Today Napoleon is widely considered one of the greatest military generals in history. Napoleon may not have been a general of utter genius, but he was very good; he may not have been the best politician of his age, but he was often superb; he may not have been a perfect legislator, but his contributions were hugely important. He was given sovereignty over the small island, while his wife and son went to Austria. In France, Napoleon became associated with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), the brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force behind the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence against enemies of the revolution. Napoleon’s family was more Italian than French. Tremendous political flexibility saved him and the patronage of Vicomte Paul de Barras, soon to be one of France's three "Directors," followed. The Egyptian campaign was a military failure (although it had a great cultural impact) and a change of government in France caused Bonaparte to leave—some might say abandon—his army and return in the August 1799. If you are still wondering how to get free PDF EPUB of book Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-I, Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Europe was not at peace for long. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Napoleon Bonaparte, as he may henceforth be called (though the family did not drop the spelling Buonaparte until after 1796), rejoined his regiment at Nice in June 1793. However, other European countries also sought conflict, for not only did they distrust and fear Napoleon, but they also retained their hostility toward revolutionary France. Throughout 1813 and into 1814 the pressure grew on Napoleon; not only were his enemies grinding his forces down and approaching Paris, but the British had fought out of Spain and into France, the Grande Armée's Marshalls were underperforming and Bonaparte had lost the French public's support. It was during Napoleon’s year in Paris that his father died of a stomach cancer in February 1785, leaving his family in straitened circumstances. During this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. Statue of Napoleon Bonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. In 1810, he wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), the daughter of the emperor of Austria. In early 1799, Napoleon’s army launched an invasion of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended with a failed siege of Acre, located in modern-day Israel. Ever a great self-publicist, he maintained the profile of a political independent, thanks partly to the newspapers he now ran. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! In 1795, Napoleon helped suppress a royalist insurrection against the revolutionary government in Paris and was promoted to major general. A Corsican by birth, heredity, and childhood associations, Napoleon continued for some time after his arrival in Continental France to regard himself a foreigner; yet from age nine he was educated in France as other Frenchmen were. Shortly after he took part in the Brumaire coup of November 1799, finishing as a member of the Consulate, France's new ruling triumvirate.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, then in his mid-40s, was forced to abdicate the throne. In 1807, following Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Alexander I (1777-1825) was forced to sign a peace settlement, the Treaty of Tilsit. Napoleon's popularity remained high, helped by his mastery of propaganda but also genuine national support, and he was elected Consulate for life by the French people in 1802 and Emperor of France in 1804, a title which he worked hard to maintain and glorify. Napoleon. Today Napoleon is widely considered one of the greatest military generals in history. Apparently through patronage, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of captain but did not rejoin his regiment. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in an effort to deprive enemy troops of supplies.

Life was difficult on half pay, especially as he was carrying on an affair with Désirée Clary, daughter of a rich Marseille businessman and sister of Julie, the bride of his elder brother, Joseph. Get free access to the … The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica from the city-state of Genoa, Italy. He died there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most likely from stomach cancer. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Whether a hero or tyrant, the reverberations were felt across Europe for a century. During these years, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated in the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of nobility to his loyal friends and family as his empire continued to expand across much of western and central continental Europe. In 1778 he obtained the admission of his two eldest sons, Joseph and Napoleon, to the Collège d’Autun. Robert Wilde is a historian who writes about European history. The French Revolution began in 1789, and within three years revolutionaries had overthrown the monarchy and proclaimed a French republic. Beginning in 1806, Napoleon sought to wage large-scale economic warfare against Britain with the establishment of the so-called Continental System of European port blockades against British trade. Napoleon I, also called Napoléon Bonaparte, was a French military general and statesman. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Napoleon, although not the eldest son, assumed the position of head of the family before he was 16. On March 30, 1814, Paris surrendered to allied forces without a fight and, facing massive betrayal and impossible military odds, Napoleon abdicated as Emperor of France; he was exiled to the Island of Elba.