-
Napoleon's Birth
Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, France, on the island of Corsica. He was the second born of eight children. -
First Debut
Following the completion of his studies in France, Napoleon enlists in the French army and is commissioned as an artillery officer. -
Period: to
French Revolutionary Wars
Napoleon joins the revolutionaries as the French Revolution initiates. He took part in the French Revolutionary Wars and was given the rank of brigadier general in 1793. A new French constitution adopted in 1795 vests executive authority in a Directory made up of five members. -
First Marriage
In March 1796, Napoleon married Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie, widow of the former General Alexandre de Beauharnais. -
Period: to
Second Marriage and Birth of His Son
After the divorce of Josephine, in 1810, Napoleon re-married to Marie-Louise, a descendant of the Austrian emperor. Marie-Louise gave birth to the future duke of Reichstadt on March 20, 1811. -
Period: to
The Battle of Leipzig and the Exilation to the island of Elba
The Battle of Leipzig (October 1813) destroyed the remaining power of France in Germany and Poland. Napoleon is forced to retreat west of the Rhine. Allied forces invade France and capture Paris on March 30, 1814. Napoleon is forced to abdicate on April 6 and is forced into exile on the island of Elba off the west coast of Italy. -
Napoleon's Death
Napoleon was later exiled for a second time to the island of Saint Helena off the coast of Africa. Six years later, he died of a stomach ulcer.