Napoleon bonaparte biography yahoo answers

Initially aligned with nationalist sentiments, his father later switched allegiance to the French, which opened the door for Napoleon and his brother Joseph to attend military school in France. This transition marked the beginning of his journey into the military world that would ultimately shape his destiny. In , Napoleon began his education at a military college in Brienne, France, where he proved to be an exceptional student.

However, fitting in with his aristocratic classmates was challenging, as they often bullied him for being an outsider from Corsica. By the age of 15, he advanced to the prestigious military academy in Paris. This was a pivotal period in his education, as it not only refined his military skills but also instilled in him a deep understanding of French society.

Napoleon Bonaparte, born on August 15, , in Ajaccio, Corsica, was a towering figure in military history and the first emperor of France. His rise to power began amid the chaos of the French Revolution, a period rife with social and political upheaval.

Napoleon bonaparte biography yahoo answers

Initially an artillery officer, Napoleon's talents were recognized during his military campaigns, which began with successful victories for the French army against external enemies, particularly in Italy. His strategic prowess in military leadership quickly earned him a reputation, allowing him to ascend rapidly through the ranks, gaining favor in political circles.

In , through the Coup of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon seized control of the French government, effectively ending the revolutionary phase of France. He established the Consulate, positioning himself as the first consul, a power he wielded with absolute authority. His reforms reshaped the French legal system with the introduction of the Napoleonic Code, which emphasized equality before the law and laid the groundwork for modern legal systems.

As a result of both his military and political acumen, he was proclaimed emperor of the French in , cementing his influence and legacy in European history. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as a trusted military leader during a tumultuous time in France's history. Following the inception of the French Revolution in , he swiftly ascended through the ranks.

His military acumen became evident in when he defended the revolutionary government of the Directory from royalist forces attempting a coup, earning him recognition and command of the Army of the Interior. While Napoleon was still there, his father died of stomach cancer in This propelled Napoleon to take the reins as the head of the family.

Graduating early from the military academy, Napoleon, now second lieutenant of artillery, returned to Corsica in But the two soon had a falling out, and when a civil war in Corsica began in April , Napoleon—now an enemy of Paoli—and his family relocated to France, where they assumed the French version of their name: Bonaparte. Napoleon stood about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, making him slightly taller than the average Frenchman of his time.

The turmoil of the French Revolution , which began four years prior, created opportunities for ambitious military leaders like Napoleon. The young leader quickly showed his support for the Jacobins, a far-left political movement and the most well-known and popular political club from the French Revolution. Ultimately, these acts led to the rise of Maximilien de Robespierre and what became, essentially, the dictatorship of the Committee of Public Safety.

The years of and came to be known as the Reign of Terror , in which as many as 40, people were killed. Eventually, the Jacobins fell from power, and Robespierre was executed. In , the French revolutionary government known as the Directory took control of the country. Napoleon, who had previously fallen out of favor with Robespierre, came into the good graces of the Directory that same year after he saved the government from counter-revolutionary forces.

For his efforts, Napoleon was soon named commander of the Army of the Interior. In addition, he was a trusted advisor to the Directory on military matters. The army—just 30, strong, disgruntled, and underfed—was soon turned around by the young military commander. Under his direction, the reinvigorated army won numerous crucial victories against the Austrians, greatly expanded the French empire, and squashed an internal threat by the royalists, who wished to return France to a monarchy.

In the spring of , French armies were defeated in Italy, forcing France to give up much of the peninsula. That October, Napoleon returned to France as his troops continued fighting. Shortly after his return to France, Napoleon participated in an event known as the Coup of 18 Brumaire. Under the new guidelines, the first consul was permitted to appoint ministers, generals, civil servants, magistrates, and even members of the legislative assemblies.

In February , the new constitution was easily accepted. He also negotiated a European peace, partially through the Treaty of Amiens that struck a short-lived truce with the war-weary British. His reforms proved popular: In , he was elected consul for life, and two years later, he was proclaimed emperor of France on May 18, As Napoleon was rising in the ranks, his personal life was also taking shape.

He met Josephine de Beauharnais, the widow of General Alexandre de Beauharnais guillotined during the Reign of Terror and a mother of two children, at a party in Although he often complimented Josephine in letters from the battlefield, both of them engaged in extramarital affairs. Josephine was known for holding lavish parties and spending money on clothing and property, including the Malmaison estate near Paris in Despite their arguments, the two stayed together as Josephine maintained a positive perception among the public.

But when the Robespierre brothers fell from power and were guillotined in July , Napoleon was placed under house arrest for a brief period of time due to his association with them. In , he suppressed a monarchy-backed uprising against the revolutionary government, being promoted to a major general as a result. The French government was fighting against other European monarchies since In a series of battles taking place in Italy during , Napoleon led a French army to victory over the much better equipped and larger armies of Austria.

The Directory, a five-member group that governed France since the Reign of Terror ended in , directed Napoleon to lead an invasion of Great Britain. Knowing the French Navy was inadequate to deal with the far more superior British Royal Navy, Napoleon instead proposed an expedition to Egypt, then a British Protectorate. Taking Egypt from the British would effectively cut them off from their vital trade with India, causing widespread economic hardship on the British Isle.

Later, Napoleon would launch an invasion of Syria in Syria was then a province of the Ottoman Empire. This campaign would be a failure as well. With the political situation in France deteriorating, Napoleon decided to return to France. He then became part of the group that overthrew the Directory in Now a three-member group called the Consulate ruled France with Napoleon becoming first consul, a position consolidated by his victory over Austria at the Battle of Marengo in June To know what are the important events in world history from BC to AD , visit the linked article.

A constitutional amendment made in made Napoleon first consul for life. In , he crowned himself, emperor of France, during a lavish ceremony at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Seeking to restore stability in post-revolutionary France, he centralized the government by introducing reforms in banking and education, supporting science and art. His most significant accomplishment was the creation of the Napoleonic Code, which transformed the French legal system and continues to be the be basis of the legal system in France and most of Western Europe to this day.

In , following a clash with the nationalist Corsican governor, Pasquale Paoli , the Bonaparte family fled their native island for mainland France, where Napoleon returned to military duty. In France, Napoleon became associated with Augustin Robespierre , the brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre , a Jacobin who was a key force behind the Reign of Terror , a period of violence against enemies of the revolution.

During this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. However, after Robespierre fell from power and was guillotined along with Augustin in July , Napoleon was briefly put under house arrest for his ties to the brothers. In , Napoleon helped suppress a royalist insurrection against the revolutionary government in Paris and was promoted to major general.

Did you know? This artifact provided the key to cracking the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics, a written language that had been dead for almost 2, years. The following year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed France since , offered to let Napoleon lead an invasion of England. Instead, he proposed an invasion of Egypt in an effort to wipe out British trade routes with India.

That summer, with the political situation in France marked by uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and cunning Napoleon opted to abandon his army in Egypt and return to France. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the former emperor was placed in a 'wretched' home on a remote island. In November , in an event known as the coup of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon was part of a group that successfully overthrew the French Directory.

Additionally, with the Treaty of Amiens in , the war-weary British agreed to peace with the French although the peace would only last for a year. Napoleon worked to restore stability to post-revolutionary France. One of his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code , which streamlined the French legal system and continues to form the foundation of French civil law to this day.

In , a constitutional amendment made Napoleon first consul for life. Two years later, in , he crowned himself emperor of France in a lavish ceremony at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.