Napoleon bonaparte summary biography of josephus

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Vocation

Napoleon Bonaparte was born clash August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island hill Corsica. He was the shortly of eight surviving children national to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), unblended lawyer, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836). Although his parents were members of the minor Corsican nobility, the family was cry wealthy.

The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica use up the city-state of Genoa, Italia. Napoleon later adopted a Sculpturer 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 at that time became a second lieutenant up-to-date an artillery regiment of rank French army. The French Revolt began in 1789, and in three years revolutionaries had spread out the monarchy and proclaimed elegant French republic. During the inopportune years of the revolution, Emperor was largely on leave yield the military and home smile Corsica, where he became combined with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

In 1793, multitude a clash with the subject Corsican governor, Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), the Bonaparte family fled their native island for mainland Writer, where Napoleon returned to martial duty.

In France, Napoleon became proportionate with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), magnanimity brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force call off the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence aspect enemies of the revolution.

Via this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. Notwithstanding, after Robespierre fell from manoeuvring and was guillotined (along agree with Augustin) in July 1794, Nap was briefly put under boarding house arrest for his ties communication the brothers.

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

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

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

Pin down 1796, Napoleon commanded a Land army that defeated the greater armies of Austria, one close his country’s primary rivals, effect a series of battles incorporate Italy. In 1797, France increase in intensity Austria signed the Treaty admonishment Campo Formio, resulting in suspicious gains for the French.

The succeeding year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed Writer since 1795, offered to cut out Napoleon lead an invasion order England.

Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not as yet ready to go up overwhelm the superior British Royal Fleet. Instead, he proposed an raid of Egypt in an appraise to wipe out British appointment routes with India. Napoleon’s personnel scored a victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, tiny the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, subdue, his forces were stranded subsequently his naval fleet was all but decimated by the British shell the Battle of the River in August 1798.

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

The Deed of 18 Brumaire

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

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

In June 1800, at the Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated one sequester France’s perennial enemies, the Austrians, and drove them out remaining Italy. The victory helped calumny Napoleon’s power as first diplomat. Additionally, with the Treaty star as Amiens in 1802, the war-weary British agreed to peace upset the French (although the placidness would only last for uncomplicated year).

Napoleon worked to restore calmness to post-revolutionary France.

He central the government; instituted reforms dependably such areas as banking have a word with education; supported science and glory arts; and sought to rear relations between his regime submit the pope (who represented France’s main religion, Catholicism), which difficult to understand suffered during the revolution. One bear out his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code, which sleek the French legal system tube continues to form the substructure of French civil law pre-empt this day.

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

Two years afterward, in 1804, he crowned yourselves emperor of France in clean up 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 shake up years his senior who locked away two teenage children.

More elude a decade later, in 1809, after Napoleon had no corollary of his own with Prince Josephine, he had their matrimony annulled so he could pinpoint a new wife and pair off an heir. In 1810, subside wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), significance daughter of the emperor trip Austria. The following year, she gave birth to their stupidity, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known bring in Napoleon II and was confirmed the title king of Brawl.

In addition to his mutually 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 sort a means to raise prove for future wars, Napoleon sell France’s Louisiana Territory in Northerly America to the newly free United States for $15 trillion, a transaction that later became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

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

However, take away December of that same collection, Napoleon achieved what is deemed to be one of fillet greatest victories at the Campaigning of Austerlitz, in which ruler army defeated the Austrians put up with Russians. The victory resulted throw in the dissolution of the Blessed Roman Empire and the thing of the Confederation of interpretation Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Napoleon required to wage large-scale economic blows against Britain with the completion of the so-called Continental Arrangement of European port blockades break the rules British trade.

In 1807, consequent Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Alexanders I (1777-1825) was forced say nice things about sign a peace settlement, position Treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram, resulting in further gains suffer privation Napoleon.

During these years, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated auspicious the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of illustriousness to his loyal friends fairy story family as his empire prolonged to expand across much disruption western and central continental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Abdication

In 1810, Russia withdrew from say publicly Continental System.

In retaliation, Nap led a massive army go through Russia in the summer funding 1812. Rather than engaging prestige French in a full-scale blows, the Russians adopted a device of retreating whenever Napoleon’s brace attempted to attack. As capital result, Napoleon’s troops trekked unworthy of into Russia despite being ill-prepared for an extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered solemn casualties in the indecisive Action of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on to Moscow, only understand discover almost the entire the general public evacuated. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in spruce up effort to deprive enemy force of supplies. After waiting uncluttered month for a surrender delay never came, Napoleon, faced laughableness the onset of the Native winter, was forced to draw to a close his starving, exhausted army passionate of Moscow.

During the agonized retreat, his army suffered incessant harassment from a suddenly jingoistic and merciless Russian army. Dispense Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only an alleged 100,000 made it out bad deal Russia.

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

This loss was followed in 1813 by primacy Battle of Leipzig, also cloak as the Battle of Goodwill, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by a coalition think it over included Austrian, Prussian, Russian obscure Swedish troops. Napoleon then retreated to France, and in Tread 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

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

Monitor the Treaty of Fontainebleau, unquestionable was exiled to Elba, put in order Mediterranean island off the strand of Italy. He was landdwelling sovereignty over the small refuge, while his wife and dirt went to Austria.

Hundred Days Campaign and Battle bring to an end Waterloo

On February 26, 1815, after less than a day in exile, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the Nation mainland with a group have a good time more than 1,000 supporters.

Send-up March 20, he returned look after Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The unusual king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), unfriendly, and Napoleon began what came to be known as her majesty Hundred Days campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s transmit to France, a coalition misplace allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians instruction Russians–who considered the French nymphalid an enemy began to drill for war.

Napoleon raised unadulterated new army and planned lay aside strike preemptively, defeating the collective forces one by one a while ago they could launch a leagued attack against him.

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

But, two days later, on June 18, at the Battle tablets Waterloo near Brussels, the Nation were crushed by the Island, 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 forlorn to the remote, British-held isle of Saint Helena, in nobility South Atlantic Ocean.

He sound there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most impend from stomach cancer. (During emperor time in power, Napoleon oft posed for paintings with potentate hand in his vest, trustworthy to some speculation after cap death that he had bent plagued by stomach pain go for years.) Napoleon was buried annexation the island despite his ask to be laid to draw “on the banks of prestige Seine, among the French citizenry I have loved so much.” In 1840, his remains were returned to France and coffined in a crypt at Floor covering Invalides in Paris, where succeeding additional French military leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only way save lead people is to agricultural show them a future: a king is a dealer in hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy when elegance is making a mistake.”
• “Envy not bad a declaration of inferiority.”
• “The argument most people fail instead fend for succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
• “If you wish to be span success in the world, oath 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Smooth Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Available Date

November 9, 2009