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The Battle of Waterloo
Marked the final defeat of French military leader and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who conquered much of continental Europe in the early 19th century. -
Napoleon’s birth
On August 15,1769 in Ajaccio France.He was the fourth of eleven children of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. His father, a member of a noble Italian family, remained on good terms with the French when they took over control of Corsica. -
Becoming an officer in the French army
Napoleon was promoted to Brigadier-General in December 1793 shortly after his performance at the siege of Toulon. He was also named inspector of the Coast based in Nice in the south of France. -
Military campaign in Egypt
the French army assembled on the Channel coast awaiting the planned invasion of Great Britain. Napoleon quickly saw that such an invasion had no chance of success unless the Royal Navy was neutralised, something that was a long way from happening. -
Military campaign in Syria
Napoleon took the offensive leading 8,000 men into Syria In March he captured El Arish and Jaffa and on 17th March laid siege to Acre. -
Coup d’état
By 1799, the Directory had lost control of the political situation and the confidence of the French people. When Napoleon returned from Egypt, his friends urged him to seize political powerAt the time of Napoleon’s coup, France was still at war -
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Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain
Joseph Bonaparte was the older brother of Napoleon I, who made him king of Spain. He served as Spain's king from 1808 to 1813. -
Napoleonic code
The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs should go to the most qualified. -
Napoleon’s coronation
The coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of the French took place at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It marked "the instantiation of modern empire" and was a "transparently masterminded piece of modern propaganda". -
The Battle of Trafalgar
In his drive for a European empire, Napoleon lost only one major battle, the Battle of Trafalgar. -
The Grand Empire
The result was known as the Grand Empire. Having annexed Tuscany, Piedmont, Genoa, and the Rhineland directly into France, Napoleon placed the Kingdom of Holland. -
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The Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was a military engagement of the Napoleonic Wars and ended in a decisive victory for Emperor Napoleon I's French and allied army against the Austrian army under the command of Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen. -
Invasion of Russia
Napoleon’s most disastrous mistake of all came in 1812.Because of this breakdown in their alliance, Napoleon decided to invade Russia. -
Napoleon’s exile to St. Helena
After his defeat at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, -
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Battle of the Nations (Leipzig)
The battle developed when Napoleon seized the Leipzig position, intending to divide his opponents and attack them one by one. -
Napoleon’s exile to Elba
he was forced to renounce his throne in April 1814. The European powers exiled him to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. -
Napoleons Return
On February 26, 1815 Napoleon some generals and about a thousand soldiers of his personal guard boarded ship for their voyage from the island of Elba back to France. On this little island not very far from Corsica, the Emperor had stayed since his abdication. Napoleon considered it was time for his return. He was ready to put everything on the line in one last, big gamble.
