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Birth of Napoleon
Napoleon was born on august 15, 1769. He was born in Ajaccio, France. (1769) -
Military Campaign in Egypt and Syria
These "battles" were to disrupt British trade with India. Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt in 1798. However, it was proven to be a disaster, but Napoleon hid the truth about the loss by a network of spies and censoring the press. (1798) -
Becoming an Officer in the French Army
Napoleon became the first emperor of france. His drive for military expansion changed the world. What made him well known about him was the fact that he graduated from military school at a young age. (1799) -
Coup d'etat
Coup d'etats are a military overthrow of the government. Coup d’etat makes way for Napoleon Bonaparte. This event comes at the end of the french revolution. (1799) -
The Napoleonic Code
The napoleonic code is the french civil code under Napoleon. The code forbade privileges based on birth. It allowed freedom of religion and it specified that government jobs should go to the most qualified. (1804) -
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The Grand Empire
(1804-1812) This was when Napoleon’s empire reached expectations nobody ever thought possible. He took risks, and suffered huge losses. One way he boosted his reputation was fighting some of European’s best forces. This process took a while to be called Grand Empire. -
The Battle of Trafalgar
(1805) This battle was one of the most decisive battles in history. This was when Napoleon and his army attacked Britain. However, it took a while because Britain was a very strong army, so they gathered allies which started the war of 1812. -
Napoleon's Coronation
Napoleon was crowned on december 2nd. An important thing to note is that he crowned himself emperor of France. Napoleon planned his coronation with as great care as he did with his wars. (1807) -
Joseph Bonaparte becomes King of Spain
(1808-1813) He was Napoleon’s older brother. Since his family was middle class, he was able to get an education. However, Spain didn’t accept Bonaparte as their ruler for a while. -
The Battle of Wagram
(1809) This battle was important for Napoleon’s success. At this battle, Austria wanted revenge against France, but France still dominated Austria at the battle of Wagram. As a result, they surrendered and signed a peace treaty, and their surrendered lands populated 3 million subjects. -
Invasion of Russia
(1812) This was considered to be one of Napoleon’s biggest mistakes. France outnumbered Russia, but Russia fell back and initiated the Scorch-earth policy, where they burned/killed grain fields and livestock so there wouldn’t be any food for the enemy. The weather/climate in Russia gave them an advantage to fight France who was retreating. -
Battle of the Nations (Leipzig)
(1813) This battle was also known as the Battle of the Nations. The reason why is because Russia, Prussia, U.K., Sweden, Saxony, France, and Austria fought against each other. This battle resulted in France losing, and damaging Napoleon's status. -
Napoleon's exile to Elba
(1814) If Napoleon lost a battle, France gets angry at him, which is why Napoleon is determined to keep winning. The reason why Napoleon was exiled was because he lost the battle of Leipzig last year. As a result, he was sent to Elba as exile. -
Napoleon's Return
(1815) After Napoleon was sent to Elba, he returned as if nothing happened. In Elba, King Louis XVIII accepted and followed the Napoleonic code, and France called Napoleon over once again because of economic depression. -
The Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo: (1815) When Napoleon returned to Paris, enemy armies met at Waterloo. That was when British forces dominated France in a day-long fight. This time, Napoleon was forced to drop from power and was sent to St. Helena. -
Napoleon's Exile to St. Helena
(1815) When Napoleon and France lost at the Battle of Leipzig, they retreated. Napoleon was forced to give up the throne. European powers later exiled him to a Mediterranean island. Unfortunately, Napoleon died at that island, but his legacy helped France after his death.
