources
Image Links | ||
|---|---|---|
 Reconciliation between Napoleon and Josephine in Hortense |
 Joseph and Napoleon; Tour in Corsica. in Joseph Bonaparte |
 Napoleon at Fontainebleau, 1914 in France: Peeps at History |
 Napoleon as Emperor in The Hanoverians |
 The removal of Napoleon's body to France in The Hanoverians |
 Napoleon on board the Bellerophon in The Story of the English |
 Napoleon at school in Brienne in Famous Men of Modern Times |
 Napoleon in Egypt in Famous Men of Modern Times |
Napoleon in Coronation Robes in Famous Men of Modern Times |
 Napoleon at the battle of Jena in Famous Men of Modern Times |
 Napoleon on board the Bellerophon in Famous Men of Modern Times |
Napoleon crowning his wife, Josephine in Back Matter |
Napoleon and the Sphinx in Back Matter |
 Seizing a flag, he himself led his men across the bridge in The Story of France |
 Soldiers, this battle must be a thunderclap.' in The Story of France |
 Napoleon as a boy in The Story of Napoleon |
 The little Corsican in The Story of Napoleon |
 Napoleon and the Pope in The Story of Napoleon |
 Waterloo in The Story of Napoleon |
 Napoleon's return from Elba in Historical Tales: French |
 Napoleon receiving news of the breaking down of the bridge in Brave Men and Brave Deeds |
 Napoleon retreats from Moscow in The Struggle for Sea Power |
 Napoleon in his Imperial Robes in European Hero Stories |
 Napoleon's Return from Elba in European Hero Stories |
 Napoleon a the Battle of Waterloo in European Hero Stories |
 Napoleon Bonaparte. in Louise, Queen of Prussia |
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| Key figure of the French Revolution. Leader of the Reign of Terror. | |
| Older brother of Napoleon who was crowned first, King of Naples, and then later, King of Spain. | |
| Aristocratic wife of Napoloeon Bonaparte. | |
| Stepson of Napoleon, who accompanied him on all his early campaigns. Later Prince of Italy. | |
| Step-daughter, and sister-in-law of Napolean Bonaparte, and mother of Napoleon III of France. | |
| Joachim Murat | Leading general of Napoleonic Wars, brother-in-law of Napoleon. Appointed king of Naples after Joseph was installed as king of Spain. |
| Talleyrand | Apostate bishop who organized Civil Constitution of Clergy. Stayed in favor during regime changes from the Estates General to the Restoration. |
| Toussaint L'Ouverture | Former slave who became the leader of rebel slaves seeking to overthrow the French government in Haiti. |
| Pope Pius VII | Pope during the reign of Napoleon and the early restoration period. |
| Leader of Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. | |
| Great Naval hero of his age; victor at the Battle of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. | |
| Napoleonic war general who fought in Spain and Portugal. Defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. | |
| Marie Louise of Austria | Archduchess of Austria. Second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. |
| Louis XVIII | French monarch restored to the throne after the collapse of Napoleon's empire. Brother of Louis XVI killed during revolution. |
| French prince with liberal sympathies. Proclaimed king after abdication of Charles X. | |
| Nephew of Napoleon, elected emperor of France after revolution of 1848. Deposed after disastrous Franco-Prussian War. |