Basic Info:
Napoléon Bonaparte
Statesman and military leader
Born- August 15, 1769
Died- May 15, 1821
Wives- Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma and Empress Joséphine

Early Life:
Napoleon was born in Ajaccio-which is located on the French island of Corsica- on August 15, 1769. He was the fourth (yet only the second to survive) child of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. His father was a lawyer.

The French occupation of Corsica was strongly hated, and Carlo had sided with the nationalists, who supported their leader: Pasquale Paoli. However, Paoli was forced to flee the island, so Carlo changed his mind and began supporting the French. (This sounds incredibly disloyal to me, but I guess he was doing what he had to in order to keep his family safe).

For his support, Carlo was rewarded with a better paying job as the assessor of the judicial district of Ajaccio in 1771. This allowed him to put his two sons, Joseph and Napoleon, into France's College d'Autun.

Military College:
Napoleon ended up enrolling into the military college of Brienne and he spent five years there before heading to a military academy in Paris.

His father died of stomach cancer in 1785, while Napoleon was still in Paris. His father's death pushed Napoleon to graduate early and return to Corsica so he could care for his family. He graduated ranked 42 in a class of 58 (not as good as I expected from someone known for their military involvement). He placed himself at the head of his family at the young age of 16.

Once he got there, he began supporting the resistance of the French occupation. He sided with Pasquale Paoli, but the two had a disagreement and Napoleon became his enemy. Paoli was still angry that Napoleon's father had sided with the French and he carried that anger and directed t at Napoleon.

The Jacobin Club and Military Career:
Napoleon returned to France and he was appointed first lieutenant to the 4th regiment of artillery, garrisoned at Valence.

Immediately, he joined the Jacobin Club (a society that was in favor of creating a constitutional monarchy). He eventually became he president of this club and made many speeches to promote their beliefs.

In September of 1791, he was allowed to visit Corsica for three months. He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the national guard and after that had another falling out with Paoli.

He failed to return to France and was labeled a deserter in January of 1792. However, his actions were quickly forgiven when France declared war against Austria that April.

He was promoted to captain, but did not go back to his previous regiment. He went back to Corsica in October and again joined the Jacobins who opposed Paoli and his policies. Civil war broke out in April of 1793 and Paoli had Napoleon's family condemned to "perpetual execration and infamy." The family quickly fled to France.

It was then that assumed to French version of their name and the one that we are all familiar with: Bonaparte.

In June of 1793, Napoleon rejoined his regiment in Nice. He began arguing for united action amongst the Jacobins, who had slowly been becoming more and more radical, and with the National Convention that had abolished the monarchy.

By the end of August, the National Convention's troops had taken Marseille, but were stopped by the royalist forces near Toulon.

Bonaparte was promoted to major in September and then adjutant general in October. That December, he was wounded by a bayonet, but survived and his artillery managed to push the enemy forces out of Toulon.

On December 22 Napoleon was made brigadier general at age 24.

Augustin de Robespierre, who was commissioner of the army, wrote about how much he respected Napoleon and praised the young officer.

In February of 1794, Napoleon was appointed the position of commandant of the artillery of the French army in Italy.

Robespierre fell from power in Paris on July 27. Napoleon, who was regarded as the man's protege, was immediately arrested on the charge of conspiracy and treason. He was eventually released, but his position was not returned to him.

He was offered the command of the Army of the West, but he refused. He didn't think the position was good enough for him, and he went to Paris to make his point.

He was living on very little money at this time and having an affair with Désirée Clary (daughter of a rich businessman, and sister of Napoleon's brother's wife).

Despite his efforts in Paris, he was not given a better position in the military. People feared him for his ambitious nature and his relationship with the Montagnards (radical members of the National convention).

He began considering offering his services to the sultan of Turkey.

The National Convention submitted its new constitution in October of 1795, and the royalists were still searching for a way to restore their monarchy. Napoleon stopped the rebellions against the National Convention that spread during that month.

Napoleon became the commander of the Army of the Interior and he became a very well respected adviser on military matters in the government: The Directory.

Around this time, he met Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie. She was the widow of Alexandre de Beauharnais and the mother of two children. She was also known for her many love affairs. The couple married in March 9 of 1796. Two days later, Napoleon left for the army.

He arrived to find his army of 30,000 men unhealthy and ill-equipped. He managed to get them together and they were successful in their offensive that took place on April 12. They separated the Austrian and Sardinian armies and marched on to Turin. He signed a peace treaty with the king of Sardinia and Nice and Savoy were annexed into France. He continued his war with the Austrians. During this time, he also became very interested in Italian politics, having a heavy influence there as well.

Austrian armies advanced many times, but each time they were defeated by Napoleon and his forces. He marched to Vienna next, but the Austrians sued for an armistice. Wanting peace, the Austrians gave the Netherlands to France, but were given a bit of territory that was part of the old Republic of Venice.

Bonaparte reorganized northern Italian republics and encouraged Jacobin propaganda in Venetia.

The royalists were successful in French elections, making Napoleon uneasy, so he advised the Directory to oppose them. He started a coup d'état, eliminating royalists and their friends from the government. With the royalists out of the way, he could make the treaty with Austria the way he wanted it to be. Bonaparte's popularity began to increase.

However at sea, there was still war against the British and Napoleon was appointed commander of the army to defeat the British. He was supposed to lead them through the English Channel, but instead he suggested that France should strike Egypt instead, since it was a major source of Britain's wealth because it was right on their trade route to India. His idea was accepted, and the expedition was a success. However, on August 1, the French squadron at anchor in the Abū Qīr Bay was destroyed in the Battle of the Nile.

Napoleon was now confined to this land that he had conquered. He introduced many western ways to the Egyptians, which annoyed Turkey because they usually controlled this area so they declared war on France in September.

In an attempt to prevent a Turkish invasion, Napoleon marched into Syria in 1799, but he was stopped by the British at Acre, and he retreated back to Egypt in May.

His failure proved that Napoleon Bonaparte wasn't as invincible as everyone believed. He was only a man.

Britain, Austria, Russia, and Turkey formed a coalition against France.

Defeats in the spring of 1799 led to disturbances within France itself. Some were convinced that a military dictatorship was the best form of government. Napoleon took his chance, and headed back to France. (The Directory has actually ordered his return but he never received this order). He arrived on October 14 and by the end of the month, he and Emmanuel Sieyès (one of the new directors) were working together to stage a coup.

The coup happened on November 9-10 of 1799. The directors were forced to resign, the legislative councils were dismissed, and a new form of government was created. This new form of government was called The Consulate. The three consuls were Napoleon, Sieyès, and Pierre-Roger Ducos. However, Bonaparte had the most power out of this trip and was master of all France.

The Consulate:
Bonaparte was now thirty years old. Little is known about his personality, but he was said to be ambitious, intelligent, and confident. Everyone looked up to him. He was a successful military officer and leader and made many smart decisions that had led France to many victories.

He was very enlightened for a man of the 18th century. He did not believe in popular will or parliamentary debate, and instead put a lot of faith into reasoning. Napoleon believed that religion should hold a place in everyone's lives (even though he wasn't a very religious man himself) .

He believed firmly that people could do anything if they had the support of bayonets and armies. He also considered public opinion somehow that he could easily mold however he so pleased.

He certainly always had the mind of a soldier.

He imposed a dictatorship on France, however a constitution was written by Sieyès. This constitution did not guarantee human rights or any liberty or equality. It laid immense power in the hands of the consul (mainly Napoleon). This constitution won by a huge majority in 1800.

The Consulate's work of administrative reform was very important to France.

The army received a lot of attention from him. He enlisted more soldiers and made it easier for people to pursue military careers, however he had very little interest in technological advancements. He put his trust into the "legs of his soldiers."

Military Campaigns and Time as Consul:
The first consul spent the winter organizing an army to attack Austria. (At this point Russia was no longer in the coalition against France). He took his army across the Great St. Bernard Pass before the snow melted and attacked the Austrian army that was holding Genoa under siege. The Battle Of Marengo gave French command of a large portion of the Po valley.

Another French army defeated the Austrians in December, and Austria was eventually forced to sign the Treaty of Lunéville in February of 1801. The treaty gave France the right to the frontiers of the Alps, the Rhine, and the Pyrenees.

Great Britain was now alone in the war with France. On March 27, 1802 a peace treaty was signed that ended the fighting. Europe was now at peace.

In May of that same year, the people of France were asked a very important question: Should Napoleon Bonaparte be consul for life?

That August, an overwhelming majority of people voted yes. They also have him the right to choose his successor.

He continued to try and expand France's territory, which greatly alarmed Britain. They declared war in May of 1803.

A British plot to assassinate Bonaparte was discovered in 1804, (rightfully) angering the French leader. The leader of this plot was duc d'Enghien (scion of the house of Bourbon). The Duke was kidnapped and brought to Vincennes. He was tried and shot.

The Empire:
Joseph Fouché (a police chief) suggested to Napoleon that the best way to prevent another conspiracy from happening was to turn the Consulate into a hereditary empire. He accepted on the empire was formed on May 28, 1804. Not much changed in the way the government was organized, but Napoleon was now officially emperor of France.

He was consecrated by the Pope Pius VII, and his coronation in Notre-Dame on December 2 was incredibly lavish.

Napoleon increased propaganda and imposed strict censorship in the press. He carried on his various wars and battles for years, not having to worry about public opinion.

He became king of Italy in March of 1805 and was crowned in Milan in May.

During the years of 1803-1805, Napoleon's only enemy was the British. He prepared for invasion, gathering about 2,000 ships, however they were still inferior to the British navy. So, they got the help of Spain and eventually Spain was dragged into declaring war on England.

Napoleon hoped to fight, and win, a battle in the front of the Channel. His plan was a fail. The British won the fight and they created a new coalition against France, consisting of Russia, Sweden, Austria, and Naples.

He defeated the Austrian and Russian armies in what was probably his greatest battle in December 2, 1805. In the Treaty of Pressburg, Austria ceded Venetia and Dalmatia, as well as a lot of territory in Germany.

Prussia declared war on France in 1806, but they were defeated shortly after. The Russians resisted better, but they were defeated as well the next June.

Napoleon reached Warsaw, where he met Marie Walewska, a Polish woman who admired him and hoped hat he would restore her country. She became pregnant and gave birth to Napoleon's son.

Napoleon eventually signed a peace treaty with Russia, and created the Grand Duchy of Warsaw from Polish provinces and divided control of Europe between emperor Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Napoleon still hated the French but knew he couldn't win a war against them, so he instead focused on destroying their economy by shutting out British merchandise trade in Europe. However, Portugal opposed this blockade so Napoleon summoned the rulers to Bayonne and obtained the abdications of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII.

The people were angry with this and rebelled, causing many problems for Napoleon and his perfect reputation. He struggled to end the revolts occurring here. However he eventually out an end to then and another peace treaty was signed.

Divorce and New Marriage:
Napoleon was unhappy with his wife, Joséphine, as she hadn't produced him an heir, so he divorced her and married Marie-Louise. She was the daughter of Francis I, emperor of Austria. (I would also like to point out that she was only 18 at the time of their marriage). She gave birth to a son, Napoleon II, on March 20, 1811.

All seemed well in Europe.

Russia:
Emperor Alexander I of Russia was growing less and less willing to work with Napoleon.

In 1812, Napoleon gathered his forces in Poland in an attempt to intimidate Russia. His army crossed the Nemen River and the Russians retreated.

Fights began on September 7, and the battle was bloody and lasted a week. Russia abandoned Moscow and Napoleon marched into the city, which had been destroyed by a fire.

Winter set in and Napoleon was forced to withdraw with the 10,000 men that remained in his previously strong army of 600,000.

The news of his failed invasion and retreat from Russia spread across Europe, sparking great anger and disappoint in the people. There was an outbreak of anti-French protests in Germany. The Prussian allies in the French army turned against them, the Austrians withdrew their troops, and Italians grew increasingly hostile towards Napoleon. Even in France people were growing more and more unhappy. A coup d'état was carried out by a general, and it nearly succeeded by announcing that Napoleon had died.

This forced Napoleon to hurt back to France where he immediately began to raise money and gather more men for his armies. He won some battles against Russia in May of 1813, but he needed reinforcements, and he didn't receive any. Instead, Austria declared war on France yet again.

It seemed everyone in Europe was teaming up to defeat Napoleon.

Downfall and Death:
France was being attacked from every angle. The allied coalition stated hat they weren't after France as a whole, but against Napoleon himself.

Napoleon fought hard and reached Fontainebleau. However, he stopped when he heard that Paris had surrendered while he was gone. He abdicated his position on April 6. The Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed, granting him the island of Elba, 2 million France, and 400 volunteer guards. He kept his title of emperor.

He unsuccessfully tried to poison himself and was almost assassinated during his journey to Elba.

He arrived on the island on May 4, and during his time here he kept a very close eye on things in his old kingdom. At one point of accused Austria of preventing his wife and son from seeing him, however it was clear that his wife no longer cared for him, as she had already taken a lover. French government had refused to pay Napoleon so he was living on very little funds.

He managed to return to France and win over the soldiers that were sent to arrest him.

He arrived back in Paris, restored his power, and rallied together an army. They marched in Belgium and defeated the Prussians at Ligny on June 16, 1815. On the 18, he met the British at Waterloo. Battle soon followed.

Napoleon would have won if it weren't for the Prussians who showed up and provided the British with reinforcements.

Napoleon lost the battle at Waterloo. He was forced to abdicate once again on June 22, 1815.

On July 3, he attempted to sail for the U.S., but was stopped by a British squadron. He appealed to the British government for protection, and they granted it to him, allowing him to board the Bellerophon on July 15.

However, the British did not want to send him to America and all the allies agreed that he shouldn't be sent back to Elba either. Instead, they sent him to St. Helena, an island in the south Atlantic.

He arrived on St. Helena on October 15. He was accompanied by a few of his generals and their wives. While on the island, he was relatively free to do as he pleased, although he was always escorted by a British officer.

This bothered him, so he eventually confined himself to the grounds of the house he was given. He tried to assume a normal life. He did a lot of reading and writing.

His wife, Marie-Louise, never reached out to him. She secretly married an Austrian officer before Napoleon was even dead. His son made no efforts to contact him either.

By the year of 1817, it became clear that Napoleon's health was deteriorating. He seemed to have some sort of cancer or ulcer in the stomach. A doctor examined him and prescribed a treatment. (However, even doctors today are convinced that his illness couldn't have even been cured with our modern medicine)

On May 5, 1821 Napolean Bonaparte died at fifty-two years old. They dressed his body in his favorite uniform covered by a gray coat. He had a simple funeral in the Rupert Valley. The stone that was placed by his grave was marked with nothing other than "Ci-Gît," meaning, "here lies."

A much larger funeral was held for him in 1840. His remains were moved from that valley on St. Helena to the banks of the Seine

Cool Facts:
• there is a huge misconception surrounding Napoleon. Everyone thinks he was short. Napoleon stood at 5 feet and 7 inches. This was slightly taller than the average Frenchman of that time. There are debates about why we now picture him as being incredibly short, but most historians agree that it was because of British propaganda.
• he discovered the Rosetta Stone
• he wrote a romance novel called 'Clisson and Eugenie'
• there are theories that he was actually poisoned

Books and More:
There's numerous nonfiction books about Napoleon that probably do a much better job of explaining the details of his life than I just did.

Lord Byron wrote "Ode to Napolean Buonaparte" In 1814.

Quotes:
(I figured some quotes might be a fun thing to start including. Maybe last words too)
• "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
• "The reason most people fail instead of succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."