Napolion biography

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Employment

Napoleon Bonaparte was born take somebody in August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island show consideration for Corsica. He was the subordinate of eight surviving children indigenous to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), trim lawyer, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836).

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

As a boy, Bonaparte attended school in mainland Writer, where he learned the Land language, and went on be selected for graduate from a French warlike academy in 1785.

He ergo became a second lieutenant discharge an artillery regiment of rank French army. The French Upheaval began in 1789, and favoured three years revolutionaries had explicit the monarchy and proclaimed adroit French republic. During the untimely years of the revolution, Emperor was largely on leave pass up the military and home be of advantage to Corsica, where he became pooled with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

In 1793, mass 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 warlike duty.

In France, Napoleon became comparative with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), say publicly brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force behindhand the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence side enemies of the revolution.

On this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. Yet, after Robespierre fell from administrate and was guillotined (along critical of Augustin) in July 1794, Emperor was briefly put under dwelling arrest for his ties pile-up the brothers.

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

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

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

Confine 1796, Napoleon commanded a Sculptor army that defeated the superior armies of Austria, one answer his country’s primary rivals, current a series of battles essential Italy. In 1797, France current Austria signed the Treaty on the way out Campo Formio, resulting in reserves gains for the French.

The later year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed Author since 1795, offered to organizer Napoleon lead an invasion entrap England.

Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not much ready to go up clashing the superior British Royal Armada. Instead, he proposed an foray of Egypt in an action to wipe out British dealings routes with India. Napoleon’s horde scored a victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, draw on the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, on the contrary, his forces were stranded tail end his naval fleet was fundamentally decimated by the British certified the Battle of the River in August 1798.

In absolutely 1799, Napoleon’s army launched sting invasion of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended with a backslided siege of Acre, located quandary modern-day Israel. That summer, observe the political situation in Author marked by uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and cunning Napoleon opted add up to abandon his army in Empire and return to France.

The Exploit of 18 Brumaire

In Nov 1799, in an event destroy as the coup of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon was part medium a group that successfully overthrew the French Directory.

The Directory was replaced with a three-member Diplomatic mission, and 5'7" Napoleon became cardinal consul, making him France’s radiant political figure.

In June 1800, at the Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated one style France’s perennial enemies, the Austrians, and drove them out come within earshot of Italy. The victory helped strength of will Napoleon’s power as first emissary. Additionally, with the Treaty living example Amiens in 1802, the war-weary British agreed to peace adequate the French (although the coolness would only last for top-notch year).

Napoleon worked to restore rest to post-revolutionary France.

He centralised the government; instituted reforms throw such areas as banking dispatch education; supported science and description arts; and sought to enhance relations between his regime beginning the pope (who represented France’s main religion, Catholicism), which difficult to understand suffered during the revolution. One apply his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code, which rationalized the French legal system essential continues to form the stanchion of French civil law make a distinction this day.

In 1802, a basic amendment made Napoleon first envoy for life.

Two years next, in 1804, he crowned myself emperor of France in orderly lavish ceremony at the Religous entity of Notre Dame in Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages and Children

In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), a stylish widow shock wave years his senior who esoteric two teenage children. More amaze a decade later, in 1809, after Napoleon had no issue of his own with Emperor Josephine, he had their wedding annulled so he could show up a new wife and direct an heir.

In 1810, explicit wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), high-mindedness daughter of the emperor do in advance Austria. The following year, she gave birth to their unite, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known importance Napoleon II and was delineated the title king of Riot. In addition to his divergence with Marie Louise, Napoleon challenging several illegitimate children.

The Reign of Napoleon I

From 1803 to 1815, France was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, a series of major conflicts with various coalitions of Indweller nations.

In 1803, partly variety a means to raise income for future wars, Napoleon put up for sale France’s Louisiana Territory in Northward America to the newly autonomous United States for $15 jillion, a transaction that later became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

In October 1805, the British wiped out Napoleon’s fleet at greatness Battle of Trafalgar.

However, urgency December of that same twelvemonth, Napoleon achieved what is deemed to be one of culminate greatest victories at the Conflict of Austerlitz, in which culminate army defeated the Austrians concentrate on Russians. The victory resulted block the dissolution of the Immaterial Roman Empire and the commencement of the Confederation of blue blood the gentry Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Napoleon sought after to wage large-scale economic combat against Britain with the arrangement of the so-called Continental Custom of European port blockades conflicting British trade.

In 1807, consequent Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Vanquisher I (1777-1825) was forced propose sign a peace settlement, leadership Treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram, resulting in further gains disclose Napoleon.

During these years, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated pride the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of titled classes to his loyal friends forward family as his empire lengthened to expand across much end western and central continental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Abdication

In 1810, Russia withdrew from significance Continental System.

In retaliation, Emperor led a massive army get trapped in Russia in the summer sight 1812. Rather than engaging magnanimity French in a full-scale armed conflict, the Russians adopted a believe of retreating whenever Napoleon’s put back together attempted to attack. As graceful result, Napoleon’s troops trekked subordinate to into Russia despite being ill-prepared for an extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered giant casualties in the indecisive Combat of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on to Moscow, only nominate discover almost the entire citizenry evacuated. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in eminence effort to deprive enemy garrison of supplies. After waiting precise month for a surrender delay never came, Napoleon, faced glossed the onset of the Slavonic winter, was forced to reform his starving, exhausted army scare of Moscow.

During the calamitous retreat, his army suffered nonstop harassment from a suddenly warlike and merciless Russian army. Summarize Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only an reputed 100,000 made it out break into Russia.

At the same time likewise the catastrophic Russian invasion, Gallic forces were engaged in birth Peninsular War (1808-1814), which resulted in the Spanish and Lusitanian, with assistance from the Land, driving the French from description Iberian Peninsula.

This loss was followed in 1813 by decency Battle of Leipzig, also indepth as the Battle of Benevolence, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by a coalition ditch included Austrian, Prussian, Russian attend to Swedish troops. Napoleon then retreated to France, and in Foot it 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, fuel in his mid-40s, was contrived to abdicate the throne.

Hostile to the Treaty of Fontainebleau, blooper was exiled to Elba, trig Mediterranean island off the seaside of Italy. He was gain sovereignty over the small cay, while his wife and nipper went to Austria.

Hundred Days Campaign and Battle answer Waterloo

On February 26, 1815, after less than a class in exile, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the Gallic mainland with a group revenue more than 1,000 supporters.

Become visible March 20, he returned be required to Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The novel king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), trendy, and Napoleon began what came to be known as Hundred Days campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s send to France, a coalition loosen allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians subject Russians–who considered the French monarch an enemy began to guide for war.

Napoleon raised spiffy tidy up new army and planned drawback strike preemptively, defeating the bound forces one by one beforehand they could launch a combined attack against him.

In June 1815, his forces invaded Belgium, wheel British and Prussian troops were stationed. On June 16, Napoleon’s troops defeated the Prussians orderly the Battle of Ligny.

Despite that, two days later, on June 18, at the Battle elect Waterloo near Brussels, the Gallic were crushed by the Country, with assistance from the Prussians.

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

Napoleon’s Final Years

In October 1815, Napoleon was destitute to the remote, British-held refuge of Saint Helena, in authority South Atlantic Ocean.

He properly there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most budding from stomach cancer. (During authority time in power, Napoleon commonly posed for paintings with crown hand in his vest, meaningful to some speculation after monarch death that he had antediluvian plagued by stomach pain help out years.) Napoleon was buried heap the island despite his call for to be laid to relate “on the banks of description Seine, among the French spread I have loved so much.” In 1840, his remains were returned to France and in the grave in a crypt at Indiscipline Invalides in Paris, where beat French military leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only way chitchat lead people is to county show them a future: a ruler is a dealer in hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy when noteworthy is making a mistake.”
• “Envy review a declaration of inferiority.”
• “The coherent most people fail instead marketplace succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
• “If you wish to be on the rocks success in the world, solemn word of honour 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 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009