When Napoleon 1 became emperor. Napoleon II: biography and interesting facts

Great French commander, Emperor and statesman Napoleon Bonaparte(Napoleon I) became an example of a genius in military and government activities. Despite the fact that as a result of his military actions he surrendered to the Allied forces, his name, battle tactics, and the “Code” went down in history.

short biography

Napoleon Bonaparte ( Buonaparte) "first" born August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio, Corsica, former Genoese Republic. The Buonaparte family belonged to minor aristocrats; Napoleon's ancestors came from Florence and lived in Corsica since 1529.

His father - Carlo Buonaparte, assessor in service. His mother - Leticia Romalino, daughter of the former governor of Ajaccio, had no education.

Napoleon had a total of 12 siblings (he was the second oldest), of whom only seven lived to adulthood.

Education of Napoleon I

As a child, Napoleon Bonaparte loved to read. He often stayed in one of the rooms on the third floor of the family house and studied literature there - mainly historical. Initially, he read in Italian, and began to study French only at the age of 10.

After 1777, Carlo, the father of the family, was able to obtain for his eldest sons royal scholarships. At this point, the head of the family became a deputy in Paris from the Corsican aristocracy.

Cadet school

In 1779 Napoleon entered the Cadet school in Brienne Le Chateau. Since he was a patriot of his homeland, which was enslaved by the French, it was difficult for him to communicate with his peers. His isolation allowed him to devote more time to reading.

Later, due to conflicts with some school teachers, Napoleon became more popular among his classmates and even received the status of a non-vocal leader in the team.

Military career

While still a student at the Cadet School, Bonaparte chose artillery as his favorite activity. At siege of Toulon in 1793, which was at the mercy of supporters of the executed king, Napoleon commanded an artillery battery.

He personally participated in the assault, was wounded, but managed to take the city. This was his first victory, for which the Jacobins, supporters Robespierre, promoted him to major general. They started talking about Napoleon with delight in Paris.

Annexation of Northern Italy to France

After Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine Beauharnais, he went as a commander in the Italian army. In 1796 he again led the regiments. This time he managed to annex Northern Italy to France, clearing it of the Austrians.

Trip to Egyptian lands

Napoleon then went to Egypt, a colony of the British, thinking to teach them a lesson, but the campaign was unsuccessful. He managed to capture Cairo and Alexandria, but he did not receive support from the sea and was forced to retreat. He secretly returned to France.

Coup in France

At the end of 1799 There was a coup in France, in which Napoleon himself played the role of “saber”. The Directory fell, Napoleon was proclaimed first consul of the republic, and after 5 years he became emperor.

He redid the constitution, restored the nobility, introduced a civil code, or the “Napoleonic Code,” according to which privileges by birth were abolished and all people were equal before the law. He established a French bank, a French university.

Battle of Three Emperors

In 1805, Napoleon took part in the battle against the armies of two emperors - the Austrian Franz II and Russian Alexandra I. This battle went down in history under the name "Battle of the Three Emperors". The Union army numbered 85 thousand people, the French army outnumbered it by more than twice.

Napoleon understood that the command of the allied forces would not be Kutuzov, but Alexander, who was eager to punish the French upstart. Napoleon outwitted his rivals: creating the appearance of retreat, brought in the main troops at the right moment. The allied troops retreated in disarray, both emperors fled, Kutuzov was wounded. The two allied armies were completely defeated.

Napoleon's series of victories

His next campaign, in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte I made to Prussia, where he defeated the Prussian army and its Russian ally, celebrated victories at Jena, Auerstedte, Friedland, and in 1809 again defeated Austria.

As a result of these campaigns and battles, Napoleon became emperor of all Central Europe.

War with Russia

Despite the fact that no one threatened central Europe after Bonaparte’s victories, he could not come to terms with the fact that the Russian Emperor Alexander I was trading with the enemies of the French - the British. He decided to go to war with Russia. But for this he needed a more powerful and numerous army.

Napoleon entered into an alliance with the Austrians, who, after signing the treaty, allocated 30 thousand soldiers at his disposal. The Prussian government also expressed its intention to allocate 20 thousand soldiers.

March of the Great Army

Having collected 450 thousand army, an ambitious commander marched on Russia in June 1812, which was also preparing for war, but its army was much smaller - about 193 thousand soldiers.

Bonaparte tried to force a global battle on the Russians, but this never happened. The Russians gradually retreated into the country, surrendering one city after another. Napoleonic troops were melting from deprivation, disease and hunger. The weather conditions were also not in favor of the Great Army.

Having reached Moscow, which Kutuzov surrendered without a fight, starting a big fire and leaving the French in ashes, Napoleon did not feel like a winner.

Then the Russian army began to demonstrate its military prowess, which had previously been demonstrated only in the Battle of Borodino. Napoleon retreated and eventually fled from Russia - all that was left of his Great Army was only 10%.

Global defeat and exile

In 1814, the allied forces of England and Russia entered Paris. Napoleon abdicated the throne, he was exiled to the island of Elba. In 1815, he secretly returned to Paris, but lasted only 100 days in power. At Waterloo, the French army suffered a crushing defeat, losing to the British in all positions. Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena in the Atlantic under British escort. There he spent the last 6 years of his life.

Napoleon Bonaparte died May 5, 1821 at the age of 51 in Longwood, St. Elena. His remains were reburied in the Parisian Invalides in 1840.

France under Napoleon

During the 10 years of Napoleon Bonaparte I's reign, France became major European power. The emperor was a participant in all campaigns and the organizer of battles. He developed principles that he tried to adhere to and which, he believed, led to victory. First of all, he sought to compensate for numerical weakness with swiftness of action. He tried to be in the right place at the right time and act according to the situation.

French statesman and commander, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. He came from the family of an ordinary Corsican nobleman.

In 1784 he graduated from the Brienne Military School, and in 1785 from the Paris Military School. He began professional military service in 1785 with the rank of sub-lieutenant of artillery in the royal army.

From the first days of the Great French Revolution of 1789-1799, Bonaparte became involved in the political struggle on the island of Corsica and joined the most radical wing of the Republicans. In 1792 in Valence he joined the Jacobin Club.

In 1793, supporters of France in Corsica, where Bonaparte was at that time, were defeated. Conflict with Corsican separatists forced him to flee the island to France. Bonaparte became commander of an artillery battery in Nice. He distinguished himself in the battle against the British at Toulon, was promoted to brigadier general and appointed chief of artillery of the Alpine Army. After the counter-revolutionary coup in June 1794, Bonaparte was removed from office and arrested for connections with the Jacobins, but was soon released. He was listed in the reserve of the War Ministry, and in September 1795, after refusing the offered position of commander of an infantry brigade, he was dismissed from the army.

In October 1795, a member of the Directory (French government in 1795-1799), Paul Barras, who led the fight against the monarchist conspiracy, took Napoleon as an assistant. Bonaparte distinguished himself during the suppression of the royalist rebellion in October 1795, for which he was appointed commander of the troops of the Paris garrison. In February 1796, he was appointed commander of the Italian Army, at the head of which he carried out the victorious Italian campaign (1796-1797).

In 1798-1801 he led the Egyptian expedition, which, despite the capture of Alexandria and Cairo and the defeat of the Mamelukes in the Battle of the Pyramids, was defeated.

In October 1799, Bonaparte arrived in Paris, where a situation of acute political crisis reigned. Relying on influential circles of the bourgeoisie, on November 9-10, 1799, he carried out a coup d'etat. The government of the Directory was overthrown, and the French Republic was led by three consuls, the first of whom was Napoleon.

The concordat (agreement) concluded with the Pope in 1801 provided Napoleon with the support of the Catholic Church.

In August 1802 he achieved his appointment as consul for life.

In June 1804, Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor Napoleon I.

On December 2, 1804, during a magnificent ceremony held in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with the participation of the Pope, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French.

In March 1805, he was crowned in Milan, after Italy recognized him as its king.

Napoleon I's foreign policy was aimed at achieving political and economic hegemony in Europe. With his rise to power, France entered a period of almost continuous wars. Thanks to military successes, Napoleon significantly expanded the territory of the empire and made most of the states of Western and Central Europe dependent on France.

Napoleon was not only Emperor of France, which extended to the left bank of the Rhine, but also King of Italy, mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. His brothers became kings: Joseph in Naples, Louis in Holland, Jerome in Westphalia.

This empire was comparable in its territory to the empire of Charlemagne or the Holy Roman Empire of Charles V.

In 1812, Napoleon launched a campaign against Russia, which ended in his complete defeat and became the beginning of the collapse of the empire. The entry of anti-French coalition troops into Paris in March 1814 forced Napoleon I to abdicate the throne (April 6, 1814). The victorious allies retained the title of emperor to Napoleon and gave him possession of the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea.

In 1815, Napoleon, taking advantage of the people's dissatisfaction with the policies of the Bourbons who replaced him in France and the disagreements that arose between the victorious powers at the Congress of Vienna, tried to regain the throne. In March 1815, at the head of a small detachment, he unexpectedly landed in the south of France and three weeks later entered Paris without firing a single shot. The secondary reign of Napoleon I, which went down in history as the “Hundred Days,” did not last long. The Emperor did not live up to the hopes placed on him by the French people. All this, as well as the defeat of Napoleon I at the Battle of Waterloo, led him to a second abdication and exile to the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, where he died on May 5, 1821. In 1840, Napoleon's ashes were transported to Paris, to the Invalides

Napoleon Bonaparte was a brilliant commander, diplomat, had excellent intelligence, phenomenal memory and amazing performance. An entire era is named after him, and his deeds came as a shock to most of his contemporaries. His military strategies are in textbooks, and the norms of democracy in Western countries are based on “Napoleonic Law.”

Napoleon Bonaparte on horseback

The role of this outstanding personality in the history of France is ambiguous. In Spain and Russia he was called the Antichrist, and some researchers consider Napoleon a somewhat embellished hero.

Childhood and youth

The brilliant commander, statesman, Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte was a native of Corsica. Born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio into a poor noble family. The parents of the future emperor had eight children. Father Carlo di Buonaparte practiced law, mother Letizia, née Ramolino, raised the children. They were Corsicans by nationality. Bonaparte is the Tuscan version of the surname of the famous Corsican.

He was taught literacy and sacred history at home, at the age of six he was sent to a private school, and at the age of ten he was sent to Autun College, where the boy did not stay long. After college, Brienne continues her studies at military school. In 1784 he entered the Paris Military Academy. Upon graduation, he received the rank of lieutenant and from 1785 served in the artillery.

In his early youth, Napoleon lived in solitude and was interested in literature and military affairs. In 1788, while in Corsica, he participated in the development of defensive fortifications, worked on a report on the organization of the militia, etc. He considered literary works to be of paramount importance and hoped to become famous in this field.

He reads with interest books on history, geography, the size of state revenues of European countries, works on the philosophy of legislation, and is interested in the ideas of Abbot Raynal. He writes the history of Corsica, the stories “Conversation of Love”, “The Prophet in Disguise”, “The Earl of Essex” and keeps a diary.

The works of young Bonaparte, with the exception of one, remained in manuscripts. In these works, the author expresses negative emotions towards France, considering it the enslaver of Corsica, and love for his homeland. The recordings of the young Napoleon are political in tone and permeated with a revolutionary spirit.

Napoleon Bonaparte greeted the French Revolution with enthusiasm, and in 1792 he joined the Jacobin Club. After the victory over the British for the capture of Toulon in 1793, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general. This becomes a turning point in his biography, after which a brilliant military career begins.

In 1795, Napoleon distinguished himself during the dispersal of the royalist rebellion, after which he was appointed commander of the army. The Italian campaign undertaken in 1796-1797 under his command demonstrated the talent of the commander and glorified him throughout the continent. In 1798-1799, the Directory sent him on a long-distance military expedition to Syria and Egypt.

The expedition ended in defeat, but it was not considered a failure. He voluntarily leaves the army to fight the Russians under the command of. In 1799, General Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris. The Directory regime at this time was already at the peak of the crisis.

Domestic policy

After the coup and the proclamation of the consulate in 1802, he became consul, and in 1804 - emperor. In the same year, with the participation of Napoleon, a new Civil Code was published, based on Roman law.

The internal policy pursued by the emperor is aimed at strengthening his own power, which, in his opinion, guaranteed the preservation of the gains of the revolution. Carries out reforms in the field of law and administration. He undertook a number of reforms in the legal and administrative spheres. Some of these innovations still form the basis of the functioning of states. Napoleon ended anarchy. A law was passed to ensure the right to property. French citizens were recognized as equal in rights and opportunities.

Mayors were appointed to cities and villages, and the French Bank was created. The economy began to revive, which could not but please even the poor. Military recruitment allowed the poor to earn money. Lyceums opened throughout the country. At the same time, the police network expanded, a secret department began operating, and the press was subjected to strict censorship. Gradually there was a return to the monarchical system of government.

Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte

An important event for the French government was the agreement concluded with the Pope, thanks to which the legitimacy of Bonaparte's power was recognized in exchange for the proclamation of Catholicism as the main religion of the majority of citizens. Society was divided into two camps in relation to the emperor. Some citizens stated that Napoleon betrayed the revolution, but Bonaparte himself believed that he was a successor of its ideas.

Foreign policy

The beginning of Napoleon's reign occurred at a time when France was at war with Austria and England. The new victorious Italian campaign eliminated the threat at the French borders. The result of military action was the subjugation of almost all European countries. In territories that were not part of France, kingdoms subordinate to the emperor were created, the rulers of which were members of his family. Russia, Prussia and Austria form an alliance.

At first, Napoleon was perceived as the savior of his homeland. The people were proud of his achievements, and there was a national upsurge in the country. But the 20-year war tired everyone. The Continental Blockade proclaimed by Bonaparte, which led to the decline of the English economy and its light industry, forced the British to stop trade relations with European states. The crisis hit the port cities of France; the supply of colonial goods, to which Europe had already become accustomed, was stopped. Even the French court suffered from a lack of coffee, sugar, and tea.

The situation was worsened by the economic crisis of 1810. The bourgeoisie did not want to spend money on wars, since the threat of attack by other countries was a thing of the past. She understood that the goal of the emperor's foreign policy was to expand his own power and protect the interests of the dynasty.

The collapse of the empire began in 1812, when Russian troops defeated Napoleonic army. The creation of an anti-French coalition, which included Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sweden, in 1814 was the collapse of the empire. This year she defeated the French and entered Paris.

Napoleon had to abdicate the throne, but he retained the status of emperor. He was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea. However, the exiled emperor did not stay there long.

French citizens and military personnel were unhappy with the situation and feared the return of the Bourbons and nobility. Bonaparte escapes and on March 1, 1815, moves to Paris, where he is greeted with enthusiastic exclamations from the townspeople. Hostilities resume. This period went down in history as the “Hundred Days”. The final defeat of Napoleon's army occurred on June 18, 1815 after the Battle of Waterloo.

The deposed emperor was captured by the British and sent into exile again. This time he ended up in the Atlantic Ocean on the island of St. Elena, where he lived for another 6 years. But not all the British had a negative attitude towards Napoleon. In 1815, impressed by the fate of the deposed emperor, he created the “Napoleonic Cycle” of five poems, after which the poet was reproached for being unpatriotic. Among the British there was another admirer of Napoleon - Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the future George IV, on whose support the emperor at one time counted, but she died in 1817 during childbirth.

Personal life

From a young age, Napoleon Bonaparte was distinguished by his amorousness. Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon's height was above average by the standards that existed in those years - 168 cm, which could not help but attract the attention of the opposite sex. His masculine features and posture, which are visible in the reproductions presented in the form of photographs, aroused the interest of the ladies around him.

The first lover to whom the young man proposed was 16-year-old Desiree-Evgenia-Clara. But at that time his career in Paris began to develop rapidly, and Napoleon could not resist the charm of Parisian women. In the capital of France, Bonaparte preferred to have affairs with older women.

An important event in Napoleon's personal life, which took place in 1796, was his marriage to Josephine Beauharnais. Bonaparte's beloved turned out to be 6 years older than him. She was born into a plantation family on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean. From the age of 16 she was married to Viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais and gave birth to two children. Six years after marriage, she divorced her husband and at one time lived in Paris, then in her father’s house. After the revolution of 1789 she again went to France. In Paris, she was supported by her ex-husband, who by that time occupied a high political position. But in 1794 the Viscount was executed, and Josephine herself spent some time in prison.

A year later, having miraculously gained freedom, Josephine met Bonaparte, who was not yet so famous. According to some reports, at the time of their acquaintance she was in a love affair with the then ruler of France, Barras, but this did not prevent him from becoming a witness at the wedding of Bonaparte and Josephine. In addition, Barras granted the groom the position of commander of the Italian Army of the Republic.

Researchers claim that the lovers had many things in common. Both were born far from France on small islands, experienced hardships, were imprisoned, both were dreamers. After the wedding, Napoleon went to the positions of the Italian army, and Josephine remained in Paris. After the Italian campaign, Bonaparte was sent to Egypt. Josephine still did not follow her husband, but enjoyed social life in the capital of France.

Tormented by jealousy, Napoleon began to have favorites. According to researchers, Napoleon had from 20 to 50 lovers. A series of novels followed, which led to the emergence of illegitimate heirs. Two are known: Alexander Colonna-Walewski and Charles Leon. The Colonna-Walewski family has survived to this day. Alexander's mother was the daughter of a Polish aristocrat, Maria Valevskaya.

Josephine could not have children, so in 1810 Napoleon divorced her. Initially, Bonaparte planned to become related to the Romanov imperial family. He asked Anna Pavlovna's hand in marriage from her brother. But the Russian emperor did not want to become related to a ruler of non-royal blood. In many ways, these disagreements influenced the cooling of relations between France and Russia. Napoleon marries the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, Marie-Louise, who gave birth to an heir in 1811. This marriage was not approved by the French public.

Ironically, it was Josephine’s grandson, and not Napoleon’s, who later became the French emperor. Her descendants reign in Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Luxembourg. There are no descendants of Napoleon left, since his son had no children, and he himself died young.

After being deported to the island of Elba, Bonaparte expected to see his legal wife next to him, but Marie-Louise went to her father’s domain. Maria Valevskaya arrived to Bonaparte with her son. Returning to France, Napoleon dreamed of seeing only Marie Louise, but the emperor never received an answer to all the letters sent to Austria.

Death

After the defeat at Waterloo, Bonaparte whiled away his time on the island of St. Elena. The last years of his life were filled with suffering from an incurable disease. On May 5, 1821, Napoleon I Bonaparte died, he was 52 years old.

According to one version, the cause of death was oncology, according to another - arsenic poisoning. Researchers who support the version of stomach cancer appeal to the results of the autopsy, as well as to the heredity of Bonaparte, whose father died of stomach cancer. Other historians mention that Napoleon gained weight before his death. And this became an indirect sign of arsenic poisoning, since cancer patients lose weight. In addition, traces of high concentrations of arsenic were later found in the emperor’s hair.

According to Napoleon's will, his remains were transported to France in 1840, where they were reburied in the Parisian Invalides on the grounds of the cathedral. Around the tomb of the former French emperor are sculptures made by Jean-Jacques Pradier.

Memory

The memory of the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte is captured in art. Among them are opuses by Hector Berlioz, literary works,. In cinema, his image is captured in films of different eras, starting with silent films. A genus of trees growing on the African continent is named after the commander, as well as a culinary masterpiece - a layer cake with cream. Napoleon's letters were published in France under Napoleon III and were sorted into quotations.

Quotes

History is only a version of events that happened in our interpretation.

The depths of baseness to which a person can fall are immeasurable.

There are two levers that can move people - fear and self-interest.

Revolution is a conviction backed by bayonets.

It is more likely to meet a good ruler who came to power through inheritance than through elections.

The short biography of Napoleon Bonaparte for children and adults presented in this article will certainly interest you. This name has long become a household name, not only because of his talent and intelligence, but also because of his incredible ambitions, as well as the dizzying career that he managed to make.

The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte is marked by the rapid rise of his military career. Having entered service at the age of 16, he became a general at the age of 24. And Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor at the age of 34. Interesting facts from the biography of the French commander are numerous. Among his skills and characteristics there were some very extraordinary ones. They say that he read at an incredible speed - about 2 thousand words per minute. In addition, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte could sleep for a long time, 2-3 hours a day. Interesting facts from the biography of this man, we hope, have awakened your interest in his personality.

Events in Corsica leading up to the birth of Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, was born on August 15, 1769. He was born on the island of Corsica, in the city of Ajaccio. The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte would probably have turned out differently if the political situation of that time had been different. His native island had long been in the possession of the Genoese Republic, but Corsica overthrew Genoese rule in 1755. After this, for several years it was an independent state, ruled by Pasquale Paole, a local landowner. Carlo Buonaparte (his portrait is presented below), Napoleon's father, served as his secretary.

In 1768 she sold the rights to Corsica to France. A year later, after the local rebels were defeated by French troops, Pasquale Paole moved to England. Napoleon himself was not a direct participant in these events or even a witness to them, since he was born only 3 months later. However, Paole's personality played a large role in shaping his character. For many 20 years, this man became the idol of such a French commander as Napoleon Bonaparte. The biography for children and adults of Bonaparte, presented in this article, continues with a story about his origin.

Origin of Napoleon

Letizia Ramalino and Carlo Buonaparte, the parents of the future emperor, were minor nobles. There were 13 children in the family, of whom Napoleon was the second oldest. True, five of his sisters and brothers died in childhood.

The father of the family was one of the ardent supporters of Corsica's independence. He participated in the drafting of the Corsican Constitution. But in order for his children to receive an education, he began to show loyalty to the French. After some time, Carlo Buonaparte even became a representative of the nobility of Corsica in the French Parliament.

Study in Ajaccio

It is known that Napoleon, as well as his sisters and brothers, received their primary education at the city school of Ajaccio. After this, the future emperor began to study mathematics and writing from the local abbot. Carlo Buonaparte, as a result of interaction with the French, managed to obtain royal scholarships for Napoleon and Joseph, his elder brother. Joseph was to pursue a career as a priest, and Napoleon was to become a military man.

Cadet school

The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte continues in Autun. It was here that the brothers went in 1778 to study French. A year later, Napoleon entered the cadet school located in Brienne. He was an excellent student and showed special talent in mathematics. In addition, Napoleon loved to read books on various topics - philosophy, history, geography. The favorite historical characters of the future emperor were Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. However, at this time Napoleon did not have many friends. Both his Corsican origin and accent (Napoleon never managed to get rid of it), as well as his tendency to loneliness and his complex character played a role in this.

Father's death

He later continued his studies at the Royal Cadet School. Napoleon graduated early in 1785. Then his father died, and he had to take his place as head of the family. The older brother was not suitable for this role, since he did not have leadership abilities like Napoleon.

Military career

Napoleon Bonaparte began his military career in Valence. The biography, a brief summary of which is the topic of this article, continues in this city, located in the center of the Rhone Lowland. Here Napoleon served as a lieutenant. After some time he was transferred to Oxonne. The future emperor read a lot at this time, and also tried himself in the literary field.

The military biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, one might say, gained great momentum in the decade that followed his graduation from cadet school. In just 10 years, the future emperor managed to go through the entire hierarchy of ranks in the French army of that time. In 1788, the future emperor tried to enlist in the Russian army, but he was refused.

Napoleon met the French Revolution in Corsica, where he was on vacation. He accepted and supported her. Moreover, Napoleon was noted as an excellent commander during his time as a brigadier general and later commander of the Italian Army.

Marriage to Josephine

An important event in Napoleon's personal life took place in 1796. It was then that he married the widow of the Count, Josephine Beauharnais.

The beginning of the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte, whose full biography is presented in an impressive volume of books, was recognized as the best French commander after inflicting a crushing defeat on the enemy in Sardinia and Austria. It was then that he rose to a new level, starting the “Napoleonic Wars”. They lasted almost 20 years, and it was thanks to them that the biography of such a commander as Napoleon Bonaparte became known throughout the world. A brief summary of the further path to world fame traveled by him is as follows.

The French Directory was unable to maintain the achievements that the revolution brought. This became obvious in 1799. Napoleon and his army were in Egypt at that time. After his return, he dispersed the Directory thanks to the support of the people. On November 19, 1799, Bonaparte proclaimed the consular regime, and 5 years later, in 1804, he declared himself emperor.

Napoleon's domestic policy

Napoleon Bonaparte, whose biography by this time was already marked by many achievements, decided to focus on strengthening his own power, which was supposed to serve as a guarantee of the civil rights of the French population. In 1804, the Napoleonic Code, a code of civil rights, was adopted for this purpose. In addition, tax reform was implemented, and the French Bank, owned by the state, was created. The French education system was created precisely under Napoleon. Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the majority of the population, but freedom of religion was not abolished.

Economic blockade of England

England was the main opponent of French industry and capital in the European market. This country financed military actions against it on the continent. England attracted major European powers such as Austria and Russia to its side. Thanks to a series of French military operations carried out against Russia, Austria and Prussia, Napoleon was able to annex to his country lands that previously belonged to Holland, Belgium, Italy and Northern Germany. The defeated countries had no choice but to make peace with France. Napoleon declared an economic blockade of England. He banned trade relations with this country. However, this measure also hit the French economy. France was unable to replace British products on the European market. Napoleon Bonaparte was unable to foresee this. A short biography in abbreviation should not dwell on this in detail, so we will continue our story.

Decline in authority, birth of an heir

The economic crisis and protracted wars led to a decline in the authority of Napoleon Bonaparte among the French, who had previously supported him. In addition, it turned out that no one was threatening France, and Bonaparte’s ambitions were driven only by concern for the state of his dynasty. In order to leave an heir, he divorced Josephine because she could not give him a child. In 1810, Napoleon married Marie Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. In 1811, the long-awaited heir was born. However, the public did not approve of marriage with a woman from the Austrian royal family.

War with Russia and exile to the Elbe

In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to start a war with Russia, whose short biography, largely due to this, is of interest to many of our compatriots. Like other states, Russia at one time supported the blockade of England, but did not strive to comply with it. This step became fatal for Napoleon. Having suffered defeat, he abdicated the throne. The former French emperor was sent to the island of Elba, located in the Mediterranean Sea.

Napoleon's revenge and final defeat

After Bonaparte's abdication, representatives of the Bourbon dynasty returned to France, as well as their heirs, who sought to regain their position and fortune. This caused discontent among the population. Napoleon fled from Elba on February 25, 1815. He returned to France in triumph. One article can only present a very brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Therefore, let's just say that he resumed the war, but France could no longer bear this burden. Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, after 100 days of revenge. This time he was sent into exile on the island of St. Helena, which was much further away than before, so it was more difficult to escape from it. Here the former emperor spent the last 6 years of his life. He never saw his wife and son again.

Death of the Former Emperor

Bonaparte's health began to rapidly deteriorate. He died on May 5, 1821, presumably from cancer. According to another version, Napoleon was poisoned. A very popular belief is that the former emperor was given arsenic. But was it poisoned? The fact is that Napoleon was afraid of this and voluntarily took small doses of arsenic, thus trying to develop immunity to it. Of course, such a procedure would certainly end tragically. Be that as it may, even today it is impossible to say with complete certainty why Napoleon Bonaparte died. His short biography, presented in this article, ends here.

It should be added that he was buried first on the island of St. Helena, but in 1840 his remains were reburied in Paris, in the Invalides. The monument at the grave of the former emperor is made of Karelian porphyry, which was given to the French government by Nicholas I, the Russian emperor.

All this was, from a political point of view, the opposite of the ideals of 1789, but everyone was happy. Again the people were governed and governed well: if the new ruler at the beginning and in everything emphasized the idea that he was an exception to the ordinary conditions and laws that limit man, then there is a huge and obvious difference with the Jacobins, where everyone separately, in the name of freedom, or whatever They called their mask - they justified robbery and murder. This was a man who understood what had become the need of the people in these ten years. People willingly submit to a clear mind, activity not yet clouded by despotism, and an energetic will not yet clouded by boundless pride. Finances were quickly put in order, the work of the police was established, the most urgent need - roads - was cleared of numerous bandits of bandits formed during the constant struggle of parties, the change of weak and bloody governments, incredible poverty and the looting of all property. Public safety and tranquility, long unseen in the country, have been restored.

Bonaparte established the governance of the country, the correct organization of the activities of prefects in departments, assistant prefects in districts; called on all decent and enlightened people to take action; forgiveness was given to anyone who wanted to submit to the new order of things. This was not the rule of one party, but rather monarchical rule, in its best sense - a strong autocratic will, supported by reasonable advice, gives movement and direction to affairs, but not as is done in a republic, where mediocrity prescribes the law by virtue of its equality. A list of emigrants was compiled, many amendments were made in favor of honest people, such as Carnot, but scoundrels like Barer were also included. The first consul showed his special favor to scientists, mainly those who applied their work to the mathematical sciences, which brought a good income. He himself had an extremely independent mind, a quick-thinking, tireless worker, with nerves of steel.

Very indifferent to religious duties, he perfectly understood the importance of religion in the life of the people, for the highest and lowest strata of society. Freedom of religion became a reality, and the auxiliary means that replaced religion, such as holidays and temples of Victory, Virtue, Gratitude, Agriculture, veneration of the Supreme Being - everything that Larevelier-Lepo fought with, was destroyed by itself. The monarchical desire became more and more evident. The wife of the first consul, the widow of General Beauharnais, a good-natured, frivolous hetaera, with shaky views in recent years, allowed herself to be called madam, and the address with the words “citizen”, “citizen”, as well as the address “you” imperceptibly disappeared by themselves. A court was formed and the art and knowledge of court life acquired value. The Jacobins were not held in high esteem, but for their part the royalists were extremely mistaken in taking this monarchical trend as a sign in favor of the kingdom. The Consul made his opinion clear. When Louis XVIII, the landless king, approached him about this, he replied: “The Bourbons will return only after crossing 500 thousand corpses.” The former royalist region of the Vendée could not field the above number of people, especially since it would have required much more than 500 thousand people killed. The last uprising in the autumn of 1799 ended in 1800.

Foreign policy. Attempts at rapprochement

Another precious gift that the consul was obliged to give to the country was peace, and if it was not immediately granted, then he was not the only one to blame. He notified King George III of England of his election and in a private letter expressed his desire for the establishment of friendly relations between the two most educated nations. The answer, signed by Secretary of State Granville, was very rude. It spoke of the rule of the Bourbons, which had been so long in France and had given it so much power; In addition, outstanding people, like Pitt and Canning, spoke out sharply against the new government or the new revolutionary government and talked about protecting France from laws that were dangerous to it. The first consul sent a similar message to Emperor Francis II. “Alien to feelings of empty pride, I first of all wish to stop the bloodshed.” Thugut's answer was polite, but did not go beyond general expressions of great hope. Both states continued the war, although Russia had in fact already left the coalition.

Military actions of 1800

Melas was stationed in Italy with an army of 140,000 men, and when the war began, in April, the French had only a small force to guard. The English squadron blocked the harbor; this small detachment tried to do something that was beyond its strength: not appreciating the change in government in France, they conceived a bold plan to invade southern France and support an uprising against the revolutionary trend. There were relatively few troops in Germany, and the winner of recent years, Archduke Charles, retired due to poor health; he was offended and upset by the obstacles that were placed in the way of his endeavors. Bonaparte handed over the main command over the troops to Moreau, who knew all the German military positions very well, and, crossing the Rhine near Kehl, defeated the Austrians in a number of battles - Engen, Stockach, Möskirch, Pfulendorf, Biberach, Memmingen and pushed them back to Ulm; At this very time, Bonaparte, who was fighting in Italy, struck the first decisive blow there.

Europe, January 1799

Italy. Battle of Marengo

Bonaparte pretended that his army was gathering near Dijon, but meanwhile gathered 40,000 men on the southeastern border and, after reviewing the troops at Lausanne, led them into Italy through the Great St. Bernard Pass. At all times, the French loved to compare this transition with the transition of Hannibal in ancient times, but here again the practical dexterity of the French soldier and the foresight of their leader were expressed. The orders were the most reasonable: various artillery supplies were carried on ponies, the cannons were placed in empty hollowed-out trees and dragged in difficult places by hand; the fort enclosing the narrow Dora Baltea valley was bypassed, and the guns were driven at night along the village street, covered with mattresses and dung.

The Austrians bought into the deception. Bonaparte headed towards Milan, leaving besieged Genoa to die from the terrible famine that broke out in the city. On June 2, Bonaparte entered Milan and restored the Cisalpine Republic. Melas, an elderly but brave general, turned back, wanting to paralyze the enemy, who threatened Austria's enormous influence on Italy; at Marengo, between Tortona and Alexandria, on June 14 he struck the French. The first action of the battle, which began at nine o'clock in the morning, ended at two o'clock in the afternoon with the retreat of the French army. Bonaparte, who had just arrived on the battlefield, tried in vain to turn the military fortunes in his favor: by five o’clock victory seemed decisively on the side of the Austrians. The French were retreating; suddenly General Desaix appeared on the battlefield, having just returned from Egypt with five thousand fresh soldiers. Quite unexpectedly for the Austrians, the battle resumed at a time when their commander-in-chief, already tired, retired. Desaix was killed; his words: “Keep my death a secret” are nothing more than a beautiful fiction. On the other hand, the Austrians suffered a rare misfortune: their chief of staff, General Zach, and his entire staff were captured. Happiness completely turned away from them; this day, with all its consequences, the retreat turning into flight, cost the Austrians almost a third of their entire military strength. On June 4, Massena capitulated in Genoa. The Austrians sent a truce with a proposal to the consul to clear Genoa and Piedmont, and indeed, a truce was declared here in order to begin peace negotiations. For Bonaparte, the sudden lull was very welcome; he immediately left for Paris; the imperial troops left for Po and Mincio.

August 15 - birth of Napoleon Bonaparte (Buonaparte). Father - Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), mother - Maria Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino, 1749/1750-1836).

May - Napoleon enters military school in Brienne.

October - Napoleon enters the Paris Military School.

September - graduation from the Paris Military School.

November - the beginning of military service in the La Fer regiment in the city of Balance.

Long vacation spent in Corsica, service in the garrison in Oxonne.

Napoleon participates in the suppression of the uprising in Serres, witnesses the uprising in Oxonne, and leaves for Corsica.

Napoleon is involved in political life in Corsica.

Napoleon is involved in political life in France.

Return to Corsica.

February - Napoleon takes part in an unsuccessful expedition to the island of Maddalena (Sardinia).

June - Napoleon and his family leave Corsica, having been defeated in the fight against Paoli.

September-December: actively participates in the siege and capture of Toulon; Napoleon was given the rank of brigadier general.

Napoleon participates in the operations of the Italian army.

August - Napoleon was taken into custody as a supporter of M. Robespierre and was soon released.

Napoleon was assigned to the Western Army, but did not arrive at his duty station.

October 5 - becomes an active participant in the suppression of the anti-government rebellion in Paris.

Napoleon Bonaparte - Napoleon's reign in France

March - Napoleon appointed commander-in-chief of the Italian army; marriage to Josephine Beauharnais.

Italian Campaign: Battles of Montenotte (April 12), Millesimo (April 13), Dego (April 14-15), Mondovi (April 21), Lodi (May 10), Castiglione (August 5), Roveredo (September 4), Bassano (September 8), Saint-Georges (September 15), Arcole (November 15-17).

April - negotiations in Leoben, signing of a preliminary peace agreement between France and Austria.

October - peace treaty between France and Austria at Campo Formio.

December - Napoleon Bonaparte is elected member of the Institute of France.

April - Napoleon is appointed commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army.

June - occupation of Malta.

October - popular uprising in Cairo.

Campaign in Syria: February-March - capture of the fortresses of El-Arish, Jaffa; March-May - siege of the fortress of Saint-Jean d'Acre; Battle of Mount Tabor (April 16); May-June - lifting of the siege of the fortress of Saint-Jean d'Acre and the return of the Eastern Army from Syria to Egypt.

December - adoption of the new constitution of the French Republic; Napoleon Bonaparte - First Consul for 10 years.

January-February - establishment of the Bank of France.

March - peace treaty with Great Britain in Amiens.

May - Great Britain declares war on France.

March - arrest and execution of the Duke of Enghien; approval of the Civil Code.

May 10 - adoption of the law on the creation of the University - an educational and educational institution of the empire.

July - creation of the Confederation of the Rhine; Napoleon - protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.

November - Napoleon declares a continental blockade of Great Britain.

Beginning of the campaign against Russia.

April-June - intervention in the internal affairs of Spain, the proclamation of Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain.

April - the beginning of the campaign against Austria, the battles of Abensberg, Landshut, Eckmühl, Ratisbon.

December - Napoleon's divorce from Josephine.

April - wedding of Napoleon and Marie Louise.

Campaign in Russia: crossing the Neman (June 24), Battle of Borodino (September 7), entry into Moscow (September 14), beginning of the retreat from Moscow (October 19), crossing the Berezina (late November).

Campaign in Germany: battles of Lützen (May 2), Bautzen (May 20-21), Dresden (August 26-27), Leipzig (October 16-19).

Campaign in France: Battles of Brienne (January 29), La Rotière (February 1), Champaubert (February 10), Montmirail (February 11), Château-Thierry (February 12), Vauchamp (February 14), Montreaux (February 18) ), Craon (March 7), Laon (March 9), Reims (March 13), Arcy-sur-Aube (March 20-21).

July 15 - Napoleon boards the British ship Bellerophon and asks for political asylum in Great Britain.

-Brief biography of Napoleon

Napoleon I Bonaparte - French Emperor; outstanding commander and statesman; a brilliant strategist who laid the foundations of the modern French state. Born on August 15, 1769 in the capital of Corsica. He began his military career early. At the age of 16 he was already a junior lieutenant, and at the age of 24 he was appointed battalion commander, then artillery commander.

12.France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte: domestic and foreign policy.

Napoleon's family did not live well. They were petty aristocrats by origin. In addition to him, his parents raised seven more children. In 1784 he became a student at the Military Academy in Paris.

He greeted the revolution with great enthusiasm. In 1792 he joined the Jacobin club, and for his brilliant campaign against Toulon he received the rank of general. This event was a turning point in his biography. This is where his brilliant military career began. Soon he was able to demonstrate his talent as a commander during the Italian campaign in 1796-1797. In the following years, he made military visits to Egypt and Syria, and when he returned to Paris, he found a political crisis. This, however, did not upset him, since, taking advantage of the situation, he seized power and declared a consular regime.

He first received the title of Consul for life, and in 1804 the title of Emperor. In his domestic policy, he relied on strengthening personal power and preserving the territories and powers won during the revolution. He carried out a number of significant reforms, including in the administrative and legal sphere. At the same time, the emperor fought with England and Austria. Moreover, with the help of cunning tactics, in a short time he annexed almost all the countries of Western Europe to France. At first, his rule was presented to the French as a saving act, but the country, tired of bloody wars, as a result faced a serious economic crisis.

The collapse of Napoleon's empire began in 1812, when the Russian army defeated the French troops. Two years later, he was forced to abdicate the throne, since Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sweden, united in one alliance, defeated all the troops of the dictator-reformer and forced him to retreat. The politician was exiled to a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, from where he was able to escape in March 1815. Returning to France, he resumed the war with neighboring countries. During this period, the famous Battle of Waterloo took place, during which Napoleon's troops suffered a final and irrevocable defeat. In history, however, he remained as an odious person.

He spent the last six years of his life on the island. St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, where he was in English captivity and struggled with a serious illness. The great commander died on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51. There was a version that he was poisoned with arsenic, and according to another version he was sick with cancer. An entire era was named after him. In France, monuments, squares, museums and other interesting attractions were opened in honor of the commander.

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Results of the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Briefly

Answers:

Having become a full-fledged dictator, Napoleon radically changed the country's government structure. Napoleon's domestic policy consisted of strengthening his personal power as a guarantee of preserving the results of the revolution: civil rights, land ownership rights of peasants, as well as those who bought national property during the revolution, that is, confiscated lands of emigrants and churches.

Napoleon I Bonaparte - biography

The Civil Code (1804), which went down in history as the Napoleonic Code, was supposed to ensure all these conquests. Napoleon carried out an administrative reform, establishing the institution of department prefects and sub-prefects of districts accountable to the government (1800). Mayors were appointed to cities and villages.