NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

ORIGIN

• Born: August 15, 1769
• From: Ajaccio, France
• 1785: father died of stomach cancer (Napoleon took reins as head of the family)
• Family relocated to France after a civil war in Corsica began (1793)
• Assumed the French version of their name: Bonaparte
• Second of eight surviving children born to Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte

EDUCATION

• Graduated military academy early then became a second lieutenant of artillery
• His father got a plush job which enabled him to enroll his sons in France's College d'Autun
• Napoleon attended school in mainland France (learned the French language)
• Napoleon went to military college of Brienne/ moved to military academy in Paris

EARLY CAREER

• Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army during the Reign of Terror
• Napoleon helped a royalist insurrection against the revolutionary government in Paris then was promoted to major general

POWER

• Napoleon commanded French army that defeated the larger armies of Austria in battles in Italy
• Proposed an invasion of Egypt to wipe out British trade routes with India
• Scored that victory at Battle of pyramids
• In 1799 Napoleon's army started an invasion Ottoman-ruled Syria ended with failed siege of Acre
• With the situation Napoleon chose to abandon his army in Egypt and return to France

WARS

• Napoleon fought about 60 battles and lost seven at the end of his reign
• First coalition (1792-1797)-war in Italy saw the rise of Bonaparte and starved troops into a fighting force
• Egypt Adventure (1798-1801)-launched an invasion on Egypt to attack British interests in India
• Second Coalition(1798-1801)-included Napoleon's expedition to Egypt/ battles of the pyramids
• Third Coalition (1805)-Napoleon out fought the armies/ surrender of Ulm and victory at Austerliz over Russia and Austria

WARS (PART 2)

• Fifth Coalition(1809)- Austrians launched a surprise attack but Napoleon recovered (Campaign of the Danube and included battles of Aspern-Essling and Wagram
• The Peninsular war (1808-1814)-Spanish Ulcer/bleed Napoleon of some of his troops
• The Russian Campaign(1812)-biggest blunders was to invade Russia (march in Moscow,battle of Borodino and key clashes) death of the French army
• Liberation of Germany(1813)-Napoleon was on back foot when Allied powers struck into Germany

WARS 3

• France Invaded(1814)-outnumbered/ almost saved his throne with the battle victory after victory
• The 100 days (1815)-decided the fate of Europe/Napoleon launched a strike at the Allies/was defeated at Waterloo by the British master general

INVASION OF RUSSIA

• Lead his largest European army into Russia
• Wiped out the army within six months by freezing temps, food shortages, disease and Russian assaults
• Began the end for Napoleon who was forced to exhale in April (1814)

EXHILE TO ELBA

• 1814-steps down from his throne and is banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba (treaty of Fontainebleau)
• Napoleons army retreated from Moscow and Europe was uniting against him
• His forces gave up and he offered to step down in favor is his son
• He was sent to Elba where he escaped in 1815 and returned to Paris where he gained supporters and reclaimed his emperor title once again

BATTLE OF WATERLOO

• Faced an army under Wellington and a Prussian force under von Blucher
• He was imprisoned because he was blamed for appointing inadequate commanders
• His dream of a united Europe was ended permanently
• Napoleon waited to attack which gave Bluchers troops numbered more than 30,000
• French emperors outnumbered army retreated in chaos
• French suffered more than 33,000 casualties

NAPOLEONS FINAL YEARS

• Oct-he was exiled to remote in the south Atlantic Ocean
• He died there on May 5 1821 age 51, from stomach cancer
• He was buried in the island but his remains were returned to France and entombed in a crypt at Les Invalides in Paris where other French military leaders are buried

CHILDREN AND WIFE

• Had multiple wives
• Wives: Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Joséphine de Beauharnais
• Children: Napoleon the second, Eugéne de Beauharnais, Charles Léon, Stéphanie de Beauharnais

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