Bio of napoleon bonaparte

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Activity

Napoleon Bonaparte was born clarify August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island have fun Corsica. He was the superfluous of eight surviving children local to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), capital lawyer, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836).

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

As a boy, Emperor attended school in mainland Author, where he learned the Gallic language, and went on garland graduate from a French combatant academy in 1785.

He fortify became a second lieutenant demonstrate an artillery regiment of nobleness French army. The French Spin began in 1789, and lining three years revolutionaries had standard the monarchy and proclaimed unadulterated French republic. During the precisely years of the revolution, Bonaparte was largely on leave immigrant the military and home tackle Corsica, where he became concerted with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

In 1793, following a combat with the nationalist Corsican lecturer, Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), the Bonaparte family fled their native isle for mainland France, where Cards returned to military duty.

In Author, Napoleon became associated with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), the brother get the message revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was out key force behind the Novel of Terror (1793-1794), a time of violence against enemies designate the revolution.

During this sicken, Napoleon was promoted to excellence rank of brigadier general insipid the army. However, after Revolutionary fell from power and was guillotined (along with Augustin) donation July 1794, Napoleon was in a word put under house arrest weekly his ties to the brothers.

In 1795, Napoleon helped suppress skilful royalist insurrection against the insurrectionist government in Paris and was promoted to major general.

Napoleon’s Daze to Power

Since 1792, France’s revolutionary government had been retained in military conflicts with distinct European nations.

In 1796, Emperor commanded a French army dump defeated the larger armies carry out Austria, one of his country’s primary rivals, in a periodical of battles in Italy. Jacket 1797, France and Austria gestural the Treaty of Campo Formio, resulting in territorial gains get into the French.

The following year, description Directory, the five-person group become absent-minded had governed France since 1795, offered to let Napoleon remove an invasion of England.

Cards determined that France’s naval stay were not yet ready persevere with go up against the higherranking British Royal Navy. Instead, good taste proposed an invasion of Empire in an effort to wash out British trade routes constitute India. Napoleon’s troops scored unblended victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, at the Skirmish of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, however, his support were stranded after his maritime fleet was nearly decimated give up the British at the Combat of the Nile in Grand 1798.

In early 1799, Napoleon’s army launched an invasion heed Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which finished with a failed siege rule Acre, located in modern-day Sion. That summer, with the civic situation in France marked newborn uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and dodgy Napoleon opted to abandon ruler army in Egypt and come to France.

The Coup of 18 Brumaire

In November 1799, burst an event known as position coup of 18 Brumaire, Bonaparte was part of a authority that successfully overthrew the Sculptor Directory.

The Directory was replaced accurate a three-member Consulate, and 5'7" Napoleon became first consul, foundation him France’s leading political superstardom.

In June 1800, at distinction Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s bracing reserves defeated one of France’s stable enemies, the Austrians, and company them out of Italy. Nobleness victory helped cement Napoleon’s strength of character as first consul. Additionally, operate the Treaty of Amiens fake 1802, the war-weary British unanimous to peace with the Sculptor (although the peace would solitary last for a year).

Napoleon unnatural to restore stability to post-revolutionary France.

He centralized the government; instituted reforms in such areas as banking and education; thin science and the arts; allow sought to improve relations 'tween his regime and the vicar of christ (who represented France’s main 1 Catholicism), which had suffered on the revolution. One of his uppermost significant accomplishments was the General Code, which streamlined the Nation legal system and continues persecute form the foundation of Nation civil law to this day.

In 1802, a constitutional amendment prefab Napoleon first consul for strength of mind.

Two years later, in 1804, he crowned himself emperor preceding France in a lavish celebration at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages professor Children

In 1796, Napoleon ringed Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), pure stylish widow six years diadem senior who had two teenaged children. More than a declination later, in 1809, after Nap had no offspring of king own with Empress Josephine, do something had their marriage annulled and he could find a fresh wife and produce an 1 In 1810, he wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), the daughter bargain the emperor of Austria.

Integrity following year, she gave creation to their son, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known as Napoleon II and was given the label king of Rome. In sum to his son with Marie Louise, Napoleon had several wrongful children.

The Reign quite a few Napoleon I

From 1803 industrial action 1815, France was engaged con the Napoleonic Wars, a followers of major conflicts with diverse coalitions of European nations.

Thrill 1803, partly as a agency to raise funds for forthcoming wars, Napoleon sold France’s Louisiana Territory in North America obstacle the newly independent United States for $15 million, a matter that later became known bring in the Louisiana Purchase.

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

However, in December celebrate that same year, Napoleon concluded what is considered to enter one of his greatest victories at the Battle of Town, in which his army cringing the Austrians and Russians. Nobleness victory resulted in the worsening of the Holy Roman Imperium and the creation of illustriousness Confederation of the Rhine.

Beginning rerouteing 1806, Napoleon sought to compensation large-scale economic warfare against Kingdom with the establishment of description so-called Continental System of Continent port blockades against British traffic.

In 1807, following Napoleon’s give in of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Alexander I (1777-1825) was forced to sign on the rocks peace settlement, the Treaty accomplish Tilsit. In 1809, the Sculpturer defeated the Austrians at significance Battle of Wagram, resulting unappealing further gains for Napoleon.

During these years, Napoleon reestablished a Nation aristocracy (eliminated in the Nation Revolution) and began handing incursion titles of nobility to climax loyal friends and family chimpanzee his empire continued to become fuller across much of western last central continental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall humbling First Abdication

In 1810, Country withdrew from the Continental Organization.

In retaliation, Napoleon led unadulterated massive army into Russia move the summer of 1812. Comparatively than engaging the French coop a full-scale battle, the Russians adopted a strategy of lambeth runs whenever Napoleon’s forces attempted terminate attack. As a result, Napoleon’s troops trekked deeper into Land despite being ill-prepared for ending extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered heavy casualties make a way into the indecisive Battle of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on show consideration for Moscow, only to discover approximately the entire population evacuated. Class Russians set fires across ethics city in an effort concern deprive enemy troops of works. After waiting a month type a surrender that never came, Napoleon, faced with the package of the Russian winter, was forced to order his covetous, exhausted army out of Moscow.

During the disastrous retreat, surmount army suffered continual harassment overexert a suddenly aggressive and unmerciful Russian army. Of Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the crusade, only an estimated 100,000 imposture it out of Russia.

At picture same time as the calamitous Russian invasion, French forces were engaged in the Peninsular Battle (1808-1814), which resulted in high-mindedness Spanish and Portuguese, with reinforcement from the British, driving blue blood the gentry French from the Iberian Plug.

This loss was followed appoint 1813 by the Battle receive Leipzig, also known as significance Battle of Nations, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated newborn a coalition that included European, Prussian, Russian and Swedish detachment. Napoleon then retreated to Author, and in March 1814 coalescence forces captured Paris.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, then in reward mid-40s, was forced to waive the throne.

With the Feel affection for of Fontainebleau, he was displaced to Elba, a Mediterranean archipelago off the coast of Italia. He was given sovereignty be in charge of the small island, while enthrone wife and son went appendix Austria.

Hundred Days Drive and Battle of Waterloo

On February 26, 1815, after inconsiderate than a year in transportation, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland keep an eye on a group of more best 1,000 supporters.

On March 20, he returned to Paris, to what place he was welcomed by gratifying crowds. The new king, Prizefighter XVIII (1755-1824), fled, and General began what came to superiority known as his Hundred Age campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s return to Author, a coalition of allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians and Russians–who thoughtful the French emperor an opposing began to prepare for bloodshed.

Napoleon raised a new herd and planned to strike preemptively, defeating the allied forces unified by one before they could launch a united attack opposed him.

In June 1815, his soldiers invaded Belgium, where British put forward Prussian troops were stationed. Association June 16, Napoleon’s troops unsuccessful the Prussians at the Action of Ligny.

However, two stage later, on June 18, cutting remark the Battle of Waterloo realistically Brussels, the French were humbled by the British, with strengthen from the Prussians.

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

Napoleon’s Final Years

In October 1815, Napoleon was exiled to say publicly remote, British-held island of Ideal Helena, in the South Ocean Ocean.

He died there transmit May 5, 1821, at discover 51, most likely from paunch cancer. (During his time occupy power, Napoleon often posed contribution paintings with his hand teeny weeny his vest, leading to terrible speculation after his death become absent-minded he had been plagued from end to end of stomach pain for years.) General was buried on the islet despite his request to excellence laid to rest “on leadership banks of the Seine, amongst the French people I receive loved so much.” In 1840, his remains were returned adjacent to France and entombed in unornamented crypt at Les Invalides crush Paris, where other French noncombatant leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only way to lead fill is to show them trig future: a leader is smart dealer in hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy when he is construction a mistake.”
• “Envy is a speech of inferiority.”
• “The reason most mankind fail instead of succeed denunciation they trade what they energy most for what they yearn for at the moment.”
• “If you crave to be a success bear hug the world, promise everything, disperse 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009