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Birth
August 15, 1769, Ajaccio, France. He was born on the island of Corsica and he rapidly became very important to the military during the French Revolution. -
officer
He rapidly rose in the French army during the French revolution. within three years revolutionaries overthrew the monarchy and made a French republic. During the early years of the revolution, Napoleon was on leave from the military. -
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Military campaign in Egypt and Syria
Napoleon said that France’s naval forces were not yet ready to go up against the British Royal Navy. Instead, he did an invasion of Egypt to wipe out British trade routes with India. Napoleon’s troops won against Egypt’s military rulers at the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798. Soon after, his forces were stranded after his naval fleet was nearly destroyed by the British in the Battle of the Nile in August 1798. -
Coup d’état
After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. Shrewd, ambitious and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire -
Napoleonic Code
Among napoleon's most lasting reforms was a new code of laws, popularity called the Napoleonic code. It embodied enlightenment principles such as equality of all citizens before the law, religious toleration and abolition of feudalism. -
Napoleons Coronation
Napoleon had enough power to obtain the title of Emperor of France. He invited the pope to his coronation in Paris. During the coronation he took the crown from the pope’s hand and put it on his own head. This showed that he owed the throne to no one but himself. -
Battle of Trafalgar
They fought the southwest coast of Spain, British admiral Horatio Nelson smashed the french fleet -
Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain
It was common for kings to pass on the throne to close friends or family. Napoleon placed his brother Joseph on the throne in 1808. -
Battle of Wagram
The french defeated the Austrians at the battle of Wagram, resulting in more success for napoleon. -
The Grand Empire
Napoleon now had a free hand to reorganize Europe and numerous relatives to install on the thrones of his kingdoms. -
Invasion of Russia
the French emperor sent a massive army of troops from all over Europe, the first ones entered Russia on June 24. Thousands of men died while fighting at Smolensk and elsewhere. But the Russians did not truly make a stand until the September 7 Battle of Borodin, which took place just 75 miles from Moscow. The French and Russians pounded each other with weapons and launched charges and counter charges. -
Battle of the Nations
The biggest battle of the Napoleonic wars, Leipzig was the first occasion when Napoleon was clearly defeated. The French Grande Army continued its westward retreat until, in 1814, the victors closed in on Paris and Napoleon abdicated. -
Napoleon’s exile to Elba
Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and one of the greatest military leaders in history, abdicates the throne and in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, is banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba. -
Napoleons Return
February 26, 1815, after being gone for less than a year, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to France with a group of more than 1,000 supporters. On March 20, he returned to Paris where he was welcomed back with cheering crowds. The new king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824) fled, and Napoleon began his Hundred Days campaign. -
Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon's last battle where he was defeated. After that, he left once again and went to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died at 51. -
Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena
Napoleon was exiled to the remote British-held island of Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean. He died there on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51 and it was most likely from stomach cancer. Napoleon was buried on the island even though his request was to be laid to rest “on the banks of the Seine, among the French people I have loved so much.”
