| Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor
of the French
One of the greatest military geniuses of his time,
Napoleon's armies crushed one foe after another until he
seemed invincible. His soldiers adored him. He personally
directed complicated military maneuvers and at the same
time controlled France's press, its police system, its
foreign policy, and its home government. A talented
administrator, he supervised the work of preparing the
system of laws called the Code of Napoleon. He
also founded the Bank of France, reorganized the French
educational system, and established a strong centralized
government.
Unimpressive in appearance, Napoleon nevertheless
carried himself well. He stood slightly below average
height. His courage and short stature led to his early
nickname of le Petit Corporal, or "the
little corporal."
| Chronology
of Napoleon's Life and Career |
| August 15, 1769 |
|
Born at Ajaccio, Corsica. |
| January 1786 |
|
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of
Artillery. |
| 1789-1794 |
|
Fought on the side of the revolutionaries
during the French Revolution. |
| October 5, 1795 |
|
Appointed by Vicomte de Barras as his second
in command in the Army of the Interior. |
| March 9, 1796 |
 |
Married Josephine de
Beauharnais. |
| March 11, 1796 |
|
Named to command the French Army of Italy. |
| 1797 |
|
Made peace with Austria in the Treaty of
Campo Formio. |
| July 1798 |
|
Defeated the Mamelukes of Egypt. |
| November 9, 1799 |
|
Seized power in France. |
| August 2, 1802 |
|
Named Consul for Life. |
| December 2, 1804 |
 |
Crowned himself
Emperor of the French. |
| December 2, 1805 |
|
Crushed the allied armies at Austerlitz. |
| July 12, 1806 |
|
Set up the Confederation of the Rhine. |
| October 14, 1806 |
|
Defeated the Prussians at Jena and
Austerstädt. |
| June 14, 1807 |
|
Overwhelmed the Russians at Friedland. |
| April 2, 1810 |
|
Married Marie Louise of Austria. |
| September 14, 1812 |
|
Occupied Moscow. |
| April 11, 1814 |
|
Abdicated his throne. |
| May 4, 1814 |
 |
Exiled and arrived on
Elba. |
| March 20, 1815 |
|
Returned to power in France. |
| June 18, 1815 |
|
Defeated in the Battle of Waterloo. |
| October 16, 1815 |
|
Exiled to Saint Helena. |
| May 5, 1821 |
|
Died at Longwood in Saint Helena. |
SEE ALSO
Josephine de Beauharnais
Bonaparte
Saint
Helena
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