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The Birth of Napoleon
Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, France. His parents were Letizia Ramolino and Carlo Buonaparte. He was born into a family of 12 children, him being the 4th child. -
Napoleon as a French General
Napoleon became a French General. He was a very skilled military leader. Napoleon fought 60 battles and only lost 7. -
Campaign in Italy
Napoleon led his army into Italy but was badly outnumbered. His French troops (38,000 soldiers) faced 38,000 Austrians and their 25,000 allies Piedmontese. Napoleon's plan was to separate the allies and hit them both individually. He was successful. -
Campaign In Egypt
Napoleon hoped to interrupt British trade routes to India and create French domination in the east. He captured the port of Malta and on July 1st, 1798 landed at Egypt with 35,000 soldiers. The Mamelukes waited fearlessly for Napoleon and his army. The war ended in an hour but Napoleon and his soldiers were trapped in Egypt. -
Concordat
Between Napoleon, papal, and clerical representatives an agreement was reached in Rome and Paris defining the status of the Roman Catholic Church. This ended the breach caused by the church reforms that happened during the French Revolution. -
First Consul for Life
The consulate had full power and elections were ended. Napoleon was granted First Consul and obtained powers near a dictatorship. The Consulate made government in France more efficient and abolished most of the remnants of class and privilege. The feudal system was abolished. Napoleon created a meritocracy, advancing men in public service according to their ability, not on their birth. -
Napoleonic Code
A big part of the Napoleonic Code was the statement that all men all are created equal. Primogeniture (being the first child born), nobel heredity, and class status was abolished. It talked about the enjoyment of civil rights, the protection of personality, domicile (home), guardianship, tutorship, relations of parents and children, marriage, personal relations of spouses, and the ending of marriage by divorce. -
Emperor of the French
The reforms by Napoleon left a lasting mark on France and most of western Europe. His passion was for the military expanse of France domination but at his fall he left France in a little larger outbreak than the Revolution. Although this happened, he was almost unanimously loved and admired by all during his life time. -
Battle of Trafalgar
A war broke out with Britain and France. The leader of the Britain army was Lord Nelson, he saw an oncoming attack and decided to divide his 27 ships into 2 divisions. The fight lasted for 5 hours, the French left devastated. 19 ships were destroyed by Britain, Britain finished with all 27 of their ships. A French sniper then killed Nelson and Napoleon knew never to never invade Britain. -
Continental System
The Continental System was a blockade created by Napoleon to immobilize Great Britain through the destruction of British commerce. The decrease of Milan and Berlin declared a blockade. -
Campaign in Russia
Tsar Alexander I (apparently an allie to Napoleon) refused to participate in the barricading of Britain. The barricade was ruining the Russian government. Napoleon invaded Russia, him and his army were faced with 600,000 from every corner of his empire. The Russians burned the crops behind them and left the soldiers to starve. 150,000 soldiers were out of action. -
Defeat at Battle of Leipzig
This is the biggest battle known for the Napoleonic Wars, in terms of troops and weapons used. Separate but allied armies of Russians, Prussians, Swedes, and Austrians brought 370,000 troops and 1,384 guns to the battle. On the other hand, Napoleon’s strength stood at 198,000 men with 717 guns. -
Elba
Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and one of the greatest military leaders in history, gives up the throne and in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, is banished to Elba, a Mediterranean island. -
Waterloo
Napoleon Bonaparte suffers defeat by the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era. French casualties in the Battle of Waterloo were 25,000 men killed and wounded, 9,000 captured, while the allies lost about 23,000. -
St. Helena
Napoleon Bonaparte spent 10 weeks on board the HMS Northumberland as it sailed him to the far-flung reaches of the South Atlantic. His destination was St Helena, a small island under British control. St Helena measured only 122 square km (47 square miles) which was half the size of Elba. -
Death of Napoleon
Napoleon lived until he was 51 years old the island he was exiled to, St. Helena. Once a great military leader and an adored man by all French people, died as a British prisoner.
