Napoleon BonaparteAn Interactive Guide

By Jay BusbyJune 12th, 2007

Table ofContents

Table of Contents

Napoleon’s EarlyLife

Napoleon’s Military Campaigns

Napoleon as Rulerof France

Napoleon’s Early Life Born in August of 1769 on the island of Corsica Entered the Royal Military Academy in Paris at age 15 On December 18, 1793, cannons of the Revolutionary army under the command of twenty-four year-old Major Napoleon Bonaparte destroyed ten English ships anchored in Toulon's harbor. He bravely led his men in the assault on the fort guarding the city, suffering a wound in the thigh from an enemy bayonet. Bonaparte's first victory made him the hero of the day throughout France. Napoleon was made a full General and given command of theArmy of the Interior in 1795. He was 26 years old.

For a complete biography of Napoleon click here

Napoleon’s Military Campaigns

Which Campaign would you like to study?

Russian Campaign1812

Waterloo1815

Prussian Campaign1806-07

Egyptian Campaign1798-99

Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign 1798-99

While Bonaparte waited for the right moment to seize power, he looked to win new glories.

Great Britain dominated the seas and enjoyed unbridled success in overseas trade. France was still at war with Great Britain, and Bonaparte hoped to disrupt British trade routes to India and establish French domination in the exotic east. He eluded a British fleet, captured the port of Malta, and on July 1, 1798, landed

with 35,000 soldiersin Egypt. After a fierce battle with the famed Mamelucks, Napoleon captured Cairo in July

of 1798 Napoleon envisioned himself following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great British Admiral Horatio Nelson caught Napoleon’s fleet by surprise and

destroyed it trapping Napoleon and 35,000 troops in Egypt. Napoleon secretly sailed back to France in February of 1799 abandoning some 30,000 troops

“Soldiers, from the heights of these pyramids, forty centuries

look down upon you.” -Napoleon

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Napoleon’s Prussian Campaign 1806-07

Napoleon defeated the Prussian Army in three weeks 25,000 Prussians were killed or wounded and 140,000 taken prisoner Napoleon marched his troops into Poland to deal with Russia Napoleon fought two bloody battles against the Russians at Eylau and Friedland. 35,000 were killed on both sides Tsar Alexander and Napoleon signed a peace treaty on June 25th, 1807 Napoleon believed he had achieved peace in Europe but it was short lived

"The idea that Prussia could take the field against me by herself, seems so ridiculous that it does not merit

discussion." -Napoleon

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Napoleon’s Russian Campaign 1812

In 1811, Tsar Alexander I, supposedly allied with Napoleon, refused to be part of the continental blockade of British goods any longer. Napoleon’s edict barring trade with Great Britain was ruining the Russian economy. Tensions quickly escalated; every attempt to negotiate failed. On June 24, 1812, ignoring the advice of his closest advisors, Napoleon invaded Russia. Never in living memory had so large an army been assembled — Italians, Poles, German, French — more than 600,000 men from every corner of his empire. Napoleon prophesied the war would be over in twenty days. Napoleon’s troops trudged slowly across the vast openness of the Russian countryside as the Tsar’s troops retreated and burned

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Continue with Russian Campaign

Napoleon in Russia 1812 Napoleon loses 150,000 troops due to heat exhaustion, sickness, and desertion before fighting a single battle The Russians finally turn and fight Napoleon at Borodino, the battle ends in a standstill; the Russians abandon Moscow Napoleon enters Moscow as the Russians burn the city Moscow was to be the French Armies refuge for winter With all supplies gone or destroyed by the Russians and no hope for easy victory, Napoleon begins the long retreat fromRussia

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Napoleon’s Retreat from Russia

Reluctantly in October of 1812, the French Army begins the long march back to France Three weeks into the march, the Russian winter hits hard with temperatures as low as 22 below zero Thousands of troops die due to starvation, cold, and Cossack attacks Out of the original 600,000+ troops, barely 80,000 soldiers make it back

to France The disaster of the Russian Campaign was the beginning of the end for

Napoleon

Click here to listen to a French soldier’s account of the Russian winter:

"It’s just one step between the sublime and the ridiculous.“-Napoleon

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Waterloo 1815

Napoleon escaped the island of Elba where he had been exiled. Within weeks, Napoleon had raised an army and once again ruled France Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Russia were all allied against Napoleon Napoleon met the Duke of Wellington and his British army at Waterloo. The timely arrival of the Prussian army helped the Duke of Wellington defeat Napoleon The British exiled Napoleon to the remote island of St. Helena where he would spend his final days

“I felt that Fortune was abandoning me”- Napoleon

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Napoleon as Ruler of France

In 1799, Napoleon named himself First Consul and rewrote the French Constitution He was now the most powerful man in France Napoleon created a strong, centralized government Created the Bank of France Established a set of civil laws known as the Napoleonic Code Amended the Constitution in 1802 to make himself First Consul for life In 1803, Napoleon had Pope Pius VII brought to Paris where he crowned Napoleon Emperor Banished to Elba in 1814 by Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia Napoleon returned and ruled again for a short period known as the 100 Days until defeated atWaterloo

“I had been nourished by reflecting on Liberty, but I thrust it aside when it obstructed my path”- Napoleon