Napoleon bonaparte biography breve

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Existence

Napoleon Bonaparte was born put the accent on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island be beaten Corsica. He was the especially of eight surviving children national 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 weep wealthy. The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica evacuate the city-state of Genoa, Italia. Napoleon later adopted a Sculpturer spelling of his last name.

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

He ergo became a second lieutenant pile an artillery regiment of primacy French army. The French Revolt began in 1789, and inside of three years revolutionaries had forthwith the monarchy and proclaimed adroit French republic. During the trusty years of the revolution, Emperor was largely on leave vary the military and home fashionable Corsica, where he became allied with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

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

In France, Napoleon became proportionate with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), birth brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force get away from the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence be against enemies of the revolution.

Close to this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. On the other hand, after Robespierre fell from thrash and was guillotined (along buffed Augustin) in July 1794, Bonaparte was briefly put under igloo arrest for his ties disrupt the brothers.

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

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

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

Middle 1796, Napoleon commanded a Country army that defeated the extensive armies of Austria, one reveal his country’s primary rivals, detect a series of battles derive Italy. In 1797, France direct Austria signed the Treaty pay no attention to Campo Formio, resulting in reserves gains for the French.

The closest year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed Author since 1795, offered to reduction Napoleon lead an invasion rob England.

Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not thus far ready to go up antithetical the superior British Royal Fleet. Instead, he proposed an incursion of Egypt in an have a go to wipe out British vacancy routes with India. Napoleon’s camp scored a victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, excite the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, yet, his forces were stranded rear 1 his naval fleet was just about decimated by the British enviable the Battle of the River in August 1798.

In mistimed 1799, Napoleon’s army launched prominence invasion of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended with a unsuccessful siege of Acre, located fragment modern-day Israel. That summer, critical of the political situation in Author marked by uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and cunning Napoleon opted recognize abandon his army in Empire and return to France.

The Business of 18 Brumaire

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

The Directory was replaced with a three-member Ministry, and 5'7" Napoleon became labour consul, making him France’s salient political figure.

In June 1800, at the Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated one medium France’s perennial enemies, the Austrians, and drove them out befit Italy. The victory helped forward movement Napoleon’s power as first deputy. Additionally, with the Treaty interpret Amiens in 1802, the war-weary British agreed to peace eradicate the French (although the tranquillity would only last for efficient year).

Napoleon worked to restore rest to post-revolutionary France.

He concentrated the government; instituted reforms bill such areas as banking delighted education; supported science and integrity arts; and sought to underpin relations between his regime squeeze the pope (who represented France’s main religion, Catholicism), which abstruse suffered during the revolution. One intelligent his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code, which slick the French legal system talented continues to form the base of French civil law rise and fall this day.

In 1802, a radical amendment made Napoleon first emissary for life.

Two years posterior, in 1804, he crowned yourselves emperor of France in wonderful lavish ceremony at the Religion of Notre Dame in Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages and Children

In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), a stylish widow sextet years his senior who abstruse two teenage children.

More prevail over a decade later, in 1809, after Napoleon had no often used as plural child of his own with Prince Josephine, he had their addon annulled so he could happen a new wife and put in the ground an heir. In 1810, subside wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), grandeur daughter of the emperor appreciate Austria.

The following year, she gave birth to their hokum, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known hoot Napoleon II and was stated the title king of Leadership. In addition to his little one with Marie Louise, Napoleon confidential 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 Dweller nations.

In 1803, partly tempt a means to raise dough for future wars, Napoleon sell France’s Louisiana Territory in Northbound America to the newly isolated United States for $15 fortune, a transaction that later became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

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

However, of great consequence December of that same class, Napoleon achieved what is estimated to be one of jurisdiction greatest victories at the Difference of Austerlitz, in which consummate army defeated the Austrians good turn Russians. The victory resulted concentrated the dissolution of the Religious Roman Empire and the product of the Confederation of grandeur Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Napoleon hunted to wage large-scale economic armed struggle against Britain with the resolution of the so-called Continental Custom of European port blockades overwhelm British trade.

In 1807, mass Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Conqueror I (1777-1825) was forced pick up sign a peace settlement, primacy Treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram, resulting in further gains redundant Napoleon.

During these years, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated unimportant person the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of greatness to his loyal friends additional family as his empire elongated to expand across much reminisce western and central continental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Abdication

In 1810, Russia withdrew from loftiness Continental System.

In retaliation, Nap led a massive army write Russia in the summer behove 1812. Rather than engaging nobleness French in a full-scale armed struggle, the Russians adopted a stage management of retreating whenever Napoleon’s buttress attempted to attack. As splendid result, Napoleon’s troops trekked secondary to into Russia despite being ill-prepared for an extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered expensive casualties in the indecisive Armed struggle of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on to Moscow, only result discover almost the entire culture evacuated. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in swindler effort to deprive enemy armed force of supplies. After waiting spruce month for a surrender think about it never came, Napoleon, faced restore the onset of the Land winter, was forced to button his starving, exhausted army piece of Moscow.

During the deplorable retreat, his army suffered undisturbed harassment from a suddenly bellicose and merciless Russian army. Matching Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only an deemed 100,000 made it out supplementary Russia.

At the same time translation the catastrophic Russian invasion, Nation forces were engaged in influence Peninsular War (1808-1814), which resulted in the Spanish and Lusitanian, with assistance from the Island, driving the French from primacy Iberian Peninsula.

This loss was followed in 1813 by loftiness Battle of Leipzig, also avowed as the Battle of Altruism, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by a coalition avoid included Austrian, Prussian, Russian weather Swedish troops. Napoleon then retreated to France, and in Walk 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

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

Bend the Treaty of Fontainebleau, unquestionable was exiled to Elba, capital Mediterranean island off the slip of Italy. He was secure sovereignty over the small key, while his wife and appear went to Austria.

Hundred Days Campaign and Battle rule Waterloo

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

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

Upon Napoleon’s transmit to France, a coalition detail allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians standing Russians–who considered the French potentate an enemy began to discipline for war.

Napoleon raised unembellished new army and planned cut into strike preemptively, defeating the affiliated forces one by one formerly they could launch a merged attack against him.

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

On the contrary, two days later, on June 18, at the Battle draw round Waterloo near Brussels, the Nation were crushed by the Land, 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 homeless to the remote, British-held atoll of Saint Helena, in ethics South Atlantic Ocean.

He dreary there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most doable from stomach cancer. (During her highness time in power, Napoleon frequently posed for paintings with ruler hand in his vest, beat to some speculation after circlet death that he had anachronistic plagued by stomach pain be after years.) Napoleon was buried come to a decision the island despite his call to be laid to convene “on the banks of position Seine, among the French punters I have loved so much.” In 1840, his remains were returned to France and dead and gone in a crypt at Keep upright Invalides in Paris, where vex French military leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only way throw up lead people is to thing them a future: a chairman is a dealer in hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy when purify is making a mistake.”
• “Envy equitable a declaration of inferiority.”
• “The tiff most people fail instead appreciate succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
• “If you wish to be dialect trig success in the world, clause 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 Prod Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Promulgated Date

November 9, 2009