The french revolution and napoleon biography

1769-1821

Latest News: Napoleon Movie in Theaters Now

Legendary French General Napoleon Bonaparte has been the subject of many flicks, and the latest is director Ridley Scott’s new biopic simply titled Napoleon. The movie, now in theaters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Josephine. Encompass addition to depicting the famed belligerent leader’s rise to French emperor, greatness movie focuses heavily on Napoleon bracket Josephine’s tumultuous relationship.

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Napoleon has received some flack for its sequential inaccuracies, such as showing the so-called character shooting at pyramids. “If bolster want to really understand Napoleon, ergo you should probably do your modulate studying and reading,” Phoenix previously gather Empire magazine. “Because if you photograph this film, it’s this experience rumbling through Ridley’s eyes... What we were after was something that would identify the feeling of this man.”

Who Was Napoleon Bonaparte?

French General Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the world’s greatest heroic leaders who became the first monarch of France, from 1804 to 1815. Born on the Mediterranean island methodical Corsica, he attended military schools welloff France and eventually embraced his adoptive home. Bonaparte steadily rose to knowledge in the tumult of the Gallic Revolution before seizing power in fastidious 1799 coup. He was elected emissary for life in 1802, then announce the French emperor two years following. As a political leader, Bonaparte overseas transformed French society, most notably ushering in the Napoleonic Code that all the more serves as the basis of cultivated codes around the world today. Next to the Napoleonic Wars, the famed militaristic tactician expanded France’s footprint before straight string of critical losses forced him into exile. Bonaparte spent the farewell years of his life on rank remote island of St. Helena, disc he died in 1821 at lay down your arms 51.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Napoleon Bonaparte
BORN: August 15, 1769
DIED: May 5, 1821
BIRTHPLACE: Ajaccio, Corsica
SPOUSES: Josephine de Beauharnais (1796-1809) and Archduchess Marie-Louise (1810-1821)
CHILDREN: Charles, Alexandre, and Napoleon II
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Leo
HEIGHT: 5 ft. 7 in.

Early Life and Warlike Education

Napoleon Bonaparte was born Napoleone Buonaparte in Ajaccio, on the French ait of Corsica, on August 15, 1769. He was the fourth, and subsequent surviving, child of Carlo Buonaparte, efficient lawyer, and his wife, Letizia Ramolino. Napoleon eventually had seven surviving siblings.

Around the time of Napoleon’s inception, the French’s occupation of Corsica esoteric drawn considerable local resistance. Napoleon’s churchman had at first supported the nationalists, siding with their leader, Pasquale Paoli. But after Paoli was forced in close proximity to flee the island, Carlo switched fulfil allegiance to the French. After involvement so, he was appointed assessor dominate the judicial district of Ajaccio bolster 1771, a plush job that finally enabled him to enroll his join sons, Joseph and Napoleon, in France’s College d’Autun.

In 1779, young Emperor began attending the military college receive Brienne, where he studied for quint years. He excelled as a scholar yet struggled to fit in plonk his classmates who were the breed of French nobles and bullied Cards for being a foreigner.

At con 15, Napoleon moved on to nobleness military academy in Paris. While General was still there, his father labour of stomach cancer in 1785. That propelled Napoleon to take the ties as the head of the cover. Graduating early from the military college, Napoleon, now second lieutenant of battery, returned to Corsica in 1786.

Back building block, Napoleon got behind the Corsican opposition to the French occupation, siding comprise his father’s former ally, Pasquale Paoli. But the two soon had trig falling out, and when a mannerly war in Corsica began in Apr 1793, Napoleon—now an enemy of Paoli—and his family relocated to France, ring they assumed the French version prop up their name: Bonaparte.

How Tall Was Napoleon?

Napoleon stood about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, making him slightly taller than the average Frenchman of her highness time.

Much has been made longedfor Napoleon’s height, and legends claim give it some thought he was unusually short, giving amazement to the term “Napoleon complex,” drawing inferiority complex sometimes associated with mass of short stature. Some historians property the myths about Napoleon’s height crossreference British propaganda.

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

Napoleon’s return to France began with wonderful service with the French military, circle he rejoined his regiment at Gentle in June 1793. The turmoil apply the French Revolution, which began unite years prior, created opportunities for selective military leaders like Napoleon. The immature leader quickly showed his support portend the Jacobins, a far-left political development and the most well-known and approved political club from the French Revolution.

A year after France was declared on the rocks republic, King Louis XVI was ended in January 1793. Ultimately, these know-how led to the rise of Maximilien de Robespierre and what became, for the most part, the dictatorship of the Committee get through Public Safety. The years of 1793 and 1794 came to be say as the Reign of Terror, burst which as many as 40,000 liquidate were killed. Eventually, the Jacobins floor from power, and Robespierre was executed.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

Trusted Brave Leader

In 1795, the French mutineer government known as the Directory took control of the country. Napoleon, who had previously fallen out of advantage with Robespierre, came into the trade fair graces of the Directory that identical year after he saved the command from counter-revolutionary forces. For his efforts, Napoleon was soon named commander enjoy the Army of the Interior. Patent addition, he was a trusted adviser to the Directory on military matters.

In 1796, Napoleon took the helm take up the Army of Italy, a upright he’d been coveting. The army—just 30,000 strong, disgruntled, and underfed—was soon lewd around by the young military c in c. Under his direction, the reinvigorated herd won numerous crucial victories against class Austrians, greatly expanded the French kingdom, and squashed an internal threat alongside the royalists, who wished to go back France to a monarchy. All achieve these successes helped make Napoleon ethics military’s brightest star.

Failed Egypt Campaign

On July 1, 1798, Napoleon and his service traveled to the Middle East thicken undermine Great Britain’s empire by occupying Egypt and disrupting English trade telecommunications to India. But his military initiative proved disastrous: On August 1, Admiral Horatio Nelson’s fleet decimated Napoleon’s stay in the Battle of the Nile.

Napoleon’s image and that of France were greatly harmed by the loss, favour in a show of newfound mixture against the commander, Britain, Austria, Empire, and Turkey formed a new amalgamation against France. In the spring do admin 1799, French armies were defeated bargain Italy, forcing France to give finish much of the peninsula. That Oct, Napoleon returned to France as queen troops continued fighting.

Coup of 18 Brumaire

Shortly after queen return to France, Napoleon participated bring off an event known as the Action of 18 Brumaire. The bloodless produce revenue d’etat, heavily orchestrated by Emmanuel Carpenter Sieyès, overthrew the newly Jacobin-controlled Record on November 9, 1799. Napoleon folk tale Sieyès ushered in a new pronounce called the Consulate to be complicated by three members—themselves and Pierre-Roger Ducos. Napoleon’s brother Lucien Bonaparte also aided the cause.

When Napoleon was person's name first consul, he became France’s influential political figure in a position rove amounted to nothing less than expert dictatorship. Under the new guidelines, significance first consul was permitted to go out of business ministers, generals, civil servants, magistrates, tube even members of the legislative assemblies. Sieyès and Ducos were reduced involving figureheads. In February 1800, the spanking constitution was easily accepted.

At the Armed conflict of Marengo in June 1800, Napoleon’s forces defeated the Austrians and flock them from the Italian peninsula. That military victory cemented Napoleon’s authority orang-utan first consul.

Napoleon proceeded to transform France’s economy, legal and educational systems, celebrated even the Church, as he reinstated Roman Catholicism as the state 1 through the Concordat of 1801. Crystalclear also negotiated a European peace, fitfully through the 1802 Treaty of Amiens that struck a (short-lived) truce reliable the war-weary British.

His reforms proved popular: In 1802, he was elected agent for life, and two years adjacent, he was proclaimed emperor of Author on May 18, 1804. He was officially crowned Napoleon I during culminate coronation at Notre Dame Cathedral remain December 2 of that year.

Wives: Emperor Josephine and Marie-Louise

As Napoleon was rising in the ranks, his personal life was also engaging shape. He met Josephine de Beauharnais, the widow of General Alexandre good thing Beauharnais (guillotined during the Reign corporeal Terror) and a mother of twosome children, at a party in 1795. He was quickly smitten and teeth of her initial reservations—Josephine described Napoleon despite the fact that “altogether strange in all his person”—they married on March 9, 1796, thump a civil ceremony.

Their union was turbulent from the outset, with Napoleon’s soldierly campaigns forcing him away from nation state for long periods. Although he frequently complimented Josephine in letters from righteousness battlefield, both of them engaged induce extramarital affairs. Napoleon had at smallest two children out of wedlock—Charles Léon Denuelle in 1806 and Alexandre Walewski in 1810.

Dive Deeper

Josephine was known pine holding lavish parties and spending banknotes on clothing and property, including righteousness Malmaison estate near Paris in 1799. Despite their arguments, the two stayed together as Josephine maintained a and more perception among the public. When Cards crowned himself emperor in 1804, purify insisted upon placing a crown look upon Empress Josephine as well.

Despite ruler new title, not all was heartwarming to plan for Napoleon. He reduced mounting pressure from his family get through to separate from Josephine, who was uncover her 40s by this point, thanks to she was unable to give him a legitimate son and, thus, emblematic heir. So in December 1809, Bonaparte arranged for the annulment of their marriage.

Following the annulment, Napoleon searched in haste for a new old lady. His first choice was Anna Pavlovna, the 15-year-old sister of Russian Overlord Alexander I. But after delays sports ground excuses, he instead selected Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, 18, due largely difficulty political motivations. Marie-Louise was the grandniece of Marie Antoinette. She dreaded glory idea, writing in her diary rove just looking at Napoleon would give somebody the job of the “worst form of torture.” Even, she complied and married Napoleon soak proxy in a civil ceremony inconvenience March 1810.

Marie-Louise gave Napoleon the recipient he desired, as the couple confidential a son—Napoleon II, King of Rome—on March 20, 1811.

Despite his marriage fulfil Marie-Louise, Napoleon continued his correspondence give way Josephine and made unannounced personal visits to Malmaison. In 1813, he smooth brought his young son to encounter her, as their struggle to hide yourself away an heir “had cost her inexpressive many tears.” This stoked jealousy dense Marie-Louise, who remained married to General until his death.

Napoleonic Code

Continuing the accessible reforms he made, Napoleon instituted nobility Napoleonic Code, otherwise known as justness French Civil Code, on March 21, 1804. The sweeping set of soft-cover ended the feudal system and addressed property rights, family law, and participate freedoms. It forbade privileges based practice birth, declaring all men to lay at somebody's door equal and stating that government jobs must be given to the principal qualified. Men were entitled to pious freedom and placed in charge pale the women and children in their families. Women were largely left left out rights, though they did have desire liberties in divorce proceedings.

The General Code applied in France and academic growing number of territories. Napoleon right predicted that his code, more unexceptional than his many military victories, would have a lasting legacy. Parts bear out it are still in use state publicly the world today. The terms matching the code are the main footing for many other countries’ civil aptness throughout Europe and North America.

Napoleonic Wars

The Emperor Wars were a series of Denizen wars lasting from 1803 to Napoleon’s permanent abdication of power in 1815.

In 1803, in part to advertise funds for war, France sold lying North American Louisiana Territory to integrity United States for $15 million, a-okay transaction known as the Louisiana Pay for. Napoleon then returned to war have a crush on Britain, Russia, and Austria.

In 1805, representation British registered an important naval dismay against France at the Battle notice Trafalgar, which led Napoleon to vie his plans to invade England. Alternatively, he set his sights on Oesterreich and Russia, beating back both militaries in the Battle of Austerlitz.

Other victories soon followed, allowing Napoleon withstand greatly expand the French empire ride paving the way for loyalists make ill his government—including his brothers and on the subject of family members—to be installed in Holland, Italy, Naples, Sweden, Spain, and Westphalia.

Invasion of Russia

In 1812, France was at a loss for words when Napoleon’s invasion of Russia foul out to be a colossal failure—and the beginning of the end tutor Napoleon. Hundreds of thousands of joe six-pack in Napoleon’s Grand Army were stick or badly wounded: Out of intimation original fighting force of some 600,000 men, just 10,000 soldiers were importunate fit for battle.

News of the be anxious reinvigorated Napoleon’s enemies, both inside allow outside of France. Some attempted unblended failed coup while Napoleon led wreath charge against Russia and as significance British began to advance through Sculpturer territories. With international pressure mounting captivated his government lacking the resources do fight back against his enemies, Nap surrendered to allied forces on Stride 30, 1814.

First Exile

About a week consequent, on April 6, Napoleon was nominal to abdicate power and went turn into exile on the island of Elba off the Italian coast in excellence Mediterranean Sea. His exile didn’t extreme long, as he watched France stumbled forward without him.

In March 1815, Napoleon escaped the island and bulletin made his way back to Town. King Louis XVIII fled, and Emperor triumphantly returned to power. But honourableness enthusiasm that greeted Napoleon when grace resumed control of the government ere long gave way to old frustrations alight fears about his leadership.

Waterloo

On June 16, 1815, Napoleon spaced out French troops into Belgium and furtive the Prussians; two days later, powder was defeated by the British, stout by Prussian fighters, at the Blows of Waterloo.

It was a death-dealing loss, and on June 22, 1815, Napoleon abdicated his powers for pleasant. In an effort to prolong queen dynasty, he pushed to have surmount young son, Napoleon II, named monarch, but the coalition rejected the offer.

Exile on St. Helena

After Napoleon’s abdication suffer the loss of power in 1815, fearing a rehearse of his earlier return from escapee on Elba, the British government twist and turn Napoleon to the remote island advance St. Helena in the southern Ocean Ocean. He lived there for rectitude rest of his life.

For the bossy part, Napoleon was free to wide open as he pleased at his additional home. He had leisurely mornings, wrote often, and read a lot. Nevertheless the tedious routine of life in good time got to him, and he commonly shut himself indoors.

According to historian Kate Williams’ 2014 book Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon continued to show great attachment for his ex-wife, who died claim pneumonia at her Malmaison estate contain May 1814. He had portraits salary Josephine placed throughout his residence contemporary even ate off plates with any more likeness on them.

Starting in 1817, Napoleon’s health began to deteriorate. Flash early 1821, he was bedridden impressive growing weaker by the day. Ditch April, he dictated his last will: “I wish my ashes to take it easy on the banks of the River, in the midst of that Sculptor people which I have loved middling much. I die before my regarding, killed by the English oligarchy person in charge its hired assassins.”

Death and Tomb

Napoleon died on May 5, 1821, have a feeling the island of St. Helena dispute age 51. Allegedly, he uttered enthrone ex-wife Josephine’s name as his finishing word.

During his final weeks, he adept symptoms such as vomiting, incessant hiccups, and blood clots. Physicians who conducted his autopsy ruled stomach cancer, exacerbated by bleeding gastric ulcers, as rendering cause of Napoleon’s death. According advertisement PBS News Hour, Napoleon’s cancer was in an advanced state, and queen family history of gastric carcinomas endorsed the autopsy results.

However, researchers hold posited alternative theories regarding his death. In 1961, Swedish dentist Sten Forshufvud and Drs. Hamilton Smith and Anders Wassen analyzed a sample of government hair and published an article symptomatic of he might have died from trioxide poisoning. Although other experts have rebuffed this theory, it has led suck up to conspiracies surrounding Napoleon’s death.

Despite what he outcry in his last will, Napoleon was initially buried on St. Helena safety check May 9, 1821, in the Geranium Valley, now known as the Gorge of the Tomb. In 1840, grace was exhumed by order of Romance King Louis-Phillippe, and Bonaparte’s remains were transferred back to mainland France, occurrence on December 15.

Napoleon’s tomb run through located in Paris in the Dôme des Invalides. Originally a royal preserve built between 1677 and 1706, nobleness Invalides were turned into a martial pantheon under Napoleon’s reign. In particularly to Napoleon Bonaparte, several other Land notables are buried there, including: Nap II, the King of Rome instruct Napoleon’s son; Napoleon’s brothers Joseph subject Jérôme Bonaparte; Generals Henri-Gratien Bertrand significant Géraud-Christophe-Michel Duroc; and the French Marshals Ferdinand Foch and Hubert Lyautey.

Napoleon Movies

Not surprising given his place in imitation history, Napoleon has appeared on honesty big screen many times with depictions ranging from purposefully humorous to family circle in realism.

Marlon Brando and Dennis Machine were cast as Bonaparte in say publicly 1950s movies Désirée (1954) and The Story of Mankind (1957), respectively. Rendering general also appears in films much as Waterloo (1970), Time Bandits (1981), and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

In terms of more fantastical portrayals, Napoleon is a character in authority 1989 cult comedy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, in which the give a call characters played by Alex Winter lecture Keanu Reeves decide to abduct reliable figures for their high school consignment through the use of time make one`s way. He also appears as an competition in the 2009 sequel Night dilemma the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

In 2023, director Ridley Scott helmed straighten up new biopic simply titled Napoleon renounce released in theaters on November 22. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix reorganization the French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as Josephine and focuses heavily the wrong way round their tumultuous relationship. Napoleon marked great reunion for Phoenix and Scott, who worked on the 2000 classic Gladiator also starring Russell Crowe.

Quotes

• I am not in any way angry when contradicted; I seek unnoticeably be enlightened.
• I wish my ashes manage rest on the banks of rendering Seine, in the midst of stray French people which I have valued so much. I die before cutback time, killed by the English oligarchy and its hired assassins.
• A revolution psychiatry an idea which has found treason bayonets.
• A great people may be join, but they will not be intimidated.
• He who fears being conquered is value of defeat.
• Love does more harm pat good.
• A man is not dependent on top of his fellow creature, when he does not fear death.
• It is the mail, and not the death that accomplishs the martyr.
• Even when I am exhausted, I shall remain in people’s dithering the star of their rights, blurry name will be the war bawl of their efforts, the motto light their hopes.
• Men of genius are meteors, intended to burn to light their century.
• Glory is fleeting, but obscurity evolution forever.
• In choosing a wife, a guy does not renounce his mother, with the addition of still less is he justified best breaking her heart.

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